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Gay Marriage Comes To Small Towns In MN As Well

ST. PETER, Minn. (AP) — Small-town Minnesota residents are getting a look at the state under its new gay marriage law as weddings break out far from the metropolitan area where support was strongest for the change.

Joe Strong and Rob Thomas were married Thursday morning on the lawn of the Nicollet County Courthouse in St. Peter. It was one of dozens such ceremonies on the first day of legal gay marriage in Minnesota.

Strong and Thomas say they haven't seen much negativity in the college town. But Rick Hackbarth of nearby Nicollet says he's upset by the new law on moral grounds and finds himself wondering what's next.

Strong and Thomas have been together 17 years. They say a marriage license solidifies what's been a functional marriage for years.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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