In the nine months that marriage equality came to New Mexico, a full 55% of the marriage licenses issued in the state have been to same-sex couples.
In August 2013, a few "rogue" county clerks in New Mexico, which had never passed a marriage amendment to the state constitution, began issuing same-sex couples marriage licenses. The following December, the New Mexico State Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples in the state did indeed have the right to marry, and the floodgates opened. Since that time, New Mexico clerks have been issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples at an amazing rate. The Human Rights Campaign reported that in the months since marriage equality came to New Mexico, the state issued 2,524 marriage licenses, 1,388 of them to same-sex couples.
Part of that number is due to the fact that there were so many couples waiting for years to wed - like the couple on the left, Chayne and Russell from Albuquerque, who had been together 20 years before finally being able to make their commitment legal. But another large part of that statistic is due to the fact that New Mexico, the first and only equality state in the South, has become a beacon for same-sex couples from neighboring states. In Sante Fe County alone, about 400 Texas couples and 200 couples from Oklahoma made the trip to New Mexico to get married.
New Mexico merchants have capitalized on the influx of marriage-minded same-sex couples, turning the state into a "destination wedding" locale. Santa Fe businesses have even hosted a LGBT Wedding Expo that included exhibits from wedding-related businesses like travel agencies, photographers, cake makers, jewelers and hair stylists. The Wedding Expo included live music from wedding bands, a cake tasting and a fashion show. Hundreds of same-sex couples from nearby states attended.
Note to businesses in non-equality states: Tell your state representatives to support marriage equality. The flag may be rainbow, but the money is green.
Well done, New Mexico. Well done.
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