Judge Tells Florida Anti-Gay Groups Same-Sex Marriage Doesn’t Affect Them

A state court judge has just denied a request by three anti-gay organizations who asked to be given standing to defend Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage. Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel ruled that Florida Family Action, Inc. (FFAI), Florida Democratic League Inc. (FDL), and People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality, Inc. (PULSE) did not have standing and would not be allied to be parties to the case because they “will not be directly and immediately affected if others enter into a same-sex marriage, or are prevented from entering into a same-sex marriage.” The judge added that the “validity of their own marriages will not be affected,” regardless of the trial’s outcome.

Judge Zabel appeared to have dealt with the groups firmly, noting that the three groups “also assert that they have a direct and immediate interest in this case because granting the requested relief would infringe upon their right to free speech, free exercise of religion, and ‘other rights attendant to operating businesses and non-profit organizations in accordance with the definition of marriage as currently memorialized in the Florida state constitution.’”

Judge Zabel ruled that the case, Pareto v. Ruvin, “will not and could not have any such impact on such rights. Allowing or disallowing the plaintiffs to marry imply would not affect anyone’s right to state their opinions about their marriages or same-sex marriages in general, and would not interfere with anyone’s religion business, or non-profit organization.”

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/breaking-judge-tells-florida-anti-gay-groups-same-sex-marriage-doesnt-affect-them/marriage/2014/06/03/88540

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