Some same-sex couples are going the extra mile, literally, to get married. Since only five states in the country and Washington D.C. legally recognize same-sex marriage, gays and lesbians who don’t live in one of those places, must travel to tie the knot. This means an uptick in travel and tourism to those five states and the nation’s capital.
Amy Linder-Lesser is a justice of the peace and an innkeeper in Massachusetts, the first state to legally recognize same-sex marriage in May 2004. She said that allowing same-sex couples to get married in her state has opened up the market for her business at the Rookwood Inn. Just after it became legal for out-of-state residents to get married in July 2008, Linder-Lesser performed 17 marriages, 16 of which were same-sex couples and the majority from out of state.
In Massachusetts, there is a waiting period of three days between the time a couple applies for a marriage license and when the ceremony can be performed. This means out-of-state couples and their wedding guests will often spend a few nights at a hotel and use the time as a vacation to visit tourist locations and go shopping.
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Complete article at Medill : http://bit.ly/e8iSEg
