Jul 20, 2007  |  By: ELIZABETH PERRY  | COMMENTS     

Gay rights supporters in Florida who are fighting a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage there are looking to Arizona for help.

Last November, Arizona voters narrowly defeated a same-sex marriage ban, with 51.4 percent rejecting it and 48.6 supporting it. The state remains the only one in the nation to reject a constitutional gay marriage ban. Florida gay rights activists hope to make their state the second to defeat such an amendment when it goes on the ballot this November.

One of the 150 organizations leading the charge is Florida Red and Blue, a bipartisan coalition of local and national individuals dedicated to defeating the amendment. Its members have raised more than $1 million from 375 donors in two months, according to a statement from the group. Some 75 percent of the donations were from Floridians, who contributed anywhere from $2 to $250,000. More than a third of the contributors were self-identified as Republicans.

The group’s advisory board includes representatives from churches, businesses and advocacy organizations, including the ACLU, and Florida U.S. Reps. Kendrick Meek and Robert Wexler.

Heading up Florida Red and Blue is board chair Jon Kislak, former finance chair for former Rep. Clay Shaw. Other board members include Bob Farmer, former national treasurer for the presidential campaigns of Michael Dukakis, John Kerry and Bill Clinton, and Heddy Pena, executive director of Safeguarding American Values for Everyone.

“Floridians of all stripes are concerned that government intrusion into their private lives may be written into the Constitution,” said Kislak. “This proposed amendment carries numerous unintended consequences that are hidden from view — including the loss of health insurance and the loss of hospital visitation rights for unmarried senior citizens. In short, this amendment is a catastrophe for Floridians, especially unmarried couples.” 

John Stemberger, chair of the conservative group Florida 4 Marriage, told local newspapers his organization expects to have the 611,009 signatures needed to put the initiative on the ballot within the next month. 

Stemberger didn’t return calls from the Blade, but told the Miami Herald, “The only way [Florida Red and Blue] can win is to be deceptive. They can’t argue gay marriage because they will lose.”

Campaign finance records show Florida 4 Marriage has raised $438,613 in total, which includes a $300,000 donation from the Florida Republican Party.

News reports said Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who has denied rumors that he is gay, denounced the party’s donation, which was made prior to his election as governor. “I think the funds at the party could be better utilized,” he said. “Like for winning elections.”

The governor may have distanced himself from Florida 4 Marriage’s campaign, but he also is not necessarily endorsing the fight against the amendment. Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, said she thinks he is beginning to understand its “far-reaching harm and consequences.”

“He realizes it does much more than affirm existing laws,” she said. “His position is evolving on it. He signed before a Michigan court said it took away protections. That was a wakeup call for a lot of people who are now saying, ‘What is this thing and what are they really up to?’”

Marriage equality supporters say that in order to defeat a state amendment, it takes a strategy that incorporates broad-based support, money and plenty of lead time.

Smith and Barbara McCullough-Jones, executive director of Equality Arizona, say there were many reasons why Arizona voters rejected the amendment, but they agreed a smart strategy of coalition-building, money and time tipped the Arizona vote and can do the same for Florida.

“We did significant research on the messaging,” McCullough-Jones said. “Our investment was huge in time and money. For example, the money for focus groups, polling and time to interpret the results, and to put the strategy into play. Equality Florida picked up on the message and started early.”

McCullough-Jones said her state also used a broad-based coalition of groups and organizations, including the ACLU, unions and local business, to get out the message. The campaign emphasized how the amendment could go beyond limiting marriage to a man and a woman and affect all unmarried couples, regardless of sexual orientation.