The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is calling on anyone from all ages and backgrounds to come out and be extras as pretend guests at a pretend gay marriage on the beach.
Shooting starts at 9 a.m. Thursday.
See also: Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce Supports Marriage Equality
The shoot is an ad that will capture the sentiment of marriage equality in Fort Lauderdale, with a mock wedding scene for thee couples -- straight and gay -- being shot as part of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Hello Sunny Lauderdlove and LGBT wedding ad campaigns.
The shoot will include a man and woman getting married, as well as two men and two women couples getting married. The guests in each wedding can be you.
Along with a video portion of the shoot, there will also be a print portion.
This is all part of Fort Lauderdale getting in on the gay-friendly tip.
Just last week, the Board of Directors for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce voted to approve a resolution in support of marriage equality.
"Marriage equality makes great business sense for our state and our community," Dan Lindblade, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release. "Simplification of benefits administration, a competitive edge on hiring top talent, growing an already diverse and strong tourism marketplace, and protecting the strong economic engine related to gay and gay-friendly businesses are just a few reasons why we support this reform."
Meanwhile, back in June, Fort Lauderdale commissioners voted on a nonbinding gay-marriage resolution that calls on Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature to make gay marriage in Florida legal.
The resolution passed 3-2, with Mayor Jack Seiler and Vice Mayor Romney Rogers opposing it.
Seiler took to the internet to defend his vote and correctly pointed out his support for civil unions with full benefits in the past. But gay activists and same-sex advocates believe it's not enough to support just civil unions.
The aim of the resolution was simply to get Fort Lauderdale's commissioners' support for same-sex marriage on the record.
Since gay marriage was made illegal in Florida in 2008, voters have dialed down their antigay marriage stance. Last March, a Public Policy Poll said 75 percent of Florida voters now support gay marriage.
If you're interested in being an extra in the ad, you can contact Jessica Savage at [email protected] and write "wedding ad" in the subject line. You can also call her at 954-767-2444. Wardrobe will be provided at the shoot.
The shoot itself will be going down at the Beach Community Center, located at 1300 S. Surf Road, Hollywood Beach. But if you want to be in the ad, you'll have to RSVP with Savage.
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