07:27 PM PST on Friday, March 5, 2004

By kgw.com and AP Staff

For the third straight day on Friday, same-sex couples flocked to a Portland concert hall and civic center that has become an impromptu wedding chapel.

The Rev. Paul Davis, left, instructs same-sex couples from left, Betty Perman and Barbara Frye, along with Christina Hatcher and Katrina Knight, right, on how to fill out of their marriage certificates at the Keller Auditorium. (AP Photo)

Over 50 clergy gathered from various denominations at Keller Auditorium Friday to support gay and lesbian couples in their quest to get married.

"The state will do what it will and we will do what we must," said United Church of Christ conference minister Hector Lopez.

The gay advocay group Basic Rights Oregon estimated over 300 marriage ceremonies were performed at Keller on Friday alone.

The nuptuals at the makeshift chapel were among perhaps as many as a thousand that may have taken place since Multnomah County began granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Wednesday morning.

At close of business on Friday, the county clerk's office said it had issued 1,237 marriage licenses since Wednesday's decision to allow same-sex couples to wed.

Also Friday, a lawsuit was filed by a coalition of other church pastors and prominent conservative Republicans to block same-sex marriages.

Rabbi Emanuel Rose of Beth Israel temple said he sees gay marriage as a civic matter.

"We're given a license to officiate at a ceremony, which means it doesn't matter how I personally feel about any particular relationship," he said.

After a news conference by the clergy members at Keller, two men stepped to one side of the carpeted lobby of the auditorium and were wed.

"I pronounce you partners and spouses for the rest of your lives," Lopez said. "You may kiss each other."

One of the grooms, Robert LaFollette, 38, said to a witness: "Even though it's not technically important that the state recognize our relationship, it feels really good."

Witness Maia Godet, who had married her girlfriend of 20 years, Wendy Wiles, two days before, responded to LaFollette by placing her hand to her heart.

"It's important to us in here," she said.