Marriage Equality U.S.A. and Get Equal Call For Gay Marriage 'Counter Actions' on Valentine's Day

The two gay rights groups are calling for a national "counter action," in which gay folks go to a local county or city clerk's office in states where same-sex marriage is still illegal -- that includes California, by the way -- and ask for a marriage license.

Marriage Equality U.S.A. chapters have been doing this kind of grassroots activism since 2001, but this year Get Equal is joining the fray.

"It is an affront to our basic dignity as fellow human beings when same-sex couples are turned away from the marriage counter," says Molly McKay, media director for Marriage Equality U.S.A., "but it gives us the opportunity to tell our stories and show that we live in every community and want to honor and protect our families like everyone else."

Get Equal Co-Founder Robin McGehee adds, ""Get Equal is joining Marriage Equality U.S.A. to urge President Obama, Congress ,and all states with discriminatory laws on their books to stand for justice and equality for all people, as the Constitution requires, and work together to uphold the American tradition of fairness and equality by ending marriage discrimination."

McKay and McGehee were featured in a recent L.A. Weekly cover story titled "Mission Drift at Gay Inc." The two women have been working on the front lines of the gay marriage battle for years.

Gay rights activists have been keen on getting President Barack Obama to change his position on same-sex marriage -- he supports civil unions -- and to see the federal Defense of Marriage Act overturned in the courts or repealed by Congress.

DOMA, as it's known, bans gay marriage on the federal level.

For a complete list of Valentine's Day actions on Monday, February 14, go to www.requestmarriage.com.

Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.