Two men are protesting New York's ban
on gay marriage by creating a gay wedding chapel, the AFP reported.
Gay and lesbian couples in Manhattan
are being married at the tiny chapel by a Universal Life Church
reverend. Kevin Fey, who owns the revolving space with Joseph Peter,
acquired the title on the Internet. The pair charge between $100 and
$500 per couple.
Omar Portacio and John, his boyfriend
of about a year, married at the chapel in under 10 minutes last
Saturday.
“Being married means a lot, it shows
our love for each other, it shows we are accepted and recognized as a
couple, it is not just somebody we are living with.” Portacio said.
Many of the couples getting hitched at
the chapel have legally married outside of the state but wanted to
have a ceremony at home with family and friends. Others are getting
fake married to protest the state's ban on gay marriage.
A bill that would legalize gay marriage
in the state sits tight in the Senate, even after a dramatic
leadership coup promised to resolve the issue.
New York Senator Tom Duane, who is
openly gay, reiterated that he believes the bill will pass in the
fall.
“New Yorkers support same-sex
marriage in large part because they believe that denying gay couples
the right to marry is legally and morally wrong,” he told the news
service, then added, “I am confident that marriage equality will
pass this year and that this legislation will pass with bipartisan
support in the Senate.”
Meanwhile, the tiny Lower East Side
chapel will continue marrying gay and lesbian couples for the next
four months.