Studer Community Institute

Same-sex marriage decision "powerful for all of us," says local activist

June 26, 2015
/ Louis Cooper
/ community-dashboard

Members of the Pensacola LGBT community are celebrating today's U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the county. "The impact of today's SCOTUS decision is powerful for all of us," said Donna Stough, co-chair and treasurer for Gay Grassroots of Northwest Florida. "For Pensacolians and Floridians in particular, those who are already married are now recognized as legally married in every state. No one can take that from them." The patchwork of marriage laws around the nation was unworkable and unfair for LGBT couples, Stough said. Whereas same-sex marriage was recognized in Florida in January, it was still not legal in nearby states including Georgia and Mississippi. "It was asinine to take a road trip and only be legally married on parts of the trip depending on in which state you were traveling," she said. "Can you imagine having full rights in part of your country, but not everywhere? How was that not the very definition of discrimination? "We no longer have to accept that bigotry, that hate, that ignorance. God created us equal. Our country has finally gotten on board. We need to stop for a moment and thank all of those who came before us, fought for us, died for us, and let us crawl upon their shoulders so we could stand tall today — proud and equal." [sidebar] Marriage Equality Celebrations: SCOTUS Marriage Equality Day of Decision Celebration 5 p.m. at Holy Cross Metropolitan Community Church 3130 W. Fairfield Drive, Pensacola Simulcast featuring MCC Founder the Rev. Troy Perry; Moderator the Rev. Dr. Nancy Wilson; Marriage Equality Director, and Holy Cross MCC pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jim Merritt, and others. Supreme Court Marriage Equality Decision Reception 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Bridge Bar 33 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze The location is where two local plaintiffs in the ACLU of Florida's marriage equality lawsuit, Lindsay Meyers and Sarah Humlie, got married after a federal court struck down Florida's ban on same-sex marriage earlier this year. The celebration is free and open to the public. [/sidebar] Pensacola resident Alan Segers-Johnson married his partner of 18 years, Patrick Segers-Johnson, on Jan. 6, the day same-sex marriage became legal in Florida. [caption id="attachment_25312" align="alignright" width="450"]

Pensacola resident Alan Segers-Johnson married his partner of 18 years, Patrick Segers-Johnson, on Jan. 6, the day same-sex marriage became legal in Florida.[/caption] "It feels wonderful to know that my marriage can not be declared null and void by those who wish to impose their 'morals' on me," Alan Segers-Johnson said. "We are all equal and as a tax-paying American adult, it's no one else's business who I choose as my life partner." Pensacola attorney Joshua Jones, who specializes in legal issues for same-sex couples, said today's decision will make life easier for them on many levels. "Everything from homeownership to parenting to medical decisions to inheritance now will only require the one marriage certificate rather than a half dozen or more legal contracts," Jones said. Jones and his partner, Wes Shoemaker, have been together for 19 years. They were joined in a civil union in Vermont in 2001 and traveled back there in 2014 to convert that to a marriage. They also joined in a domestic partnership when Pensacola initiated a domestic partnership registry in 2014. But some legal issues remain to be settled. "We will still have some issues going forward in trying to reconcile the fairness, for example in a divorce, in managing property issues for property acquired by a couple, possibly over decades, during the gap of time in which the couple would have been married if given the option and when they actually married," he said, "Unless we find legislative solutions to those issues, there will still be a need for gay couples to consult family attorneys, but the marriage certificate will make everything so much easier.” Jones noted there remains work to be done in the areas of employment and housing. The Rev. Dr. Jim Merritt, pastor at Pensacola's predominantly-LGBT Holy Cross Metropolitan Community, also praised the ruling but pointed out that LGBT citizens still do not enjoy full legal protection. "We are thrilled with the court's decision for marriage equality," Merritt said. "Today, we redouble our efforts to let the world know that discrimination is wrong — not just in marriage, but in employment and every walk of life."

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Same-sex marriage decision "powerful for all of us," says local activist

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