Domestic Partners Recognized in County Registry

When Kathy Ramsdell and Amy Roth told their 5-year-old son they took the day off Thursday to get married, he looked confused.

“He said, ‘But you’re already married!’ He didn’t understand,” said Ramsdell, an aerospace engineer who legally adopted 5-year-old Corey, Roth’s biological child, when he was born.

The West Hills couple also have a 1 1/2-year-old son, Kevin, Ramsdell’s biological child. Both children were conceived through artificial insemination using anonymous donor sperm.

On Thursday morning, Roth, a teacher at the Sierra Canyon grade school in Chatsworth, and Ramsdell were among the first to sign up for Los Angeles County’s new domestic-partner registry.

The women have been together for 15 years, but wanted their relationship officially acknowledged by the government.

“I’ve always felt we’ve been married anyway, but this is really important,” Roth said.

County supervisors approved the law in March, mostly to help gay couples receive benefits.

The registry, which costs $20 and provides couples with a certificate, will make a centralized list available to businesses that extend benefits to gay and heterosexual couples who are not married.

“It’s a start,” said June Lagmay, who registered with her partner of 29 years, Rita Romero. “It’s a formal document. It’s a bit like a dream because we’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

Twenty-two couples registered in Van Nuys--where there was an official kickoff for the program--and four registered at other county locations, according to the county registrar’s office. Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg and her partner of 20 years, Sharon Stricker, were among the first in line in Van Nuys.

The lawn outside the registrar’s office was decked out with purple and white balloons and a large, colorful cake that read: “Just Registered, L.A. Domestic Partners.”

About 15 couples, both gay and heterosexual, stood hugging and holding hands. Everyone cheered when Goldberg and other recently registered couples took the podium.

“This is the first official recognition of our relationship in 20 years,” Goldberg said as she held up her certificate. “This celebrates, life, love, commitment and family.”

Aaron Aronow, who registered with his partner of eight years, expects the new law will lead to more rights for gay couples. His partner, Jon Davidson, is the supervising attorney for the western regional office of Lambda, the nonprofit legal organization for gays and lesbians. Both men wear gold commitment bands.

“I think this is the first step toward our inevitable rights to marry in civil fashion,” Aronow said.

Karen Lash, who signed up with her partner of five years, Laura Esquivel, said it was “extraordinarily meaningful.”

“It’s a move toward getting the same kind of recognition of our relationship as my brother and my heterosexual friends have been able to have,” Lash said. “It feels good.”