Lesbian Couple of 55 Years Ready to Say 'I Do'

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Lesbian couple of 55 years ready to say 'I do'
By LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer
5 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO - Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin fell in love at a time when lesbians risked being arrested, fired from their jobs and sent to electroshock treatment. On Monday afternoon, more than a half-century after they became a couple, Lyon, 84, and Martin, 87, plan to become the first same-sex couple to legally exchange marriage vows in San Francisco, and among the first in the state. "It was something you wanted to know, 'Is it really going to happen?' And now it's happened, and maybe it can continue to happen," Lyon said.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom plans to officiate at the private ceremony in his City Hall office before 50 invited guests. The May 15 state Supreme Court ruling overturning laws banning gay marriage goes into effect at 5 p.m. local time. At least five county clerks offices are opening their doors after hours on Monday to issue gender-neutral marriage licenses, and like Lyon and Martin, many couples will be married on the spot.

A conservative Christian legal group that opposes the marriages has filed a petition with a state appeals court in an effort to stop the weddings, but legal experts consider the motion a longshot. A spokeswoman from the Virginia-based Liberty Counsel said Monday it hadn't heard anything from the court. He picked Martin and Lyon for the front of the line in recognition of their long relationship and their status as pioneers of the gay-rights movement.

- snip -

Their ceremony Monday will, in fact, be a marriage do-over. In February 2004, soon after he became mayor, Newsom challenged California's marriage laws by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. His advisers and gay rights activists knew right away which couple would put the most compelling human face on the issue: Martin and Lyon.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080616/ap_on_re_us/gay_mar...

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[Beaverhausen]

1. wonderful

best wishes to the happy couple!

[roguevalley]

30. its streaming live at www.tmz.com now

[Solly Mack]

2. Excellent

[treblemaker]

3. Wow

Del and Phyllis have been a continuous thread running through my life starting with my helping my mother market feminist greeting cards in the 1980s and looking into exactly who this "Daughters of Bilitis" on the mailing list were, through my own coming out not long afterward and learning some of the history of the elders in the movement. It is fabulous that they are here to see this day.

[bean fidhleir]

8. The first thing I thought of was that the women at the few remaining DOB chapters

are going to be celebrating at least *one* wedding no matter where they are.

Brava, gyns, brava!

[readmoreoften]

14. good god there are still DOB chapters?

my word...

[bean fidhleir]

23. Believe it or not!

I used to belong to the Boston one. We met in Cambridge at a nice old church in Mass Av.

The number of members waxed and waned with relationships of course(!), but there was usually 20-30 women at a meeting. One woman claimed that we'd have more if the GBA/Eastern Mass wasn't so couples-oriented. And it's true that the Thanksgiving dinner generally brought in 150-200 women inclusive of couples.

It was (I hope still is) a nice sorority.

[BrklynLib at work]

4. Wow. Congratulations to both of them....

[midnight]

5. Electric shock treatment!!!!! When will we ever learn?

[Taverner]

6. Congrats to them! And what perfect poster children for the cause!

A loving couple who have been together forever and just lack the "blessing" from the state!

[Booster]

7. If they don't deserve to be married, then no one does.

[frebrd]

9. Actually, I believe it's 58 years

that they've been together.

I'm so very glad they're still with us to see this day!

[gratuitous]

10. Oh noes! This is it!

The terrorists are about to win! Run! PH34R! Ahhhhhh!

[jgraz]

11. 55 years? Are you sure those crazy kids aren't rushing into it?

[readmoreoften]

13. Let's face it. It'll never last.

Gays are shallow. Sure they want to get married now while they're 80 and still hot. But what'll happen when their looks start to fade?

[Maat]

20. ROFL - thanks for the laugh!

Hubby and I have been together 31 (married for 24); we're not sure whether or not it will last ...

[gratuitous]

29. I think it's just a stage

Sure, it's fashionable to act like you're gay right now, but when they get a little older, they'll realize that they're really straight, find nice men, and settle down. It's just a phase.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

12. That is so cool - good for them!

I wish them much more happiness!

[readmoreoften]

15. Their relationship has already lasted 6697 times longer than Britney Spears' marriage.

So if straight marriages start fallin' apart don't blame Phyllis and Del

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

16. Great news

[Le Taz Hot]

17. Please keep in mind that

the Christofascists are mounting an effort to get that idiotic "marriage is between a man and a woman" shit added to the state Constitution. It will be on the ballot in November.

Somebody needs to remind these guys that Constitutions are supposed to SPECIFY RIGHTS, not take them away, but apparently most of them didn't make it through 8th grade government class. Remember, the initiative that was just struck down by the State Supremes DID pass in California thanks to preachers preaching hate to their unthinking pod people AND the millions of $ put into it by idiots with more money than brains. This is going to be an uphill battle and we'll need all the help we can get.

[bean fidhleir]

24. Actually, constitutions are supposed to limit rights if anything, since by nature we're entitled to

all rights by default.

It's an important distinction that gets too little understanding

[Le Taz Hot]

25. OK, that doesn't even make any sense.

The rights by default argument, I understand. The rest of it is contrary to every piece of literature and every government class I've ever taken. Evidently all those Constitutional scholars are incorrect. You should let them know about your findings.

[bean fidhleir]

26. What "rest of it"? You said constitutions are supposed to "specify rights"

I said that they're supposed to limit rights if they say anything at all about them. They don't have to say anything at all about rights!

It was understood at the time that we get all rights by default, which was the objection to having a BOR - the fear that it would be construed as limiting our rights.

That's what the Ninth Amendment is all about, and the Tenth in part.

oh, and was that snide shot really helpful?

[slackmaster]

18. Here's to hoping that marriage doesn't ruin their relationship

[Terran]

19. How can anyone oppose that?

I'm sorry, but these so-called Christians who oppose same-sex marriage are just evil.

Not the most original observation ever made, but it was the second thing that popped in there after, "Wow, 55 years. My man and I won't reach that until 2041!"

[Maat]

21. Congrats to Phyllis and Del!

Here's to many, many more happy years together (henceforth as a married couple)!

[caseycoon]

22. I'm DELIGHTED!

Congratulations Phyllis & Del!

[Brazenly Liberal]

27. Cutest. Couple. EVER!!!

Look at those pictures - they radiate love and joy after 55 freakin' years.

Yeah, I can see how this kind of devotion threatens straight marriages.

[Dystopian]

28. Happily recommended...

joyously kicked.....true love story....


peace~

[BlueIris]

31. Congrats to the happy couple!

Now it's time for me to cry a little.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

32. Awesome.

K&R

Hlo Hissy!!

[Hissyspit]

33. .

[Pastiche423]

34. Congratulations to the beautiful couple!

Del and Phyllis

[snappyturtle]

35. Sweet! Thanks for the picture. nt