Florida civil rights groups claim that a proposed gay marriage amendment to the state constitution is a sneak attack on domestic benefits, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment would define marriage as “the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife,” and would declare other legal unions “treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent” as invalid.
ACLU lawyer Randall Marshall said that the term “marriage protection” in the amendment’s title is rhetoric and designed to create an emotional response.
The Orlando group Florida4Marriage, which was behind the ballot, said the amendment would not prevent private or public entities from giving benefits to same-sex couples.
State and local government workers in same-sex relationships could be prevented from hospital visits, making medical decisions or funeral arrangements.
So while the effect of this bill would be to stop same-sex marriage pre-emptively, it would also leave many homosexual couples without the ability to make choices for their partners.
Whatever your beliefs on homosexuality and the sanctity of marriage, citizens’ ability to appoint who will make choices for them should be left to the individual.
It is understandable that some people’s religious beliefs would cause them to want to restrict marriage to heterosexuals.
But why would they want to prevent them from having civil unions? Civil unions are not valid in God’s eyes, so what would be their objection to it?
This goes beyond an objection to same-sex marriage and enters the realm of pesecution.
Although they are against homosexuality, they should recognize that America has a separation of church and state.