Licensed to wed

You've got to be careful what you say in writing. In a post on August 1st, I said this:  "... if the day comes that we can walk down to our county courthouse and get a marriage license along side all the pregnant teenagers marrying their cousins we will do so." 

That day arrived yesterday and today we did just that. 

The old Fluvanna County Courthouse

We didn't get married, we just got the license, but that's the more legally and historically significant part of the process really.

I'm going to skip over all the legal technicalities, but when the Supreme Court declined to hear the "marriage cases" it meant that the decisions of the appellate courts that had struck down the various state laws banning same sex marriage would go into effect. The 4th Circuit issued its mandate at 1:00 p.m. Monday afternoon. Thanks to our narrowly elected state Attorney General, he had directed and instructed local court clerks to begin issuing licenses immediately. There were many licenses and simultaneous marriages yesterday across the Commonwealth. We were working but made plans to go today to get our license.

Confederate monument in the village square.

The old jail in the village square, now a museum.

The staff at the clerk's office were cordial and professional. They had to refer to the AG's instructions, but everything went off without a hitch. We now have a county issued license, just like the dogs. It's good for 60 days so we'll find someone to complete the process, but really, this was the most significant part as far as I'm concerned.

We were, as I expected, the first same sex couple to apply for and receive a marriage license in Fluvanna County. The sky didn't fall, the earth didn't crack open, and I don't think any other couple's relationship fell apart because of it. We are not the only same sex couple in the county, so I hope others will feel they can do the same, when and if they want to do so.

This is the stone above the door to the old courthouse.