The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday
was asked to review a case challenging the state's ban on gay
marriage.
Plaintiffs in the case are two Tampa
women who married in Massachusetts, the first state to legalize
marriage for gay couples in 2004. A Hillsborough County judge denied
Mariama and Keiba Shaw's request for a divorce, citing the state's
ban on recognizing such unions, the Orlando
Sentinel reported.
The Second District Court of Appeal
refused an appeal in the case, saying it should go directly to the
state's highest court.
“Resolution of the constitutional
questions will no doubt impact far more individuals than the two
involved here,” the appeals court wrote. “And there can be
little doubt that until the constitutional questions are finally
resolved by the Florida Supreme Court or the United States Supreme
Court, there will be a great impact on the proper administration of
justice in Florida.”
Voters in 2008 overwhelmingly approved
the state's constitutional amendment excluding gay couples from
marriage. But increasingly voters have expressed buyer's remorse,
with 56
percent of Floridians saying they support marriage equality.
Five judges, including
a federal judge, have in recent weeks declared the state's ban
invalid.
UPDATE: A previous version of this
story stated that the Florida Supreme Court had agreed to take up the
case. While the court has opened a case file, Craig Waters, a court
spokesman, said the case could still be rejected.