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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 2004)
16 ju s t o u t march 5.2004 r T T ÎT T T F T n T ïn e t u s SO MANY SHOES... R unaway B rides ( and G rooms ) Portlanders tie the knot in San Francisco by Floyd S k la v e r J AND JUST ONE PAIR OF GLASSES? E agle E y e Optical P R ESC R IP T IO N EY EW EA R GLASSES & C O N T A C T S Eye exams by an independent Doctor of Optometry 2808 N E M L K J r Blvd, Suite C Portland. O R 97212 Located next to Billy Reed’s Restaurant 5 0 3 . 3 3 5 .7 1 7 3 LO O www.eagleeyeopticalshop.com DynaDouche by Couvier Limited W inning F o r everyone A your ond W o'm antarad and ramd y to ploy. w h o is s e r io u s ABOUT PLAY sk adult r e t a i l e r or - f ov d N n . QONbdiRt. Pyio D t i iilw c u t i cc w p ta f and « —Py fciwaRi hi lou O r d e r O n lin e WWW.DYNADOUCHE.COM 8 0 0 501-7674 P reparation is all ab ou t Mon 5 minMtM. of oM ¡* hen o M M M««l— morrmntf and It* arnty $99.95 so now . clean up a n d o tr in t o the G ason Evans went to San Fran cisco with a migraine and came home with a husband. The financial aid officer and his partner, Boh Richardson, were among the hundreds of couples who lined up at San Francisco City Hall during Valentines Day weekend to become the first gay Americans to legally marry in the United States. Last month, newly elected Mayor Gavin Newsom asked city clerks to remove all references to gender on marriage fonns and promised to begin issuing licenses to same-sex couples. G>nservative groups threatened to sue under Proposition 22, a 2000 bal lot initiative that says California will recognize only marriages between a man and woman as valid. And so, in a display of heroic civil disobedience, Newsom sped up his timetable and ordered city officials to begin issuing the licenses immediately. Newsom says the California Con stitution’s equal protection clause makes denying maniage licenses to gay Bob Richardson (left) didn’t want to marry Jason Evans couples illegal and therefore nullifies until they could do it legally in the United States Proposition 22. Regardless of which side wins, San Francisco hasn’t felt an explosion completely around the enormous building. As like this since the famous earthquake in 1906; so one of the first couples married on Valentine’s far, more than 3,500 couples have been manied. Day, the newlyweds were greeted by cheers from Evans and Richardson have been together for the waiting throngs. 3 1/2 years and became engaged last summer As Evans puts it, “We wanted to be a part of when Evans proposed at Bridal Falls near Skama the most important homosexual event in histo nia Lodge. The only hitch was that Richardson ry since Stonewall.” didn’t want to marry until they could do it legal Waiting 2 1/2 hours feels like child’s play to ly in the United States. So, after Mayor Newsom Portlanders Tay Juncker and Kathy Beige. The issued his prcxdamation, Richardson says, “I got couple, who have been together for 12 years, were down on my knee when Jason got home from also in line that weekend. But for most of their work and asked him to elope with me.” wait, they didn’t know whether they would get in. Despite Evans’ migraine, the couple jumped Like many gay Portlanders, Juncker and into a rented Pontiac with an assortment of snacks Beige were carefully following the developments and a six-pack of Red Bull to sustain them through- in San Francisco. On Saturday morning, when exit the 12-hour drive. They anived at City Hall at the city was still issuing licenses, Beige turned to 6 a.m. Saturday, pumped full of caffeine and excite Juncker and said, “Honey 1 don’t want to regret ment. One other couple already were there. Since that we didn’t take part in this historic event.” it was so early, Evans and Richardson drove the car They jumped onto the Internet, found inexpen to a friend’s and returned at 7:30 a.m. to find that sive plane tickets and were at the airport three the line was now more than 40 people long. hours later preparing to hoard. Fortunately, the first couple had told every After a quick tour of the Castro, where the one about the hoys who drove all night from mood was jubilant (“People were everywhere Portland and so, according to Evans, “when we looking at rings, and you could tell they had arrived everyone was waving and cheering to us, been doing a booming business that week,” and they rushed us up to the front of the line.” Beige says), they turned in early because they A s they did, cameras arrived and the telegenic had been warned that the line would he long. couple were interviewed by several journalists. On Sunday morning they arrived at City (In fact, footage of them ran all weekend on Hall, where more than 50 couples already were C N N , which is how Richardson’s paternal in line. “An hour or two later," Juncker explains, grandmother learned he was gay.) “some guy came out and told us we were on the At 10 a.m., the doors to City Hall opened, wrong side of the building. We ended up being and Evans and Richardson proudly entered the even further hack in line.” building, a sense of awe and history overwhelm But then came potentially devastating news: ing them. They were married on the balcony of 320 couples who had waited in line Saturday the rotunda by a city worker who was deputized had been told to return at 10 a.m. Sunday, when to perform weddings. A number of other cere they would he brought to the front of the line. monies were going on at the same time. That meant only another 80 couples would he “It was really pretty,” Evans says. “The cere married that day. mony t<x)k about four minutes, and we cried like “They handed out 80 tickets, and we were big old sissies.” about 14 couples behind those 80,” Beige explains. When the couple finally left with their mar “At that point, the liaison to the mayor pointed to riage license in hand, the line stretched almost a woman in a white sweater behind us and said: a m e !?
