Eight gay and lesbian couples on
Thursday filed a federal lawsuit seeking Florida recognize their
out-of-state marriages.
The couples are represented by the
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida.
“Each of these couples has their own
story of how the state's discriminatory refusal to recognize their
marriages has impacted their lives,” Daniel Tilley, attorney for
the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement. “These eight couples
have all the rights and responsibilities of marriage in the states
where they exchanged vows, and the federal government recognizes
their marriages as well. It's time for Florida to stop the harmful
practice of treating committed couples as if they are strangers.”
Plaintiff couple Christian Ulvert and
Carlos Andrade were married in Washington, D.C. in 2013. The couple,
together four years, lives in Miami and is considering starting a
family.
The lawsuit asks a judge to force
Florida to recognize their marriages.
Florida's 2008 voter-approved
constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples is
being challenged in a lawsuit filed earlier this year.
(Related: Six
gay couples challenge Florida's gay marriage ban.)
Similar suits asking for recognition
have been filed in Kentucky and Missouri.