A gay couple who married by Skype in Texas have had their ceremony annulled.
Texas residents Mark Reed and Dante Walkup decided to circumvent Texas’ law against gay marriage by having a registrar in Washington DC conduct the ceremony over the internet but were told last week that this is not legal.
They said they wanted to wed with all their friends and family present but did not want to force them to travel to another state.
Shortly after the wedding, the couple said they were working with lawyers to protect their marriage and draw up statutes to encourage other gay couples to marry via Skype.
However, they received a letter last week from a Superior Court judge telling them that the marriage was not legal.
“You are required to perform the marriage ceremony within the District of Columbia with all parties in physical attendance,” the letter said.
The couple wed in Dallas hotel room while their registrar, Sheila Alexander-Reid, officiated in a DC hotel room.