Town clerks: We won't police residency for gay weddings
By Thomas Caywood
A group of city and town clerks emerged from a closed-door state training session in Hyannis yesterday expressing relief that they won't have to play residency cop when gay marriages become legal here in two weeks.

     ``I think the governor backed down,'' said Plymouth Town Clerk Laurence Pizer. ``We are going to do what we've always done, accept the oaths.''

     Gov. Mitt Romney [related, bio] earlier had said clerks must get proof of residency from same-sex couples under a 1913 law that bars out-of-state couples from marrying here if the unions wouldn't be legal in their home states.

     But clerks were told yesterday by Romney's top legal adviser, Daniel Winslow, that a signed marriage license application - which after May 17 will ask where the applicants intend to reside - is sufficient for same-sex couples who say they live in or intend to move to the Bay State.


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Same-sex partners will seek to marry
Mecklenburg likely to reject request today
CRISTINA BREEN BOLLING
Gene Hinson and the Rev. Mick Hinson have spent the last dozen years as partners, adopted two children together and have shared the same last name since Gene had his legally changed.

At 10 this morning, they're expected to be the first gay couple to walk into the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds office and ask the state to recognize their union.

Workers in the office have been prepared for a same-sex couple since March. If they follow office policy, they will deny the Hinsons a marriage license application. Instead, they'll hand them a copy of a state law defining marriage as a union of a man and a woman.

Mick Hinson says he knows his chances of walking out with an application for a marriage license are minuscule, and he says he has no plans to sue.


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Luton's vicar slams diocese appointment

A prominent Luton clergyman has threatened to resign his post as a canon of St Albans diocese if the appointment of a gay dean goes ahead.

The Rev Canon Nick Bell, who is the vicar of St Mary's Parish Church, has slammed the decision to appoint Canon Jeffrey John as dean of St Albans.

Canon John is openly gay but has been celibate for many years. Last year he was forced to stand down as Bishop of Reading following a row about his sexuality.

And now the argument shows no signs of letting up following Canon John's appointment to the diocese which covers Luton and Dunstable.