Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Belarusian man and his American male partner registered in Washington as married couple

naviny.by

Belarusian gay rights activist Vyachaslaw Bortnik married his American partner Shawn Gaylord in Washington D.C. on July 11, according to news site gaybelarus.by.

Messrs. Botnik and Gaylord applied for a marriage license a week after the US Supreme Court ruled on June 26 that it was unconstitutional for the federal government of the United States to deny federal benefits of marriage to married same-sex couples, if it is recognized or performed in a state that allows same sex marriage. Mr. Bortnik said that he and Shawn had “waited for this day for nearly 10 years.” The men have been a couple since they met at an August 2003 human rights conference in Mexico.

Only their closes friends were present at the wedding ceremony. They are expected to hold a wedding party in Mr. Bortnik’s native city of Homyel in the spring of 2014.

He and Mr. Gaylord are activists of Immigration Equality, a New York-based organization whose work includes advocacy for bi-national, same-sex couples. Mr. Bortnik is also affiliated with Amnesty International. // BelaPAN