They stood hand in hand and exchanged vows on a breezy, cloudy morning on the
front lawn of a church. When the ceremony came to an end, the Rev. Durrell
Watkins declared, "You may now kiss your significant other."

And so they
did, about 50 couples in all, in what appeared to be a mass wedding. In reality,
however, it was more of an affirmation between partners because most of the
participants were gay. In Florida and 29 other states, gay couples are not
allowed to legally marry.

For that reason, the ceremony Sunday at
Sunshine Cathedral, a Christian church that welcomes gay and lesbian members,
also was a protest against the recently approved Amendment 2. The new addition
to the Florida Constitution defines marriage as exclusively between a man and a
woman.

"We are gathered here as friends, and we are gathered here as
justice seekers," Watkins said, addressing the congregants. "We are waiting for
the day when all partnerships will be legally recognized."

Among the gay
couples were men and women, young people and senior citizens. While some have
been together for 25 years, Dennis Winstead and Richard Killian met only last
week.

Winstead said the ceremony was an opportunity for gay people to be
more visible.

"We can express true feelings for each other and for our
fellow man — and woman," he said.

Russ Wilson and Scott Lappin of Boca
Raton, who have been together four years, wore matching white shirts and
gave each other a single red rose for the ceremony.

"We're just
celebrating the plunge we've already made together," Lappin said.

"This
is a milestone," Wilson added.

During a sermon prior to the ceremony,
Watkins noted the gay community is battling two "oppressive" diseases, one being
AIDS and the other homophobia. He said hope is needed to combat both. "Now,
discrimination is being written into state constitutions," he said. "We will
speak out. We will reclaim our sacred value and we will not give up
hope."

Although Watkins made clear that his Rite of Blessing ceremony was
not legally binding, he still provided certificates commemorating the event to
those couples who wanted them.

"Today we stand in the open to celebrate
who we are," Watkins told the participants. "We are bound not by a law, but by
integrity."

Ken Kaye can be reached at kkaye@sun-sentinel.com or
954-385-7911.