Homophobes in the Sunshine State were dealt a major blow earlier this week when the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the state’s request to further stay the district court ruling declaring Florida’s ban on marriage equality unconstitutional. Unless the Supreme Court steps in (which it has refused to do several times in similar cases) marriages will begin for the LGBT community on January 6. Dust off your tuxes homos, you got ONE month!
This ruling comes as a result of two of the cases that were filed in Florida Federal Court. Brenner v. Scott and Grimsley and Albu v. Scott. On August 21, 2014, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hinkle ruled in favor of the freedom to marry and respect for marriages legally performed between same-sex couples in other states in these two consolidated federal marriage cases. That ruling is stayed while the state drags out the appeals process, but Attorney General Pam Bondi hit a road block when the 3 judge panel of the 11 Circuit refused to extend the stay, which is set to expire on January 5.
Immediately following the ruling, SAVE’s Tony Lima released the following statement: “I am so happy to hear that the 11th circuit has denied the State’s motion to extend the stay on the favorable ruling in our case. It means that relief is finally in sight for the same-sex married couples suffering under Florida’s refusal to recognize their legal unions.” SAVE is an organization dedicated to protecting LGBT people against discrimination and is named as a plaintiff in case.
Bondi seems determined to appeal till the bitter end so odds are she will ask the Supreme Court to extend the stay, however based on the precedent already set this year, odds are the Supreme Court will deny her request and you will be heading to A LOT of weddings this winter. As more information becomes available we will keep you posted.