A clerk in Arkansas issued the state’s first marriage license to a same-sex couple on Saturday, a day after a judge struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage late Friday. Lots of couples gathered at the only courthouse in the state that is open on Saturdays to get their licenses. Kristin Seaton, 27, and Jennifer Rambo, 26, of Fort Smith got to Eureka Springs at 2 a.m. and were the first in a line of about 100 when the Carroll County courthouse opened its doors in the morning, reports the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The same-sex marriages became official after Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza ruled on Friday that the state’s voter-approved constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage violates the rights of gay couples. He didn’t put a hold on the ruling as some other judges have done in similar situations, notes the Associated Press. The rush to get a marriage license is understandable as equality may be short-lived in Arkansas. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said he would appeal Piazza’s ruling and ask that it be put on hold, although nothing had been filed Saturday morning.
*This post has been updated to include original source of images that were taken by Grav Weldon.
