Young Florida Democrats - The State's Progressive Thinkers

Several months ago, before Florida’s Amendment 2 gained enough signatures to be put on the ballot, the Brevard Young Democrats endorsed the Fairness for All Families Campaign, one of the pro-equality groups opposing the so-called “Marriage Protection Amendment.” Now that Amendment 2’s ballot placement is official, our organization has moved to explicitly oppose this discriminatory initiative. At our July 23rd general membership meeting, the Brevard Young Democrats unanimously passed the below resolution:
Resolution Regarding Florida’s Amendment 2 on the 2008 General Election Ballot
Whereas:

Florida’s Amendment 2 discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation, and
Whereas:

Discrimination should never be written into the Florida Constitution, and
Whereas:

Similar amendments in other states have led to the revocation of domestic partnership rights for seniors, police, firefighters, and other public employees, and
Whereas:

The rights of both LGBT and straight individuals are threatened by this amendment
Therefore, be it resolved:

The Brevard County Young Democrats does hereby oppose Amendment 2 and encourages its membership and affiliates to vote “NO.”

This Amendment threatens to write discrimination into the Florida Constitution, and is morally reprehensible. As noted in our resolution, similar amendments in others states have stripped seniors and public employees of domestic partnership rights. Amendment 2 is a wholesale government invasion into the private relationships of citizens and must be stopped. For more information you can see this page from the Fairness for all Families Vote No on 2 campaign, or this one from Florida Red and Blue.

Below I’ve compiled a list of the local and state organizations working to oppose Amendment 2:

PFLAG Melbourne:
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families and friends through:

Support, to cope with an adverse society
Education, to enlighten an ill-informed public
Advocacy, to end discrimination and secure equal civil rights
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

Say No 2 (Florida Red and Blue):
Florida Red and Blue, the statewide bipartisan campaign fighting the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, has launched the Say No 2 campaign, urging voters to Vote No on Amendment 2, which will be on the November ballot. Amendment 2 is also known as the “same sex marriage ban” amendment, but it’s consequences and effects will harm ALL unmarried couples in Florida, whether they’re gay or not.

The message of Say No 2 is simple: Say no to taking away rights, benefits and protections from unmarried couples, especially senior citizens. Say no to eliminating shared health care and pension benefits. Say no to someone else deciding who can visit you in the hospital. And say no to more government intrusion into your private life.

Fairness for All Families (Vote No on 2):

Fairness for All Families is a growing coalition that includes seniors, business leaders, consumer groups and social justice organizations who are joining together to oppose stripping away existing employee benefits while barring the passage of future measures to help Florida families.
Florida ACLU:

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is freedom’s watchdog, working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
The Space Coast Progressive Alliance has a resource page on state and local GLBT issues and organizations.

Categories: 2008 Elections, Civil Liberties, Gay Rights, General Information
Tags: 2008 Elections, Amendment 2, Brevard Young Democrats, the Hate Amendment