Steve Schlariet and Ozzie Russ say they never sought the spotlight of social activism, the spotlight found them. The rural Florida Panhandle couple could become the first gay men granted a license to marry in the state when a judge’s order takes effect Tuesday.
Together nearly 20 years and united during a commitment ceremony in Fort Lauderdale in 2001, the men live a quiet life raising horses and dogs on their central Panhandle ranch. When friends approached them about joining a lawsuit challenging the state’s gay marriage ban, Schlariet, 66, and Russ, 48, were a bit reluctant — Russ jokes about how Schlariet briefly balked at walking into the county clerk’s office and requesting a marriage license back in March.
