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Judge Declares Utah Women, 1 Dead, To Be Legally Married

Bonnie Foerster
democraticunderground.org
Bonnie Foerster

A 74-year-old woman cried tears of joy when a Utah state judge took the rare step of declaring her and her longtime lesbian partner legally married just months after her wife died.

Judge Patrick Corum on Tuesday ruled that Bonnie Foerster is legally married to Beverly Grossaint, who died in May in Salt Lake City at age 82.

Foerster met Grossaint in January 1968 in New York City under unhappy circumstances: Foerster was escaping an abusive husband. When Grossaint first saw her, Foerster had broken ribs and was wearing dark glasses to hide black eyes.

Foerster says she and Grossaint, a proud veteran of the Women's Army Corps, marched in the first gay pride parade in New York City in 1970.