As many know, today California repealed the ban on same sex marriage. Couples started filing into the city clerk’s office in San Francisco just 20 minutes after the 4 to 3 decision was released.

Julie Scearce, 45, and Paula Bocciardi, 52, of the West Portal neighborhood in SF, were the first couple to line up. Way to go.

The Clerk’s office said that they must wait 30 days for the decision to actually go into effect before marrying people, but they’re putting all the couples on a list. Wanna have a summer wedding? Now’s your chance.

It’s worth noting the findings of a study done on same sex couples who received civil unions in Vermont in 2000.

It found:

• Same-sex couples not in civil unions were more likely to have separated.
• Same-sex couples (both unionized and not) reported lower levels of conflict, and greater levels of compatibility, intimacy and relationship quality than heterosexual couples.

Basically, as is the case for heterosexual couples, if you’re married you’re more likely to work through the hard times and not separate. Same sex couples also seem to work harder at keeping their relationship happy and healthy. Would you agree?

Congratulations to all the happy couples getting on the list at City Hall!