Jerry Saylor: Event Coordinator
FLORENCE – In the wake of the Windsor v US. Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act conclusion, Shoals LGBT community members and Allies gathered at the Sweet Magnolia Cafe to celebrate the decision to repeal section 3 of DOMA. The Supreme Court’s decisions came Wednesday, after months of dispute between both proponents and opponents of marriage equality.
Windsor v US. section 3 of DOMA was under consideration, the case questioned whether the law deprives lawfully married same-sex couples of equal protections guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment. The 
courts also left in place a lower court’s ruling that California’s Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional.
Approximately 35 – 40 supporters made an appearance at the small cafe, as what was described by some as a monumental moment of historic proportions. Jerry Saylor, the coordinator of the gathering and University of North Alabama graduate said “Tonight LGBT families found out that their love is equal under the law to the love of their heterosexual counterparts”
There is a growing trend among bi-partisan support for marriage equality, 81% of adults under the age of 30 show support. There are 13 states, as well as Washington DC, that allow same-sex marriage.
