Less than a month after Leon County Commissioners approved a plan for a domestic partnership registry, same-sex couples can now be recognized by the county. About fifty couples attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the County Courthouse this morning.
The Leon County commission unanimously approved a plan for a domestic partnership registry in March. The registry will give LGBT couples, and straight couples not wishing to get married, a handful of rights that include: hospital visitation, healthcare decisions, funeral arrangements, and the ability to take part in the education of a partner’s child in Leon County. Leon County Commissioner at Large, Mary Ann Lindley said Leon isn’t the first county in Florida to approve such an ordinance.
“More than half of the people in Florida live in communities that have domestic partnership registries, because most of the larger counties and cities have adopted these. So, really you know, we were trying to catch up with the times a little bit,” Lindley pointed out.
In order to qualify for the registry couples must apply in person with a valid ID, pay a $50 registration fee, and sign the affidavit under oath. The registry is not limited to Leon County residents and can include any couple that visits regularly or who seek health care services here.