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Making History: Same-Sex Couple Ties the Knot at 12:01 a.m.

Duxbury, Vermont - September 1, 2009

When the clock struck midnight for Cinderella it meant the end of a fairy tale evening. When the clock struck midnight for Bob Sullivan and Bill Slimback it meant the start of a new life in a fairy tale they never thought they would be part of.

At 12:01:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Bill and Bob became the first same-sex couple to marry in the state of Vermont. Justice of the Peace Greg Trulson proclaimed them wed exactly one minute after the state's same-sex marriage law came into effect.

"When we learned we had the opportunity to be the first I wanted to jump right on it," said Sullivan. "This was something that me and Bill, I feel like we've been in line for 17 years."

Initially the couple simply planned to get married on Sept. 1. They called Trulson at the Moose Meadow Lodge in Duxbury and asked him to perform their ceremony.

"After a few minutes on the phone I threw out a suggestion, I said 'Would you be interested in maybe having your ceremony a little bit earlier in the day, maybe like right after midnight?'" said Trulson.

Realizing the cultural and personal significance Bill and Bob immediately said yes.

The couple met in 1992 in their native Philadelphia. Both have suffered discrimination, even violence, for being gay. Despite that they were not willing to settle. Even after 17 years together they refused to get a civil union because to them it would not have been good enough.

"I'm an old fashioned Catholic school boy so it had to be marriage or nothing basically," said Sullivan.

The couple currently live in Whitehall, NY, as they look for a place in Vermont. After skiing the Green Mountains for years, and after finding out they could legally marry, they decided to make Vermont their home.

Slimback is also taking Sullivan's last name.

"Like most couples we've had our problems, we've had our ups and downs, a few quarrels here and there but we've stayed together and persevered through it all and our love has just grown stronger," said Slimback.

At least two other couples planned midnight ceremonies, one in Burlington and one in Bennington, so it is not 100 percent clear if the Sullivans are the first, but Bill said the technicality does not matter.

"In our minds we will have been the first and that's something we'll remember forever"

Bianca Slota - WCAX News