Couples in countries without same-sex marriage find a way — via Zoom weddings in Utah
Where their love is illegal, same-sex couples in countries outside the U.S. have found a way to wed with a surprising twist: Zoom weddings in Utah.
A perfect storm of circumstances combined to make that possible in the conservative state known for its large Mormon population, who are typically against same-sex marriage, LGBTQ Nation reported.
In Utah, you don’t need to live in the U.S. or be a citizen or resident to obtain a marriage license, according to the Wall Street Journal. A license costs only around $100. And the clerk’s office in Utah County provides marriage ceremonies via Zoom, a holdover from the early days of the pandemic.
The Zoom ceremonies were originally set up for housebound Utah couples, but they grew popular as an option for international same-sex couples, because they wouldn’t have to travel outside their country to wed, the outlet reported.
Word started spreading on gay and lesbian chat circles in China and other countries where same-sex marriage is illegal, The Guardian reported. Users learned to evade their government’s censorship by substituting phrases such as “same-sex” with code words like “best friends,” outlet reported.
The online magazine Rest of World estimated that 200 same-sex couples from mainland China and Hong Kong have gotten married using Utah County’s digital marriage license system since 2021.
Zhijun Hu, founder of China’s Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays nonprofit group, wrote a personal essay about his and his husband’s wedding using the service, and said they know at least 20 other couples who did as well.
While some of the couples may not realize the irony of their weddings taking place in Utah, LGBTQ Americans likely will. About 72% of the people in the state are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, LGBTQ Nation reported. What’s more is the private Latter-day Saint university, Brigham Young University, is in the town of Provo, where most of these unions are taking place, the outlet said.
Earlier this year, a bisexual student at the school kickstarted protests against the university’s anti-LGBTQ policies by walking across the stage at graduation and flashing the rainbow flag she’d sewn into her gown.
Despite the state’s anti-LGBTQ reputation in the U.S., these digital weddings remain a beacon of hope for same-sex couples who live in countries where their love is outlawed.
It’s become so common that Michael Foley, an officiant in Utah County, has made it into a new routine, The Guardian reported. He wakes up at 3 a.m., puts on a suit, and goes to his kitchen where he has a green-screen set up for Zoom wedding ceremonies, he told the outlet. When he’s done with the short, joyful ceremony, he goes back to sleep.
“It just makes me happy,” he told the outlet. “That’s the stuff that makes me get up at three o’clock in the morning to do it.”
This story was originally published October 11, 2022 at 4:15 PM with the headline "Couples in countries without same-sex marriage find a way — via Zoom weddings in Utah."
