Virginia courts have issued more than 2,500 marriage licenses to same-sex couples since gay marriage first became legal in Virginia one year ago.
Same-sex couples were allowed to wed in Virginia following the state Supreme Court’s decision to leave standing a ruling from a lower court, which struck down the 2006 amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Since then, almost 55,000 marriage licenses have been issued, with same-sex marriage licenses comprising 5 percent, said Michael Kelly, director of communications for Attorney General Mark Herring, in an email statement.
Legal same-sex marriages from other states were also immediately recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Kelly said.
LGBTQ Center Programming Intern Connor Roessler, a fourth-year in the College, said this anniversary is part of a monumental year.
“The Center has been amazed at the progress Virginia and the country has made,” Roessler said. “It’s been amazing to see how much support and celebration and love we’re getting as a center.”
In a press release, Herring called the day “groundbreaking,” but said it “could not compare to the faces of people who could finally marry the one they loved.”
Longtime partners Tim Bostic and Tony London were plaintiffs in Virginia’s marriage equality case that eventually led to the legalization of same-sex marriage.
The couple, together for 25 years, said they are very grateful for the opportunity to have the legal recognition of their marriage in a statement from the Attorney General’s office.
“We cannot express enough what it means to have the legal recognition of that commitment,” London and Bostic said.
Charlottesville Circuit Court Clerk Llezelle Dugger issued the first same-sex marriage license on Oct. 6, 2014.
Since the legalization of same-sex marriage one year ago, no couple has been denied a license based on sexual orientation, according to the Attorney General’s office.
“Attorney General Herring made it a top priority to ensure that Virginians who spent years fighting for the right to marry were met with an organized, seamless process,” the statement said.
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