Same-sex ‘marriage’ begins in Florida because one judge said so
U.S. Supreme Court building. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Florida became the 36 th state to legalize same-sex “marriage” Tuesday, after an injunction blocking enforcement of U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ’s ruling that the state’s marriage protection law unconstitutional expired without intervention from a higher court. Most counties in Florida proceeded as if the issue had been decided, but state officials are still pursuing appeals with the 11 th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court . While the 11 th Circuit is unlikely to overturn Hinkle’s decision, the entire nation awaits a possible decision from the Supreme Court, which has so far refrained from directly ruling on the constitutionality of laws that define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Meanwhile, officials in at least three counties refused to participate in same-sex “wedding” ceremonies Tuesday, including in Duval County , where Court Clerk Ronnie Fussell closed down the courthouse chapel ent