First gay marriages performed in Arizona

Arizona on Friday joined the historic tide legalizing the unions of same-sex couples that has swept the nation, expanding gay rights in a direction many never thought they would see in their lifetimes.

 

Tearful couples, some with children in tow, lined up at clerks’ offices around the state to be among the first to get marriage licenses. Some brought along their clergy, hastily reciting their vows on courthouse steps. They had waited long enough, they said.

 

As rulings around the country have toppled laws banning same-sex couples from marrying, Arizona’s law appeared doomed. A federal judge ruled Friday morning that Arizona’s law banning gay marriages was unconstitutional, but it wasn’t official until Attorney General Tom Horne announced a few hours later that he would not appeal.

 

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