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CNN Live Saturday

First Gay, Lesbian Couples Get Married In San Francisco

Aired February 14, 2004 - 18:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, gay and lesbian couples from all over the country are flooding into San Francisco to get married. CNN's Miguel Marquez is watching this all rush out to -- all of these people rush out to the altar. Miguel, is the line still all the way around City Hall building?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Carol, we thought it would have sort of gone down a little bit by now, but that line still wraps around City Hall here. I mean, take a look for yourself. You can still see just hundreds and hundreds of people in line. I talked to a city supervisor a short time ago. They say that everybody standing in line today will get a marriage license by the day's end. Most of the people here in line are getting married today. Some of them are well-wishers, friends, supporters and the like.

The county assessor recorder here reports that they are doing 50 to 60 weddings an hour. It's about a wedding a minute. They did 90 on the first day. That was Thursday. They did 600, or almost 600 the second day. Yesterday, they did -- and today they are up to 200 and counting, at least officially. They are sure that they are going to exceed that 550 mark from the day before.

Normally, they do about 30 weddings a day here. They've had people from all over California here, certainly, but also Ohio, Georgia, Oregon, Minnesota and New York, have also gotten married just today. The people that we talked to say they're not sure if it will be legal -- legally recognized in their own state, but they say it's sure worth a try.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As far as we know, as long as, as long as people marriage rights are for everybody in the state, then it's no different than if an engaged couple comes here to have their wedding here from another state. There shouldn't be any difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Now, in the midst of the Massachusetts amendment situation, the mayor here in San Francisco opened up the doors to gay marriage, essentially granting valid California -- state of California marriage licenses to anybody who wanted them. He says that they are going to keep the doors open of City Hall Saturday, today, tomorrow and Monday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You just got to get in line before 4 p.m. to make it to the altar, essentially.

All this to get ahead of an injunction that is expected and is expected to prevail on Tuesday. The people bringing that -- brought a proposition, a voter proposition in the year 2000 that defined marriage as between one man and one woman, and the political opponents now of marriages are lining up, saying this is nothing more than a political stunt, and these marriage licenses aren't worth the paper they are printed on -- Carol.

LIN: So, Miguel, if the injunction goes into place, I mean, legally, can the state come back and annul all of these marriages?

MARQUEZ: That's -- I think that's -- that's the question that's going to not only be have to settled by California courts, and I guess state courts and maybe different county courts, but different states as well, and it's very unclear as to what exactly will happen. I've talked to a couple of legal folks today, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of answers. Until that injunction takes place and until the state decides what it's going to do with all of this.

LIN: All right, I'll give the second question a shot, then. Knowing that a lot is still pending, so what happens? I mean, these people are technically legally married in a state which -- which by election has determined that -- or has defined marriage as an act between a man and a woman. So these guys get married, do they have the same benefits then as married couples? Are they legally seen then -- do they go to work and get health benefits? Can they collect Social Security and all of that?

MARQUEZ: Presumably, that would be the case. They are walking out of here with a marriage certificate. That's not usually the case. They usually mail it out, but they're giving it to them here to get around the mailing time it would take for the injunction, so presumably if these marriage licenses are in fact valid, then they would share the same benefits that straight married couples do -- Carol.

LIN: All right, the human resources offices are going to be buzzing around the state of California Tuesday morning, after the holiday.

MARQUEZ: All sorts of buzz (ph).

LIN: Yeah. All right, thank you very much, Miguel Marquez, reporting live from San Francisco.

Let's find out from a couple of women who actually went through this process. They live in the Bay Area, and they actually joined the lines at City Hall this week. They became the nation's second same- sex couple to be granted a marriage license. Meet Sarah Conner and Gillian Smith. They were married after getting their license Thursday.

Good afternoon to the both of you, and I'd like to congratulate you. Anyone who finds happiness in my book is -- definitely deserves a hearty congratulations.

GILLIAN SMITH, MARRIED THIS WEEK: Well, thank you so much, Carol. SARAH CONNER, MARRIED THIS WEEK: Thank you.

LIN: And here you are, spending your honeymoon with us, on live television. Tell me, ladies, why did you decide to do this? Was this really an act of love, or was it an activist statement?

SMITH: Well, it was an act of love. We had planned on getting married in Toronto, actually, but when we have the opportunity to get married at home, that was even better.

LIN: What was that like, the whole scene at City Hall and being part of that?

CONNER: It was really exciting. It was great. We just knew that we were making history in one sense, so that was- that was just a really wonderful feeling, but also just -- we were getting married, and that is so exciting for us, personally.

LIN: Are you nervous about what may happen next, from a legal standpoint?

CONNER: Yes.

SMITH: Yeah, we are, but right now, we're trying to enjoy, as you said, our honeymoon and bask in the glow of being married.

CONNER: Yeah.

LIN: What happens if the state of California moves to annul your marriage? Are you going to take legal action on your own behalf?

SMITH: Well...

LIN: I mean, do you know what your legal options are? It's so murky.

CONNER: It remains to be seen, for sure. I mean, we are waiting to see what happens, and you know, we are going to fight this, as far as we can, for sure.

LIN: Why is it so important? The M-word? You know, when so many heterosexuals now are opting just to co-habit and live together. What difference does it actually make in your lives? I mean, you love each other, you know how each other feels, what differences does it make? Why fight the fight?

SMITH: Well, it makes a lot of difference. I mean, moments after we were married, we just felt validated in a way that I didn't expect. It was more powerful than I expected. And then come the benefits of knowing that if anything should happen to Sarah or myself, that we're protected. She can come visit me in the hospital, if that were the case, or vice versa.

LIN: But you can just go see an attorney and draw up a power of attorney for each other? There are other legal options that you have to protect your interests? CONNER: Yeah, we've done that, too, but I definitely feel like as a cultural shift happens, it's just -- it makes it easier for those sorts of things to happen. You hear all the time about people who do get power of attorney and they still run into trouble when they try to visit their spouse in the hospital, and they still have to fight the system, and people don't want to let them in. So you know, this is just going to make it a lot easier and...

LIN: The irony -- forgive me for interrupting, the irony is, because of gay marriage is so controversial -- I mean, the fact that you guys got married, in a way doesn't it make the very things that you're talking about in everyday life more difficult, because there is going to be potentially that inherent prejudice when you say, hey, wait a minute, I can make those medical decisions for her, because I am her wife. Look at this. I've got this piece of paper.

SMITH: Well, that may be the case, but also in the future, hopefully other couples of same sex won't have to deal with those same problems, you know.

CONNER: Yeah. Change isn't easy, I mean, this is definitely a bumpy road, for sure. And that's just the way it is, and we're willing -- I mean, it's definitely worth it. Yeah.

LIN: I know you've gotten lots of love and congratulations from your friends and maybe even family.

CONNER: Oh, absolutely.

LIN: Have you had anybody come to you and say, oh, come on, guys?

CONNER: Not one.

SMITH: Not one person.

CONNER: It's been great, it's been wonderful. It's been -- just -- we've gotten so much love and support. It's just been an outpouring, and my only regret is that I wish that I could have had more friends and family with us when it happened.

LIN: It was kind of spur of the moment, wasn't it?

CONNER: Yeah, it really was.

LIN: All right. Well, the two of you, we will see what happens, and certainly we'd like to follow your story, see what happens in the coming weeks with the legal action, if any, on behalf of the state.

CONNER: Yeah.

LIN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CONNER: We will see what happens, yeah.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Sarah Conner and Gillian Smith.

CONNER: Thank you.

SMITH: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 14, 2004 - 18:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, gay and lesbian couples from all over the country are flooding into San Francisco to get married. CNN's Miguel Marquez is watching this all rush out to -- all of these people rush out to the altar. Miguel, is the line still all the way around City Hall building?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Carol, we thought it would have sort of gone down a little bit by now, but that line still wraps around City Hall here. I mean, take a look for yourself. You can still see just hundreds and hundreds of people in line. I talked to a city supervisor a short time ago. They say that everybody standing in line today will get a marriage license by the day's end. Most of the people here in line are getting married today. Some of them are well-wishers, friends, supporters and the like.

The county assessor recorder here reports that they are doing 50 to 60 weddings an hour. It's about a wedding a minute. They did 90 on the first day. That was Thursday. They did 600, or almost 600 the second day. Yesterday, they did -- and today they are up to 200 and counting, at least officially. They are sure that they are going to exceed that 550 mark from the day before.

Normally, they do about 30 weddings a day here. They've had people from all over California here, certainly, but also Ohio, Georgia, Oregon, Minnesota and New York, have also gotten married just today. The people that we talked to say they're not sure if it will be legal -- legally recognized in their own state, but they say it's sure worth a try.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As far as we know, as long as, as long as people marriage rights are for everybody in the state, then it's no different than if an engaged couple comes here to have their wedding here from another state. There shouldn't be any difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Now, in the midst of the Massachusetts amendment situation, the mayor here in San Francisco opened up the doors to gay marriage, essentially granting valid California -- state of California marriage licenses to anybody who wanted them. He says that they are going to keep the doors open of City Hall Saturday, today, tomorrow and Monday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You just got to get in line before 4 p.m. to make it to the altar, essentially.

All this to get ahead of an injunction that is expected and is expected to prevail on Tuesday. The people bringing that -- brought a proposition, a voter proposition in the year 2000 that defined marriage as between one man and one woman, and the political opponents now of marriages are lining up, saying this is nothing more than a political stunt, and these marriage licenses aren't worth the paper they are printed on -- Carol.

LIN: So, Miguel, if the injunction goes into place, I mean, legally, can the state come back and annul all of these marriages?

MARQUEZ: That's -- I think that's -- that's the question that's going to not only be have to settled by California courts, and I guess state courts and maybe different county courts, but different states as well, and it's very unclear as to what exactly will happen. I've talked to a couple of legal folks today, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of answers. Until that injunction takes place and until the state decides what it's going to do with all of this.

LIN: All right, I'll give the second question a shot, then. Knowing that a lot is still pending, so what happens? I mean, these people are technically legally married in a state which -- which by election has determined that -- or has defined marriage as an act between a man and a woman. So these guys get married, do they have the same benefits then as married couples? Are they legally seen then -- do they go to work and get health benefits? Can they collect Social Security and all of that?

MARQUEZ: Presumably, that would be the case. They are walking out of here with a marriage certificate. That's not usually the case. They usually mail it out, but they're giving it to them here to get around the mailing time it would take for the injunction, so presumably if these marriage licenses are in fact valid, then they would share the same benefits that straight married couples do -- Carol.

LIN: All right, the human resources offices are going to be buzzing around the state of California Tuesday morning, after the holiday.

MARQUEZ: All sorts of buzz (ph).

LIN: Yeah. All right, thank you very much, Miguel Marquez, reporting live from San Francisco.

Let's find out from a couple of women who actually went through this process. They live in the Bay Area, and they actually joined the lines at City Hall this week. They became the nation's second same- sex couple to be granted a marriage license. Meet Sarah Conner and Gillian Smith. They were married after getting their license Thursday.

Good afternoon to the both of you, and I'd like to congratulate you. Anyone who finds happiness in my book is -- definitely deserves a hearty congratulations.

GILLIAN SMITH, MARRIED THIS WEEK: Well, thank you so much, Carol. SARAH CONNER, MARRIED THIS WEEK: Thank you.

LIN: And here you are, spending your honeymoon with us, on live television. Tell me, ladies, why did you decide to do this? Was this really an act of love, or was it an activist statement?

SMITH: Well, it was an act of love. We had planned on getting married in Toronto, actually, but when we have the opportunity to get married at home, that was even better.

LIN: What was that like, the whole scene at City Hall and being part of that?

CONNER: It was really exciting. It was great. We just knew that we were making history in one sense, so that was- that was just a really wonderful feeling, but also just -- we were getting married, and that is so exciting for us, personally.

LIN: Are you nervous about what may happen next, from a legal standpoint?

CONNER: Yes.

SMITH: Yeah, we are, but right now, we're trying to enjoy, as you said, our honeymoon and bask in the glow of being married.

CONNER: Yeah.

LIN: What happens if the state of California moves to annul your marriage? Are you going to take legal action on your own behalf?

SMITH: Well...

LIN: I mean, do you know what your legal options are? It's so murky.

CONNER: It remains to be seen, for sure. I mean, we are waiting to see what happens, and you know, we are going to fight this, as far as we can, for sure.

LIN: Why is it so important? The M-word? You know, when so many heterosexuals now are opting just to co-habit and live together. What difference does it actually make in your lives? I mean, you love each other, you know how each other feels, what differences does it make? Why fight the fight?

SMITH: Well, it makes a lot of difference. I mean, moments after we were married, we just felt validated in a way that I didn't expect. It was more powerful than I expected. And then come the benefits of knowing that if anything should happen to Sarah or myself, that we're protected. She can come visit me in the hospital, if that were the case, or vice versa.

LIN: But you can just go see an attorney and draw up a power of attorney for each other? There are other legal options that you have to protect your interests? CONNER: Yeah, we've done that, too, but I definitely feel like as a cultural shift happens, it's just -- it makes it easier for those sorts of things to happen. You hear all the time about people who do get power of attorney and they still run into trouble when they try to visit their spouse in the hospital, and they still have to fight the system, and people don't want to let them in. So you know, this is just going to make it a lot easier and...

LIN: The irony -- forgive me for interrupting, the irony is, because of gay marriage is so controversial -- I mean, the fact that you guys got married, in a way doesn't it make the very things that you're talking about in everyday life more difficult, because there is going to be potentially that inherent prejudice when you say, hey, wait a minute, I can make those medical decisions for her, because I am her wife. Look at this. I've got this piece of paper.

SMITH: Well, that may be the case, but also in the future, hopefully other couples of same sex won't have to deal with those same problems, you know.

CONNER: Yeah. Change isn't easy, I mean, this is definitely a bumpy road, for sure. And that's just the way it is, and we're willing -- I mean, it's definitely worth it. Yeah.

LIN: I know you've gotten lots of love and congratulations from your friends and maybe even family.

CONNER: Oh, absolutely.

LIN: Have you had anybody come to you and say, oh, come on, guys?

CONNER: Not one.

SMITH: Not one person.

CONNER: It's been great, it's been wonderful. It's been -- just -- we've gotten so much love and support. It's just been an outpouring, and my only regret is that I wish that I could have had more friends and family with us when it happened.

LIN: It was kind of spur of the moment, wasn't it?

CONNER: Yeah, it really was.

LIN: All right. Well, the two of you, we will see what happens, and certainly we'd like to follow your story, see what happens in the coming weeks with the legal action, if any, on behalf of the state.

CONNER: Yeah.

LIN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CONNER: We will see what happens, yeah.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Sarah Conner and Gillian Smith.

CONNER: Thank you.

SMITH: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com