Everyone's welcome to celebrate as gay couples wed
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The Rev. Erica Baron of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Rutland will be performing same-sex marriages after the law allowing them goes into effect Tuesday. PHOTO BY VYTO STARINSKAS |
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By DANIEL BARLOW
VERMONT PRESS BUREAU - Published: August 30, 2009
MONTPELIER - A lot of celebrating will be going on in Vermont this week.
When the clock ticks past midnight early Tuesday, a number of same-sex couples across the state are expected to tie the knot when it becomes legal.
But besides the weddings, other sorts of celebrations are planned this week - ones commemorating the institution of marriage, for both straight and gay couples, and others celebrating the simple fact that gays and lesbians now have the right, at least in Vermont and a handful of other states, to marry the person they love.
"We're having all-day-long celebrations of marriage at both our churches," said the Rev. Erica Baron, who has two Unitarian Universalist congregations, one in Rutland and one in Bennington. "We'll be open for gay and lesbian civil union couples who want to get married and straight couples who want to renew their vows."
But Vermont is not expecting a rush to the altar.
The landscape has changed since 2000, when lawmakers passed the civil union legislation, making Vermont the first in the nation to offer some sort of legal recognition for same-sex couples. Gays and lesbians from across the country - but especially New England - flocked here.
According to Vermont records, more than 400 civil unions were performed in the first month, and the total reached 7,000 by the end of that year. More than 70 percent of the couples were from out of the state.
But other states have since gone further. Massachusetts led the pack by allowing same-sex couples to start marrying in 2005. Connecticut, New Hampshire and Iowa later followed suit.
"We've got about a dozen gay marriages happening at the lodge between Sept. 1 and the end of the year," said Willie Docto, co-owner of the Moose Meadow Lodge in Waterbury. "I think a lot of people have already gotten married in Massachusetts or Connecticut over the last few years. ... It was a special thing when civil unions came along in 2000."
"We're not expecting a huge rush," said Greg Trulson, Docto's partner in business and a civil union. "We're not the only place that gay and lesbian couples can have their union legally recognized anymore."
The couple opened the Waterbury bed and breakfast in 1998. Docto and Trulson were joined in a civil union on Nov. 10, 2001. They plan to marry this year on the anniversary of that day.
"It's one less date to remember," joked Docto. Their civil union ceremony was small, with about 30 guests. Their wedding may be smaller - probably them and a justice of the peace. "A lot of our friends are getting married this year too. ... There are two or three other couples we know with plans for ceremonies."
The wedding ceremonies may be smaller, but gay and lesbian Vermonters still will be celebrating the historic date.
The Vermont Gay Tourism Association, a collective of 30 gay-friendly businesses around the state, plans a Sunday family picnic in Waterbury and a Tuesday night dance party in Essex. (The picnic will feature Rep. Jason Lorber, D-Burlington, who works as a comedian when not at the Statehouse, as part of its entertainment.) Tickets for both are still available.
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream will join in by renaming its "Chubby Hubby" flavor "Hubby Hubby" for September.
Even if Vermont isn't the first state, there are still plenty of reasons for gay and lesbian couples to come here, Trulson said. The state is still one of the top three wedding destinations in the country, he said.
A University of California study from March suggested that if Vermont legalized gay marriage, it would see an additional $30.6 million in economic activity over three years. That business boost would create 700 jobs and generate $3.3 million in state and local taxes, the study found.
It remains to be seen, especially in an economic recession, if those numbers will bear out.
"If they are not having their wedding in Vermont, they are coming here for their honeymoon," Trulson said.
The daylong wedding ceremonies at Baron's Unitarian Universalist churches are scheduled for Saturday in Rutland and the following day in Bennington. She said she plans to marry only same-sex couples who already have a civil union because she knows they went through premarital counseling.
She said slots are still available for couples who want to marry or renew their vows. About one-quarter of the couples who have signed up are straight, she said.
"This isn't just about gay and lesbian couples," she said. "Everyone can find joy in this day."
Trulson said he has noticed that the same-sex couples he knows are taking marriage very seriously. Straight couples can sometimes be cavalier about the rite - Britney Spears is a prime example - but Trulson said many same-sex couples, who will be marrying for the first time, are taking time to write their own vows and create a day that truly represents their union.
"There won't be a lot of people saying, 'till death do us part,'" he said. "They're going to share their love with their friends and family as witnesses. ... It's going to be very emotional."
Daniel.Barlow@timesargus.com
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