First same-sex couple in WilCo issued marriage license

On Friday, some counties decided to review the Supreme Court decision instead of immediately issuing licenses to same-sex couples. Williamson County was one of those. But on Monday, that changed.

The County Clerk's office in the basement of the Williamson County Justice Center was pretty quiet Monday morning.

That is until county history walked through the door.

Kirby Maggard and Nick Ramos were the first couple in Williamson County to get a same-sex marriage license. They've been together for 12 years. They met in Chicago and moved from there to Georgetown 8 years ago.

"We talked about going to other places to be married. But the bottom line is...we live here," Ramos said.

The two had a "commitment ceremony" but they plan on having a wedding soon. They'll leave the details for later.

"We haven't thought that far," Ramos said.

51-year-old Maggard says the road to this moment has been a difficult one.

"Being from Arkansas, like I said I've been through bombings, I've been shot at, I've been attacked with boards, all kinds of things. So we just want to thank all the people that have paved the way," Maggard said.

They're excited about what this means for them.

"If one of us happens to be sick or ill, now we don't have to worry about not being recognized as family members at the hospital and different things like that that will be a relief for our future," Maggard said.

And what it means for others...

"This is going to help a lot of young kids. A lot of young people that deal with their sexuality. It's going to give them a sense of normality. It's going to make them okay," Ramos said.

WilCo County Attorney Dee Hobbs sent us a statement saying in part, as an elected in official, he has a duty to follow, enforce and uphold the law without bringing personal values into it.

"It has been suggested to me that as a man of faith I should try and block the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses. I believe as a man of faith I am obligated to follow the oath of office I took when sworn in as county attorney. This is the oath in which I swore to God I would follow the laws of the land as prescribed," Hobbs said.

You can read the full statement from Hobbs here. (pdf) Information about obtaining a license from Williamson County can be found here.