Rushing to Say 'I Do' Before City Is Told 'You Can't'

C. Marshall

Intent on getting a coveted marriage license before court hearings on Tuesday to stop same-sex marriages, hundreds of gay and lesbian couples continued to descend on City Hall on Monday, many after camping outside overnight and braving chilling rain. The assessor-recorder, Mabel S. Teng, said her office, responsible for issuing the $83 licenses, performed 825 weddings on Monday, bringing the number of same-sex marriages to about 2,425 since the city opened the gates to gay couples on Thursday. The clerk's staff, the sheriff's department and volunteers from other offices worked through the three-day holiday weekend without pay, Ms. Teng said. "It's purely out of love and commitment to equal rights." At least 200 city workers, with additional help from the public, kept the doors to City Hall open over the weekend. Still, officials acknowledged that some couples might not obtain a license before the courts stepped in.