A: Amendment #2 is a proposed
amendment to Florida's Constitution that states,
"Inasmuch as 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."
Q: Isn't gay marriage already
banned in Florida?
A: Yes. The statewide
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has been in effect for 10
years. The national Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
was passed in 1996. Both state and federal law ban
recognition of gay marriage in Florida.
Q: Then why is Amendment 2
being called the "Gay Marriage Amendment"?
A: It's a deception.
Supporters want voters to believe this amendment is
simply a ban on gay marriage. Their campaign will
point out that some state courts have ruled gay marriage
must be recognized in some form. But unless a
Florida court makes such a ruling, no law is needed to
further prevent gay marriages or civil unions because
they're already not legally recognized. Most
importantly, this amendment DOESN'T simply ban gay
marriage!
Q: What will happen if
Amendment 2 passes?
A: Since recognition of gay
marriage is already banned in Florida, some may believe
that nothing will change. Supporters of Amendment
2 claim that they are only trying to prevent Florida
courts from ever overturning the ban on gay
marriage here and that a Constitutional Amendment is the
only way to be sure. BUT Amendment 2 goes much
further, by prohibiting recognition of ANY union other
than legal marriage as legally equivalent. That
means no civil unions and no domestic partnership
benefits can be legally allowed. And if Amendment
2 passes, it will be all but impossible to repeal.
We must defeat this amendment now or we will suffer the
consequences forever.
Q: Who votes and when do we
vote on Amendment 2?
A: All registered voters statewide
across Florida, on November 4, 2008.
Q: How many votes are needed to
win?
A: Currently, a Constitutional
Amendment must have 60% (+1 vote) to pass. We only
need 40% (+1 vote) to defeat Amendment 2.
Q: What can I do?
A: Join the campaign to fight
Amendment 2.
Make a donation to
help fund the anti-amendment 2 organizations, including
RDC. It will take
lots of money to educate voters and fight the
pro-amendment 2 campaign.
Educate yourself
about Amendment 2.
Spread the word.
Talk to you friends, family and co-workers about the
true meaning of this amendment. Write a letter to
the newspaper, call a talk radio show, send emails to
lawmakers, blogs and networks. Get the facts and
share them.
Q: What is Rainbow Democratic
Club doing to fight Amendment 2?
A: RDC is working hard to educate
voters about Amendment 2 on our website and through
advertising. RDC has already placed the
first of
several planned ads in
the Watermark, Central Florida's largest gay newspaper. RDC is
also supporting the political action committees
campaigning against Amendment 2. The links to
these groups are
here and we urge you to also get involved today!
Still have
questions? Email RDC Secretary Carol
Bartsch:
BartschCJ@aol.com
