Justice of the PeaceNewsletter
July 2010
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In This Issue: |
A heterosexual couple from Brooklyn, NY made headlines when they moved their June nuptials to CT, boycotting a NY wedding to show their support for same sex couples who are denied the right to marry there. Matt Borden and Rachel Henes chose Danbury JP Marianne (Mimi) Malkin (at left in photo) as their officiant. "The ceremony was beautiful and I felt very honored to be part of their day," says Mimi.
The couple decided to make a political statement with their choice of venue, and encourage other couples who support gay marriage to do the same. They also sent letters to NY politicians, pointing out that the loss to NY businesses as a result of their decision was CT's gain. (A marriage equality bill passed NY's State Assembly but was killed by the State Senate in December, despite Gov. Paterson's support.)
Marriage equality played an important role in the ceremony itself, with JP Mimi saying, "Matt and Rachel have expressed to me their shared belief that discrimination and prejudice should never be silently accepted and that we, as a society, have a responsibility to stand up for ourselves and other people in the face of injustice and inequality." And the groom's mother read an excerpt from the Massachusetts court decision in favor of same sex marriage.
Wedding Business Observations "This year started off very slow but has picked up considerably. The trend seems to be people are not booking in advance, usually one month or less before the wedding." Sandra Bullock, East Lyme CT
"True for me too. I'm getting calls for tomorrow or next
week, often at Town Hall or the beach. The exception: two weddings on 10/10/10
-- a first for me." Saul Haffner, Westport CT
Editor:
A: Not exactly reciprocal. New Hampshire will issue a license to perform a wedding to officiants licensed in another state (JPs qualify). And Massachusetts and Vermont will give anyone (not necessarily an officiant) a one-day license for a specific wedding. See About JPs on jpUS.org for more state rules.
My First Wedding
Editor: This month's stories of JPs' first weddings have something in common: it was all a friend's doing! More tales coming next month.
"I was tricked into being a JP. My friend asked me to officiate her midnight summer solstice wedding. Of course I couldn't, not being a JP. She said, 'We sent for your papers.' They also wrote the ceremony, all I had to do was read it. Outdoors in the dark, the father of the bride held a flashlight for me.
I was selling Mary Kay and a customer asked me to marry them the same
morning on a small mountain when the sun was coming up. Between the midnight
wedding and the 5 a.m. wedding, I went home to change my clothes.
It hit me when I got home how nervous I had been. I thanked my higher
power for the ability to perform such a sacred ceremony. Now, whenever I get
to the part that says 'by the power vested in me by the state of NH,' my
eyes fill with tears. When I drive off, I am soooo happy."
Leila Deurell, Stratham NH
"I was enticed into the position by my dearest friend's request. Not
wanting a stuffy individual doing the ceremony, she asked me to become a
Justice of the Peace so I could perform her wedding. And perform I did,
looking back now I would say poorly too. At the time I had no idea what I
was supposed to do. Up to then I had seen few JP ceremonies, none too
personal and all were very short.
Over the years I got better; for the most part, my ceremonies now
last 20 minutes. I love every single one and have fond memories of almost
everyone I married. After 21 years I have not lost the excitement in
planning the ceremony and the trepidation of delivering it; I am not shy and
when I stand there I try to live the words I speak. I really enjoy knowing
that the Bride and Groom got the best possible rendition of their chosen
words and sentiments." Maria Taylor,
Abington, MA
Argentina Legalizes Same Sex Marriage Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage on July 15 when the Senate approved the bill previously passed by the lower house. Argentina becomes the tenth country to legitimize gay marriage, following Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Portugal and Iceland.
"When the Bride Takes a Bride, Businesses Respond" Wedding providers who cater to same-sex couples are thriving, says a July 15 NY Times article. Equally Wed, OutVite.com, Queerly Wed and So You're EnGAYged are some of the new companies formed in response to the growing legalization of same-sex marriages.
"In the six years since Massachusetts broke the barrier, there have been an estimated 40,000 legal same-sex marriages in the United States, according to the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA. A comparable number of gay Americans have married in other countries, and an additional 84,000 couples may be in civil unions or domestic partnerships." Read the whole NYT story here.
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