The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases regarding same-sex marriage this week, and gays and lesbians in South Florida are awaiting the results.
Angela Schukei, who works at Rosie's in Wilton Manors, wants the right to legally marry her longtime girlfriend.
"We went to the courts and got domestically registered so it was legal in some respects but it wasn't legally recognized by the state," she said.
In Florida, same-sex marriages and civil unions are banned but domestic partnerships are allowed. Thirty other states have passed laws that specifically define marriage as between a man and a woman.
Debbie O'Brien hopes the Supreme Courts decisions, expected in June, will help protect her partner's rights.
"I had an accident and my family was the only one they let into the ICU," said O'Brien. "She had no rights to get in."
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Meanwhile, GOP strategist Karl Rove says he can imagine a Republican candidate in the next presidential campaign supporting gay marriage.
The statement from the former adviser to President George W. Bush appears to acknowledge that opposition to gay marriage has waned in some conservative circles.
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, announced last week that he now supports gay marriage after learning one of his sons was gay.
Rove's comment was part of a panel discussion on ABC's "This Week." He did not elaborate.