LAS VEGAS - Jay and Jayson DiCotignano have been together for nearly 15 years, have raised two sons together and have been joined together in a "holy union" ceremony.
On Saturday, they walked up the steps of the county courthouse hoping to make their relationship official in the eyes of the law. After waiting an hour, in a line made longer by Valentine's Day, the two men and their youngest son, Danton, 5, exited the courthouse without a license but happy they tried.
"Change happens over time," said Jay DiCotignano, a pastor for the American Catholic Church in Nevada. "It's how it happens. You just have to keep doing it. Footsteps."
The event was part of national "Freedom to Marry Week," during which same-sex couples from across the country are expected to draw attention to the issue of gay marriage. About two dozen activists gathered outside the Clark County Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas to support Jay and Jayson DiCotignano and another couple who tried to get a license.
"Today is not about gay or straight," said Jennifer Bolton, a co-organizer of the rally. "It's about equality. Every citizen of the United States should have the same rights as every other citizen of the United States."
The activists carried signs saying "Don't legislate hate" and "Marriage is a Human Right."
Mike Skougard, 58, of Henderson, attended the rally with his wife, who carried a sign that read "Straights for Equality."
Rabbi Richard Schachet of Valley Outreach Synagogue performed a dual ceremony for Ramos and Diaz and Jay and Jayson DiCotignano.
The short ceremony under cloudy skies and a rainbow flag ended with tears, hugs and a kiss.
"I consider them married," said Schachet, who claims to have performed such weddings for 32 years. "Legally they are not. But in the eyes of God they are."
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On the Net:
Freedom to Marry: http://www.freedomtomarry.org
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