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Rosie O'Donnell Gets Married to Protest Gay Marriage Ban
Aired February 26, 2004 - 13:29 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Former talk show host Rosie O'Donnell says she will marry her long-term partner in San Francisco today in defiance of a call from President Bush for a ban on same-sex marriages. Our Rusty Dornin at the courthouse in San Fran where O'Donnell and her partner are expected to arrive shortly. Any sign of them yet?
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, actually, they'll be landing in San Francisco, Miles, in about a half hour, Rosie O'Donnell, with her partner, Kelly Carpenter.
Now this sounded like a last-minute thing. Of course this morning her making the announcement on "Good Morning America But apparently it's been in the works for the last few days. The mayor's office did receive a call from Kelly O'Donnell. Carpenter apparently has been going by the name O'Donnell for some time, and tried to set up the arrangements for this marriage.
Now they will be arriving here at city hall about 1:00 Pacific time, going in to do a little bit of hair and makeup and that sort of thing. And they're thinking the ceremony's going to take place about 1:30.
We are told it is a private ceremony. However, O'Donnell and Carpenter will be making an appearance in the city hall rotunda right after the ceremony to do sort of a photo op. So we're not sure if cameras are going to allowed in at all for the private ceremony. A lot of those details are being worked out as we speak.
Of course there has been 3,300 marriages performed her in San Francisco after Mayor Gavin Newsom gave the order to the county clerk to begin issuing gay marriage licenses.
Sparked a lot of controversy, plus a lot of lawsuits.
And of course, as you said, Rosie O'Donnell is doing this in defiance of President Bush's proposal to ban gay marriage.
And also, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom says that President Bush was the one who sparked him to take the -- you know, the step in the first place, after he heard the State of the Union address, and he started thinking about constitutional rights.
And he felt that gay marriage was something people should have under the U.S. and California state constitution -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Rusty Dornin, thanks, much. 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 26, 2004 - 13:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Former talk show host Rosie O'Donnell says she will marry her long-term partner in San Francisco today in defiance of a call from President Bush for a ban on same-sex marriages. Our Rusty Dornin at the courthouse in San Fran where O'Donnell and her partner are expected to arrive shortly. Any sign of them yet?
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, actually, they'll be landing in San Francisco, Miles, in about a half hour, Rosie O'Donnell, with her partner, Kelly Carpenter.
Now this sounded like a last-minute thing. Of course this morning her making the announcement on "Good Morning America But apparently it's been in the works for the last few days. The mayor's office did receive a call from Kelly O'Donnell. Carpenter apparently has been going by the name O'Donnell for some time, and tried to set up the arrangements for this marriage.
Now they will be arriving here at city hall about 1:00 Pacific time, going in to do a little bit of hair and makeup and that sort of thing. And they're thinking the ceremony's going to take place about 1:30.
We are told it is a private ceremony. However, O'Donnell and Carpenter will be making an appearance in the city hall rotunda right after the ceremony to do sort of a photo op. So we're not sure if cameras are going to allowed in at all for the private ceremony. A lot of those details are being worked out as we speak.
Of course there has been 3,300 marriages performed her in San Francisco after Mayor Gavin Newsom gave the order to the county clerk to begin issuing gay marriage licenses.
Sparked a lot of controversy, plus a lot of lawsuits.
And of course, as you said, Rosie O'Donnell is doing this in defiance of President Bush's proposal to ban gay marriage.
And also, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom says that President Bush was the one who sparked him to take the -- you know, the step in the first place, after he heard the State of the Union address, and he started thinking about constitutional rights.
And he felt that gay marriage was something people should have under the U.S. and California state constitution -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Rusty Dornin, thanks, much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
