A Predawn Parade Down the Aisle for Gay Floridians
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In Florida, a Brief Wedding for Same-Sex Couples After an Arduous Journey
By Lizette Alvarez and Nila Do Simon of The New York Times
January 6, 2015MIAMI — With arms interlocked, about 20 gay and lesbian couples, too eager to wait any longer, were married in a five-minute ceremony at 3 a.m. on Tuesday at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale as Florida marked a long, arduous journey to become the 36th state to legalize same sex marriage.
Now the nation’s third-largest state, Florida joined the list allowing same-sex unions just six years ago after the state, led by Republican lawmakers, voted to approve a constitutional ban on gay marriage, which garnered 62 percent of the vote. “Do you take each other to be your spouse for life?” asked Howard C. Forman, the Broward County clerk of courts, slightly stressing the word spouse. Together, the couples uttered their individual vows to one another. “ I pronounce you legally married,” Mr. Forman said.
With that, the couples, their families and friends roared, cheered and clapped, and Frank Sinatra’s “Love” blasted into the room. For Anthony Butera, 44, and Abdel Magid, 45, there was no doubt that marrying as soon as possible in their home state was a must-do. A couple for 12 years, the two donned wedding finery — Mr. Butera wore a cream tuxedo jacket with a black handkerchief and Mr. Magid a black tuxedo jacket with a white boutonniere — and infectious smiles. “It’s special to be recognized and be treated like everyone else,” Mr. Magid said.
Similar late-night ceremonies were held in Key West and Palm Beach County as scores of jubilant couples exchanged marriage vows and rings. Miami-Dade was the first to proceed on Monday when Sarah Zabel, a state judge there, lifted her temporary ban on same-sex marriages after a federal judge clarified his August order ruling same-sex marriages as constitutional.
Three hours after lifting her ban, Judge Zabel officially married two of the six couples who had sued the county over the same-sex marriage ban. The weddings took place at Miami’s civil courthouse, where the couples exchanged rings. As of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, all 67 county clerks of the courts were required to issue wedding licenses to gay and lesbian couples. Some, like Mr. Forman, of Broward County, which has a large gay and lesbian population, embraced the duty eagerly and with fanfare.
Others, particularly in more conservative northern Florida, took a more reluctant approach. While county clerks said they would abide by the law and issue licenses, some clerks, including for Duval County, home to Jacksonville, announced last week that they would end ceremonial courthouse weddings so as not to force staff members who object to same-sex marriages to participate in such ceremonies. The clerk of courts in Duval County, Ronnie Fussell, told The Florida Times-Union that marriage should be “between a man and a woman.” “Personally, it would go against my belief to perform a ceremony that is other than that,” Mr. Fussell said.
Florida is one of the country’s most sought-after destinations for gay men and lesbians. Its long path to same-sex marriage ended Tuesday after a temporary ban on same-sex marriage issued by Judge Robert L. Hinkle of Federal District Court in Tallahassee, expired at midnight on Monday. On Aug. 21, Judge Hinkle ruled that the state’s same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional as part of a federal lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida on behalf of same-sex couples and a gay-rights group. Judge Hinkle gave Attorney General Pam Bondi until Monday to file an appeal, temporarily suspending his decision, but her attempts to extend the deadline failed.
After two weeks of confusion over whether the ruling applied to only one county in Florida, Judge Hinkle clarified his order on Thursday, saying that the “constitution” requires that clerks in all of the state’s 67 counties issue marriage licenses. Gov. Rick Scott, who has opposed same-sex marriage, has not commented on Judge Hinkel’s recent clarification or spoken publicly about the rush of same-sex marriages. The governor was sworn in for a second term on Tuesday.
While same-sex marriage is now legal in Florida, appellate courts around the country are still weighing the merits of the issue and the Supreme Court is expected to meet this week to consider whether to take up related cases. As gay couples began to wed, Jeb Bush, the state’s former governor and long an opponent of same-sex marriages, struck an unexpectedly conciliatory tone on Monday, saying in a statement that “regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law.”
Mr. Bush did not indicate any enthusiasm for challenging the ruling. His comments instead suggested a tacit acceptance of the new legal status for married same-sex couples, or at least an acknowledgment that there is little he could do to block it. “I hope that we can 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,” Mr. Bush said.
At the Broward County Courthouse, making lifetime commitments to one another took center stage during the two late-night mass wedding ceremonies. As Joy Dettorre, 47, and Cristina Gonzalez, 48, stood next to each other, their faces beaming, they said they had been committed for 10 years. “We made history together,” Ms. Detorre said. And getting married as part of a group “felt like a true collaboration, and there was so much camaraderie.” It was liberating, Ms. Gonzalez added, “to say, ‘Yes, I’m married.' ”
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I wonder why these people didn't want their own ceremony. I would want a wedding to be special, go all out and have it be all about me and the person I am marrying. Being married with a group of people does not sound fun to me.
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I wonder why these people didn't want their own ceremony
Exposited in the last paragraph
“We made history together,” Ms. Detorre said. And getting married as part of a group “felt like a true collaboration, and there was so much camaraderie.”
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What exactly is your answer?
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You can keep your questions. It's an article, not an interview.
