Same-Sex Marriage Pioneers Lead Key West's Fantasy Fest Parade
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KEY WEST (CBSMiami/FKNB) -- At the forefront of Fantasy Fest's Parade on Saturday were two fighters for same-sex marriage equality in the Florida Keys.
Parade grand marshals Aaron Huntsman and William Lee Jones won a landmark court ruling overturning Florida's statewide same-sex marriage ban for Florida Keys residents. A subsequent appeal by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi means they still can't marry, but their parade float proclaimed their desire to tie the knot.
"Our float was designed for us. It's a wedding cake with the rainbow over top of it symbolizing the marriage equality that we're aiming for," said Jones, who rode atop the float with Huntsman while 33 other couples in wedding attire marched beside it.
"I hope that our appearance as grand marshals of Fantasy Fest will show the rest of the state, and our state attorney general and our governor, that we're all one human family and that we need equality now," said Huntsman. ""And no more wasting taxpayers' money. Let's get it done.
Click here to see pictures of the Fantasy Fest parade.
More than 50,000 spectators, some dressed in flamboyant costumes lined Key West's downtown streets for the procession of more than 40 motorized floats and costumed marching groups.
A number of parade entries illustrated the festival theme of "Animeted Dreams & Adventures," inspired by Japanese anime and other animation. Standouts included a troupe of colorful cartoon-like superheroes and villains, a "Hello Kitty" spoof and a float bearing costumed "party animals."
Tourism officials said Fantasy Fest typically garners about $30 million in revenues for the Florida Keys.
Fantasy Fest 2015, themed "All Hallows Intergalactic Freak Show," is scheduled Oct. 23th through Nov. 1st with the highlight parade on Halloween night.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Florida Keys News Bureau
contributed to this report.)
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