Gay rights activists make headway in conservative Pensacola
Written By: Peter Schorsch
It may have been a hard-fought victory, but ultimately a hollow one.
Passing a domestic-partnership registry ordinance in Pensacola — one of Florida’s most conservative cities — may have encouraged many LGBT advocates, but the gay marriage ban remains enshrined in the Florida Constitution, writes Dara Kam in the News Service of Florida.
After an emotional hearing filled with gay residents recounting the denial of hospital visitation rights for loved ones, or protracted legal battles after a partner’s death, the City Council voted 8-1 to create a same-sex relationship registry.
Pensacola joins more than a dozen Florida municipalities with same-sex registries, mostly in the more liberal southwest corner of the state.
Pensacola Councilman Larry Johnson says the ruling “has tremendous significance.”