Gay marriages begin in Florida, Supreme Court reviews more appeals
Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage ended statewide at the stroke of midnight Monday, and court clerks in some Florida counties didn’t waste time issuing marriage licenses overnight to same-sex couples.
A Miami-Dade County judge gave couples a “head start” before the same-sex marriages begin elsewhere Tuesday in the nation’s third-most-populous state.
Gay marriage moves ahead in Florida photo/screenshot Fox video coverage from Staples Center at 2014 Grammy Awards
On Friday, Supreme Court justices will meet in private to consider whether to act on cases that could provide a nationwide answer on whether same-sex marriages must be allowed. On the same day, a federal appeals court will consider bans in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
“It’s an incredible confluence of events,” said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “It’s the culmination of many years of work.”
The marriages in Florida and the potential for a constitutional decision by the Supreme Court this year reflect the rapid advance of the same-sex-marriage movement.
Former Florida governor, and likely 2016 Presidential candidate, Jeb Bush, called for “respect.”
“We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law,” Bush said.
“I hope that we can also show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue — including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty,” he said in the statement provided to CNN by an aide on Monday.
photo Julyo based on work by Gilbert Baker, 1979 via wikimedia commons
