Without
mentioning the word gay, the city of Miami sent out a
press release demonstrating its official opposition to
Florida's Amendment 2, which if passed would
constitutionally ban same-sex marriage and possibly
invalidate domestic partnerships in the Sunshine State.
The city urged
voters to reject the November ballot measure, declaring
that Amendment 2 "could have dramatic consequences for
Florida's committed adults who form domestic
partnerships, including unmarried seniors, eliminating
their ability to share important health care and
pension benefits."
Miami-Dade County
has Florida's largest registry of domestic partners.
Amendment 2 could undo the benefits of these domestic
partnerships by prohibiting the state from recognizing
anything that is "treated as marriage or the
substantial equivalent thereof."
Many South
Florida power players came out against Amendment 2, which
was put on the ballot after a petition drive garnered
650,000 signatures. Miami mayor Manny Diaz, Republican
congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the League of Women
Voters, and the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People are just some of the leaders and groups
who publicly oppose Proposition 2.
Florida's
governor Charlie Crist -- who has had gay rumors follow him
for years -- said he supports Amendment 2, but would
not campaign for it. Sixty percent of voters are
needed to pass Amendment 2 but recent polls
indicate only 55% of voters support it. (The Advocate)