George Takei and Brad Altman get wedding license in West Hollywood...
This is so wonderful. Actor George Takei and his partner Brad Altman were the first same-sex couple to pay $70 and apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood today.In all, more than 100 were issued in WeHo.
I had to miss the occasion but my pal Jim Key of the LA Gay and Lesbian Center forwarded me these shots taken by Robert Blackmon. In addition, Damon Romine of GLAAD has a terrific collection of the television coverage at his CineQueer blog. Here's one of them:
George and Brad's wedding will not take place until September and after 20 years together, they certainly are entitled to take their time in planning the perfect event.
Takei, 71, told ET.com that his 54-year-old partner Brad proposed to him as the two were eating, just after the news was announced that the California Supreme Court had legalized marriage for same-sex couples. "He said George, will you marry me? And I said, 'Darn it,' with my mouth full, 'I meant to do that, you beat me to it,'"
George has posted this message on his website:
We are back at our home in Los Angeles after a hurly burly morning in West Hollywood, where we applied and received our marriage license. We are feeling a combination of exhaustion and exhilaration after sharing the morning with hundreds of other couples taking this historic opportunity.
Although we were put in the media spotlight because of my Star Trek fame, we felt one with everyone's joy on this landmark occasion. The last 48 hours have been a whirlwind. Our trek to the alter began at 2:30 a.m. Monday morning when we crawled out of bed to get ready to appear on the CBS Early Show, and it never stopped.
We were interviewed by tons of electronic media, including ET, Access Hollywood, CNN (including its Latino arm), and Inside Edition. We even did some interviews with Nippon TV and Sankei Shimbun from Japan. We cannot possibly keep track of all the print and radio interviews we are still giving today and throughout this week. \
This is a glorious California morning of making history. Now the love that Brad Altman and I have shared for each other for these last 21 years will be recognized and celebrated joyfully when we get married in September
About Out
in Hollywood
Greg Hernandez, Page 2 "News Lite" columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News, gives you a fly-on-the-wall account of the Oscars and other awards show, movie premieres, film festivals and various star-studded events. He also shares his celebrity interviews as well as specially-selected videos and photos. He writes about all things pop culture through a gay man's eyes ...
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