There is a steady decline in the number of applicants for same-sex marriage in the last four months, following a US District Court’s ruling allowing a gay and lesbian’s legal union with their respective partners.
Guam was the first US territory to recognize same-sex marriage after US District Court Chief Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood struck down in June 2015 the prohibition on the same-sex marriage.
Carolyn Garrido, the Territorial Registrar of the Office of Vital Statistics, provided Junction Newspaper with data showing that for the last four months, the agency recorded a drop in applications for marriage license by same-sex couples.
Figures showed that there were 14 applicants in June; 13 in July; five in August; and four in September.
A total of 31 marriage certificates were issued out of 36 applicants for marriage license or certificates since June, according to Garrido. “I don’t know what happened to the five others (applicants),” she added.
Meanwhile, records also revealed that couples both belonging to “traditional” and gay couples between the age of 21 to 30 years, accounted for 20 applicants, followed by couples under the 30-39 year-old bracket with 13; 40-49 with 12; 50-59 with 12 and those 60 and above with 5 applicants.
As to ethnic race, Chamorros top the list with 35, followed by “White” with 8 applicants; Filipinos and African American, both with 4; Palauans, 2; Chamorro/ American/ Irish, Filipino-American; Filipino-Chamorro, German/Chamorro, Hispanic, Pohnpeian, Puerto Rican and White/Chamorro – all with one applicant.
Garrido declined comment whether the applicants were “straight,” gays or lesbians.
Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson in April instructed officials of the Office of Vital Statistics to process same-sex marriage applications. Territorial officials with Gov. Eddie Calvo behind them however, refused to heed the directive.
Guam law defines marriage “as between two people of the opposite sex.”
Loretta Pangelinan and Kathleen Aguero filed a lawsuit in April after the couple were denied a marriage license. They cited a decision last year by the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals decision in favor of same-sex marriage.
Nikki Dismuke and Deasia Johnson became the first same-sex couple to wed in Guam, as they exchanged vows shortly after receiving their marriage license at the Department of Public Health and Social Services last June.
Public Health Director James Gillan officiated the wedding.
The US District Court of Guam falls under the jurisdiction of the 9th Circuit.
“To the proponents and opponents alike, I ask that we all come together despite our differences of opinion, united in our common love of Guam and of each other,” Calvo said in a June news release, following the Gatewood decision.
Back then, the Guam attorney general appointed a different counsel to represent Calvo in the lawsuit appealing the court’s directive because of the difference in their beliefs and opinions.
In the US mainland, gay couples can marry in 36 states, the District of Columbia and Guam./The Junction News Team
