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There have been recent claims in the
media that the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment will infringe on the
civil rights and benefits of homosexuals, however this is not the case.
Other than not recognizing legal unions such as domestic partnerships or
civil unions as a valid marriage, the amendment does not limit any rights
or benefits. The text of the amendment:
“Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as
husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the
substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized” defines
and preserves marriage as it has been represented historically in
Florida law - the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife.
The Amendment prohibits any other
legal union that is treated as marriage or its substantial equivalent from
being valid or recognized as marriage in our state. The Amendment does not prohibit the
state or local government from passing laws which confer rights to
unmarried same-sex couples, domestic partnerships and civil unions as long
as the laws are not designed to treat unmarried relationships as marriage.
The amendment does not affect
benefits offered or contracted in the private sector.
Florida Catholic Conference
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