Cook County Clerk Issues 10,000th Same Sex Marriage License to North Side Couple

Two Edgewater residents became the 10,000th same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license at the Cook County Clerk’s Office since it began issuing the licenses to gay and lesbian couples in February 2014.

Tony Aranda and Terry Beauchamp both happened to have the day off from work on Wednesday when they went to the downtown Vital Records office to get their marriage license, only to be greeted by a phalanx of news cameras to record the civil and gay rights milestone.

News media began assembling early Wednesday morning, after Cook County Clerk David Orr had announced that Vital Records Office had completed the 9,999th license at closing time the day before.

“The wait is over,” Orr announced. “We should take pride in this historic milestone. The true measure of marriage equality, though, is that there really is no such thing as ‘same-sex marriage licenses,’ or ‘straight marriage licenses.’ There are just marriage licenses, the same for everyone.”

Aranda, 50, and Beauchamp, 49, met at a dinner party 18 years ago. The two became acquainted when the other dinner guests began arguing. They had no idea then that one day they would, or even could get married.

The two planned to get married a year ago.

“It’s great that it’s gotten to the point where it’s an everyday occurrence,” Beauchamp said, who runs That’s Our Bag luggage store.

Aranda, a United Airlines flight attendant called marriage equality the “new normal.”

Video: Cook County Clerk's office

When staff realized the 10,000th marriage license would be issued to a same-sex couple this summer, the clerk’s office launched the #JourneyTo10K campaign. Aranda and Beauchamp plan to marry next month.

The happy couple received an array of fabulous gifts donated to the clerk’s office, including a honeymoon package to Las Vegas, airline tickets, a romantic dinner and stationery for all those thank-you notes.

Photo: Tony Aranda and David Beauchamp, of Edgewater, became the 10,000th same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license at the Cook County Clerk's Vital Records Office. | Cook County Clerk