Falls' Tourism Chief, Percy, Hairdresser Hurlburt, Tie Knot in Gala Same Sex Wedding Ceremony

Russell Hurlburt holds hands with John Percy and exchange wedding vows, becoming the “Percburts.” While the Reporter does not condone gay marriage per se, our fundamental belief in human freedom requires us to support the cause of two people being free to choose thier own lifestyle, without censure, and without our approval, so long as it does not harm anyone else. Gay marriage qualifies under this broad principle of freedom.

The Cascades Ballroom deep inside the Conference Center Niagara Falls was the unlikely seen of romance Saturday evening as Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. CEO married his longtime paramour Russell D. Hurlburt.

Percy and Hurlburt, a hair stylist at VIVA Hair and Spa in Orchard Park, tied the knot after a domestic partnership that has lasted 25 years. The will continue to live at their Hambug home.

One of the celebrants on hand to commemorate the joyous occasion was Niagara Falls City Councilwoman Kirsten Grandinetti.

"I had the distinct honor of being one of the celebrants at the marriage of my friends John and Russell... Tied the knot after 25 years... God bless," she wrote on her Facebook page.

Grandinetti left a City Council community meeting called by her colleague Andrew Touma to discuss the Isaiah 61 project Saturday in order to attend the wedding. Since only 12 people cared enough to show up for the meeting, her early departure made little difference.

The wedding was one of many same sex marriage to occur here since the Marriage Equality Act went into effect here on July 24, 2011. New York became the seventh state in the country to allow same sex marriage.

Once highly controversial, opposition to same sex marriage to the point where Pope Francis said this past March that the Catholic Church should study the issue and not dismiss it out of hand.

If the trend continues, there will come a time when the only ones opposing it are gay people who are married.