Photo via PIXABAY.COM
Tampa will kick-off Pride Month the biggest way possible with the “Love Is Love” community wedding.
Organized by Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Cindy Stuart, the event will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 2 at the Joe Chillura Courthouse Square.
Fifty couples will have the opportunity to celebrate their union in front of the community and supporters during the ceremony officiated by Clerk Stuart. The couples will also receive a special commemorative marriage certificate while the official certificate is mailed within one week from the date of the ceremony.
“Our Pride Month Wedding Event is a meaningful way to gather and celebrate Pride Month together in a beautiful, outdoor venue. The event reflects one of Hillsborough County’s greatest strengths — our diversity. It’s my honor to officiate,” Clerk Stuart said.
Couples must register on the clerk’s website no later than May 27. Only 50 couples can participate in the June 2 ceremony, and each couple is limited to four guests.
This event comes during a time of heated political debate on progressive initiatives, like the alleged attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade. It also comes when at a time when elected officials have signed what critics call "Don't Say Gay" legislation into law.
Many critics say that overturning Roe v. Wade could lead to the dismantling of other precedents, like Obergefell v. Hodges—the landmark civil rights case that ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples.
Florida state laws even says that same sex marriages “are not recognized for any purpose in this state” regardless of where the union was initiated. It's the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that makes gay marriage possible here.
Last year, the Tampa Bay Times reported that despite the different limitations on same sex marriage nationwide, marriage equality is popular among American voters. A May 2020 Gallup survey found that 67% of respondents said same-sex marriages should be legally valid.
