Many out-of-state couples coming from New York

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Following the repeal of the 1913 law last week, there was someassumption that out of state gay couples would flock toMassachusetts to obtain marriage licenses. While there certainlyhave been some, Massachusetts isn’t quite yet "the LasVegas of same-sex marriage" as opponents of repealing the lawhad predicted.

Not surprisingly, of the ten city and town clerks contacted by BayWindows, Provincetown has seen the most number of out of statesame-sex couples seeking marriage licenses since Gov. Deval Patricksigned the repeal bill into law on July 31.

"Just using yesterday as a guide, we had 21 marriage filings,not unusually heavy for us in August, but a lot of them were out ofstate," said Town Clerk Doug Johnstone, on Aug. 5.

Couples came to the Cape from Maryland, New York, Missouri, even asfar as Colorado, Arizona and California to get married, he said.

No other cities throughout the state have seen the numbers thatProvincetown has, although city clerks in Springfield, Northamptonand Fall River all confirmed that a number of out-of-state coupleshave been in since Thursday. While the couples coming in have beenfrom a number of different states, the majority have been from NewYork, they said.

New York Gov. David Paterson in May ordered state agencies torecognize same-sex unions performed in other jurisdictions, such asCalifornia, Massachusetts and Canada.

The city clerk in Pittsfield, 20 minutes east of the New Yorkborder and 45 minutes from Albany, reported that five couples hadcome in to the office, all from New York state.

In addition to individual clerk’s offices, GLAD has receiveda number of calls from non-resident couples inquiring about theprocess of getting married in Massachusetts, although the numbershaven’t been overwhelming either.

"We have a legal info-line and we are beginning to get somecalls; I wouldn’t say we’ve had a huge number butcertainly over time we’ve had a lot of calls," saidBruce Bell, Legal info-line manager for GLAD.

The organization’s website has a trove of information forout-of- state-couples contemplating marriage in Massachusetts.

Clerks in Methuen, Lawrence, Lowell and Haverhill, all of which arein close proximity to northern New England states, said that as ofAug. 5, they have yet to see out-of-state couples, although theHaverhill office has fielded a number of phone inquiries.


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