New Jersey broke new ground on the journey to social equality yesterday when the state began legally recognizing same-sex marriage at 12:01 a.m. Monday morning. And to ring in the new age of equality, Newark Mayor and Senator-elect Cory Booker officiated New Jersey’s first same-sex marriages after the stroke of midnight.
Booker, who previously refused to officiate marriage ceremonies until “all people have the legal right to marry” in New Jersey, was finally able to officiate his first gay wedding when he married Orville Bell and Joseph Panessidi, who have been together for 15 years.
However, the ceremony was not without its hiccups as a heckler shouted out “this is unlawful in the eyes of God!” after Booker asked if anyone had any reason why the couple should not be married. Booker kept the peace and shared some meaningful words of his own as he had the heckler removed and then told the cheering crowd, “Not hearing any substantive or worthy objections, I now will proceed!”
The whole incident was caught on camera and Booker went on to marry several other gay couples throughout the night as their families and friends all celebrated the couples’ newfound legal freedom.
We congratulate New Jersey and the many newly married gay couples on their new era of love and we commend Booker for standing up for the rights of his LGBT citizens.
Check out photos from the historic evening after the cut. –nicholas robinson
