Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a
Democrat, on Friday presided over the wedding of a lesbian couple,
making him the first Virginia governor to officiate at the wedding
ceremony of a gay couple.
McAuliffe married Renee Bradley, 50,
and Katherine Bradley-Black, 44, at their home in Northern Virginia.
The women have been together for 18 years and are raising a son, 8,
and a daughter, 12.
“I was honored to be part of this
important event and am pleased that marriage equality has been
extended to all in VA,” he said in a tweet.
McAuliffe, who endorsed marriage
equality during his campaign, continued in an email to The
New York Times: “The guiding principle of my administration
has been to create a commonwealth that is open and welcoming to
anyone who wants to live, work and raise a family here.”
Virginia was among the states where
such unions became legal on Monday after the Supreme Court refused to
hear appeals in cases challenging marriage bans in five states and
allowed lower court rulings to stand.