Couples Celebrate One Year Anniversary of First Same Sex Marriages in Michigan (video)

Couples Celebrate One Year Anniversary of First Same Sex Marriages in Michigan (video)
(Crystal A. Proxmire, March 22, 2015)
The most commonly mentioned memory from one year ago today was that the Oakland County Courthouse was full of love. A one-day window of opportunity gave 322 couples in Michigan the chance to legally get marriage licenses, in the four counties where County Clerks made arrangements to be open for the day: Muskegon, Washtenaw, Ingham, and Oakland. The State appealed the ruling, and as the case now sits waiting to be heard by the United States Supreme Court, a subsequent trial brought by the American Civil Liberties Union validated the marriages that took place that day.
Hence the anniversary celebration.
Over 100 people gathered at Affirmations Community Center for anniversary cake, a champagne (or sparkling grape juice) toast, and to listen to speakers reminisce about the day.
Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown was among the speakers. Her staff and staff from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department worked to open the County Courthouse for the day so people could marry. “I don’t like to discriminate in my office,” she said. “I don’t want my friends to be discriminated against in my home state. That’s not what Michigan should be about. It’s wrong when one person has rights that another person doesn’t.”
The second most common theme of the day was the wish that all Michiganders will have the same right. Not only is the right to marry about the romance or the vow, it also brings many legal and financial benefits, including inheritance rights, the right to visit a spouse in the hospital, second parent adoption, and tax benefits.
Watch the video below for the speeches made and interviews with couples celebrating their one-year anniversary:


 
Michigan for Marriage is a public education campaign dedicated to changing hearts and minds to move marriage forward for all loving and committed couples. Michigan for Marriage was founded by Equality Michigan, the ACLU of Michigan, and Freedom to Marry with the support and leadership of countless local businesses, clergy and community organizations. For more on Michigan for Marriage go to: http://www.michiganformarriage.org/. For more on Affirmations see www.goaffirmations.org
The oc115 has been following the DeBoer case from the very beginning, and the case that came from the resulting marriages. Here are our previous stories leading up to this point, and the video from the day couples married:

https://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/01/16/supreme-court-to-decide-gay-marriage-by-end-of-june/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/01/15/federal-judge-state-of-michigan-must-recognize-legal-marriages-of-300-same-sex-couples/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/01/12/michigan-same-sex-marriage-case-not-yet-heard-by-scotus-jan-16-possible/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/11/16/state-of-michigan-tells-court-marriages-never-existed/https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/11/06/gay-marriage-victory-reversed-on-appeal-updated/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/10/06/gay-marriage-update-five-states-gain-equality-michigan-decision-expected-soon/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/08/22/arguments-heard-in-same-sex-marriage-case/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/04/14/aclu-sues-michigan-to-recognize-marriages-of-same-sex-couples/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/28/federal-government-recognizes-michigan-same-sex-marriages/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/27/senators-and-reps-ask-us-ag-to-recognize-michigan-gay-marriages/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/26/state-wont-recognize-same-sex-marriages-made-over-weekend/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/24/state-spent-40000-on-testimony-in-deboer-case-plans-appeal-2/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/22/first-gay-marriages-in-michigan-video/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/22/same-sex-marriages-put-on-hold-as-temporary-stay-is-granted/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/21/judge-rules-gay-marriage-ban-struck-down/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/08/29/treasury-recognizes-all-same-sex-marriages-for-tax-purposes-2/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/02/01/supreme-court-same-sex-marriage-cases-explained/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/02/24/hazel-park-couples-week-in-court-begins/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/06/27/hazel-park-case-could-pave-the-way-video/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/03/09/judge-decides-to-wait-on-adoption-gay-marriage-decision-video/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/05/demonstrators-try-to-stay-warm-while-states-case-runs-cold/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/02/ferndalians-channel-leaders-past-spread-love-in-hopes-for-equality-video/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/03/02/opponents-to-equality-make-big-showing-in-support-biblical-marriage/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/02/08/ultimate-lgbt-wedding-expo-comes-to-southfield-april-12/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/10/05/wayne-county-prosecutor-kym-worthy-steps-up-to-support-hazel-park-couple-video/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/07/24/clerk-brings-in-new-lawyers-to-defend-in-hazel-park-couples-case/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/07/02/hazel-park-lesbian-couples-case-moves-forward/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/06/28/strikes-down-michigan-domestic-partner-health-care-ban/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2013/06/26/reaction-to-gay-marriage-rulings/

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