On Nov. 4, Florida voters will decide whether or not to pass proposed Amendment II. Also referred to as the Mirage Protection Act, Amendment II contains troubling characteristics. The language of the amendment is this: "In as much as a marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized." This definition of marriage has two major flaws- gay marriage has never been legal in Florida, and hundreds of thousands of Floridians depend on a "legal union" for financial and medical benefits. So who will Amendment II affect? The short answer is everyone. There are over 360,000 people living in Florida who are considered to be in legal unions. Of these relationships, only 40,000 are considered homosexual. Therefore, 320,000 heterosexual Floridians will be affected by the passage of this amendment as opposed to only 40,000 homosexuals. With more than five million senior citizens 60 years of age and older, Florida is home to more senior citizens than any other state in the country. More than half of Florida seniors collect social security and, of that number, 50 percent would be impoverished without it. Widowed seniors who receive some sort of life insurance pension from their deceased spouse cannot remarry without losing that pension. The alternative, in the event that they meet someone else, is to obtain a domestic partnership.
They are considered to be a legally recognized couple; one of the rights granted to both married couples and domestic partners is that the significant other can speak on their partner's behalf in case of an emergency. Amendment II could potentially hurt Florida's workforce and economy. Overwhelming majorities of Floridians looking for jobs say that job benefits are their primary reason for taking a job, and that good benefits make them happier with their job. Under Amendment II, many unmarried couples could lose benefits provided by the employer of one partner. This would make finding and keeping employees difficult for Florida businesses. It could also hurt the Florida school system by reducing benefits for teachers who are already underpaid. The Gay-Straight Alliance at UWF is working on campus and in the community to raise awareness on proposed Amendment II. Club members have been informing UWF students and Pensacola residents of the importance of going to the polls on Nov. 4 to vote for equal rights for all of Florida's citizens. As its mission states, "GSA is committed to the establishment of a campus environment free of prejudice based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other form of discrimination."
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