Excitement

Del Martin, seated, and Phyllis Lyon were the first same-sex couple in San Francisco to exchange wedding vows on Monday. Mayor Gavin Newsom, left, presided. (Photo: Jim Wilson, New York Times)

I don't remember this much excitement when marriage started in Massachusetts. Maybe it's just that we're used to California being in front of the camera. At any rate, yesterday was the day, beginning at 5:01 p.m. Pacific time.

Here's coverage from WaPo and from NYT:

San Francisco, Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 84, longtime gay rights activists, were the first and only couple to be wed here, saying their vows in the office of Mayor Gavin Newsom, before emerging to a throng of reporters and screaming well-wishers.

Ms. Martin and Ms. Lyon, who have been together for more than 50 years, seemed touched, if a little amazed by all the attention.

“When we first got together we weren’t thinking about getting married,” Ms. Lyon said before cutting a wedding cake. “I think it’s a wonderful day.”

SFGate, of course, has it as front page news:

Like San Francisco, Los Angeles County married just one couple. Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, who were plaintiffs in the landmark marriage case, exchanged their vows in a traditional Jewish ceremony in Beverly Hills.

"We're not nervous. We've known each other 15 years," Tyler said.

Here's the photo gallery from SFGate. Just go through it, look at their faces, read the stories about the couples, and then think about the comments coming out of the Dobson Gang. Who would you rather know right now?

And here's an article on the situation over the world from the Chicago Tribune.