Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the first gay marriages performed in California after a state Supreme Court ruling legalized gay marriage, a decision overturned at the ballot box five months later when Proposition 8 passed with 52% of the vote.
Atkins said that given the chance, he and Horzella would probably not have wed.
But he believes gay couples in domestic partnerships should have rights equal to those of married heterosexual couples.
"It's the word 'marriage' that they find so infuriating," Atkins said of opponents to gay marriage as he stood on his deck contemplating the dark waves of Silver Lake Reservoir below.
"We spent so much time here," Atkins said, "more than half my life."
Domestic partners whose property was reassessed between Jan. 1, 2000, and Jan. 1 2006, because of a change of ownership or the death of the owner can apply for an exclusion by visiting assessor.lacounty.gov or calling (213) 974-3434.
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molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com
