Five same-sex couples got legally married in Idaho on Friday (October 10) after the state issued its very first gay marriage licenses.
The Idaho Statesman reports that Tabitha Simmons and Katherine Sprague, who own a comic book store together, were first in line at the courthouse to formally tie the knot.
The two women have considered themselves married since they held an unofficial ceremony in 1991, but they were thrilled to have their union officially recognized by the state they call home.
Kathy Sprague / Facebook
LGBTQ activists and their allies have made serious progress this year in the fight for equal marriage rights, both in Idaho and nationwide.
In May, a federal judge overturned Idaho’s ban on same-sex marriages, but Governor C. L. Otter convinced the appeals court to issue a stay. Last Friday, though, one courthouse got the green light to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The Latah County Courthouse issued six marriage licenses, and five couples were married on the courthouse lawn the same day.
Other county clerks wouldn’t issue marriage licenses until the stay on gay marriages was officially dissolved, and the Latah County Courthouse had to stop at the end of the day on Friday. It remains to be seen whether more courthouses will be able to give out licenses when they reopen on Tuesday. (Monday is Columbus Day, a federal holiday.)
Simmons and Sprague said they were proud to be the first legally wed gay couple in Idaho, but that they were eager for more couples to have access to the same rights.
“Somebody has to go first and I’m happy to do it,” said Simmons. “But in some respects there’s a little bit of guilt — people around the state have been working so hard for this. My heart goes out to all the people who have to wait with uncertainty all weekend long.”
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