Orlando Mayor calls for the freedom to marry in FL in State of the City address

April 18, 2014

Last week, in his State of the City address, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer called for the freedom to marry in Florida while championing Orlando's commitment to protecting same-sex couples and providing a safe and welcoming place for all families.

In the speech, he said:

Diversity is our greatest strength - and a vibrant, welcoming community attracts the kind of talent and industries that our city needs. That's why we were one of the first cities in Florida to adopt a domestic partner registry, and we have more than 1,200 couples registered. I hope that one day we are the city that hosts the first same-sex wedding in Florida. Love and commitment should be encouraged, and it should be celebrated, and it should be embraced as a constitutional right for all. 

Mayor Dyer is a Mayor for the Freedom to Marry, our broad-based and bipartisan coalition of mayors from all across the country who support marriage for all families. Through Southerners for the Freedom to Marry, we work to amplify support from elected officials and supporters across the South, including Mayor Dyer, as we make the case that all of America - including the South - is ready for marriage. 

Learn more about Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, check out the work our partner organization Equality Florida is doing on marriage, and watch the speech: