Fairness for All Families Coalition Growing Prominent Florida Leaders, Organizations Join Campaign to Oppose So-called 'Marriage Amendment'

St. Petersburg, FL - A diverse group of Florida leaders have joined Fairness for All Families - the campaign to oppose a constitutional amendment slated for the 2008 ballot that could strip away employee benefits while barring the passage of future measures to help Florida families.

New members of the campaign's honorary board of directors include: U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Bentley Lipscomb and Florida NAACP President Adora Obi Nweze. These prominent Floridians will help guide a growing group of leaders that includes Florida Alliance for Retired Americans Secretary Barbara A. DeVane, Civic Concern Executive Director Pamela Burch Fort, Managing Director and Creative Director of Parsons-Wilson Gregory Wilson, Florida Consumer Action Network Executive Director Bill Newton, National NAACP board member Leon Russell, ACLU of Florida LGBT Advocacy Project Director Robert F. Rosenwald, Jr. and Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith.

"This measure could jeopardize health care and other employment benefits that many seniors and their families rely upon across the state," said Lipscomb. In addition to broadening its leadership base, the campaign has recently been endorsed by the Florida branches and affiliates of leading national civil rights organizations such as the ACLU, NAACP and Florida NOW. These organizations join a diverse and growing coalition of seniors, business leaders, consumer groups and social justice organizations working together to oppose the effort to take away benefits from thousands of Florida families.

"Everyone should stand against this attempt to make discrimination part of our state constitution," said Nweze. "Why strip away health and partnership benefits already provided by many local governments and companies across the state?" she asked.

More than 8,000 public and private employers nationwide - including almost half of the Fortune 500 companies - offer health care benefits to employee's domestic partners or spouses.

"This amendment threatens the legal protections and benefits of families across Florida," said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. "I am honored to work with the campaign to ensure this attack on Florida families doesn't become part of our constitution."