Denton County Issues Its First Same-Sex Marriage License
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DENTON (CBS11) - Whitney Hennen and Sara Bollinger were up early Monday in Denton to receive something they've looked forward to for five and a half years -- a wedding license.
"Eight a.m.," Bollinger said pointing to the time stamp on the back of the license. "We were the first ones."
They're the first couple in Denton County to apply for a same sex wedding license.
"It feels really good to be able to feel respected and have our relationship noticed as just a regular relationship," Hennen said. "We're just like anybody else."
But as good as having the license feels Bollinger says, "The fight is absolutely still there."
Bollinger talked about work and housing equalities among others, but the next hurdle may be finding someone to perform the wedding, especially if it's a county official.
Just because they have a license doesn't mean a county official has to marry them. The Texas Attorney General says he'll back any official who feels they can't perform a wedding ceremony because of religious beliefs.
Bollinger and Hennen say if an official balks at their marriage, they won't play politics, they'll just find someone else to perform the service.
"If somebody says no, I'm going to move on," she said. "It's not something that I can, really, in that sort of situation, spend time on. I'd rather find somebody who's open-minded and accepting and go in that direction. You know, positive."
The office for the justice of the peace in their part of the county says the J.P. will perform same sex marriages. Bollinger says they may try to get a friend who is ordained to perform the service anyway.
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