July 24 was the first day that same sex couples were allowed to legally marry in the state of New York, the US. Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples lined up early in the morning outside the Manhattan City Clerk’s office to reap the benefits on Sunday, some of whom had waited decades for the right.
In New York City's five boroughs as well as across the state, clerk's offices, which are usually closed on Sundays, opened to marry gay couples for the first time in the state's history. Legislators passed the law legalizing gay marriage last month and couples eagerly awaited for it to come into effect on Sunday.
New York City issued 659 marriage licenses the first day and volunteer judges married 484 couples, gay and straight, according to a news release from Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office.
Same-sex marriages in New York will be recognized in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington D.C., where the practice is legal, as well as in Maryland and Rhode Island.
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