US: Philadelphia mayor to perform same-sex weddings

As of Friday, the Mayor in the US city of Philadelphia will perform same-sex weddings at City Hall.

Dozens of gay and lesbian couples in the US state of Pennsylvania rushed this week to obtain marriage licences, as a judge struck down its same-sex marriage ban.

There is a three-day waiting period for marriage there, so despite there being no defence of the ban, weddings won’t start there until Friday.

A 1996 state law defined marriage as between one man and one woman, but in a Tuesday ruling, US District Judge John Jones ruled that the ban was unconstitutional.

One couple – Catherine Hennessy and Kristin Keith told the Associated Press that they had not intended to marry immediately, but when Mayor Michael Nutter said he would marry them, they moved it up.

Judges in Philadelphia plan to by at City Hall waiting to perform marriages.

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