Lesbian and gay couples waited in line for hours Wednesday to apply for marriage licenses on the first day same-sex unions became legal in Washington D.C.
According to the AP, by Wednesday afternoon, more than 100 couples had come to the city's marriage bureau inside the Moultrie courthouse, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, and more than 50 had completed their applications.
Sinjoyla Townsend, 41, and her partner of 12 years, Angelisa Young, 47, claimed the first spot in line just after 6 a.m. They are already domestic partners in the city but wanted to become legally married.
"It's like waking up Christmas morning," said Young, who teared up when she sat down to process their paperwork. "It's really like a dream come true."
Because of a mandatory waiting period of three business days, couples won't be able to marry in D.C. until Tuesday, but that didn't stop the applause and cheer from all around the courthouse steps. Couples even received cupcakes from a city councilman who sponsored the same-sex marriage law.
The gay marriage law was introduced in the 13-member D.C. Council in October and had near-unanimous support from the beginning. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed it in December, but because Washington is a federal district, the law had to undergo a congressional review period that expired March 2.
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