Gays queue to say ‘I do’

DOZENS of same-sex couples lined up outside City Hall in heavy rain yesterday, waiting for city offices to open so they could join more than 1,700 other gay and lesbian couples who have exchanged vows in the last few days.

Despite bad weather and the President's Day holiday, many couples camped out throughout the night. City Hall was scheduled to open at 10am but City Assessor Mabel Teng opened the office early due to demand.

Teng said many of the city workers who helped process the marriage licenses throughout the holiday weekend were volunteers.

"I am just very honoured to be involved in this significant and history-making event," Teng said yesterday.

Since San Francisco officials began issuing marriage licenses to same- sex couples last Thursday, hundreds of gays and lesbians have wed many rushing to California from across the country.

Meanwhile, conservative activists promised a relentless legal challenge, one of which by a California group is scheduled for a court hearing today.

New Mayor Gavin Newsom touched off the wedding spree by ordering officials to issue licenses to same-sex couples, saying he was ensuring equal treatment of gays and lesbians.

Critics have pointed to a ballot initiative approved by California voters in 2000 that says the state will only recognise marriages between a man and woman.

Randy Thomasson, the director of the Campaign for California Families, one of the groups challenging the marriages in court, said last week that Newsom "can't play God".