psocoptera

California Gay Marriages Begin Today

In Contra Costa County, Stephen L. Weir knows that he and his partner, John Hemm, will be the first to marry on Tuesday morning. That’s because Weir is the county clerk-recorder. “I’m first in line,” he jokes, “because I have the key.” He and his partner will marry at 8:30 a.m. Weir, a Scotsman, will wear the family kilt; Hemm will don a tuxedo. His staff will celebrate his wedding and then get back to work, as they will have 14 more same-sex couples to marry that day.

Weir and Hemm, who recently celebrated their 18th anniversary, started acquiring a hope chest. “We have the rings and the china,” says Weir. “We’ve had the dude figurines for the cake for 10 years.” Now they’ve finally got the wedding date. “I had doubts this would ever happen in my work life, or in my life at all,” says Weir, who is 59. “So this is personally very exciting.”

It is possible I am crying a little.