Like most married couples, they laughed and cried on their wedding day.
And when a judge annulled their marriage Thursday, they were saddened.
But on Friday, they were still together and loved each other as much as they ever had in their 24 years together.
The marriage of Ed Hunziker, 63, and Norm Frampton, 50, of Silverton, near Granite Falls, legally is over. But it’s not over in their hearts.
“We are still married,” Frampton said Friday from their other home in Ocean Shores. “Yesterday was a hard day.”
Hunziker heard on the news Thursday that the California Supreme Court had voided the nearly 4,000 same-sex marriages sanctioned in San Francisco between Feb. 12 and March 11. The seven justices said the ceremonies violated a 1977 state law that defines marriage as a union between a man and woman.
Hunziker and Frampton were married in San Francisco on March 9. City Hall was packed that day, Hunziker said. They were second in line behind a lesbian couple from West Virginia.
“We stood up for each other,” Hunziker said, explaining each couple served as witnesses in the other’s 15-minute ceremonies. “We were nervous and crying. But it was a great feeling. Everyone was excited.”
“I was having an out-of-body experience,” Frampton added. “It’s amazing. After 24 years together, you’d think we’d have it down pat. But no matter what, marriage is a big deal.”
The couple said they knew the court decision was coming, and they tried to prepare for it and be open to whatever happened.
“We didn’t want to worry about it too much – one way or the other,” Frampton said. “As long as our hearts were in the right place.”
They were disappointed by the ruling, but they aren’t going to let it get them down.
“We’ve had a lifetime of being gay, so we’re used to being disappointed,” Frampton said.
Hunziker said they will travel to Canada in a few weeks and might get married there. But a Canadian marriage wouldn’t be recognized in the United States. Likewise, they’ve talked about getting married in Massachusetts, but it wouldn’t be recognized in Washington. If it becomes legal in Oregon, they might consider going there.
Earlier this month, a King County Superior Court judge struck down the state’s Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts marriage to a man and a woman. The judge delayed his order pending review by the state Supreme Court.
Even so, Frampton isn’t excited about going through another wedding ceremony.
“It’s way too nerve-wracking,” he said.
The couple said they are proud to have made history for being among the first married gay couples in the nation.
“Like a co-worker says, instead of ‘boyfriend’ I have to call him ‘husband,’ ” said Frampton, a retired grant writer.
Hunziker, a retired family counselor, said being married strengthened their bond. It added comfort to their relationship and made them closer, more loving and supportive.
As to what they are going to do now, Frampton said, “Wait for the rest of the world to catch up.”
Assistant city editor Steve Powell: 425-339-3427 or powell@heraldnet.com.
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