New York's Same-Sex Marriage Law Takes Effect
HOLMES: The top of the hour here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. A gorgeous look at New York City, Central Park and the eyes of the country and maybe even the world on New York City, New York state, because this is the day a lot of people have been waiting for for years. Same-sex couples can now legally get married in the state of New York. We will talk to a couple in just a moment and they are just maybe a couple hours away from their wedding. Also, there's a new worry about a deadline for the debt talks. The House speaker wants a deal done soon. You know how soon? Actually, in a matter of hours before the Asian markets open for trading. Congressional leaders working round the clock on this Sunday, July 24th. Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. Thank you so much for spending part of your day here with us. For more than 20 years, Jo-Ann Shain and Dr. Mary Jo Kennedy have lived as a married couple years. Today, they get to make it official. Shain and Dr. Kennedy won a lottery for the first day of legalize same sex marriage in New York. That means they get to skip the 24-hour waiting period that's normally required after couples get marriage licenses. It also means they are getting married today. And, yes, we called them to take some time-out on their wedding day to come and do an interview on national television. Jo-Ann Dr. Kennedy, it's here. Thank you for being with us. How many years, actually? I think I might have been a little off. How many years have you al been together?</s>JO-ANN SHAIN, MARRYING PARTNER FOR 29 YEARS: Twenty-nine. Twenty-nine years.</s>HOLMES: Twenty-nine years. So, after being together 29 years, essentially living as a married couple, you get married today. You wake up tomorrow, what's going to -- what's going to even feel different? Do you imagine anything?</s>SHAIN: I don't think it will feel too different, but we at least get the legal recognition of being married. And it's a wonderful thing.</s>HOLMES: Now, why this day? You could have waited to put together a ceremony and put together all the planning and all that stuff. I think you're going to have a reception later for the family and friends. But why was it important to be a part of this day?</s>SHAIN: You know, this is a really historic day. And we have fought for this day. We've hoped for this day. And this is the first days of history in New York City. Gay and lesbian couples can get married. And this is just a wonderful, phenomenal day and we would not miss it.</s>HOLMES: Now, what may</s>DR. MARY JO KENNEDY, MARRYING PARTNER OF 29 YEARS: And the engagement of 29 years is too long. An engagement of 29 years is too long.</s>SHAIN: Yes.</s>HOLMES: A 29-year engagement. Yes. Were you guys -- like you say, 29 years, a lot of people can't imagine that. But, I guess, can you all even trying to wrap your heads around and put into some kind of historical perspective what this day means? I mean, we've seen several states, the sixth state now, New York, to make same-sex marriage legal. But, I guess, where does this fall in line as far as historical perspective for the country and also for the gay rights movement?</s>SHAIN: Well, this is huge and it's huge because this is the sixth state and the largest state that recognizes same-sex marriage. And from this point we want to call it marriage, actually. That recognizes same sex marriage. And it's huge. It really is huge. And we hope that as New York goes, that so goes the country.</s>HOLMES: When did you all kind of make the transition from just hoping, wishing for it, maybe it will happen one day, to actually being advocates? What happened to make you all kind of take that turn and kind of get involved in the fight?</s>KENNEDY: Back in 2004, we saw people getting married in San Francisco, in Nyack, we started getting very excited about the idea. But we still we were scared. But our daughter, Alia, who was 15 at the time, really put it into perspective for us, saying, this is a civil rights movement. This is your opportunity to be part of history. You guys have a great relationship, better than many of the parents of her friends and you should just go for it. So she convinced us. And since then, we've been avid advocates.</s>HOLMES: How is your daughter doing today? And I guess, what are some of her thoughts on what's happening today?</s>KENNEDY: Oh, she's very excited. She knows this is such an important day and she knows that she played a big part for us to be here today. So, we're very grateful to her, as well. Why was it important, also, to wait on New York to do this? I believe you could have gone do another state and done this if you wanted to, but you wanted to wait for New York. Why?</s>SHAIN: We're New Yorkers. Yes, we could have gone to Connecticut. We could have gone to Massachusetts. But we're New Yorkers, and we really held out and wanted to -- to have our marriage legal here in New York and have our relationship recognized here.</s>HOLMES: Well, ladies, you all tell me how is this going to go today? You're going down to the courthouse. They say you can start showing up at 8:30. I think you're going down there maybe right after this interview. You're going to go down. But, I guess, what is the plan for the day? Who will be there? I guess -- are you wearing your wedding outfits now? Is there a party later? Tell me how this is going to go.</s>KENNEDY: This is it.</s>SHAIN: This is it. These are our wedding outfits. And we expect there to be a huge crowd and with -- friends will there, I'm sure, and just hundreds of other couples and we're just so excited.</s>KENNEDY: Also, our friend, the judge, is going to marry us. And afterwards, we're going to go back to our house for a small reception.</s>HOLMES: Well, and I assume your daughter will be there.</s>SHAIN: Oh, yes, absolutely.</s>HOLMES: Is she standing in there right now with you guys?</s>SHAIN: No, she's not. She is here, but --</s>KENNEDY: She's in the studio.</s>SHAIN: She's in the studio.</s>KENNEDY: She'll be one of our witnesses, yes.</s>HOLMES: OK. Well, ladies, thank you for taking the time-out. I know it's a huge day for you and a lot of other people there in the state of New York. Even though this is a debate in this country that will continue for sometime -- today is your day. Your special day. So, congratulations on that and I hope to see you down the road, all right?</s>KENNEDY: Thank you so much.</s>SHAIN: Thank you, T.J. Bye-bye.</s>KENNEDY: Bye-bye.</s>HOLMES: All right. We're at seven minutes past the hour now. And you all remember, it was one month ago, it was June 24th that New York became the sixth and the largest state to legalize same-sex marriage, couples can also get married. You hear them mentioned Connecticut and Massachusetts. But also in Iowa, New Hampshire, as well as Vermont. We turn to London now and what is just a tragic story and an absolute shame. There is still no official cause of death for 27- year-old soul singer Amy Winehouse.</s>HOLMES: Now, this is the song you'll likely recognize and the one she's probably best known for here in this country. It's a song about rehab, not wanting to go to rehab. And this was certainly a young lady who struggled with alcohol and addiction throughout her life. Well, she was discovered in her apartment, her London apartment yesterday. Again, it seems that many are now speculating that she lost her battle with drug abuse. A lot of people in the entertainment community, a lot of singers are commenting about her death, including R&B; singer Rihanna sending out a tweet saying that she was genuinely heart broken by the news. Also singer/songwriter Moby, who was with Winehouse at her disastrous last performance in Belgrade a few weeks ago, sent this message out saying, quote, "After our show in Serbia, I wish I'd been able to help. I'm sorry." And then another from Kelly Osbourne who tweeted, "I can't even breath, I'm crying so hard. I just lost one of my friends. I love you forever, Amy, and we'll never forget the real you." An autopsy on Winehouse is expected today or tomorrow. At eight minutes past the hour now, we turn back here to United States, at the Washington, D.C., where there's still no deal. Congressional leaders followed up their meetings with President Obama with more meetings of their own last night. Still, we've got nothing officially to report. Time, as you know, is running out. The federal government is running out of money and set to start defaulting possibly on loans in just over a week on August 2nd. House Speaker John Boehner says a deal has to be reached, though, by tomorrow. It needs to have it done by tomorrow in order to have enough time to get it voted on by August 2nd. But as our Kate Bolduan reports, the leaders want a deal sooner than that for a very specific reason.</s>KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Following that dramatic breakdown of negotiations to raise the debt ceiling between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, congressional leaders met here on Capitol Hill late Saturday evening to try to broker a deal amongst themselves. The House speaker, John Boehner, is proposing a $3 trillion to $4 trillion package of cuts that would raise the debt ceiling in a two- part process, this according to Democratic and Republican sources. But that two-part process we're told by a Democratic congressional aide was seen as a big impasse as Democratic leaders in the room in this meeting rejected that idea as Democratic leaders and President Obama, quite frankly, opposed the idea of any short-term extension. So the negotiations continue. No agreement yet has been reached. But we're told one point of agreement of congressional leaders in the room was that they wanted to reach an agreement amongst themselves before Asian markets opened on Sunday. Kate Bolduan, CNN, Capitol Hill.</s>HOLMES: Well, at 10 minutes past the hour now. Don't you hate it when people tell you what you want to hear? Well, Reynolds is about to do it and you will appreciate it. Reynolds, good morning to you, buddy.</s>REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. Good morning. Unless you're a fan of the heat in the Northeast, you're going to be miserable because we've got a little bit a of cool-down for you which is great news for people in New York, for Boston, even in Buffalo. Cool is weather is ahead. But still, the heat wave is going to remain intense for people in the Carolinas and in parts of the Midwest. It's also going to be muggy in Miami where we have a live image for you this morning. Take a look. From Miami all the way down to Key Biscayne, into Key Largo and Key West, a mix of sunshine and clouds and possible showers by late afternoon. You're watching CNN SUNDAY.