Sumter County Clerk Honored to Perform Weddings
Sumter County Clerk Honored to Perform Weddings
Written by: Andrew Caplan
When Citrus, Pasco, Marion and Lake County refused to perform ceremonies to newly wed couples after Florida uplifted the ban on same-sex marriages, Sumter County’s Clerk of the Circuit Court, Gloria Hayward, picked up the slack.
Hayward, who has held her position for nearly 20 years, said her office was more than willing to perform ceremonies to same-sex couples, just as they would to heterosexual couples.
“There is no difference,” Hayward said. “We ask the same questions. There is no one that is treated differently.”
Hayward also added that her office has shared lots of laughs with the newly wed couples and they are all grateful for the service.
The Sumter County courts have not been keeping track of how many same-sex couples have been married since the Jan. 6 ruling. They total all the marriages together.
Sumter and Hernando County are the only ones to perform ceremonies in the tri-county area.
“It’s part of what we’ve done all these years; it’s customer service,” Hayward said.