Marriage Equality
Last Saturday evening, my husband and I had the pleasure to be a part of a crowd of North Lake County residents who support marriage equality and who raised more than $12,000 at a fundraising party in Mount Dora on March 22 to support a statewide lawsuit seeking to overturn Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage.
Approximately 180 people participated in the evening dinner and dance, which was organized by an informal group of volunteers at the Mount Dora Country Club home of retired realtor Daniel O’Flaherty, who provided dinner, beverages and a disc jockey. All money donated is going directly to the lawsuit brought by the civil-rights advocacy organization Equality Florida and six plaintiff couples against the state of Florida.
Representatives of Equality Florida attended the fundraiser, and Statewide Field Director Michael Farmer described the amount of money raised as “an amazing sum for any area of the state, including much larger urban areas. Lake County’s contributions tonight demonstrate that Floridians everywhere understand that this is a matter of dignity and fundamental fairness.”
In addition to the 180 individuals, gay and straight citizens of all ages including numerous business and political leaders, who participated in the fundraiser, contributions were made by two LGBT service organizations serving North Lake County’s residents: The Triangle Connection of the Mount Dora/Eustis/Tavares area and Rainbow Family & Friends of The Villages.
Currently, same-sex Floridians are not permitted to get married in their home state and are denied key federal protections for their families because Florida does not recognize their out-of-state marriages. In January, six same-sex couples and Equality Florida Institute filed a lawsuit in state court in Miami seeking the freedom to marry. The lawsuit argues that Florida’s laws barring same-sex couples from marriage violate the United States Constitution by denying them the legal protections and equal dignity that having the freedom to marry provides.
Four of the plaintiff couples are raising children, and another couple has an adult child and two grandchildren. Most of the couples have been together for 10 to 25 years or more.
The host of the Mount Dora fundraiser, Daniel O’Flaherty, has been friends with one of the plaintiff couples, Summer Greene and Pamela Faerber, for many years. Summer is a real estate agent. Pamela is a portrait artist. The couple raised Pamela’s daughter from a prior marriage and now have two grandchildren, ages 10 and 17. They have been together 25 years.
Other organizers of the Mount Dora fundraiser, couples Rick Bridges and Greg McKenzie and William Sievert and John Theis, have been together for 36 to 40 years respectively.
Formed in 1997, Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Through lobbying, grassroots organizing, education, and coalition building, we are changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
As an example of how important marriage equality is, my friends Jimmy Stranges, 64, and Ron Didonato, 59, shared their story. They were together as unmarried partners for six years in Connecticut. They wanted to be married to express their commitment to each other as a recognized family. They originally met online, each with a vision of what they were looking for in the other person. Jimmy was looking to meet someone who would become his love, his family, and would complete the rest of his life. Ron was hoping to find someone to complete himself. After lengthy phone conversations, emailing and traveling between New York and Connecticut, along with meeting extended family and friends, Jimmy and Ron made a commitment to each other to join together as a family unit. However, in 2003, there was not marriage equality in New York or Connecticut. In the State of Connecticut, where they were living, they were recognized as a domestic partnership relationship because of legislation that had been put in place.
In 2009, the State of Connecticut passed marriage equality and the following October 2010, Jimmy and Ron lawfully wed at their friend’s estate in Oxford, Connecticut. Shortly after they were married, Ron retired and they moved to New York to be near Jimmy’s family. Once New York State passed marriage equality, they were able to file their income tax as a married couple and later they were able to apply for a mortgage and attain a Veteran’s Loan (Jimmy is a Veteran of the Vietnam Era) because they were legally married. In regard to medical care, they are able to be recognized in the same stature as any heterosexual married couple when it comes to their medical and health care, inclusive of sharing information as necessary. What they believe makes it important to be married legally is they have all the same rights, privileges, and recognition offered to them as to all other married couples.
Both families have been very supportive of the marriage between Ron and Jimmy, including Jimmy’s children and grandchildren who love to come visit them in The Villages. They are a dynamic duo in The Villages, volunteering, being active, and enjoying the lifestyle of the community.
Being married to the person you love is a right that we look forward to seeing being possible for all Floridians. Hopefully it will not be too much longer to have marriage equality for all of our friends, relatives and neighbors.
For questions or comments, email Jane Bloom, The Other Daughter, [email protected] www.theotherdaughter.org 425 299 6020