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By Scott Nicholson
Eight same-sex couples and a number of supporters held a marriage
ceremony outside the Watauga County
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Courthouse in Boone Thursday, then asked the county for marriage
licenses.
The event, staged as part of a national rally to raise awareness
for same-sex marriage, brought about 60 people to the sidewalk
outside the courthouse to wave rainbow-colored flags, hold signs,
and wave to passing motorists.
The couples that participated in the ceremony then went to the
Watauga County Register of Deeds office and requested licenses.
Register of Deeds JoAnn Townsend told them North Carolina statute
recognized marriage as between a male and a female and so she
couldn’t issue the licenses.
Jennifer Cohen-Jordan and Lynne Getz participated in the marriage
ceremony, though they felt their commitment was more symbolic
than ceremonial. The couple has been together two years and
had never held a formal union ceremony.
“The life we have with each other and the life we share
is just as legitimate (as a heterosexual relationship),”
Cohen-Jordan said. “Our love is deep and real. It’s
a Constitutional right and it’s a moral obligation to society
for us to be recognized.”
Getz said the restrictions in the legal definition of marriage
were unfair. “It’s very difficult,” Getz said.
“We can’t get any benefits or anything. It’s
a fairness issue for us.
“My sister and her boyfriend lived together for years and
he got sick and needed a liver transplant, and she could get
married and have health coverage for him. I can’t do that.
It has a great impact on our lives. My sister has a lot more
rights than I do, and we’re both citizens of this country.”
Jordan-Cohen acknowledged she and Getz had already made an emotional
commitment to one another, so a marriage ceremony added no additional
status to their relationship.
“We’ve exchanged rings and shared with each other
what we promised for each other,” Jordan-Cohen said. “We
don’t need legalization to symbolize our love, but it’s
more to raise awareness for society to legitimize us.”
Deborah Hollingsworth and Elizabeth West also took vows in the
ceremony, and West said while the county officials and law officers
were polite, they stuck by their rules.
“One thing we accomplished was positive visibility for
our community,” West said. “We’re creating the
world we want through a positive, colorful and festive presence.”
Devan Harper and Keith Johnson, who have been a couple for three
years, also took vows and requested a marriage license. Harper
said he was glad to make a symbolic statement even though he
knew state law wouldn’t recognize the union, and hoped
the event would help people better understand the issue. “Our
interest is to teach people,” he said.
Johnson said, “They treat us like second-class citizens
and it’s not fair and inequality should not exist. Religion
created that dichotomy of man and woman. Love has no boundaries.”
Townsend said she was aware ahead of time the couples would
be requesting licenses, and tried to squeeze as many people
as she could into the deeds office so she could explain the
statute.
According to North Carolina law, “A valid and sufficient
marriage is created by the consent of a male and female person
who may lawfully marry, presently to take each other as husband
and wife, freely, seriously and plainly expressed by each in
the presence of the other, either (1) a. In the presence of
an ordained minister of any religious denomination, a minister
authorized by the church, or a magistrate; and (b.) With the
consequent declaration by the minister or magistrate that the
persons are husband and wife; or (2) In accordance with any
mode of solemnization recognized by any religious denomination,
or federally or State recognized Indian Nation or Tribe.”
The National Freedom to Marry Day was launched in the wake of
a California referendum that restricted marriage to heterosexual
couples. Members of the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual
communities stage events every Feb. 12 to raise awareness of
marriage laws.
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