Same-sex couple Daniel Hernandez, 53, right, and Nevin Cohen, 48, kiss after being married at the City Clerk's Office in New York, Sunday, July 24, 2011. A state law signed June 24 by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo went into effect at 12:01 on Sunday, allowing hundreds of couples statewide to tie the knot, including 823 in New York City alone. AP Photo by Shannon Stapleton.
By Chris HawleyNEW YORK (AP)- Buoyant gay couples cheered by supporters began marrying Sunday across New York on the landmark day it became the sixth and largest U.S. state to recognize same-sex weddings.
Couples began exchanging vows at midnight from Niagara Falls to Long Island, though the center of the action was in New York City, where officials expected to host hundreds of same-sex weddings throughout the day. About 100 couples waited in line on a sweltering morning in Manhattan for the chance to exchange vows at the city clerk's office.
Some people waiting to wed clutched bouquets and wore tuxedos or wedding dresses before they were ushered into the clerk's office for a license and a ceremony in one of the building's simple chapels. Among the first couples to say "I do" were Daniel Hernandez, 53, and Nevin Cohen, 48, Manhattan residents who met in 1998.
The two men, wearing matching navy sport jackets, kissed as a group of four friends clapped and news photographers' cameras snapped.
"It feels great," said Hernandez after the ceremony. "To have achieved this in my lifetime and see so many couples who have been loved and living together, to see them finally become part of a greater community of loving couples is phenomenal."
Hernandez teared up as he talked about his family, which is from California and couldn't attend because of the short notice. The couple is planning a bigger party in the fall.
New York's adoption of legal same-sex marriage is viewed as a pivotal moment in the national gay rights movement and was expected to galvanize supporters and opponents alike. The state joined Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, along with Washington, D.C., when its state legislature voted last month to legalize gay marriage.
Protest rallies were planned in Manhattan, Buffalo, Rochester and Albany on Sunday afternoon. Gay marriage opponents unhappy that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers legalized same-sex marriage last month are calling for a statewide referendum on the issue.
Clerks in New York City and about a dozen other cities statewide opened their doors Sunday to cater to same-sex couples. In New York City and other locations, judges waived a mandatory 24-hour waiting period that allowed couples to exchange vows moments after receiving their licenses.
In Farmingville on Long Island, Steven Hammer, 46, and Joe Lobosco, 63, were among the steady flow of people showing up for a license. The residents of Ridge, New York, were married in Canada eight years ago, but opted for another ceremony in their home state.
"After 21 years together, we're not going to get cold feet," Hammer said. "It justifies everything we've been living for 21 years."
Initially, New York City officials had projected that about 2,500 couples might show up at the city clerk's offices hoping to get married on Sunday, but by the time a 48-hour lottery had drawn to a close on Thursday, 823 couples had signed up - 59 more than the city had planned to accommodate. The city will perform ceremonies for all 823.
First up in Manhattan were Phyllis Siegel, 76, and Connie Kopelov, 84. In Niagara Falls, gay-rights activists Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd were legally married the very first moment they could be during a midnight ceremony at the traditional wedding locale.
With the rainbow-lit waterfalls as a backdrop, Lambert, 54, and Rudd, 53, were among the first gay couples to tie the knot with the blessing of the state. Lambert and Rudd, who have 12 grandchildren between them, have been together for more than a decade and had long been fighting for the right to marry.
The couple, both from Buffalo, smiled broadly as they exchanged traditional marriage vows, promising to love and cherish each other in sickness and in health. A crowd of several hundred people cheered as they were pronounced married and shared their first kiss.
"What an incredible night this was," said Lambert, who wore an electric blue satin gown with a sequined train for the midnight ceremony and carried a bouquet of blue hydrangeas. "This was an amazing night. Everything was absolutely perfect."
In Albany, Mayor Jerry Jennings performed marriages at 12:01 a.m. Sunday in the Common Council's chambers.