Happy anniversary! One year ago Jan. 6, same-sex couples around Florida legally, joyfully were married.
Watermark staffers spent the day hopping from mass wedding to mass wedding interviewing couples, taking photos, eating cake and shedding more than a few tears.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer gave a statement to Watermark about the anniversary:
“A year ago, our community came together to celebrate the historic first day that marriage was recognized for same sex couples in Florida. As I reflect back on that historic day, it makes me proud that the City of Orlando has been at the forefront for the advancement of equal rights for same sex couples; being one of the first cities in Central Florida to adopt a domestic partnership registry and adding gender identity as a protected class in our anti-discrimination City Code. I’d like to congratulate all the couples celebrating their first wedding anniversary today as we continue celebrating the advancement of civil rights and equal treatment for all Americans.”
Here’s a link to our complete coverage, which includes fun-to-browse-and-remember galleries from ceremonies in Tampa, Orlando, St. Pete and Sarasota.
Then… came the paperwork.
Nine months later, Florida finally updated marriage licenses and the DMV got vehicle forms up to speed.
And we can’t yet close the book on Florida’s fight for marriage equality – attorneys still haven’t been paid legal fees they seek from the state.
Did you get married on Jan. 6, 2014? What are your memories of that historic day? Are you doing anything today to celebrate?
