Community Corner

First in the Borough: Collingswood's Same-Sex Couples Tie the Knot

Margaret O'Donnell and Constance Knecht joined Joan Buehler and Susan Stouder as the first Collingswood couples to be wed under same-sex marriage laws.


Since the borough began accepting applications for same-sex marriages on Friday, more than 15 Collingswood couples have planned to exchange their wedding vows.

At 6 p.m. on Monday, two of them made history as the first to be legally wed in the borough.

Margaret O'Donnell and Constance Knecht had gotten a domestic partnership 10 years ago and a civil union in 2007 before they were finally married on the steps of the Old Zane School.

Despite the importance of those intermediate steps, Knecht said "it feels real" to be married.

O'Donnell said she felt as though they were "on the vanguard of civilized history" to have "a love that deserves to be recognized by the state just like anybody else's."

"It was very, very important that we do it today, on the first day that it was legal," said Joan Buehler, who married longtime partner Susan Stouder in the second ceremony of the evening.

"I wanted the date on that license," she said, reflecting on the feeling of being able to walk the two blocks from their home to Collingswood Borough Hall, where "we both check[ed] 'F' in the box on our license."

Stouder said that as a Collingswood resident, she is proud that her town has been at the forefront of same-sex marriage policy.

"We came here because of how welcoming it has been to the gay community," she said. "We know people who weren't so lucky."

New Jersey residents are only allowed to apply for a marriage license in the municipality in which they reside, making Collingswood among the most accommodating to those within its borders looking to take early advantage of the new law.

Staffers in borough hall reported having to turn away residents of other communities whose local governments have not been as quick to expedite the process. Only out-of-state residents are exempt from this provision.

After Middlesex County Judge Mary Jacobson cleared the way for same-sex marriage to proceed in New Jersey in September, Gov. Chris Christie—who in 2012 opposed a legislative measure to legalize same-sex marriage—appealed to the state Supreme Court to stay the order.

But earlier on Monday, the state withdrew its objection to the ruling, officially eliminating any chance that the New Jersey Supreme Court would overturn any of the marriages on appeal.
 
"The appeal is done, the law is settled, and now we can get down to the business of just two people who want to spend the rest of their lives together," said Collingswood Mayor James Maley, who officiated both ceremonies before a crowd of news cameras.

Maley said there are other same-sex weddings scheduled throughout the week in Collingswood.

Want to see some more photos from the ceremonies? Check out Collingswood resident Tricia Burrough's album at Lilac Blossom Photo.


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