Saturday, October 1, 2022

A Utah county that allows international couples to register their marriages online is popular with LGBTQ couples in China

Rest of the World:

The state of Utah in the United States has no citizenship requirements for marriage licenses, and Utah County is the only place there that allows international couples to register their marriages online. Since the county rolled out virtual weddings during the Covid-19 pandemic, it became a wedding haven for same-sex couples who are not able to officially marry in their own countries.

As sexual minorities in China face suppression at home, Utah County is allowing them to officially marry and celebrate their love — all for around $100. Although the marriages aren’t recognized in China, some 200 same-sex couples from mainland China and Hong Kong have gotten married via the county’s digital marriage license system since 2021

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“I’m just happy that I can help them satisfy what their hearts are telling them, because a lot of the couples really, really, really do love each other”