Aaron Huntsman and William Lee Jones, a gay couple whose legal fight against Florida’s gay marriage ban has been in the headlines for months, will marry LIVE after midnight tonight when the stay on the federal ruling striking down Florida’s ban expires statewide. It has already been lifted in Miami-Dade County.

You can watch Huntsman and Jones marry LIVE.

Open the link, and save it for later, AFTER THE JUMP…

You may recall that in July Monroe County Judge Luis Garcia ruled in the couple’s favor, declaring Florida’s gay marriage ban unconstitutional. However a stay was placed on that ruling after Attorney General Pam Bondi filed an appeal. Now, however, following U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle’s ruling which applies to couples across the state, they will be able to marry just after midnight.

Former Florida governor and 2016 presidential hopeful Jeb Bush released a new statement today responding to the start of marriage equality in that state.

“We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law. I hope that we can show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue – including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty.”

The remarks are clearly a more calculated response (using the religious right’s newly-popular victimization rhetoric)  following  spontaneous comments offered on Sunday following a golf match, in which he suggested that gay marriage should be put to a public vote.

Said Bush on Sunday:

“It ought be a local decision. I mean, a state decision. The state decided. The people of the state decided. But it’s been overturned by the courts, I guess.”

The DNC blasted Bush in a statement:

“It took Jeb Bush 69 words to say absolutely nothing — 69 words not to say, ‘I support marriage equality.’ Nothing’s changed,” DNC communications director Mo Elleithee said in a statement. “At the end of Bush’s statement, he still had the same position: he opposes the right of gay and lesbian Floridians — and all LGBT Americans — to get married and adopt children.”

Gay couples began marrying earlier today in Miami-Dade County. Marriage equality takes effect statewide after midnight, when a couple will be married live on YouTube in Key West.