Photos: 7,000+ Floridians urge Attorney General to drop appeal of marriage ruling

This morning, July 21, Equality Florida delivered more than 7,000 petitions signed by Florida residents urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to drop her appeal of the state's constitutional amendment that restricts marriage to different-sex couples.

Last week, Floridians from all across the state celebrated as a judge in Monroe County state court struck down the state's marriage ban. Almost immediately, Attorney General Pam Bondi filed an appeal in the case, Huntsman v. Heavilin, which automatically places a hold on the decision. The legal team for the plaintiffs have sought to lift the stay several times this week, but the requests have been denied. The next step for the appeal is a briefing process and argument before the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in the Florida state court system. In two other marriage cases - a state case from Miami-Dade County and a federal case - marriage rulings are pending. 

As these cases continue working their way through the court system, Attorney General Bondi now has the signatures of more than 7,000 Floridians who want her to drop her appeal, a significant show of support for the freedom to marry in the Sunshine State. 

In the past year, Attorneys General from all across the country - including Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Washington, Virginia, California, Nevada, and Illinois - have refused to defend marriage discrimination, dropping their defense of the ban and supporting the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. 

Freedom to Marry was proud to support this action with Equality Florida through Southerners for the Freedom to Marry, the campaign we launched this year in partnership with 16 state and regional organizations dedicated to winning equality for same-sex couples and their families in the South. Special thanks to the petition droppers - Amy Gutierrez, Sean and Christopher Cooley, Donna Brown, Sharon Kant-Rauch and her wife Terry Kant-Raunch, Sheila Ortiz-Taylor and her wife Joy Lynn Lewis, and Linda Wright and her wife Robin Gray!

Learn more about Equality Florida - and Southerners for the Freedom to Marry, and check out photos from this morning's action: