At midnight last night, Maine became the 8th state to enact marriage equality. Portland City Hall was open from midnight to 3:00 AM to marry the first couples. Several couples received marriage licenses, and a handful of couples were married on the spot.
Steven Bridges and Michael Snell were the first gay couple married in the state. As reported by the Bangor Daily News, Bridges and Snell were together for nine years before availing themselves of the legal protections of marriage equality.
The digital media team, Knack Factory, created a short documentary of the first night of marriage equality. As you can see in the video, supporters were out to cheer on the first couples to be married.
In just two days, Maryland will join Maine, as well as 7 other states in securing marriage for all couples. GLAAD will continue to tell the stories of couples and families who are protected by marriage equality. For more information, see GLAAD’s marriage page.
Congratulations to all the couples and families in Maine!