First Official LGBT Wedding Held in St. Petersburg, Russia Today

Today in St. Petersburg, Russia, the city’s first marriage between two women was officially registered. The couple, Irina Shumilov and Alain Fursova, married in one of the marriage registration halls in the city on the Neva.

Official registration of the marriage is possible because one of the brides, Irina, is a transgender woman, and is in the process of sex reassignment. She always presents in accordance with her female gender, including at work (Irina works as a programmer). She is currently undergoing hormone therapy and will soon have gender confirmation surgery as well. Her fiancee, Alena, is a cisgender woman.

«This is a big step for all of us,» says Marina Theodori, who witnessed the wedding ceremony. «Most of us dream of having a formal marriage, but in Russia it was not possible yet. For us it is the realization of our dreams. Hopefully soon we will have more opportunities.»

Employees at the marriage registration hall displayed a tolerant attitude toward the two brides during the ceremony. Among their guests were friends and acquaintances, both LGBT and non-LGBT. The wedding reception will be held at one of the clubs in St. Petersburg.