Florida Clergy for Fairness Come Out Against Amendment Banning Gay Marriage

Published October 17, 2008 @ 01:41PM PT

Florida Amendment 2 Amendment 2 isn't getting as much attention as its bigger Californian brother, Proposition 8, but the proposed amendment to the Florida constitution could have serious implications for unmarried couples - both straight and gay - if passed on Election day.

What is Amendment 2? Well, the sarcastic answer is to say that it's the "secret weapon" of the right, meant to turn out conservative voters en masse to help elect Republicans. In actuality, Amendment 2 is a proposed amendment - championed by Florida4Marriage and the Florida Catholic Bishops Conference - that will ban all recognition and benefits for unmarried couples, straight and gay. It will block civil unions, domestic partnership and repeal existing protections and family benefits relied upon by millions of Floridians.

But this year is about hope, not sarcasm and cynicism. And these kinds of amendments aren't the "get out the vote operation" they once were. Many organizations have come out against Amendment 2, including Fairness for All Families, SayNo2.com, the Florida League of Women Voters, the Florida Alliance of Retired Americans, and even the Florida Professional Firefighters. Today, we get word that Florida Clergy for Fairness have formed to oppose Amendment 2.

This is great news. ''Hatred and bigotry are the motivations behind this,'' said Father Frank Corbishley, an Episcopal Chaplain at the University of Miami, during a conference call with reporters Thursday morning. "It's sending a dangerous message about intolerance.''

Good quote. Let's top it.

''To pass Amendment 2 is to use religion to demonize another human being,'' Rabbi Jack Romberg of Temple Israel in Tallahassee said. ``That is simply unjust and immoral.''

Amen to that.

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Author

Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.