Gay Couples Begin Marrying In Alaska As State Appeals Ruling

At least two gay couples have married in Alaska as a judge waived the state's customary 3-day waiting period.

According to the Alaska Dispatch News, state Magistrate Mary Treiber married Kristine Hilderbrand and Sarah Ellis at about 4 PM on Monday. The couple is believed to be the first gay couple to marry in the state.

Couples began lining up at government offices on Monday, a day after U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess struck down the state's ban, enacted in 1998.

Republican Governor Sean Parnell has asked Burgess to set aside his ruling pending an en banc appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. An en banc appeal involves the court's complete slate of judges, skipping the customary 3-judge panel.

The Ninth Circuit on Monday cleared the way for gay couples to begin marrying in Idaho.

(Related: 9^th Circuit lifts stay on Idaho gay marriage ruling; takes effect Wednesday.)