This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Marriage is just the beginning.
After the license, there are benefits to enroll in, taxes to file and family law to sort out — responsibilities often more complex for same-sex couples than heterosexual newlyweds.
Following a federal judge's Dec. 20 decision to strike down Utah's ban on same-sex marriage, Ogden's OUTreach Resource Centers will host a public expo Tuesday to give lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people guidance as they sort through such issues.
Couples might even find a reception hall for a marriage celebration.
"If you want to get married or you have gotten married, where can you go to get a cake or a DJ?" said OUTreach executive director Marian Edmonds. "It's going to be a feel-good time too."
The event will be held at the Pleasant Valley Library at 5568 S. Adams Ave. in Ogden from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
About 24 groups will be on hand, including tax professionals, clergy, wedding resources, marriage and family counselors, health care enrollment helpers and representatives from Equality Utah for updates on anti-discrimination legislation.
The Rainbow Clinic of Northern Utah will also be there, and will return to the library on the first Tuesday of each month for free legal advice sessions from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
After U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby's Dec. 20 ruling, the first major hurdle was finding enough officiants to marry all the couples who wanted to wed legally, Edmonds said.
"We want to highlight all the clergy that are available so people know they're out there," she said. The ruling also inspired others to come out to their friends and family, so OUTreach is also providing therapists and counselors, "so people don't feel like, 'Wow, I'm really alone out here.'"
Twitter: @lwhitehurst