Where there was gay marriage, there's gay divorce

BOSTON - Less than seven months after same-sex couples began tying the knot in Massachusetts, the state is seeing its first gay divorces.

Newlyweds seeking to renounce the vows they so recently took have been trickling into probate courts across the state, filling out obsolete forms that still read "husband" and "wife."

Josh Friedes, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Freedom to Marry Coalition, said the rapid divorces are no cause for concern.

"It would be wonderful if every marriage lasted until a couple lived to a ripe old age, but unfortunately we know from our heterosexual peers that all too often there are irreconcilable differences, and for these couples, divorce is often the most humane option," Friedes said. "Anyone who argues that gay and lesbian couples divorcing is grounds for opposing gay marriage is being incredibly hypocritical."

Exactly how many same-sex couples are seeking divorces is not clear - nor is it clear whether any gay divorces have become final - because not all counties keep track of which divorce filings are from gays.

Massachusetts began sanctioning gay marriages on May 17, six months after a landmark ruling by the state Supreme Court.

According to the state Registry of Vital Records, at least 4,266 gay marriage certificates have since been issued, although there is a lag time in the records and hundreds more may have wed this year.

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