Daytona Beach
News-Journal
September 13, 2007 | Editorial
Proposed gay marriage amendment lacks rationale
Floridians have had enough of divisive politics over
recent years ---- yet that never seems to stop people
who have an ax to grind and plenty of money to force
discussion.
As of last week, it seems likely that supporters of a
proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage
will get their issue on next year's ballot.
Florida4Marriage.org, the group behind the proposal, has
raised more than $500,000 (and spent most of that on
direct-mail campaigns) and should have the required
signatures by Feb. 1. But the group has yet to make its
case for altering Florida's Constitution to defend
against something that's already banned by state law. As
worded, the amendment could also affect the rights of
unmarried, heterosexual couples -- by saying that "no
other legal union" can be accorded any of the rights of
marriage.
Nor can the group provide rationale for the substance
of their proposed amendment. Allowing gay and lesbian
couples to form legally recognized bonds poses no threat
to society. To the contrary -- it introduces the same
stabilizing force that marriage provides for
heterosexual marriages, along with the same legal
protections. Under current law, homosexual couples lack
the most basic rights, including the ability to stay by
a sick partner's hospital bedside or negotiate custody
of children.
Society is already recognizing the need to change.
Many employers now grant insurance benefits to committed
same-sex partners, and many states are including sexual
orientation in the list of legally prohibited bases for
discrimination.
Florida should move forward, though it would take
action on the part of state lawmakers to make that
forward step reality. This amendment, if approved by
voters, would force the state in the other direction --
backwards, to a time when discrimination was not just
allowed, but mandatory.
From:
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