7 Couples Married To Celebrate New Jersey’s New Gay Marriage Law

<p>Seven gay couples marry in the US state of New Jersey – as the state becomes the 14th in the US to allow same-sex marriages</p> <p>By Newsdesk | 21st October 2013 </p><p></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4594640013.jpg" width="459" height="343" alt="Gay Marriage in New Jersey" title="Gay Marriage in New Jersey"/></p> <p></p><p>Seven gay couples were married in Newark, USA on Monday morning at 12.01AM by Mayor Cory Booker, who described it as "one of the greatest privileges" of his life.</p><p></p><p>Same-sex marriage became legal in New Jersey on Monday the 21st October, months after parts of the <a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/magazine/4574334751/NEWS-Ding-Dong-DOMA's-Dead/6007631">Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) were struck down</a> by the Supreme Court Of The United States, which many gay activists hope could pave the way for many more states to start legalising same-sex marriages.</p><p></p><p>Currently there are only 14 out 50 states that allow gay marriage, they including; California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Washington DC.</p><p></p><p>The wedding ceremony was briefly interrupted when Booker asked the gathered congregation if anyone knew of any ‘substantive reason’ why Joseph Panessidi and Orville Bell, both 65, could not be married.</p><p></p><p>‘This is unlawful in the eyes of God’ shouted a man, who continued to shout about Jesus, until the police escorted him of the premises.</p><p></p><p> </p>