Gay-Marriage Opponents Turn in Petition

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Sponsors of a proposal to ban gay marriage in Florida said Thursday they have gathered enough signatures to put the measure before voters next year.

If the required 611,009 signatures are verified, the proposed amendment to the state constitution would go on the November 2008 ballot.

The state Division of Elections Web site showed the group was still 253 signatures short of its goal. John Stemberger, an Orlando lawyer who heads a coalition of groups sponsoring the proposal, said elections officials had not yet verified all the signatures but he expected them to by the end of the day.

If the measure goes on the ballot and passes, Florida would become the 28th state to ban gay marriage with a constitutional amendment.

Florida already has a state law banning gay marriages, but Stemberger said putting it in the constitution would prevent judges from overturning the statute.

"We believe kids need a mom and a dad, very simply," Stemberger said. "Moms and dads bring something different to the table. Dads are not optional."

Opponents of the measure say the amendment would go beyond the existing law and affect unmarried heterosexual couples, too.

"It's government saying this is the only sanctioned relationship that you can have," Stephen Gaskill, spokesman for Florida Red and Blue, an organization created to oppose the proposal.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hZmLBrL36NObNyMR0ghXN7vB5hYwD8TGPKDO2

Does this mean, then, that they'll require that heterosexual couples marry before procreating, and that divorce will be outlawed?

Or do you not understand who we are dealing with here?

Thats part of the whole "preservation of the family thing".

Their rank for 1998 was 42 out of 50 (that's bad), with a rate of 5.9 divorces/1,000 people. Typically where they crow loudest about "family values" the divorce rates are highest.


http://www.divorcemag.com/statistics/statsUS2.shtml

If divorce is illegal, clearly there would be no divorces.

My statement asked (sarcastically) if they were going to demand that divorce be made illegal to ensure that kids had both a mom and a dad. But I noted that in states where people crow loudest about "family values" the divorce rates tend to be highest. Furthermore all of the Republican politicians who crow about "family values" are the ones who have had multiple divorces, countless sex-scandals and other skeletons in their closets. IOW, they're a bunch of hypocrites who have no business crowing about how gay people shouldn't have the right to get married because it will harm children.

Is that, yes indeed they would like to see such a law enacted.

Your observation had little to do with your point, but now I think you are clearer.

A whole bunch of people claim morality, only a few truly espouse it.

"We believe kids need a mom and a dad, very simply,"

Can't wait!