Oregon Public Broadcasting

By some estimates, several hundred same-sex couples from the Northwest traveled to California over the past four months to get married. But on Tuesday, California voters passed a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. 

Now, gay and lesbian couples from here are afraid their weddings will be erased. Correspondent Anna King has more.

Audrey Haberman with Seattle’s Pride Foundation says it’s impossible to know for sure how many couples from the Northwest tied the knot in California. But she estimates there are hundreds.

Poltl admits that her marriage certificate doesn’t come with any legal rights in Washington State.

Oregon and Idaho also don’t recognize the same-sex marriages from California. But the 61-year-old says her marriage was meaningful to her and her family.

Poltl: "It doesn’t make me angry it just makes me sad. Everyone thinks it’s OK to discriminate against people who are gay."

Poltl is uncertain if California voters annulled her marriage. Whether the gay marriage ban is retroactive will be hashed out in upcoming court battles that started Wednesday.