Lee County Clerk’s Office in limbo with same-sex marriage licenses

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Many same sex couples in Lee County are already making plans to get their marriage license on January 6th. WINK News checked with the Lee County Clerk’s Office and they say they’re still in limbo.

A federal judge denied Attorney General Pam Bondi’s motion to extend the ban on gay marriage in Florida last week. Now the Lee County Clerk’s Office says it’s waiting for an attorney’s opinion on the matter.

In the meantime they are preparing for the change–updating paper work language and holding sensitivity training for employees.

“We just wanted to make sure they understood it was really part of their job and however they felt about it shouldn’t come in to play,” said Clerk of Court, Linda Doggett.

The Lee County Clerk’s Office also updated marriage ceremonies. Instead of pronouncing a newly married couple ‘husband and wife’ it will not read ‘I now pronounce you joined in matrimony’. The next step is for the state to issue new marriage licenses to all counties that do not only say “Mr.” and “Mrs.”

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