Philadelphia
mayor John Street, who was once considered antigay because
of his opposition to domestic-partner benefits, will preside
over a same-sex commitment ceremony this weekend, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Street will
officiate the ceremony for longtime colleague Micah
Mahjoubian and his partner, Ryan Bunch, at City Hall this
Saturday.
''Micah is my
friend. He has been in my campaign and has been in my
administration for eight years,'' Street told The
Philadelphia Inquirer. ''I've come to respect him as
a person, and if this is something he would like for
me to do, then I'd like to do it for him.''
Because
Pennsylvania law does not recognize same-sex marriage,
Street stresses that the ceremony will have no legal
standing. As a city council member, Street opposed
granting benefits to same-sex couples, but the
legislation was eventually passed, according to the article.
However, when he became mayor, members of the gay
community say that he has reached out more to them.
(The Advocate)