Nov 15, 2008 11:46 pm US/Eastern
Gay Civil Rights Protests Throughout South Florida
"National Day of Protest" Of Gay Marriage Bans
JOAN MURRAY
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Gay pride flag
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The backlash against states on Election Day which supported amendments that propose limits on same-sex marriage roils the gay community and supporters as protests took to the streets Saturday, from Miami Beach to San Francisco.
Hundreds of protesters turned out Saturday in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach, calling for Amendment 2 to be repealed.
The Amendment, passed on November 4, bans gay marriage in Florida. The amendment passed with more than 62 percent support. Sixty percent support was required for the amendment to become part of the Florida Constitution. Similar legislation was passed in California, Arkansas, and Arizona; there were similar protests nationwide.
In Florida, the passage of the amendment would allow the definition of marriage to be construed as the union of one man and one woman, and would not recognize any other legal pairing. Though Florida already has such a state law, supporters say the law could be overturned, as it was recently in Connecticut, or be changed by the state legislature.
"I have gay friends and relatives and I want them to have the life they want," Miami protester David Huck told CBS 4 News. Huck says he has a daughter who is a lesbian.
Angie Villanueva, who also carried a sign in Miami Beach, said "It's very important gay people not be treated as second class citizens."
"We're not ready to get married but we want to be able to when we want to," explained two women who participated in the massive Fort Lauderdale rally.
Dozens of protesters carried a rainbow banner throughout the streets of the city to underscore the plight of gay men and women.
"We've got to get this amendment repealed," said Tom Johnson of Hollywood. "Shame on number 2."
People against the constitutional change contend that the proposal will ban legal recognition and benefits for all unmarried couples, whether straight or gay. It could also adversely affect the state's large senior population, many of whom form domestic partnerships rather than remarry and risk losing benefits from previous marriages.
Pointing to the 2000 Census figures, some argue that Amendment 2 could affect 360,000 Florida residents, about 90 percent of whom are heterosexual.
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