Tonight at Seville Quarter, the ACLU of Florida and the Pensacola Alliance for Equality are hosting a celebration of the federal court decision striking down Florida’s ban on allowing and recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples, as well as discussing opportunities to advance LGBT equality in Pensacola. Local and statewide groups will also share information on the ongoing work to achieve equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Northwest Florida.
On August 8, 2014, a federal district court judge in Tallahassee held that Florida’s discriminatory marriage ban cannot be enforced in accordance with the U.S. Constitution. The ruling came as the result of two separate lawsuits, one of which was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida on behalf of eight couples, a widow and SAVE, South Florida’s largest LGBT rights organization.
One of the couples represented in the ACLU’s case, Lindsay Myers and Sarah Humlie, reside in Pensacola and will be the special guests at the celebration.
In December 2013, the ACLU of Florida and the Pensacola Alliance for Equality worked together to achieve the passage of the Domestic Partner Registry in the city of Pensacola, which allows couples to access important family protections.
Marriage Equality Celebration and Local LGBT Advocacy Updates
Tuesday, September 23, 2014 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
End of the Alley at Seville Quarter
130 East Government Street Pensacola, FL 32502
Lindsay Myers and Sarah Humlie were married in Washington, D.C., in December 2012. They have been together for 3 ½ years and currently live in Pensacola, Florida. Lindsay has a master’s degree in theology and currently works for the University of West Florida as a digital content producer for WUBF, a university-licensed NPR affiliate. Sarah is the Executive Director of the Pensacola Humane Society.
Lindsay, Sarah and representatives from the ACLU of Florida and the Pensacola Alliance for Equality will be available to speak with press. Expect updates from local groups including: Sunday’s Child, A Safe Port Counseling Center, HIVevolution, GayGrassroots NWFL, Pensacola LGBT Film Festival, Equality Florida, Lambda Legal, and many more.
More information about the event is available here: https://aclufl.org/event/pensacola-marriage-equality-celebration-advocacy-updates/