—Podcast: Ryan Wiggins on a Legislative Battle That Should Never Have Been—
Between 2000 and 2015, Florida was the child marriage capital of the South. Over 16,000 children—some as young as 10 years old—were legally married in our state during that period. Escambia County ranked as one of the top counties in the entire nation for this practice.
In the latest episode of “We Don’t Color on the Dog,” I sit down with Ryan Wiggins, the lobbyist and advocate who fought one of the most shocking legislative battles in recent Florida history: the fight to end child marriage.
Sherry Johnson
Ryan’s journey began with Sherry Johnson, a woman who was raped repeatedly by church leadership starting at age eight. When school officials discovered she was pregnant at 10 years old—before she’d even had her first period—she was kicked out of fifth grade and married to her rapist. The reason? Florida law allowed it, and marriage meant the child victim couldn’t testify against her abuser. By age 21, Sherry had nine children and no education beyond fifth grade.
- What should have been the easiest legislative fix imaginable became a grueling battle. Ryan faced opposition from powerful forces: churches concerned about “sanctity of marriage,” parents’ rights advocates who believed children were property, and even Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who openly stated he would force his own teenage daughter into marriage if she got pregnant.
Last Minute Victory
The fight came down to the final night of the 2018 legislative session—the same session that followed the Parkland shooting. Ryan discovered, through a chance conversation at a Tallahassee bar, that leadership planned to kill the bill despite promises. Only a midnight scramble saved it.
Florida eventually raised the marriage age to 17, with restrictions preventing anyone from marrying someone more than two years older. It wasn’t the complete victory Ryan sought, but it closed the door that had made our state a destination for child marriage.
Now, as “traditional wife” movements and Christian nationalism gain traction nationally, child marriage is back in the headlines. Ryan’s warning is clear: when we treat children as property rather than people with rights, we open doors to exploitation that can trap victims for life.
Listen to the full episode to hear Ryan’s incredible story of persistence, the disturbing details of Florida’s child marriage crisis, and why this fight matters more than ever.
