Almost 1,400 Same-Sex Licenses in Florida's Top 28 Counties

Almost 1,400 gay and lesbian couples were issued marriage licenses in 28 of Florida's most-populous counties in the two days since a ban on same-sex marriage was lifted, according to a survey of clerks' of court by The Associated Press.

The clerks had issued 1,377 licenses to same-sex couples as of Tuesday evening, the latest figures available, in counties making up more than 85 percent of Florida's population of 19.5 million residents.

In many counties, the number of same-sex marriage licenses issued Tuesday was triple, even quadruple, the number of marriage licenses issued on a typical day.

In Orange County, home to Orlando, for example, 164 licenses were issued to same-sex couples alone Tuesday, compared to 40 marriage licenses granted on a typical day. The number of gays and lesbians getting married is testament to how much times have changed, said Ken Wright, 68, who married his partner of four decades, 71-year-old Jim Browne, during a ceremony with more than 40 other couples outside Orlando's City Hall on Tuesday.

"You would never say the word 'gay' when we were growing up. You had to whisper it," Wright said.

In Miami-Dade County, 101 marriage licenses were granted to same-sex couples on Monday and Tuesday. On a typical day, the clerk's office issues 50 to 70 licenses.

"That was the big bang," said Roberto Roboso, manager of the marriage-license bureau in the Miami-Dade clerk's office.

U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle's ruling that Florida's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional took effect in all 67 counties early Tuesday. However, a Miami judge found no need to wait for the ban to expire and said marriage licenses could be issued to same-sex couples in Miami-Dade County on Monday afternoon.

The 28 counties included in the AP survey make up more than 85 percent of Florida's population. They are Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Orange, Pinellas, Duval, Lee, Polk, Brevard, Volusia, Pasco, Seminole, Sarasota, Marion, Manatee, Collier, Lake, Escambia, St. Lucie, Osceola, Leon, Alachua, St. Johns, Clay, Hernando, Bay and Charlotte counties.

Broward County in the Fort Lauderdale area led the state, issuing 184 licenses to same-sex couples.

Several clerks said the number of marriage licenses issued will return to normal levels soon, although they expect another bump on Friday. That's when a three-day waiting period from the end of the ban is up for couples who didn't take a premarital course.

"It will start to dwindle," said Cathy Kellerman, court operations manager for Broward County's clerk. "It's still a little busy but ... it will slowly become not-so-new and become our normal, everyday business."

This story is part of our special report: "Gay Marriage". Want to read more? Here's the full list.