Islip Same-Sex Couples Get License to Wed

The turnout may have been lighter than expected by Islip Town officials, but a handful of same-sex couples were on hand early Monday at Town Hall to obtain their marriage licenses.

Among the early risers were Nancy Westgate and her partner, Nancy Addessi, who arrived just before 9 a.m.

“I never thought I’d see this in my lifetime,” Westgate said.

Addessi agreed, adding, “It’s totally awesome, I’m very excited.”

The couple has been together for 26 years and has an 11-year-old daughter who will have the last name Westgate-Addessi since the pair cannot take the same last name because they have the same first name.

Westgate and Addessi, from Islip Terrace, will marry in Amagansett on July 30.

Also at Town Hall Monday was Jessica Pignataro and Nicole Phuros of Bayport who were equally excited to be getting their marriage license.

"We really didn’t know if we’d ever be able to get legally married so we thought it was kind of cool to be able to apply for our license eight years from the day of our commitment ceremony,” said Pignataro.

The weddings of the same-sex couples at Town Hall Monday, along with others across New York were made possible as Gov. Andrew Cuomo signature made the Marriage Equality Law legal in late June.

Town Clerk Regina Duffy, who was surprised by the relatively low turnout on Monday, the first day Islip same-sex couples could obtain their marriage licenses, said the first couples arrived as early as 7 a.m. The clerk’s office opens at 8:30 a.m.

“It’s very exciting,” Duffy said about being involved in this historic event. “I’m hoping for a (same-sex) couple to wed at town hall this week, maybe by Friday, so we can end the week with that.”

Duffy said her staff was ready to handle the anticipated onslaught of marriage license applications by same-sex couples.

“Everybody had their clipboards ready; they were all prepared,” she said.