Same-Sex Marriage Campaign Visits Local Courthouse

Five same-sex couples tried to obtain marriage licenses at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Decatur on Monday in a campaign designed to draw attention to Georgia's laws prohibiting marriage between people of the same gender.

One after the other, five couples stepped up to the counter of the DeKalb Probate Court office and said they wanted marriage licenses.

Mary Jones, an employee, told Rob Anglin and Jens Palsgaard of Austell that Georgia law does not allow people of the same gender to marry.

Anglin and Palsgaard said they really loved each other and wanted to make it legal.

"I understand that, sir, but it's the law," Jones said.

Anglin said that Rosa Parks helped usher in a major change by refusing to give up her bus seat during he Montgomery bus boycott.

"This is how we're going to do it," Anglin said. "We have to bring awareness to the issue." As they turned away, one of them said, "We'll be back."

Reporters were on hand to document the five couples' efforts, having been alerted by We Do, an effort of the Campaign for Southern Equality.

After the couples were turned down, they walked out of the courthouse to be greeted with cheers from an estimated 75 supporters waiting outside.

During the month of January, We Do is trying to obtain same-sex marriage licenses in other Southern cities, including Hattiesburg, Miss.; Mobile, Ala., Morristown, Tenn.; Greenville, S.C.; Asheville, Wilson and Wilmington, N.C.; Arlington, Va.; and Washington, D.C.