Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle backs gay-marriage ban in Florida Constitution - remember that when you plan your next vacation

A ballot measure to ban gay marriage has already won the support of many religious leaders and Republican politicians.

On Tuesday, it received another endorsement -- this time from a group of Democrats.

In a press conference headlined by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle, the community leaders -- including pastors and civic activists -- said marriage should be defined as the union between a man and a woman.

Amendment 2, if passed by voters on Election Day, would do just that by changing the Florida Constitution to say, ``No other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.''

Gay marriage is already illegal in Florida, but the proposal -- if approved by 60 percent of voters -- would make it difficult for a judge to overturn.

''It is not a conservative or liberal issue,'' said Brenda Lewis-Williams, chairwoman of a Bay County grassroots organization pushing the amendment's passage. ``It is not a Democrat or Republican issue. It's a moral issue.''

But opponents see it differently. They argue the measure could revoke the domestic partnership rights of millions of Floridians, gay and straight. Another concern is that widowed seniors who choose to be in a domestic partnership, rather than remarry, could also lose their benefits.

The measure has already garnered support from several Republican politicians, including Gov. Charlie Crist, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez and Attorney General Bill McCollum.

Outside the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in downtown Miami, where the group of Democrats rallied, some held signs that read, ''Yes 2 Marriage,'' while others clutched Bibles.

Nathaniel Wilcox, executive director of People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality, known as PULSE, was among the supporters, saying the institution of marriage must be saved.

 

Democratic group backs gay-marriage ban in Florida Constitution
Miami Herald