American-Dutch same sex couples to wed at Amsterdam gay pride festival

American-Dutch gay couples to wed in Amsterdam

AMSTERDAM — The mayor of Amsterdam is officiating at the weddings of five American-Dutch homosexual couples on a boat during the city’s Gay Pride festival, in part to challenge the United States to legalize gay marriage.

Mayor Job Cohen also performed the first Dutch ceremonies after the Netherlands legalized same-sex marriage in 2001.

The festival attracts hundreds of thousands of gay rights supporters to dance on packed streets in the city center and watch colorful boat-floats parade down canals.

The marriage ceremonies Saturday are part of celebrations of the 400th anniversary of New York-Netherlands ties.

Though U.S. federal law doesn’t recognize gay marriages, New York honors them when they are performed in other jurisdictions.