A South Florida couple who was behind the state's gay marriage fight from the beginning celebrated the Supreme Court's historic decision to make same-sex marriages legal in all states Friday.
Jeff and Todd Delmay were among six same-sex couples who sued Miami-Dade County for the right to get married. Theirs was among the first same-sex weddings performed in Miami on Jan. 5, a day before same-sex marriages became legal statewide.
"This was such a relief after 40 years of this marriage movement moving forward, and the movement coming to Florida 17 months ago with our case and just in January resolving with marriage equality coming here, knowing that the entire country has marriage equality now, it's just so exciting, we're living up to our ideals as a nation," Todd Delmay said.
"It was just a huge, an elation, so happy for this decision, so happy that not only can we experience marriage equality in our home state but we can go anywhere in the country and experience it, go to where Todd is from, Michigan, and be protected," Jeff Delmay said. "Not only us protected, our son protected, our family and friends, they're all so really invested in this, just to be really at ease, to be completely relieved that we're completely protected and equal."
The Delmays said they weren't surprised by the decision.
"You always have that little bit of worry but I wasn't surprised, I really think that not only has the country come to this place, but also the legal arguments behind it, equal protection, due process, these are ideals that our founders wrote into the Bill of Rights, and into the Constitution," Todd Delmay said. "To see that our understanding of what it means to be free, and to be a free people and allow people to live the lives that they choose, it's just such a great day for America."
The Hollywood couple's marriage had been technically under appeal, so the 5-4 Supreme Court Decision came as a relief.
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"We don't have any more legal fights, this is really the final word from the Supreme Court," Todd Delmay said.
