On Thursday, lawyers for same-sex couples pressed the U.S. Supreme Court to reject an appeal from Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi so that gay marriages can start statewide in early January.
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled in August that Florida’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. However, he did place a stay on the ruling, giving Bondi time to appeal.
Bondi asked the Supreme Court this week to extend the stay, which was set to expire Jan. 5, while she continued the appeal process.
American Civil Liberties Union of Florida lawyers, representing the same-sex couples as plaintiffs in the suit, filed a response on Thursday asking SCOTUS to let the stay end.
“Every day that the couples we represent and the thousands of families across Florida who are also denied the protections of marriage go without those protections, they are suffering real harm, as Judge Hinkle’s order made plainly clear,” said a prepared statement from ACLU attorney Daniel Tilley on the Supreme Court filing.
