DOMESTIC REGISTRY BEGINS.

Byline: Joe Mosley The Register-Guard

Tim Smith and Kent Kullby are in Palm Springs by now, celebrating their "not-honeymoon."

The couple, who met at the University of Oregon and have lived together in Eugene for 12 years, were first in line Friday to be listed in the city's domestic partnership registry - the closest thing to marriage that's available for gay or lesbian partners.

"We hope someday to have a full, legal marriage," Smith said just before the first of 20 such City Hall ceremonies that mixed Valentine's Day sentiment with political reality.

Speakers congratulated the couple, thanked city officials for authorizing the registry last year following months of heated community debate, and urged continued efforts at bringing equality to same-sex couples.

"I know not everyone approves of this domestic registry," said lawyer and former City Councilor Gretchen Miller, who served as an adviser to the city's Human Rights Commission in crafting city code changes including provisions for the registry.

"I'm just very grateful we don't have an American Taliban system, and some people's religious beliefs are not imposed on others," she said.

Smith and Kullby tempered their excitement over Friday's events with a realization that couples such as themselves still lack many of the benefits and advantages available to opposite-sex couples.

But they also acknowledged a first step toward equality, calling out "thank you, Eugene" and walking hand-in-hand back down the aisle of the Eugene City Council Chambers before catching an afternoon flight to celebrate the event with a getaway to the Southern California desert.

"We're calling it a not-honeymoon, just like this was a not-wedding," Smith said while another ceremony was beginning to join Jodie Mooney and Lynn Pinckney under the auspices of the domestic registry.

Eugene's domestic partnership registry is Oregon's third, behind Ashland and Portland/Multnomah County.

It provides an official but largely symbolic recognition of committed relationships, and is open to any couple - same-sex or opposite-sex - regardless of where they live. Businesses and agencies are not required to extend benefits or privileges on the basis of a person's listing in the registry, but "domestic registry status" has been added to a list of characteristics protected by the city against housing and public-accommodation discrimination.

The entire five-hour slot that was set aside Friday afternoon for partnership registrations was booked up at a rate of four per hour, for a total of 20 in the first day of Eugene's registry. In the future, appointments can be made with the city recorder's office to complete the registrations during designated times on Mondays and Thursdays.

UO law school Prof. Dominick Vetri was the first speaker during the ceremony for Smith and Kullby, and he congratulated all of the couples scheduled for the day's registrations while acknowledging the "small step toward equality for gay and lesbian families."

The Valentine's Day procedures were conducted in three parts: Couples paid their $50 fees that cover all city expenses for the program, then signed paperwork affirming their eligibility to take part in the registry and finally stood in front of friends and loved ones for formalized confirmation of the registry's scope and authority.

Deputy City Recorder Mary Feldman officiated, reading terms of the domestic registry - that couples live together in relationships of "mutual support," are not married or registered as domestic partners to any other person, are at least 18 years of age and are unrelated.

CAPTION(S):

Kent Kullby (left) and Tim Smith celebrated their 12-year anniversary together and Valentine's Day on Friday by being the first to be listed on the city's domestic partnership registry. Brian Davies / The Register-Guard Please turn to REGISTRY, Page A8 Registry: Eugene's is one of three in state Continued from Page A1