Six Same-sex Couples and Equality Florida Institute file lawsuit seeking the freedom to marry in Florida
Six Miami couples are filing a lawsuit in Florida state court that argues that Florida’s laws barring same-sex couples from marriage violate the US Constitution by denying them the legal protections and equal dignity that having the freedom to marry provides. Four of the couples are raising children, and another couple has an adult child and two grandchildren.
One plaintiff said, “Florida is our home, it is where we are raising our child, and where we want to get married. Karla and I wish for our family the same things that other families want. We want to build our lives together, provide a safe and caring home for our child, and share in the responsibilities and protections of marriage.”
Said attorney Elizabeth F. Schwartz: “As someone who has spent nearly two decades helping same-sex couples and their families achieve some measure of legal protection under Florida law, which gives us very few tools, I know too well just how difficult the process can be and how much vulnerability these couples face. The protections we are able to cobble together without marriage pale in comparison to the comprehensive security provided by marriage recognized not just by the federal government but by the State of Florida.”