200 gay couples have ‘illegal mass wedding’ in Cleveland


March 25, 2012 at 12:27p.m.

200 gay couples have ‘illegal mass wedding’ in Cleveland

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Ohio doesn’t legally recognize same-sex marriages, but that didn’t stop more than 200 gay and lesbian couples from participating in a Cleveland event they dubbed an “illegal mass wedding.”

Priests and ministers were on hand Saturday at a shopping center as couples from around Ohio said vows in front of family and friends. Some of the couples wore white dresses and tuxedos, while others donned more casual clothes.

It was part of an event advocating for the state to recognize same-sex marriages. Promoters said the ceremony could provide paperwork required to get a marriage license if Ohio law were changed to include gay marriage.