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FILE - In this March 3, 2010 file photo, Sinjoyla Townsend, of Washington, left, and her partner Angelisa Young react at the at the Superior Court in Washington after becoming the first couple to obtain their marriage license after the District of Columbi Jacquelyn Martin, File, Associated Press
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FILE - In this May 4, 2010, file photo a small group of protesters, including Virginia Saxton, of Washington, center, prays near the D.C. Court of Appeals in Washington, where arguments were being weighed about gay marriage in the city. Wednesday, March 9 Jacquelyn Martin, File, Associated Press
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Same-sex couples who were among the first to get married in the nation's capital nearly a year ago say they now feel more secure about issues like buying a house together.

Wednesday marks one year since gay couples began marrying in Washington. Shana McDavis-Conway, who legally married Eva Townsend last year, says the couple have been able to take big steps like file their taxes jointly and buy a house.

But she says she's also more comfortable using the term "wife" than she was before. They say their daily lives, like that of many other couples, have not changed much.

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Several people say they also feel more assured that they can visit their spouses in hospitals or make important medical decisions now that their unions are legal.

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