"Hopefully, eventually it'll happen:" Same-sex couples in Racine Co. watching & waiting

“Hopefully, eventually it`ll happen:” Same-sex couples in Racine Co. watching & waiting

"Hopefully, eventually it`ll happen:" Same-sex couples in Racine Co. watching & waiting

RACINE COUNTY (WITI) -- Since a federal judge on Friday, June 6th struck down Wisconsin's ban on same-sex marriages, counties throughout the state have been granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But there are some counties that have not -- and four of them are in southeastern Wisconsin.

Racine County is one of four counties in southeastern Wisconsin not issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Tony Larsen and Craig Matheus have spent nearly three decades together, but that doesn't mean it's been easy to be openly gay in Racine County.

"I would not normally put my hand on his shoulder even in a friendly way like I`m doing right now. I would not normally do that if we were at a restaurant or anything. We`re very careful about that just because we don`t want to, you know, draw attention," Larsen said.

When the couple heard that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was struck down on Friday, at first they didn't believe it.

"We heard it on the radio and I thought 'well that can`t be right. That must be some other state,'" Larsen said.

But they watched as other same-sex couples around the state secured marriage licenses.

Hoping to do the same, the couple headed to the Racine County Clerk's Office on Monday.

"They said no and Craig went back today," Larsen said.

They and other same-sex couples are now in the position of watching couples in other counties get hitched -- without being able to do so themselves.

"There have been quite a few phone calls. I wouldn`t say an avalanche -- but there`s been a lot of inquiries and reports people letting us know what they`re experiencing," Len Iaquinta with the LGBT Center of Southeastern Wisconsin said.

Right now, same-sex couples in Racine County are watching and waiting -- hoping their day will come soon.

"I`m going to come back every day. Hopefully eventually it`ll happen," Larsen and Matheus said.

The Racine County Clerk says she's waiting on further clarification from the state before issuing licenses to same-sex couples.

We're told a group plans to protest outside the Racine County Clerk's Office on Friday.