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CNN Live Sunday
Gay, Lesbian Couples Camp Out For Weddings In San Fransisco
Aired February 15, 2004 - 16:31 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.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: For a fourth day officials at San Francisco City Hall of marrying couples at a rate that would be the envy of any Las Vegas wedding chapel. But these couples are gays and lesbians they pored in from all around California and the United States to a city officially thumbing its nose at state law. CNN's Miguel Marquez has been covering this story all weekend. And he joins us from San Francisco. Miquel.
MIQUEL MARQUEZ, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Hi Kelli. We just keep expecting this thing to get smaller and instead it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. The line behind me, they sort of dubbed themselves the hopeful over flow, they have been told by the City Hall here in San Francisco to go home. They haven't, they are waiting, and they say they're going to stay all night.
I want to show you what is happening here live right now; those are the front step, the north steps, of City Hall here in San Francisco. A couple -- couple after couple come out, they sometimes throw bouquets, they show their marriage licenses and a crowd sort of an impromptu crowd that is gathered around here starts to cheer for them. Four hundred people will be processed today, 320 of them were left over from last night, 80 of them from today.
All told, they have done about 1400 so far and they expect to do at least as many tomorrow as well. All this as legal action is looming on Tuesday. The campaign for California families says the mayor here in San Francisco is doing something that is illegal. The mayor here saying that the Constitution, the State Constitution allows it. They have a statement they have just released saying our case is going full steam ahead to rescue the vote of 4.6 million Californians from Mayor Gavin Newsom's abusive power.
They are referring to a ballot propositive that was back in 2000 that defined marriage in California that between a man and woman. I want to bring in a couple people who are online today. If you guys could stand up here. This Jamie Franco and Amy Lawrence. You guys are from Santa Cruz, California. Were you just here for vacation or did you come up here to do this?
JAMIE FRANCO, GETTING MARRIED TODAY: We came up here specifically for this. We definitely want to go through the marriage process.
MARQUEZ: And what has the process been so far?
AMY LAWRENCE, GETTING MARRIED TODAY: We are standing in line in the rain along with everyone else. Making bathroom runs and getting food and coming back and --
FRANCO: We've got a bunch of friends that we've made, too. That we just kind of supported each other throughout this.
MARQUEZ: They told you essentially to go home. Are you?
LAWRENCE: No, we're staying the night. We will stay the night, it's starting to rain. We don't care. We'll stay here.
MARQUEZ: Why? Is this political? Is it legal, is it love? What is the point here?
LAWRENCE: You know, it's like -- I think the people speak for themselves as homosexuals. We are waiting around and we are spending so much time to do something that heterosexuals get done in a matter of minutes. And there are people that are willing to stay the night and people that have stayed the night.
FRANCO: There are people everywhere.
LAWRENCE: You know I think that there is a tendency for people to look at that homosexual community as an isolated bunch. But you know we are like everyone else, we have moms, and dads, and grandparents and have meaningful social relationships with people on this planet so --
MARQUEZ: The gay issue or the gay marriage issue has been bubbling for years. What makes this different right now? What is happening here?
FRANCO: Well we're domestic partners. So we are certified domestic partners in the state. Which is great so we do have some legal rights. And we had a ceremony last year, which was wonderful with our family, showing that they support our union. And that they know how serious we are about each other. But this is actually a chance to be married, I mean really married. It's history in the making and I want to be a big part of it.
MARQUEZ: That is a lot the sense out here Kelli, that it is history. Thank you very much by the way. It is history in the making, whether or not it's good history or bad history, I suppose that is for the viewers to decide. Kelli.
ARENA: All right, Miguel. Thanks so much for that report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Fransisco>
Aired February 15, 2004 - 16:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: For a fourth day officials at San Francisco City Hall of marrying couples at a rate that would be the envy of any Las Vegas wedding chapel. But these couples are gays and lesbians they pored in from all around California and the United States to a city officially thumbing its nose at state law. CNN's Miguel Marquez has been covering this story all weekend. And he joins us from San Francisco. Miquel.
MIQUEL MARQUEZ, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Hi Kelli. We just keep expecting this thing to get smaller and instead it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. The line behind me, they sort of dubbed themselves the hopeful over flow, they have been told by the City Hall here in San Francisco to go home. They haven't, they are waiting, and they say they're going to stay all night.
I want to show you what is happening here live right now; those are the front step, the north steps, of City Hall here in San Francisco. A couple -- couple after couple come out, they sometimes throw bouquets, they show their marriage licenses and a crowd sort of an impromptu crowd that is gathered around here starts to cheer for them. Four hundred people will be processed today, 320 of them were left over from last night, 80 of them from today.
All told, they have done about 1400 so far and they expect to do at least as many tomorrow as well. All this as legal action is looming on Tuesday. The campaign for California families says the mayor here in San Francisco is doing something that is illegal. The mayor here saying that the Constitution, the State Constitution allows it. They have a statement they have just released saying our case is going full steam ahead to rescue the vote of 4.6 million Californians from Mayor Gavin Newsom's abusive power.
They are referring to a ballot propositive that was back in 2000 that defined marriage in California that between a man and woman. I want to bring in a couple people who are online today. If you guys could stand up here. This Jamie Franco and Amy Lawrence. You guys are from Santa Cruz, California. Were you just here for vacation or did you come up here to do this?
JAMIE FRANCO, GETTING MARRIED TODAY: We came up here specifically for this. We definitely want to go through the marriage process.
MARQUEZ: And what has the process been so far?
AMY LAWRENCE, GETTING MARRIED TODAY: We are standing in line in the rain along with everyone else. Making bathroom runs and getting food and coming back and --
FRANCO: We've got a bunch of friends that we've made, too. That we just kind of supported each other throughout this.
MARQUEZ: They told you essentially to go home. Are you?
LAWRENCE: No, we're staying the night. We will stay the night, it's starting to rain. We don't care. We'll stay here.
MARQUEZ: Why? Is this political? Is it legal, is it love? What is the point here?
LAWRENCE: You know, it's like -- I think the people speak for themselves as homosexuals. We are waiting around and we are spending so much time to do something that heterosexuals get done in a matter of minutes. And there are people that are willing to stay the night and people that have stayed the night.
FRANCO: There are people everywhere.
LAWRENCE: You know I think that there is a tendency for people to look at that homosexual community as an isolated bunch. But you know we are like everyone else, we have moms, and dads, and grandparents and have meaningful social relationships with people on this planet so --
MARQUEZ: The gay issue or the gay marriage issue has been bubbling for years. What makes this different right now? What is happening here?
FRANCO: Well we're domestic partners. So we are certified domestic partners in the state. Which is great so we do have some legal rights. And we had a ceremony last year, which was wonderful with our family, showing that they support our union. And that they know how serious we are about each other. But this is actually a chance to be married, I mean really married. It's history in the making and I want to be a big part of it.
MARQUEZ: That is a lot the sense out here Kelli, that it is history. Thank you very much by the way. It is history in the making, whether or not it's good history or bad history, I suppose that is for the viewers to decide. Kelli.
ARENA: All right, Miguel. Thanks so much for that report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Fransisco>
