Miami Mayor Diaz co-chairs drive to defeat gay marriage ban

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz today became "honorary statewide co-chair'' of the SayNo2 campaign, which is seeking to stop Amendment 2, the marriage amendment that would ban gay unions, civil unions and domestic partnerships in Florida.

Here's the group's news release:

City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, has been named “Honorary Statewide Co-Chair” of Florida Red & Blue’s SayNo2 campaign, which opposes Amendment 2, the so-called “Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.”  He joins Jim Davis, former U.S. Congressman and 2006 Democratic Nominee for Governor, as “Honorary Florida Co-Chairs.”

“I don’t see how this amendment protects anything,” said Mayor Diaz. “Even worse, its vague language could actually take away important existing benefits like health care from Floridians.”

Mayor Diaz, Davis and more than 200 prominent leaders and organizations on Florida Red & Blue’s Advisory Board oppose Amendment 2, including Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, six additional members of Congress, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, Florida’s Professional Firefighters and the Florida Education Association, among others. 

Written in vague and undefined language, 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. Because four existing state laws already define marriage, Amendment 2 is unnecessary and will spark costly litigation in an effort to determine what the amendment really does.

Florida Red & Blue is the bi-partisan, statewide organization running the SayNo2 campaign, which opposes Amendment 2.  For more information on Florida Red & Blue’s SayNo2 campaign, please log on to www.SayNo2.com.

Comments

[Mike & Jesus]

Re: "SayNo2 Campaign"

We're extremely pleased to see that we actually have some prominent leaders, that are fighting for gay couples within our state, to have equal rights! It's about time that our elected leaders stand up to President Bush and those who oppose gay couples from having the same rights as any other couple does, within the United States. Thank you all for taking a stand against the SayNo2 campaign!