Miami-Dade County will become the first place in Florida to allow same-sex couples to marry on Monday, 10 hours before a gay-marriage ban that has been ruled unconstitutional is lifted in the rest of the state. In an 11 a.m. hearing, Circuit Judge Sarah Zabel lifted the legal stay she had placed on her sweeping July decision declaring the ban discriminatory. Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin said same-sex marriages would begin at 2 p.m. Elsewhere in Florida, most court clerks will start marrying gay couples Tuesday — some of them at 12:01 a.m. — following a federal judge’s order. Several counties in conservative North Florida and the Tampa Bay area have stopped marrying people altogether, in part to avoid marrying same-sex couples.

Miami-Dade County will jump the marriage gun by twelve hours as a state judge has just lifted her stay. Marriages there will commence immediately and the rest of the state can join in at midnight.Details from the Miami Herald There will be weddings IN the judge's courtroom!The license rush is on!

Labels: Florida, marriage equality, Miami-Dade County