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YORKTOWN, N.Y. - With the passage of the marriage equality act last month, Yorktown Town Clerk Alice Roker has been preparing to make sure everyone feels equal.
Sunday is the first day same-sex couples can file for marriage with their town clerk. Roker hasnt received any inquiries from same sex couples looking to tie the knot. However, she has new marriage license forms that take into account gay couples.
Its the marriage equality act so everyone is going to be treated the same, she said. The process is going to be the same. Its just now more marriages will be recognized.
Roker said those who were married in a different state will get whats called a subsequent certificate, but those who were married under a civil union will not. Instead, they will be considered married for the first time.
The biggest change to the marriage license forms is right at the top. The old forms had one side for groom and one for bride. The fields now say where one side of the form would say groom and the other bride the fields now say bride/groom/spouse
Other differences on the form include a new field for gender, which is optional. Additionally, the old forms had fields for mother and father. The new forms now say father or parent and mother or parent. Roker said this is for those individuals who are filling out the forms who may have parents of the same gender.
The changes are all very minimal, and on purpose, Roker said. The forms dont have to change drastically. Nothing really has to change drastically. Now its just equal for everyone.
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