Six same-sex couples and the Equality Florida Institute have filed a lawsuit challenging Florida’s gay marriage ban. The lawsuit argues that Florida’s laws barring same-sex couples from marriage violate the United States Constitution by denying them the legal protections and equal dignity that having the freedom to marry provides.
Nadine Smith, the Equality Florida Institute Chief Executive Officer, has declared: "Today the majority of Floridians stand with us as we take this historic step toward marriage equality in the Sunshine State. These couples have been embraced by their families and communities, but every day, Florida laws are denying them the protections and dignity that every family deserve,s. These harmful laws are outdated and out of step. It is time for all families in our state to have full equality under the law".
Remember that Florida voters approved in 2008 a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Now, Florida has taken the first step towards marriage equality and it follows Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where same-sex marriage lawsuits have also been filed.
Let's give time to time.
By Rocky Almeda:
ReplyDeleteI support gay marriages !
I am a Florida resident. There is a misconception about our state -- we are not a typical Southern Red State. On average, we represent the entire United States better than any other state in recent Presidential elections. We are the only state who has voted for the winner in every election since 1996. The Northern part of our state, the Panhandle, might as well be Alabama-- it is very conservative. However, the Miami metro area is very liberal and supportive of marriage equality and alternative lifestyles. The middle of our state, from Tampa- Orlando, is very much like the Midwestern USA in voting patterns. Polls show that marriage equality would pass here if it were voted on now. It lost 62 - 38% in 2008, but Florida, like the rest of the USA, has changed remarkably in attitude in 6 years. The problem is any change to the state Constitution requires a 60% vote. We are not getting 60% of the vote anytime soon to do this. We are waiting for a decision from The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to enforce marriage equality in all 50 states - a decision that many expect to happen by June 2016, just in time to get this out of the way for the 2016 President Elections. The Republican Establishment will probably want to get this out of the way as by then since popular sentiment is on the side of equality in the USA now.
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