VOLUME 109 ISSUE 75 FLORIDA SAYS I DO -...
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Today We Inform. You Decide. Not officially associated with the University of Florida Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida See more same-sex marriage coverage: The story and photos continue on inside, pg. 8-9. Also check out more on the Alligator website, alligator.org Innovation Academy may delay pre-med, pre- health students: Not taking core classes in Fall puts them behind, pg. 4. Billy Donovan and the UF men’s basketball team open up SEC play tonight after struggling in non-conference play. Read the story on Page 13. 63/26 FORECAST 2 OPINIONS 6 CLASSIFIEDS 10 CROSSWORD 11 SPORTS 13 VOLUME 109 ISSUE 75 WWW.ALLIGATOR.ORG WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 FLORIDA SAYS “I DO” GABRIELLA NUÑEZ Alligator Contributing Writer Supermarket giant Publix is now offering full insurance bene- fits to married same-sex couples. According to an internal memo, the Lakeland-based com- pany will expand coverage for its health, dental and vision benefit plans for employees married in any state where same-sex mar- riage is legal, regardless of the laws where the worker currently lives. “I think Publix is pushing in the right direction by giving same-sex couples benefits hetero- sexual couples receive because marriage equality can only pro- ceed if it is legally and socially accepted,” said Juan Escobar, a 22-year-old UF mechanical engi- neering senior. With this change, the compa- ny joins the list of corporations that offer benefits for same-sex couples, including Disney, Winn- Dixie, General Motors and Wal- Mart. “Publix is such a big part of Florida that it’s a really great step for our state,” said Gabriella Lari- os, a 19-year-old women’s studies sophomore and cabinet director of Student Government’s LGBT Student Affairs. “It’s a way to at- tract more people to work there because of greater benefits.” Publix is holding an enroll- ment period running from Jan. 1 to the end of the month for same- sex married employees. Just like heterosexual couples, Publix employees must have their marriage certificates and will be required to answer certain ques- tions, including whether they use tobacco products, the statement read. Publix owns more than 1,000 grocery stores in Alabama, Geor- gia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The only states that have a Publix and have legalized same-sex mar- riage are North Carolina and, most recently, Florida. “I think there will definitely be some controversy, but not big enough to discourage others,” Larios said. “Plus, now with mar- riage equality in Florida, more companies will have an incentive to provide benefits.” Publix to offer same-sex spouses insurance benefits SEE MARRIAGE, PAGE 8 ARIANA FIGUEROA and EMILY CARDINALI Alligator Staff Writers afi[email protected] [email protected] Cheers erupted in the chilly air as the Alachua County Courthouse’s doors opened shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday. Same-sex couples rushed through the metal detectors with bright smiles and joy- ful tears. Steve Allegra, 63, and partner-of- 24-years John Anderson, 68, were the first couple to be married in Gainesville — the time on their marriage license was stamped at 8:33 a.m. “We didn’t even get there early on pur- pose,” Allegra said, “It just happened that way.” The couple was most eager to finally receive the legal protec- tion guaranteed to married people under the law. “We’ve spent thousands of dollars getting legal docu- mentation that some people might not have even paid attention to,” Anderson said. “The legal protec- tion is so important.” The couple met when Allegra was looking for a job. An- derson worked for a job service, and they started dating soon after they met. Al- legra got the job, by the way. Quintyra White, 24, and her partner of six years, Lakindra Ellis, 34, held hands and leaned on one another as they patiently waited to apply for their marriage license. White said it felt surreal to finally apply. “This is just a paper,” she said. “In our hearts we’re already married.” Ellis said her family was not accepting of her relationship with White, but through misty eyes she said her relationship with White was worth the pain. “At the end of the day, I come home to her, and she comes home to me. And that’s what matters,” she said. Among the sea of same-sex couples were childhood friends Joleen Atwood and Crys- tal Kelly. Kelly, 34, and Atwood, 35, were best friends in high school and began dating after college. The couple has been together for 14 years and has a 3-year-old adopted daughter named Amelia. “We’re a real family just like any other family,” Kelly said. Atwood said they decided not to bring their daughter because they were unsure of what the atmosphere would be like at the courthouse. With the marriage license, Atwood will finally be able to officially adopt Amelia. “(The marriage license) is vali- dation that our lives matter,” she said. Outside of the courthouse, United Church of Gainesville performed seven marriages, said senior minister Shelly Wilson. UCG offered a pre-mar- ital counseling class on Saturday so couples could
Transcript of VOLUME 109 ISSUE 75 FLORIDA SAYS I DO -...
Today
We Inform. You Decide.Not officially associated with the University of Florida Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
See more same-sex marriage coverage:The story and photos continue on inside, pg. 8-9.Also check out more on the Alligator website, alligator.org
Innovation Academy may delay pre-med, pre-health students:Not taking core classes in Fall puts them behind, pg. 4.
Billy Donovan and the UF men’s
basketball team open up SEC play tonight
after struggling in non-conference play.
Read the story on Page 13.
63/26FORECAST 2OPINIONS 6CLASSIFIEDS 10
CROSSWORD 11SPORTS 13
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 75 WWW.ALLIGATOR.ORG WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015
FLORIDA SAYS “I DO”
GABRIELLA NUÑEZAlligator Contributing Writer
Supermarket giant Publix is now offering full insurance bene-fi ts to married same-sex couples.
According to an internal memo, the Lakeland-based com-pany will expand coverage for its health, dental and vision benefi t plans for employees married in any state where same-sex mar-riage is legal, regardless of the
laws where the worker currently lives.
“I think Publix is pushing in the right direction by giving same-sex couples benefi ts hetero-sexual couples receive because marriage equality can only pro-ceed if it is legally and socially accepted,” said Juan Escobar, a 22-year-old UF mechanical engi-neering senior.
With this change, the compa-ny joins the list of corporations
that offer benefi ts for same-sex couples, including Disney, Winn-Dixie, General Motors and Wal-Mart.
“Publix is such a big part of Florida that it’s a really great step for our state,” said Gabriella Lari-os, a 19-year-old women’s studies sophomore and cabinet director of Student Government’s LGBT Student Affairs. “It’s a way to at-tract more people to work there because of greater benefi ts.”
Publix is holding an enroll-ment period running from Jan. 1 to the end of the month for same-sex married employees.
Just like heterosexual couples, Publix employees must have their marriage certifi cates and will be required to answer certain ques-tions, including whether they use tobacco products, the statement read.
Publix owns more than 1,000 grocery stores in Alabama, Geor-
gia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The only states that have a Publix and have legalized same-sex mar-riage are North Carolina and, most recently, Florida.
“I think there will defi nitely be some controversy, but not big enough to discourage others,” Larios said. “Plus, now with mar-riage equality in Florida, more companies will have an incentive to provide benefi ts.”
Publix to offer same-sex spouses insurance benefits
SEE MARRIAGE, PAGE 8SEE MARRIAGE, PAGE 8
ARIANA FIGUEROA and EMILY CARDINALIAlligator Staff Writers afi [email protected]
Cheers erupted in the chilly air as the Alachua County Courthouse’s doors opened shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Same-sex couples rushed through the metal detectors with bright smiles and joy-ful tears.
Steve Allegra, 63, and partner-of-24-years John Anderson, 68, were the fi rst couple to be married in Gainesville — the time on their marriage license was stamped at 8:33 a.m.
“We didn’t even get there early on pur-pose,” Allegra said, “It just happened that way.” The couple was most eager to fi nally receive the legal protec-tion guaranteed to married people under the law.
“We’ve spent thousands of dollars getting legal docu-mentation that some people might not have even paid attention to,” Anderson said. “The legal protec-tion is so important.”
The couple met when Allegra was looking for a job. An-derson worked for a job service, and they started dating soon after they met. Al-legra got the job,
by the way.Quintyra White, 24, and her partner of
six years, Lakindra Ellis, 34, held hands and leaned on one another as they patiently
waited to apply for their marriage license.White said it felt surreal to fi nally apply.“This is just a paper,” she said. “In our
hearts we’re already married.”
Ellis said her family was not accepting of her relationship with White, but through misty eyes she said her relationship with White was worth the pain.
“At the end of the day, I come home to her, and she comes home to me. And that’s what matters,” she said.
Among the sea of same-sex couples were childhood friends Joleen Atwood and Crys-tal Kelly.
Kelly, 34, and Atwood, 35, were best friends in high school and began dating after college. The couple has been together for 14 years and has a 3-year-old adopted daughter named Amelia.
“We’re a real family just like any other family,” Kelly said.
Atwood said they decided not to bring their daughter because they were unsure of what the atmosphere would be like at the
courthouse.With the marriage license, Atwood
will fi nally be able to offi cially adopt Amelia.
“(The marriage license) is vali-dation that our lives matter,” she said.
Outside of the courthouse, United Church of Gainesville performed seven marriages, said senior minister Shelly Wilson.
UCG offered a pre-mar-ital counseling class on Saturday so couples could
