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Loading ...Florida anti-gay amendment faces trouble
08.29.2008 2:20pm EDT
(Orlando, Florida) A proposed amendment to Florida’s constitution that would limit marriage to people of the opposite-sex could be in for a rough ride at the polls this November a new survey of likely voters shows.
The Mason-Dixon poll, taken for The Orlando Sentinel, shows that 57 percent of voters support the amendment while 36 perecent said they intend to vote against it. Florida’s constitution requires a 60 percent majority to amend the document.With a four percent margin of error in the poll results are too close to say the amendment is likely to be defeated, but most political analysts say usually such voter initiatives start out with a large percentage which becomes whittled down as opponents make voters aware of the issues and consequences.
The issue likely will be determined by the seven percent who said they were undecided.
A broad coalition of LGBT groups and their allies say they are mounting a massive campaign to defeat the amendment.
The proposed amendment says, “Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.”
Florida already has a law restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples but supporters of the amendment say the law could be overturned in court.
The conservative Florida4Marriage attempted to have the proposed amendment placed on the 2006 ballot but fell short of the required number of signatures. Under Florida law the organization was allowed to continue to add names to the petition in a bid to get it on the 2008 ballot. It was certified in February to go on the November ballot.
Last year it was discovered that the state GOP was bankrolling the amendment effort.
An investigation by the St. Petersburg Times into funding for the Florida4Marriage found that of the $193,000 that had been raised by the group $150,000 came from a single donor - the Florida Republican Party.
Opponents of the proposed amendment say in addition to barring gay marriage it would bar civil unions and would be used to deny partner benefits not only to same-sex couples but also to unmarried couples who live together.
That has spurred Florida Red and Blue a non-partisan organization to enter the fray on behalf of unmarried opposite-sex couples.
Last year in just 60 days the group amassed more than $1 million to battle the proposed amendment.
A shame, a truly beautiful state with so many ignorant voters in it. The GLBT community there really has its work cut out for them. I
I know there are some crazy religious people down here in Florida. Unfortunately for them there are alot of gay,lesbian,transgendered,and bisexuals down here too. I will fight tooth and nail, to get out our states gay friendly people to not let this hateful document/amendment to pass in the state of Florida. All of the state of Florida is not stupid,mentally disabled or religious freaks. We do have smart people here, and lots of support for our gay community. I know that it seems that Florida is heaven’s waiting room for the elderly. I’m 32, and I am totally against anyone trying to take my rights away. I am GAY, PROUD, and ready to FIGHT.
Friends in Florida, keep fighting and don’t lose hope. The strategy that opponents of this amendment are employing is very smart- it depolarizes the issue and makes people realize how all kinds of families are impacted by this kind of legislation. Moreover, it is a strategy that worked to defeat a similar ballot in New Mexico. Never give up!
I lived in New Port Richey with my man Phil for 11 years. I believe that in certain areas there will be good support for our rights, St. Pete,Clwtr and definitely Tampa.Especially the beach dwellers.The senior citizens may be a difficult sell.LOL to anyone fighting for us. Thanks. Peace
Past experience indicates that polls may understate the true opposition to marriage equality among the electorate. In 2000, the final Field Poll before the election indicated that 53% of likely voters supported Proposition 22, the anti-equality Knight Initiative that the California Supreme Court recently ruled unconstitutional. On election day, 61% voted for it.
VOTE NO on Prop 2!
http://sayno2.com/
It was wonderful in every way. The gay issue was mentioned by Hillary and in previous days mentioned by Sen. Kennedy.
The spectacle was viewed by 38,000,000 people which was the largest viewing of any event in the history of television.
Any person that believes that gay marriage is wrong should not marry someone of their same sex! live your life according to your bible and allow the rest of us to live ours. As American citizens we have the right to life, liberty and the pursue of happiness.
What does most of Florida have to offer beyond a ban on gays adopting children, palm trees, no perceptible change of seasons, sands that brutally scorch your feet for part of the day even in October, horrible sunburn in two hours or less unless you slather on sunscreen regularly every single day even on October 21st to 23rd that late in the year? I was in Fort Lauderdale Southern Florida some years ago and learned that very quickly one day.
I stayed for that late October weekend and never again had the desire to return to that severe sunburn, alligator, snake and hurricane ridden state. I can not imagine living in fear of at least hurricane every year for the rest of my life. No change of seasons would be boring after a while. What’s so beautiful about Florida beyond say St. Augustine, maybe the oldest city 9dated from the 1500s (founded by the European Spanish)
every one have the right to live there life the way they want to live.as my mother all ways say only god will judge
Too bad closeted gay Republican governor Charlie Crist publicly supports the discriminatory constitutional amendment. Had Crist come out of the closet and forcefully opposed the measure, it certainly would fail. Come on out Charlie, the water isn’t so bad.
Too many old coots in Florida. Retirement effect; the future of young people compromised by the last gasp of a bunch of reactionary retirees.
As a Floridian I’ll be doing everything I can to encourage the educated to vote on this measure. Even my elderly friends who are catholic will be voting no on it. Screw those alarmist old ladies who want to get rid of our pool tables (I’m not joking, they honestly want to outlaw pool here in my condo community) so that being said we’re going to fight the good fight for gay rights, pool, and teaching evolution in schools (recently won that one here, yay).
I still think as a Floridian our most efficient way to defeat this band is to show the seniors that it will damage their benefits too. I know many here in ST Pete are starting to realize that because they are not married due to social security issues. The ideal of losing rights is starting to scare them as well. “Queers is less scary then taxes” one man I talked to said.