Floridians approve ban on gay marriage

Dear Wes,

We wish the news were better.

The results are in and, although the race is very close, it appears certain that Amendment 2 has passed.

While 62.2% of Floridians voted to add this language to the constitution, there is a silver lining to this fight.

There has never been stronger support for Domestic Partnership and Civil Unions than today in Florida. Every single poll has shown a broad and growing majority of Floridians believe in providing vital protections to unmarried couples.

We have built a strong coalition like never before. Our allies not only said NO to Amendment 2, they rallied and canvassed and phone banked and stood shoulder to shoulder in the field with us.

Thank you for your incredible commitment to the Fairness For All Families' Vote No On 2 Campaign. We may have lost this battle, but our state is moving toward fairness.

The extremists behind amendment 2 insisted over-and-over that it would have no effect on protections for unmarried couples. We'll hold them to their word and fight tooth-and-nail to ensure not one single person loses their health care or other vital protections because of this discriminatory amendment.

Over the past three years, the Fairness for All Families / Vote No On 2 Campaign has forged a powerful coalition of over 260 organizations representing millions of Floridians. And the most important part of our coalition is you. Especially now, we're going to need your continued participation in the struggle for justice and equality in Florida.

We are deeply disappointed tonight, but we will never give up. We'll keep fighting until every family in our state has the same benefits and protections. Thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Nadine Smith
Executive Director, Equality Florida
Co-Chair, Fairness for All Families' Vote No On 2 Campaign

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." - Martin Luther King Jr.