The Travis County Clerk’s office is celebrating the eighth anniversary of same-sex marriage being legalized in the U.S. through the Marriage Equality Anniversary Pride Celebration. The office is providing free same-sex marriages to couples on June 26, the same day the Supreme Court recognized the national right to same-sex marriage in the U.S. in 2015.
In February 2015, the Travis County Clerk’s office issued the first marriage license to a same-sex couple in Texas.
In a statement, Travis County Clerk Dyana-Limon Mercado said the following, "In the face of extreme attacks on the LGBTQ+ community from the Texas State Legislature, our office will continue to support and celebrate the rights of all Texans to participate fully in our society, including the right to marry whoever they love, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression."
There is a 72-hour waiting period for marriage licenses, so to participate, couples will need to do the following:
Book an appointment to obtain a marriage license and receive it by June 22 in order to be married on June 26
After a marriage license is obtained or an appointment is scheduled, couples can then schedule their marriage appointment
Ten people per wedding party can be present during the ceremony, so don’t hesitate to invite family and friends to witness this special day! The office encourages those participating to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment time.
Judge Nicholas Chu will be conducting the wedding ceremonies at the Clerk's 5501 Airport Blvd office from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, June 26. The office is providing a backdrop for photos, and light refreshments will be served after the ceremonies.