Florida has added a constitutional ban on the union of same-sex couples in the state. Amendment 2 would classify a marriage as a union that is only allowable between a man and a woman. To overturn the amendment, less than 60 percent of votes against it would be needed. Amendment 2 received 62 percent of votes of support, denying those in same-sex unions the opportunity to enter into a legally binding marriage contract.
Many supporters of the ban believe that it will stop judges who are activists from performing a gay marriage. Those who oppose the bill say that it is an unnecessary feature since there is a law in existence already that denies same-sex couples to marry. They worry that the wording of the amendment is too vague and that there will be problems for both straight and gay couples who are not married and only involved in a civil unions. .
Social conservatives got their vote after millions of dollars were used for the ballot drive to attempt to keep the court system from legalizing gay marriages in the state of Florida. The opposition was also funded well, with a goal of portraying Amendment 2 as an overacted and unneeded ban, saying that it could throw legal doubts over partner benefits for even straight couples who are not yet married. The campaign, SayNo2, was managed by Michael Kenny, who admitted that the votes for the ban would end up being very close. Opponents of the ban also were supported greatly by accepting individual donations from the wealthy, and support from the Human Rights Campaign, a powerful gay-rights organization involved heavily in legal affairs. .
Amendment 2 was advertised greatly and fought hard over the television and airwaves, with both groups spending more than 5 million dollars in advertising costs. Although same-sex marriage has been illegal in the state of Florida since the year 1997, those who support the ban believe that a constitutional ban would ensure that no judge could ever overturn it.
