Florida newlyweds, plaintiffs in gay marriage case to attend State of the Union

Florida newlyweds Todd and Jeff Delmay will attend President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address in Washington on Tuesday as guests of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).

Residents of Hollywood, Fla., the Delmay’s were the second same-sex couple in Florida to marry on January 5 when Miami-Dade Judge Sarah Zabel lifted her stay on same-sex marriage. Zabel officiated the couple’s wedding ceremony in her courtroom moments after lifting the stay.

“It is my distinct honor to invite my constituents Todd and Jeff to join me for the President’s State of the Union address at the Capitol next week,” said Schultz, a longtime LGBT rights advocate, in a statement.

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“Their bold efforts, along with Equality Florida and the other plaintiff couples, helped turn the page on the legal discrimination of the past and start a new chapter in Florida’s history. I’m looking forward to celebrating their marriage, and highlighting the ongoing effort to achieve equality for all,” she said.

The couple were plaintiffs, along with Equality Florida Institute and five other same-sex couples, in Pareto v. Ruvin, one of four cases to successfully challenge Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage.

“When we married last week, little did we know that we’d be spending our honeymoon with our beloved congresswoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, at the State of the Union,” said Todd Delmay. “We are over the moon with excitement!”