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Filed under: Lifestyle, Local News, World News
Thu. February 26, 2004 3:19:49 PM
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San Francisco, California — Rosie O'Donnell says President George W. Bush convinced her to marry longtime partner Kelli Carpenter O'Donnell.
O'Donnell made the announcement this morning on ABC's Good Morning America saying Bush's call for a constitutional amendment was the final push she needed to formalize her relationship with Kelli.
The pair, who have been together for six years, have four children. Kelli changed her last name to O'Donnell a year ago. The couple boarded a plane shortly after the broadcast for San Francisco where they will tie the knot this afternoon.
The former talk show queen called Bush's comments about gay marriage "the most vile and hateful words ever spoken by a sitting president." And she told GMA the proposed amendment is "very, very, very, very shocking. And immoral."
O'Donnell also said that she and Kelli applied for spousal status in New York, where they live, but it was denied by the state. New York State does not have civil unions.
She said she first realized the injustice of not allowing same-sex couples to marry during her lawsuit with Gruner & Jahr USA, the publisher of the defunct Rosie magazine.
A judge ruled that neither the publisher, who initially sued, nor O'Donnell, who countersued, deserved damages. But during the trial, Kelli, was called on to testify.
O'Donnell said that because Kelli did not have the legal status of a spouse she was obligated to testify against Rosie.
"As a result, everything that I said to Kelly, every letter that I wrote her, every e-mail, every correspondence and conversation was entered into the record of this case," O'Donnell said. "After the trial, I am now, and will forever be, a total proponent of gay marriage."
Even if they had a civil union, Kelli would have had to testify.
by Mary Ellen Peterson
365Gay.com Newscenter
San Francisco Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2004
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.
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