300 gay marriage seekers turned away at Weber County office

Source: Standard-Examiner, Ogden, UtahDec.迷你倉 22--OGDEN -- Long moments after all but a handful of more than 300 gay marriage license hopefuls had gone away Saturday afternoon, August Nielson and Crystal McCann stood hugging each other at the back entrance of the Weber County Building.The young couple shed tears for another in a long line of disappointments in their quest for their bond to be legalized.The gay community had been notified of special operating hours at the Weber County Building Saturday following a judge's Friday ruling that Utah's ban on gay marriages was unconstitutional.They'd also been notified of similar arrangements beginning at 9 a.m. in Davis County.But they were disappointed at both locations."I intended to open the office on Saturday for logistical reasons," wrote Weber County Clerk/Auditor Ricky Hatch in a letter he had handed out to those disappointed after a long wait Saturday.He said he decided to open the offices in anticipation of a large volume of marriage applications Monday."I did not anticipate the security requirements of opening the county building on Saturday and its impact on other tenants in the building," he wrote in the letter."I have also been advised that opening the office for special circumstances outside of normal business hours may violate equal protection provisions," he said in the letter."I understand that this is an unprecedented circumstance, and we are doing our best to do the right thing in the right way. We will be fully staffed on Monday to meet the needs of our citizens."But the letter gave little solace for those who had been chasing after a marriage license all day Saturday."I wish they would have explained why instead of handing out a piece of paper," Nielson said."I just don't understand how someone could get all of these people out here, all these families," McCann said.Among those in line anywhere they could find a space in the Weber County Building Saturday, wanting to get a marriage license, was 70-year-old Robert Peery King.He said he never thought the day would come when gay marriage was legalized in Utah but had been pleasantly surprised Friday when it was allowed, although he believed the law would likely be changed back soon."I'm at the end of my life," he said as he heard the moans of those who got the disappointing news."They need that help," he said, pointing to those who were much younger.He named an end to suicides and other problems if gay marriages and other societal changes were made."To prevent people from loving is ridiculous," he said, adding that be believed gay couples, when allowed to be couples, do better statistically than straight couples."I find this outrageous," he said when the announcement was made that the marriage licenses wouldn't be given."It's a very bad day here," he said, explaining that he thought it would take three days for an injunction to come out of a Denver federal appellate court that would stop Utah gay marriages.He said he thought Salt Lake County opened its doors Friday to gay marriages to avoid lawsuits against the county.First in line Saturday were Justin Lacy, 28, and Jesse Gutierrez of Ogden.The two had been together for nine years."Oh my God. This is happening. This is for real," said an excited Lacy before it was announced that the licenses wouldn't be given."We always thought we would have to go out of the state," Lacy said, noting how the marriage would be a huge Christmas gift."I hope everyone else in line is as happy as I am."Trever Olsen, 24, of Layton said he couldn't stop smiling when he saw the news that gay marriages would be allowed in Utah Friday."He was very animated on th自存倉 phone," said Wayne Elwood, his partner of two and a half years.Elwood said he was at work so he didn't get the news as quickly but was shocked to hear from Olsen.Elwood missed work to stand in line for a marriage license Saturday."I called my managers and they were like, we'll take care of it," he said."We have to get here while we have this window of opportunity," Elwood said.The two were planning a reception when they had the finances to have one.Ogden resident Christopher Smith, 30, said he was "absolutely shocked" to get the news Friday that gay marriages would be allowed in Utah."My mother woke me up to tell me," he said. "I didn't believe it. I thought I was still asleep."Smith, and his partner of seven years, Adam Hiller, 35, were planning to get married Saturday night after they got their marriage license.They said it would be perfect because they had an observance of Saturday's winter solstice already planned.Smith's mother, Michelle Savage, is an ordained priestess with the spiritually eclectic wiccan-based Moon Dance Coven and was excited to perform the ceremony.Also at the front of the line were seven licensed marriage officiators who were offering their services for free Saturday. They said it costs $50 to have a county official perform a marriage and they wanted to save the gay couples that expense.Rev. Gage Church, who leads the Congregational United Church of Christ in Ogden, was one who arrived just before the news that the licenses would not be handed out was announced.Church said those who are opposed to gay marriages in Utah say that such unions go against so many Christian denominations. But he argued that by not allowing the marriages, people are denied the practice of their own faith."For those denominations and faiths that affirm marriage between two people who love each other, they are loved by God, their marriage is approved by God," he said. "They are restraining us."The Rev. Rob Trujillo, an associate pastor at Glory to God Old Catholic Church, printed up a large supply of Weber County marriage licenses at his home and brought them, along with a supply of pens, to those in line Saturday, hoping to speed the process along, making the marriage licenses more available to all those in line."We want to do our best to help marriage equality be realized here in the state of Utah," he said.Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, said in a statement Saturday that the ruling "has created a chaotic situation" in the state. He urged U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby to grant a motion to stay the decision until the state's appeal can be heard.Acting Attorney General Brian Tarbet said his office would bring the stay motion to Shelby by Monday morning. If the judge doesn't immediately rule, state officials would also ask the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to grant the stay.Carl Tobias, a constitutional law professor at Virginia's University of Richmond who has tracked legal battles for gay marriage, said Saturday that Shelby's ruling was "fairly strong" and the judge seemed to indicate he didn't think the state had a good case.Tobias guessed if an emergency stay is granted, it could come as early as Monday or Tuesday and stop the gay couples from getting licenses.As the appeal plays out, he said a final decision on gay marriage in Utah is at least months down the road.The Associated Press contributed to this story.Contact reporter JaNae Francis at 801-625-4228 or jfrancis@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @jfrancis.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah) Visit the Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah) at .standard.net Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉