Governor Peter Shumlin of Vermont recently fulfilled a promise made during his gubernatorial campaign to officiate over the wedding of a local lesbian couple.
According to the Associated Press, Shumlin presided over the marriage of Michele “Mitch” Beck, 55, and Ann Beck, 56, in a small ceremony held at his Montpelier office. The democratic governor, who spearheaded legislation in 2009 to legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont, met the couple at a campaign event last summer and agreed to marry them if elected.
The first-term governor paid a $100 fee to receive a “temporary officiant” certification from the Secretary of State’s office in order to marry the couple.
Shumlin was elected governor in 2010 after a close race with Republic candidate and former Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie. As governor, Shumlin has supported a number of measures to further LGBT rights, and recently moved to support the campaign to legalize gay marriage in Rhode Island.
