A suburban Philadelphia county on Friday morning issued its 100th
marriage license to a gay couple in defiance of state law.
Nicole and Virginia Perrine-Wilson received Montgomery County's
100th marriage license.
As of the close of business on Friday, 103 gay and lesbian couples
had received marriage licenses from the county since Register of
Wills Bruce Hanes announced on July 23 that he believes the state's
law limiting marriage to heterosexual unions violates the
Pennsylvania Constitution.
“Article 1 Section 1 [of the constitution], which is a sort of
preamble, but it does state that we're all entitled to individual
liberties and freedoms and happiness,” Hanes told CNN.
So far, 33 of the couples have married, the AP reported.
(Related: Mayor
John Fetterman performs first gay wedding in Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania.)
A challenge to the marriage ban appears to have touched off the
burgeoning marriage movement in Pennsylvania.
Hanes announced his decision soon after Attorney General Kathleen
Kane, a Democrat, refused to defend the law in court, leaving
Governor Tom Corbett, a Republican, to step in. Corbett has also
sued Montgomery County to stop it from issuing marriage licenses to
gay couples.
(Related: Rep.
Daryl Metcalfe: Impeach officials who issue gay marriage licenses.)