Gay Couples Apply for Marriage Licenses in Massachusetts

The New York Times > National > Cambridge: "Against a backdrop of whoops and cheers and a party that spilled onto the streets, gay and lesbian couples here began filling out applications for marriage licenses at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, when Massachussetts became the first state in the country to allow them to marry. The couples were led down a series of wooden staircases at Cambridge City Hall that were decorated with white bridal organza.

The other 350 cities and towns in the state planned to begin taking applications for same-sex marriage licenses after the sun came up on Monday. But Cambridge — a city of just over 100,000 people, home of Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a well-known taste for erudite rebelliousness — decided to start things rolling at 12:01 a.m.

Weddings are planned for as early as Monday, with many couples intending to seek permission from judges to waive the three-day waiting period that is normally required between applying for a license and receiving one."