Officials in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on Wednesday defied a
state ban on gay marriage, issuing two marriage licenses to lesbian
couples.
Alicia Terrizzi, 45, and Loreen Bloodgood, 40, married in a
religious ceremony after receiving their marriage license. The
women, together 17 years and raising two sons, live in Pottstown.
“We've been waiting a long time for this,” Terrizzi said.
“We're not setting out to be pioneers. We don't think our family
is any different than anybody else.”
The women sought the licenses after county officials signaled
their willingness to defy the law.
On Tuesday, Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes said that he was
willing to issue the licenses because it was the right thing to do.
“It's a question of how long it will take, and what will be the
legal process to achieve it,” said Josh Shapiro, chairman of the
Montgomery County Commission. “But we know we will be a part of
that.”
The second license went to Sasha Ester Ballen, 38, and Diana Lynn
Spagnuolo, 39, of Wynnewood, the
AP reported.
The ACLU, which is representing eleven couples in long-term
committed relationships plus one widow in a lawsuit challenging the
state's ban, on Tuesday raised concerns about the strategy, advising
another lesbian couple against taking up the county's offer. Lawyers
for the ACLU said that the unions would likely be challenged by the
state.
Terrizzi and Bloodgod married in a park by a nondenominational
minister.