Same-Sex Couples Welcome Delaware Gay Marriage Law

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Same-sex couples in Delaware say they're looking forward to July 1, when Delaware officially becomes the 11th state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage.

Advocates on Tuesday cheered Democratic Gov. Jack Markell as he signed a gay marriage bill into law just minutes after its passage by the state Senate.

Under the bill, no new civil unions will be performed in Delaware after July 1, and existing civil unions will be converted to marriages over the next year. The legislation also states that same-sex unions established in other states will be treated the same as marriages under Delaware law.

Delaware joins neighboring Maryland and the nearby District of Columbia as jurisdictions that have approved gay marriage. Last week, Rhode Island became the 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed.