“You may now kiss your significant other”

“They stood hand in hand and exchanged vows on a breezy, cloudy morning on the front lawn of a church. When the ceremony came to an end, the Rev. Durrell Watkins declared, “You may now kiss your significant other.” And so they did, about 50 couples in all, in what appeared to be a mass wedding. In reality, however, it was more of an affirmation between partners because most of the participants were gay. In Florida and 29 other states, gay couples are not allowed to legally marry. For that reason, the ceremony Sunday at Sunshine Cathedral, a Christian church that welcomes gay and lesbian members, also was a protest against the recently approved Amendment 2. The new addition to the Florida Constitution defines marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. […] Among the gay couples were men and women, young people and senior citizens. While some have been together for 25 years, Dennis Winstead and Richard Killian met only last week.” [PBP]