New England nuptials? A little-known law restricting marriage in Massachusetts could prevent nonresident gay and lesbian couples from getting hitched. Here's what you need to know to get married in the Bay State.Planning on getting married in Massachusetts? If you're not from the Bay State, you may want to check with your local gay rights group before buying your plane tickets. Years ago Massachusetts passed a law requiring out-of-state couples to provide proof that their marriage would be legally recognized in their home state. That means a couple from Ohio--or the 38 other states with "defense of marriage" laws banning recognition of same-sex marriages--may not be allowed to get hitched in Massachusetts. Whether or not the somewhat antiquated provision will be applied to same-sex couples has not yet been decided by the stats government, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Nicole St. Peter, deputy press secretary for Gov. Mitt Romney  This article or section contains information about one or more candidates in an upcoming or ongoing election.Content may change as the election approaches. . "At this time we're not prepared to answer questions about what could happen regarding the marriage laws," she says. She also declined to say whether the law was currently being applied to anyone or if it had ever been used before. Paul Cates n. pl. 1. Provisions; food; viands; especially, luxurious food; delicacies; dainties. Cates for which Apicius could not pay. - Shurchill. Choicest cates and the fiagon's best spilth. - R. Browning. , spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), nonpartisan organization devoted to the preservation and extension of the basic rights set forth in the U.S. Constitution. in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , says his organization is attempting to find out if the law will play a role. "We're in murky water here," he says. "It's unclear right now how the Massachusetts supreme judicial court The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The SJC has the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Western Hemisphere. would interpret the law. I have a feeling this issue will be headed for the courts once again." Meanwhile, if you are prospective gay or lesbian newlyweds who reside in Massachusetts, you should probably think about ordering your wedding cake. From May 17 getting married will be much the same for same-sex couples as it is for straight couples. Find a link to the ACLU's Web site at http://www.advocate.com/html/ issuelinks/issuelinks.asp HOW TO GET MARRIED IN MASSACHUSETTS * You must be 18 years old. * You must obtain a marriage license, licenses cost $4 to $15 and can be applied for at city and town clerk offices anywhere in the state. Both of you must appear in person at the time of application, and a three-day waiting period follows before the marriage license is issued. After that it is valid for 60 days. * Both of you must have a medical certificate signed by a doctor indicating that you are free from syphilis and have been offered an HIV test HIV test Various tests have been used to detect HIV and production of antibodies thereto; some HTs shown below are no longer actively used, but are listed for completeness and context. See HIV, Immunoblot. . * A state-certified justice of the peace or religious clergy member must then sign your license--usually before performing your marriage ceremony--and send it in to the state for validation. |
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