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"The city of Palm Springs invites same-sex couples to come to our welcoming community and experience this historic opportunity," writes Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet on a website encouraging couples to marry in the desert city. "We are prepared to help you with all your wedding needs and embrace you on this, this most wonderful day of your life."
Pougnet, two Palm Springs city council members and former Mayor Rod Oden, all openly gay, have been deputized to perform marriages throughout Riverside county and are happily prepared for a busy upcoming few months.
Like all throughout California, Palm Springs hotel rooms and wedding services are experiencing an upsurge in business. "Steve Rouch, director of sales for Spencer's at the Mountain, one of Palm Springs' toniest restaurants, confirmed that September and October dates are filling up," reports KESQ."'I'm getting a lot of calls for September and October ... right up to election day (Nov. 4). I've also had a lot of calls from wedding Web sites and expos wanting me to advertise."
On November 4th, Californians will vote on an amendment change to the state constitution that will ultimately ban same-sex marriages. A sizable movement on Facebook, asking members to vote no on the ban, has already begun.
Photo by CarbonNYC via Flickr
