Vallejo California City Councilman Michael Wilson to Wed Partner Peter Wilson

Vallejo, CA (PRWEB) June 26, 2008 -- Vallejo City Council Member Michael Lepley Wilson and Mr. Peter Lepley Wilson will be getting married on Thursday, July 3, 2008 at their home in Vallejo. They are honored to have State Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) as the officiant for their wedding ceremony.

The couple will incorporate their message of equal rights for all Californians into their ceremony. Additionally, in lieu of gifts, they are asking their family and friends to make donations to the Human Rights Campaign, America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality.

"We are very honored to have Senator Wiggins officiate at our wedding," said Councilman Michael Wilson. "Pat is a great friend and a long-time supporter of equal rights for all Californians. With Pat's help, we are planning our wedding to be a celebration not just of our love for each other, but also of the landmark ruling by the California Supreme Court recognizing our right, and that of all Californians, to equality under the State's marriage laws."

This will mark the third time that the couple has married. Having been together since 1997, Michael and Peter had their first wedding ceremony on June 30, 2001 and officially registered as Domestic Partners in the State of California. It was a deeply meaningful experience but the state did not recognize it as marriage.

On February 15, 2004, when Mayor Gavin Newsom made it legal for same sex couples to marry in San Francisco, the two were married for the second time at City Hall in San Francisco and received a State of California marriage license. That license was later voided in state court.

Despite that setback, in September 2006, Michael and Peter worked through the court system to officially change their name to reflect their continuing commitment to each other. They each took Peter's family name (Lepley) as their middle name and Michael's family name (Wilson) as their last name.

On July 3, 2008, the couple will be wed for the third time, and after many years of waiting, will be recognized as a married couple by the State of California.

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