Florida Votes

A statute in Florida meant that gay marriage was banned but just for extra emphasis, the public voted in 2008, to pass the citizen-initiated Florida Marriage Amendment, or, Proposition 2, barring same-sex civil unions and marriages from the state. For a constitutional amendment to be approved in Florida, the majority must be 60% or more. In this case, 63% of Florida voters were in favor of the additional same-sex union ban.

The marriage amendment restricts marriage as the “legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and provides that no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.”

In January, 2010, Miami passed a few benefits for domestic partnerships between same-sex couples; Broward County and Orlando soon followed suit.

Gay Marriage Eventually

Tony Plakas, CEO of Compass, the biggest “lesbian and gay community center in the Southeastern U.S.” feels that legalizing gay

Tony Plakas.

marriage in Florida is going to happen at some point. A June 2011 poll showed that 67% of Florida constituents were in favor of some kind of legal recognition of same-sex couples, either marriage or civil unions. Plakas, who has yet to marry his partner of several years, cites polls like this one when he says gay marriage is inevitable. He feels that they demonstrate young people supporting gay rights in large enough numbers to eventually change Florida legislation regarding the issue.

Plakas could have married his partner in any one of the east coast states that now allows gay marriage but it would not be recognized at home in Florida.

 Summary

• Can same-sex couples marry in Florida? No.
• Will same-sex marriages performed elsewhere be recognized in Florida? No.
• Are civil unions or domestic partnerships legal for same-sex couples in Florida? No, except, Miami, Broward County and Orlando, where some domestic partnership rights are recognized.