Catherina Pareto, right, and Karla Arguello, second from right, kiss
after they were married by Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel, left,
Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, in Miami. Zabel provided a jump-start Monday to
Florida's entry as the 36th state where gays and lesbians can legally
marry, saying she saw no reason why same-sex couples couldn't
immediately get their licenses in Miami-Dade County ahead of a midnight
launch statewide.
Photo: Wilfredo Lee, AP January 5, 2015
By Curt Anderson and Tamara Lush
MIAMI (AP) — Lesbian and gay couples (click here) were wed in Miami on Monday by the same judge who approved their marriage licenses, hours before Florida's coming-out party as the nation's 36th state where same-sex marriages are now legal statewide.
The addition of Florida's 19.9 million people means 70 percent of Americans now live in states where gay marriage is legal.
The cheers in the courthouse reflect how much of the nation's third-largest state has changed since the 1970s, when Anita Bryant, the former beauty pageant queen and orange juice spokeswoman, started her national campaign against gay rights in Miami.
"It's been a long time coming," said Cathy Pareto, who wed Karla Arguello, her partner of 15 years. "Finally Florida recognizes us as a couple. It's just -- I don't know, sweet justice."...
