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Mayor Peduto officiates over group same-sex marriage ceremony

PITTSBURGH — A group of 20 same-sex couples were married Sunday during Pittsburgh's celebration of PrideFest.

Mayor Bill Peduto officiated over the marriages following a recent federal court decision that gives same-sex couples marriage rights in Pennsylvania.

Peduto said the ceremony is historic for the city of Pittsburgh.

"What we're doing is we're entering into a new phase, a new Pittsburgh," said Peduto. "Throughout the 198 years of this city, what we're about to do has not been possible -- but not today. Not today, not now."

Couples like Nancy Janda and Larisa VanWinkle, of Penn Hills, were married before a crowd of people inside the City-County Building. The women have waited many years for this day to come.

"Twenty years ago I didn't expect that this would happen in my lifetime and it's the most wonderful thing in the world," said Janda.

VanWinkle said, "We've been in love and living together for a long, long time, and this validates, in many ways, the things that we've been through."

PrideFest celebrations also included the annual PrideMarch through downtown Pittsburgh. More than 130 groups and organizations participated.

WPXI

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