Floridians will Decide on Gay Marriage Ban

I have written several times before on this topic; and, unfortunately, it has now come to be. Florida will decide in November 2008 if the gay community, and others, in the state will permanently be banned from every form of civil union or gay marriage. The anti-gay group, collecting signatures supporting an amendment to Florida's constitution, collected enough support to get their anti-gay marriage proposal on the ballot in the fall.

If passed by Florida voters, the amendment will affect all unmarried Floridians not just those of us in the gay community. Many from the straight community, including seniors, firefighters, teachers and police officers living together for financial purposes, will also be impacted by this.

The most important thing we can do is to spread the word and ask all of those who love and support us, to vote "NO" on the proposed Florida state constitutional amendment known as the so called "Marriage Protection Act". Equality Florida, a non-profit group seeking equality and justice for Florida's gay community, suggested talking to your circle of influence, stepping outside of your comfort zones and engaging the people in your neighborhoods and the places where you shop. We must not allow this kind of inequality to be permanently written into the state's constitution.

Two laws and a court decision already prevent gays in Florida from marrying. Why do we now have to write this into the constitution? If it succeeds in passing, our relationships will never be legally recognized. We will be legally prevented from visiting our life-partners in the hospital; we will be in jeopardy of losing our own homes upon the deaths of our partners; our children will be legally prevented from visiting a gay parent with whom they grew up in the event of a separation. And, the list goes on.

How does giving our community legal protection threaten traditional marriage? By not legally recognizing our relationships, the law would in effect, promote a lack of commitment and responsibility to each other. The law actually encourages us not to be faithful to each other. Why would Floridians and our government support that? This anti-gay group is attempting to mislead fair-minded citizens in the state. Their message is all about religion and fear. Since Massachusetts enacted gay marriage many years ago, heterosexual marriage hasn't collapsed. It won't anywhere else either.

Please join me by helping to defeat this ignorant and hurtful proposal in November. You can help by voting "NO", by spreading the word to other Floridians, by volunteering or contributing to organizations working for true equality. You can learn more by linking to these websites: Equality Florida and Fairness For All Families.

You can also read my other postings on this topic by clicking on any of these links here: Florida Gay-Rights Supporters Beware; Gay Floridians Still in Harm's Way; Attention Florida Voters: We Need Your Help; Religion & Politics: A Match Made In Heaven?