   The news out of New York and Oregon in the past week has been great. The Empire State will now recognize gay marriages performed outside of its borders. Oregon’s domestic partnership provision has gone into effect. Now this good news is topped off with the news that on March 4, 2008, the top court in California will hear a marriage equality case that has collapsed together four separate cases. Within 90 days the court will render a decision.
California is one of those crucial states that has fought for and against marriage equality at every turn. The legislature has approved marriage equality in two separate votes and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed the bills twice. Now the high court will decide. But for those of us who watch California closely the spectre of another vote at the ballot box always looms.
Of course Matthew Staver of Liberty Counsel in Orlando, FL will be in California arguing to uphold a ban on marriage. Of late, Staver has been very busy in Florida helping to round up the necessary signatures to get a vote against gay marriage on the Florida ballot in November, 2008. To the dismay of many of us across the country, the necessary signatures have been obtained. It’s time to get out support for terrific grassroots organizations like Fairness for All Families in Florida and Marriage Equality in California.
Courting Equality 
As a resident of FL, I can say that we are in trouble here! The general population is being mislead by the inflammatory misnomer of Florida’s “same-sex marriage ban.” The proposed amendment is not just about same-sex couples. It reads: “inasmuch as 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.”
Any help we can get from any source to educate the electorate on the true impact of this amendment on all families, is essential to it’s defeat.
Please see: http://www.fairnessforallfamilies.org for more info.
Thank you for all you have done in FL to date Patricia and for your continued efforts here.