Are Gay & lesbian Couples Who Married Outside of State Still Legally Married in California?

Natalie and Kim Bergman took their two daughters on the Rosie O'Donnell cruise in 2006, and while docked in Victoria, Canada, took advantage of the fact that the country allows same-sex couples to wed. When they returned home to Los Angeles, they considered themselves to be married. But in the eyes of California officials, their wedding was legally meaningless. That changed June 16, 2008 at 5 p.m. when the state Supreme Court's ruling overturning California's anti-gay marriage statutes went into effect. The decision specified that out-of-state same-sex marriages were now deemed valid by the state. "Last June I called first over to the county clerk's office and said to the woman that we were married in Canada and could we still be married in California or did we need to get married in California. She said no, not only do you not need to get married but you can't get married because you are already legally married and you can't get married twice," recalled Kim Bergman. Full Story from The Bay Area Reporter

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