Tallahassee – Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is not giving up when it comes to defending the ban of same-sex marriages in Florida. Bondi filed two separate motions—one against a lawsuit in the Miami-Dade circuit court and the other in the Monroe circuit court—tointervene in lawsuits June 24, which is an addition to her already representing the state against a federal lawsuit filed in North Florida.
Bondi has been under heavy criticism lately in regards to the issue of gay marriage. In an early motion, her office said that the overturning of the state’s ban would significantly affect already existing laws on marriage and cause “public harm.”
Florida Solicitor General Allen Winsor stated in the motions that because both lawsuits challenge the 2008 constitutional amendment that bans recognition of same-sex marriages and was voted on by a large majority, the state has a legitimate interest in intervening in both cases.
While Bondi’s opposition to marriage equality isn’t news to those fighting for it, her stance to vigorously defend Florida’s position is disappointing.
“It is disappointing that at a time when attorneys general and governors across the country are refusing to defend these discriminatory marriage bans, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has decided to pour state resources into defending the indefensible,” said Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith in a statement. “In decisions by judges appointed by both Democrats and Republicans, court after court has determined that barring loving same sex couples from marriage is unconstitutional, and we look forward to hearing from Florida’s courts in the near future. This latest development shows just how out of touch Pam Bondi and the Rick Scott administration are with the majority of Florida voters.”
One of the two lawsuits that Bondi filed a motion to intervene in was filed back in January on behalf of Equality Florida Institute Inc. and six gay couples in Miami-Dade. The lawsuit claims that the ban violates the U.S. Constitution’sguarantee of equal protection. Court date is set for July 2.
