Florida Amendment 2

[Miss Jasmine]

Didn't the Amendment originally not make it due to some signature issues? And then in the last hours they got enough certified? I am trying to recall...

 

[OrlandoMike]

Didn't the Amendment originally not make it due to some signature issues? And then in the last hours they got enough certified? I am trying to recall...

You are correct.

 

[randyjsprice]

The issue of gay marriage has now reached Florida and will be voted upon as Amendment 2 in the November 2008 election. It’s inaccurately being referred to as the Gay Marriage Amendment. I can only assume it’s being referred to in this manner in order to camouflage its true intent. If this amendment passes with 60% of voter support it will affect not only gay domestic partners but heterosexual domestic partnerships as well. The verbiage of the amendment states:

"Inasmuch as a marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized."

The banner for the proposed amendment is being waved by an organization called Florida For Marriage (www Florida4marriage org). The organization was founded by John Stemberger a lawyer whose office is located in Orlando. Stemberger’s organization “had raised more than $444,000 by the end of December, the latest report available. The main donors are the Republican Party of Florida ($300,000) and Florida Catholic Conference ($45,500). Hundreds of ordinary people gave between $1 and $50” as printed in the St. Petersburg Times.

Stemberger is also associated with Colorado based Focus on the Family led by Dr. James Dobson who created a separate entity called Focus on the Family Action. The following is a clip from their website (www focusaction org):

“Focus on the Family Action is a new cultural action organization that is completely separate from Focus on the Family, legally. It has been created by separating out of Focus on the Family those activities which constitute lobbying under the IRS code so that they can be expanded in scope. It will provide a platform for informing, inspiring and rallying those who care deeply about the family to greater involvement in the moral, cultural and political issues that threaten our nation.

Focus on the Family Action will give me and my team much greater freedom to take our views to the public square, where the great debate over culture, rights, freedom and values is taking place, and allow me to ask people to take specific actions such as calling senators and congressmen to pass important, family-friendly legislation. I can be more effective in fighting for the Marriage Protection Amendment and against judicial tyranny. To date, we are hearing from members of Congress that too many Christians have been no-shows. But by working together we can change that. We can tackle head-on the most troubling problems facing our great nation and begin changing its direction before it is too late.”

Stemberger was able to garner the required number of signatures at the very last minute to meet the 1 Feb 08 deadline when he had been almost 22,000 signatures short in December 2007 according to the St. Petersburg Times.

The rhetoric being used by this organization is nothing new. They’re spewing the slogan, “Marriage should be just between one man and one woman.” Their attack is focusing on gay marriage and civil unions but, even if the amendment were to fail it wouldn’t make gay marriage possible because of state law that prevents it. However, if the amendment does pass it would mean that ALL unmarried couples claiming to be domestic partners whether gay or heterosexual will be affected. These couples would no longer be able to be covered by an Employer’s domestic partnership health benefits or have hospital visitation because the amendment would dissolve any existing domestic partnership registry.

To fight Florida For Marriage and the proposed amendment to the state constitution two groups have formed: Florida Red and Blue and Fairness For All Families. Although the goal of each organization is to defeat the amendment, their motivations are different. Florida Red and Blue consists of bipartisan members who represent both the Republican and Democratic parties. They do not support members of the gay community in their fight for equality. However, since they are fighting for domestic partnership rights they feel they are including the gay community.

The organization I support is called Fairness For All Families (FFAF). The name is accurate for whom they represent. FFAF not only supports domestic partnerships for both the gay and heterosexual communities but it also supports gay families in their fight for equality. I support FFAF because they do not discriminate in their treatment of families even in ideology.

For those individuals who, like me, are infuriated over the proposed amendment, which is virtually writing discrimination and hatred into the Florida state constitution, the way to fight is through education of the public at large. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who will not educate themselves on the proposal and will vote based soley on the title the proposal is given. At least when a person has all the facts then an informed decision can be made when the time comes to vote.

To educate the public requires funding that can only come by donors. While I hate the constant and endless barrage of individuals or groups seeking donations, in regards to this issue my domestic partner and I are contributors. Regardless of which organization one wants to support the end goal is the same: defeating the amendment. Whether the donation comes from a Florida resident or not all donations are gratefully welcomed. Please go to the following websites to learn more about the amendment and hear real testimonies via YouTube.com of those who can and will be affected by the amendment and please make your donations:

www fairnessforALLfamilies org

www floridaredandblue com

Finally, please share this information with as many friends and family members as possible. Only through awareness can Floridians defeat this amendment. Please don’t just accept my words. Research this subject for yourselves. I’ve provided the links that will educate on the organizations both for/against the issue. By completing a Google search these websites will post. Please spread the word.

 

[randyjsprice]

Thanks for posting your thoughts on the Florida amendment 2 proposal. Somewhere on the disboard I have a posting with tons of information. It's called Florida Fairness Vote 2008. Please check it out.

 

[OrlandoMike]

Hope you dont mind, I merged the two posts.

Thank you very much for the info!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Thank you for the information. I will be visiting the websites.

 

[wallyb]

From an outsider looking in at some of the laws and amendments that you guys have in Florida -
It make me wonder what goes on down there.

But I'm in MA - so I bet you wonder about us too.

 

[OrlandoMike]

But I'm in MA - so I bet you wonder about us too.

We can buy beer on sundays though!

 

[wallyb]

We can buy beer on sundays though!

Don't drink beer - Don't care!
I'll just sip my Patron.

 

[Saxton]

I'll just sip my Patron.

Ohh, Patron?! Wally likes the good stuff!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Don't drink beer - Don't care!
I'll just sip my Patron.

You can buy liquor as well (sometimes not until after 1:00 in some locations).

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Unless you live in Winter Garden, of course. No beer buying on Sundays here. No wine neither. No liquor, too. LOL.

 

[rpmdfw]

Unless you live in Winter Garden, of course. No beer buying on Sundays here. No wine neither. No liquor, too. LOL.

Thankfully, it's not that far a drive over to Ocoee, "The Center of Good Living".

"Good Living" must be due to being able to pick up beer and wine on Sundays . . .

 

[wallyb]

Beer and wine on Sundays leads to...

men dancing together!
And god knows what else.

 

[zulemara]

The amendment is identical to the one that got passed in WI and it got passed for the same reason, they were playing up the gay side of it when it effects EVERYBODY not just gay people. They have obviously learned from the states who have passed this crap and are using the same marketing tactics

 

[randyjsprice]

Please keep my earlier posting alive. Florida is still 7 1/2 months from this amendment reaching the polls. Copy and paste my article into emails and send it to everyone in Florida. It will have the same affect as that shampoo commercial from the early 80's that said "you tell 2 people and they'll tell 2 people, and so on, and so on."

Please help defeat this amendment.

 

[fey_spirit]

Why is it that all these folks so desperate to protect major don't support bills to make divorce harder, and penalize those who commit adultery?
Seems to me that the straight population is a much bigger threat to the sanctity of marriage at this point then anything me and the wife are.

WI passed the same thing last year and it sucks...horribly. My bf and I want to move to FL in a year or two and this will not make him happy.

Good luck to all of you. It will be a hard ugly battle against ignorance, bigotry, and people who will call for the "defense of the institution of marriage"

Every single open minded individual needs to vote. I know Orlando will take it down, but I worry about other parts of the state. Reach out to everyone!

 

[gppnj]

A few hours ago, the Florida Department of Elections officially certified the deceptive "marriage protection amendment" to be on the November ballot.

To this day, I've never heard anyone who is trying to ban same-sex marriage offer any kind of explanation about how same-sex marriage threatens traditional marriage. It's laughable. They know that same-sex marriage doesn't really threaten traditional marriage, but they also know that it's an easy way to lure uninformed people to their side.

 

[wallyb]

Seems to me that the straight population is a much bigger threat to the sanctity of marriage at this point then anything me and the wife are.

The Sanctity of Marriage
It so is not. Read the news. Anyone see the New York Post today?

 

[parrothead928]

Yup, and now most FL counties have to cut their education budgets by $500,000 to $1 million annually! Where did people think the money was going to come from for Amendment 1???

Escambia County School district is actually have to cut 14 million, Santa Rosa is looking to cut almost 4 million and Okaloosa is looking to cut $5 million. With Amendment 1 being approved, the counties are having to cut almost $500 million dollars across the state. Yet, these same lawmakers are wanting to approve a $491 million expenditure for a commuter rail system in Orlando!!! It think our governor is a wolf in sheep's clothing. I do not see him protesting these school cuts at all!!!!