Celeste Autin and Alesia LeBoeuf quietly made history Monday morning as the first same-sex couple to receive a marriage certificate in Louisiana. The license was issued in Jefferson Parish. As word got out, a frenzy of media waiting in downtown New Orleans headed across the river in search of other same-sex couples hoping to marry.
Around 11 a.m. Monday, Earl Benjamin raced from New Orleans to Gretna to apply for a marriage license. His partner, Michael Robinson, was at work — they'd agreed to take turns waiting — but Benjamin wasn't alone.
With almost ten cameras following his every move, Benjamin joked he wouldn't have to pay for wedding photographers. Jokes aside, he was nervous.
"I kind of feel like at any moment someone's gonna say 'oh no, this is a trick, not today,'" Benjamin said.
But he was handed an application. As he filled it out — crossing out the word bride and writing in "Groom 2" — he was overcome with emotion.
"This is my home," he said, choking back tears. "And I'm just excited that I'm able to get married in the south, in my home state of Louisiana."
Once he got the license, Benjamin drove back to New Orleans to marry Michael Robinson, his partner of almost 14 years, in civil court.