It's Gettin' Gayer In Orlando

It's pretty common to find gay folks in Florida; it's a pretty gay place. And, by Florida, I mean, of course, South Florida, mainly Ft. Lauderdale, South Beach and Key West, a veritable trifecta of HomoDom. North Florida, though? Gay? Not so much.
Except now, maybe The Gay is gaining a foothold up north. The Orlando City Council voted unanimously to enact a domestic partnership registry. And while the measure stops just shy  of marriage it does grant gay couples some of the same rights as marriage. it's marriage-like, marriage-lite, everything but marriage, kinda.
Attorney Mary Meeks, who helped push for the registry, says, "This is an historic event for Orlando, and it is a monumentally important event for our community. It will be the first time in our lives that our families are recognized by our government. At least here in Orlando, our relationships are recognized as real, and they are valued and they are accepted."
Once the registry opens next month, unmarried couples--gay or straight--will be able to record their relationship in a government database for a $30 fee. Registered couples will then have some of the same rights that married people take for granted: the ability to visit one another in the hospital or jail, to make health care decisions for an incapacitated partner and to make funeral plans.
Like couples do for one another.
One snag, is the the would apply only to hospitals, funeral homes and other institutions within the Orlando city limits, although couples who live outside the city are free to sign it. And it seems that Orange County, where Orlando is located, is considering bringing similar legislation that would apply countywide.
Though the registry doesn't start for 30 days, gay activists have begun encouraging gay men and women who vacation in Orlando to stop at City Hall and sign the registry.
So, if you're headed for gay Florida, you can now add Orlando to the mix.
Disney World, South Beach, Wilton Manors, the Lighthouse Court in Key West. It's gettin' good, and gay, and good for gays, down there.

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