Activists in Florida launched a campaign in favor of the state legalizing gay marriage on Wednesday, according to On Top Magazine. The campaign, titled "Get Engaged," is organized by Equality Florida, the state's largest LGBT rights advocate group.
The campaign describes itself as a "statewide call to action with the goal of securing the freedom to marry in Florida." Nadine Smith, the organization's executive director, recently announced the new campaign in a conference call with the Sun Sentinel. Smith did not explain exactly what the campaign's strategy would be, though she did announce that the group's goal was clear: legalize same sex-marriage in Florida and remove the state's current ban.
In 2008, an amendment to the Florida constitution known as Florida Amendment 2 defined marriage as a union between men and women only, effectively banning same-sex marriage in the state. The amendment was ultimately passed by 61.9 percent in favor with 38.1 percent opposed, according to the Florida Department of State. Then-Republican Gov. Charlie Crist supported the amendment, but is now a Democrat and has changed his position.
"I would say the best answer is we're not committed to the 2014 ballot," Smith told the Sentinel Sun, in reference to possibly getting a referendum to remove the gay marriage ban on Florida's November 2014 ballot. "But every option remains on the table. It will depend on a lot of factors, including the immediate response to the Supreme Court decision."
According to a poll in the Washington Post last year, a majority of Floridians (54 percent) support marriage equality, as compared to 33 percent polled who remain opposed.
Smith said that she and her wife would like to retire someday in Florida, but her partner "of 18 years would be a legal stranger to [her] in Florida."
"The heart of this effort is a public education campaign to shift public opinion," Smith said. "Too many people have written off the South as the last place that justice will eventually trickle down. We aim to prove them wrong and understand that history and the numbers are now firmly on our side."
