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Same-sex unions legalised in California
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California's gay and lesbian gold rush to "marriage" but Barack stays unmoved
"The reaction of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama was measured"
California's first same-sex couples have rushed to get hitched, maybe in the fear that this is all too good to be true and may not last long. Among the first couples to tie the knot were two women in their 80s who have been together for 50 years, who were married in San Francisco by the city's Mayor, Gavin Newsom.
"Well-wishers cheered when they emerged outside Newsom's office after the ceremony," said the San Francisco Chronicle. "Dozens of couple gathered outside the clerks' offices in Alameda, Sonoma and Yolo counties, where hours were extended to accommodate gay couples who wanted to be the first to marry."
The reaction of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama was, however, measured. Speaking in an interview following the 5pm marriage gold rush, he said that although he was in favour of civil unions, he thought it was a decision to be made at local level and that he still held the belief that "marriage" should be the exclusive preserve of a man and a woman.
Festivities in San Francisco were marred by opponents who turned up with placards with slogans such as "Sodomy is Sin" and "homo sex is a threat to national security". They were however vastly outnumbered by people celebrating the move, handing out flowers and cheering couples as they emerged newly married.
