The Decatur City Commission Monday voted unanimously to create a domestic partnership registry.
The approval, which wasn't unexpected, allows homosexual couples and unmarried heterosexual couples to receive a domestic partnership certificate from the city after they establish residency.
The certificates, which will be signed by the city clerk, likely won't have much legal standing in the eyes of the state. Thirty-three states ban gay marriage, including Georgia.
The Peach State, along with 25 other states in that group of 33, has the distinction of having banned it both by state law and a constitutional amendment.
Georgia also doesn't recognize domestic partnerships.
Decatur officials, mindful of the city's reputation for being gay-friendly and tolerant overall, wanted to reinforce its image as a welcoming haven.
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