Ocean City Mayor Will Perform Same-Sex Marriages

New Jersey on Monday became the 14th state to allow gay couples to wed, and Ocean City saw its first same-sex marriage on Monday afternoon (see coverage in the Ocean City Gazette/Shore News Today).

Mayor Jay Gillian said on Tuesday that he will continue to perform marriages for any couple.

State law prohibits officials who perform marriages from discriminating against same-sex couples seeking civil unions (and now marriages), though officials can choose to officiate for no marriages at all.

Gillian said that among the hundreds of ceremonies he has officiated, one of the most memorable was a civil union for a same-sex couple. He said he was choked up as he came to appreciate both the couple's struggle against discrimination and the love they shared.

The couple that married Monday are the only same-sex pair to apply for a marriage license to date, according to Deputy City Clerk Sheila Cottrell. 

But with Ocean City a popular location for weddings, Gillian said he expects same-sex marriages to be more routine in the spring and summer.

Gov. Chris Christie gave up on his fight against same-sex marriage this week after the State Supreme Court announced it would not grant the his request to block same-sex marriages while he appealed.

A majority of voters in New Jersey agree with Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to drop his appeal, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released Monday afternoon.