- 11 years ago
Documentary / Short / Gay Themed (2005) 18 minutes ~ Color
"Lori And Cathy Get Married" is a warm, funny, joyous look at gay marriage in San Francisco. Going inside San Francisco City Hall during the historic days of February, 2004, the video follows a lesbian couple through the marriage process, and on to their wedding reception with friends and Family in Napa, California.
Directed by: Joe Hullinger
"Lori And Cathy Get Married" is a warm, funny, joyous look at gay marriage in San Francisco. Going inside San Francisco City Hall during the historic days of February, 2004, the video follows a lesbian couple through the marriage process, and on to their wedding reception with friends and Family in Napa, California.
Directed by: Joe Hullinger
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Simple ceremonies with tremendous impact. Gay couples in San Francisco.
00:07Two lesbian and gay activists who have fought for this right for the past 51 years they've been together were the first to be married in City Hall.
00:14Because we're going to the chapel and we're gonna get married.
00:22The conservative group Campaign for California Families is calling the marriages a sham.
00:28For anyone that disagrees with what we're doing, I invite them to City Hall. I invite them to come out and meet the people that are coming together.
00:34And comedian Rosie O'Donnell joins the fray at San Francisco City Hall. Hear why she says President Bush helped lead her down the aisle.
00:42One thought ran through my mind over and over on the plane as we were flying out here. With liberty and justice for all.
00:52We're from Napa County. We came down this morning at 8am and we've been in line since quarter to nine.
01:22We've been together for 15 years.
01:24We've been together for 16 years.
01:26We've been together for 14 years.
01:28Our actual 20 years together will be March 19th of next month.
01:34We've been together for 7 years.
01:364 years.
01:375 years.
01:385 and a half years.
01:40We had a ceremony 5 and a half years ago but we've been coming down here for 5 years asking for marriage licenses and then much to our shock on Thursday they actually gave us one.
01:49We saw them as far as the information is true and we're getting these licenses.
01:54We wanted to come down from the gate when we heard about it but we had been in St. Louis all weekend visiting our parents so we were watching on TV all weekend wishing we were here.
02:04Congratulations.
02:12We were dying in St. Louis as we watched it on the news and we thought oh my god we're not going to be able to do this and you know we've been together a long time so this feels really good.
02:22We have a number.
02:24We have a number.
02:26What's your number?
02:27Our number is 390.
02:28390.
02:29Next couple.
02:30We're 390.
02:31That's me. I work for the mayor.
02:33Thank you very much.
02:34San Francisco.
02:35How long have we been together?
02:3615 years.
02:3715 years. Wonderful. It's about time.
02:39Yes it is.
02:41When you walk out of this building you're going to be a married couple.
02:43Now what's going to happen. Yeah isn't that sweet?
02:46I've been crying all weekend. I'm telling you this is like rough.
02:50What's going to happen is we're going to call you into the clerk's office.
02:53They're going to take this application and they're going to turn this into an actual marriage license.
02:57They're going to bring you out here.
02:59They're going to hook you up with an escort who's going to take you on over to the rotunda and that is where you're going to get married.
03:04Great.
03:05Next couple.
03:08Joe, can you believe her?
03:14These people are all waiting to get into the county clerk's office and pay their fees, get their licenses.
03:24I'm not nervous about getting married but nervous about not having the right document at the right moment.
03:28Anxiety right up until the last minute.
03:31We want to be married.
03:33Well I figure since I'm not getting married it's just someone else getting married.
03:37I actually helped serve coffee and bagels and so forth outside.
03:43The line was very, very long and in the rain and the cold.
03:48And it's great just to be here to see everybody so happy about getting married.
03:54It's phenomenal.
03:57This is a moment of history. It's a moment of history.
04:03I think people do see this as the Rosa Parks moment, the lunch counter protests.
04:11I think they see it and you compare it to Stonewall.
04:15It's fantastic.
04:16Somebody the other day compared it to the Berlin Wall coming down.
04:26It's been great.
04:27It's been great. There's some lottery in line and it's been really a great day.
04:31Long and great.
04:33Yeah, it is history.
04:35I feel very happy to be a part of it.
04:38Yeah, you know what? I've never been married before.
04:41I'm 52 years old and I've never been married.
04:44I just want to come by and visit you because I know it has been a long night.
04:49It has been a long day.
04:51You are tired.
04:53You have a lot of patience and you have really moved City Hall with your love and commitment.
04:59So first I want to congratulate you on your big day.
05:03Today is your day.
05:05If you don't get to get married today, you will get married tomorrow.
05:08Don't worry about not being able to get married.
05:14Your Mayor, Gavin Newsom, myself, Assessor Recorder, and the entire city elected family
05:22is absolutely committed and behind you.
05:26We want to make sure we are doing it the right way.
05:31That's why we cannot just rush you through.
05:34You know marriage license is a legal document.
05:38It takes special computer software, a very legal form, and trained technician to do all that.
05:52Marry you and treat each one of your marriage license as a very legal document.
06:00I just want you to know that we are going to continue to marry you,
06:06process your license, and record it by the end of the day.
06:10So as long as you can get through this door by 4, we should know what the court ruling is.
06:21I am very confident that we will win.
06:25If we don't win today, we will win tomorrow.
06:28We will win in the end.
06:30So, keep hope alive.
06:34Keep hope alive.
06:42390 over here in the blue.
06:51You were born in California?
06:52No, I was born in Minnesota.
06:55Sign the back please.
06:59Okay.
07:01We just signed our affidavit.
07:03This is the first step.
07:07We are going to go do a data input.
07:09And then we are going to get the license.
07:12We are going to get the license.
07:13Make sure all information is correct.
07:15Don't sign it.
07:16I'm checking.
07:17Alright.
07:23Perfect.
07:25Welcome.
07:26Hey, it's me.
07:27Did you sign this first?
07:28Make sure it's true.
07:29And correct it this time.
07:30It's the best you can do.
07:31Yes.
07:32Okay.
07:36Now you know where to go for the certificate.
07:38We're signing our marriage license.
07:48Now we go to you.
07:50This is the most important one.
07:56You're all done.
07:57Okay.
07:58Thank you very much.
07:59Thank you so much.
08:06Alright, here we go.
08:08We're walking down the hall.
08:24We're walking down the hall.
08:54We're walking down the hall.
09:05Alright.
09:07Thank you very much.
09:09Thank you very much for your service.
09:11I feel so honored to be a part of this.
09:13And I thank you for making it.
09:17Alright.
09:18Wake me up in San Francisco, that's the place where I belong, open my eyes and let's start
09:30talking, we'll preach to the choir before dawn.
09:35Hi, I'm John Crabtree, I run the Mid-Deputy Marriage Commissioner.
09:38Hi, I'm Lori.
09:39Lori.
09:40I'm Kathy.
09:41Kathy and Joe.
09:42Nice to shake your microphone.
09:44Okay, so I'll take the paperwork.
09:47Would you like to use these steps right in the center?
09:51Sure.
09:52That would be lovely.
09:53Let's do it.
09:54Come on.
09:55Alright.
10:02We are gathered here in the presence of witnesses for the purpose of uniting in matrimony,
10:07Kathy Helen Smith and Loretta M. Ryan.
10:11The contract of marriage is most solid and it is not to be a bit too violent.
10:16Please remember that love, loyalty and understanding are the foundations of a happy and an enduring
10:22home.
10:23No other human ties are as tender, no vows as important as what you're about to pledge.
10:30Robert, do you take James to be your spouse for life?
10:34I do.
10:35And do you, Lori, take Kathy to be your spouse for life?
10:38I do.
10:40I do.
10:41I give you this ring.
10:43I give you this ring.
10:45In token and pledge.
10:46In token and pledge.
10:48Of my constant faith.
10:49Of my constant faith.
10:51In abiding love.
10:52In abiding love.
10:54With this day ring.
10:55I do.
10:56I do.
10:57With the office in San Francisco, that's the place where I...
11:04By virtue of the authority vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you
11:09spouses for life.
11:11Congratulations.
11:15Wake me up in San Francisco.
11:19Wake me up in San Francisco.
11:23Wake me up in San Francisco.
11:26Wake me up in San Francisco.
11:43We had the ceremony on Tuesday.
11:45And when we had been driving home, and we were calling our friends driving home from
11:48the city, two of our friends said, oh, we want to give you a party.
11:52So I called my friend who had the band, and I said, how about February 28th?
11:57She said, great.
11:58So there it was.
12:04Celebrating.
12:26I'm Lori's mom.
12:28And just a little background.
12:30It was a little bit of a surprise when I first found out that Lori and Kathy were a couple.
12:36And I am filled with joy for you two this day.
12:39I am so happy, first of all, for you, and that you have allowed us to share your happiness.
12:45As a parent, when Kathy and Lori were together, I had this feeling of my daughter's in a relationship
12:54and she's not married.
12:56And that's a sin in some sense.
12:59And I carried this burden of a sinful daughter.
13:02He's joking.
13:03Fifteen years.
13:04He's joking.
13:05Joking.
13:06And now.
13:08This is his humor.
13:11If you're not getting it.
13:14But now I have this sense of relief, to be honest.
13:19But I also have a little bit of worry coming, because what happens if they revoke all of
13:27these licenses?
13:28And then do they go back living in sin again and I have to worry one more time?
13:34Here's to the newly wedded couple.
13:37To the happily married couple.
13:40To our moms, the happy couple.
13:53One, two, three.
13:57Aw!
14:03I'm a Christian.
14:04I go to church.
14:05I have kids and I'm married 16 years.
14:08And she said, you know, I don't know how you feel about this and does this bother you?
14:12And it's like the first thing that came to my mind is that Jesus said love one another
14:17and these two love one another.
14:18And I just can't see how that's bad or wrong.
14:22They're an amazing couple.
14:23They parented three kids together.
14:25Two girls in college and Emmett, who's entering high school.
14:29It was all of a sudden we have another mom.
14:31And, you know, it was pretty cool.
14:33We liked our mom.
14:34Another one couldn't hurt.
14:35I'm really happy that my mom got married because they love each other.
14:39The truth is, it's all about love.
14:42And that's what it's all about here today.
14:53Portland, Oregon today became the latest place to test the law
15:20by becoming the scene of a controversial same-sex wedding.
15:24In New York City, protesters outside City Hall demanded that Mayor Michael Bloomberg
15:29order the city clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
15:34Seattle's mayor admits state law prohibits him from issuing same-sex marriage licenses.
15:39So, instead, today he signed an order allowing Seattle city workers
15:43who were married in same-sex unions in other states to get full spousal benefits.
15:48Mayor Jason West of New Paltz, New York, arrived outside of the court in his small town today
15:54to cheers from hundreds of supporters.
15:56West pleaded not guilty to 19 criminal counts
15:59in connection with the 25 same-sex marriages he conducted last week.
16:03Our nation must enact a constitutional amendment to protect marriage in America.
16:09In the current noisy debate over homosexual marriage,
16:12who is bothered to notice that homosexuals are already forming families,
16:17which is the point of marriage?
16:19This thing has nothing to do for us about making a political statement.
16:22It has nothing to do with politics. It has nothing to do with that.
16:25It's about we love each other, we've been in love for a long time,
16:29and we want to be married, you know, and it's really simple.
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