Anti-gay marriage petition names online
By JEFF BRUMLEY
The Times-Union
Christ Church of Peace in Jacksonville and a Massachusetts gay rights organization launched a Web site Monday listing the names of Floridians who have signed petitions to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in the Sunshine State.
Supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment responded by branding Know Thy Neighbor Florida Web site as an unethical breach of privacy and an attempt to intimidate supporters of the biblical definition of marriage.
"This is the kind of thing we do to pedophiles in Florida, not to law-abiding citizens who want the traditional definition of marriage upheld," said John Stemberger, chairman of Florida4Marriage.Org, a coalition of religious groups promoting the amendment.
But a Jacksonville man whose wife's name and their address are published on the site said neither of them are worried.
"You cannot be intimidated by some gay person who believes in a certain agenda," said Stanuel Aaron, who said he signed the petition about a year ago and whose wife, Pamela Aaron, is listed on the first page of the site.
"They want us to adopt their agenda, and we are saying 'no,'" the 47-year-old teacher said.
The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment seeks to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Proponents missed their February deadline to get the issue on the November ballot.
So far, at least 466,614 Floridians have signed the petition, according to Florida Department of State's Division of Elections Web site. Organizers need 611,009 certified signatures to get the amendment onto the November 2008 ballot.
The Rev. Gary DeBusk, pastor at Christ Church of Peace in Riverside, said the congregation helped launch the Web site as a way to foster dialogue between opponents and proponents of same-sex marriage and to help ensure that the names submitted by petitioners are valid.
DeBusk said most of his 200-member congregation is gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered people.
The proposed amendment would limit the rights of gays in Florida, and supporters shouldn't be allow to enact it anonymously, DeBusk said.
The site -- www.KnowThyNeighbor.org/florida -- also is meant to show that not all churches in the state support the amendment campaign.
"Churches are the foundation of their support, but it's time for churches that see our faith and our belief differently to stand up and say, 'This is just wrong,'" DeBusk said.
DeBusk said his congregation was inspired by a similar Web site launched in Massachusetts by an organization called Know Thy Neighbor. The process of contacting that group and preparing the Florida Web site began in February, he said.
He said the church had to contact the election supervisors in each of the state's 67 counties for lists of names.
Joey Vaughn, a Jacksonville attorney who leads the marriage amendment effort in Duval County, said the Web site is legal and that the names of voters who signed petitions are public record.
But he said it's also an attempt to discourage others from signing the petitions.
jeff.brumleyjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4310
@The Web site listing names of voters who have signed the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment is at www.KnowThyNeighbor.org/florida.
To view the amendment or download the petition, visit www.florida4marriage.org.
Source: Florida Time-Union
The Times-Union
Christ Church of Peace in Jacksonville and a Massachusetts gay rights organization launched a Web site Monday listing the names of Floridians who have signed petitions to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in the Sunshine State.
Supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment responded by branding Know Thy Neighbor Florida Web site as an unethical breach of privacy and an attempt to intimidate supporters of the biblical definition of marriage.
"This is the kind of thing we do to pedophiles in Florida, not to law-abiding citizens who want the traditional definition of marriage upheld," said John Stemberger, chairman of Florida4Marriage.Org, a coalition of religious groups promoting the amendment.
But a Jacksonville man whose wife's name and their address are published on the site said neither of them are worried.
"You cannot be intimidated by some gay person who believes in a certain agenda," said Stanuel Aaron, who said he signed the petition about a year ago and whose wife, Pamela Aaron, is listed on the first page of the site.
"They want us to adopt their agenda, and we are saying 'no,'" the 47-year-old teacher said.
The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment seeks to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Proponents missed their February deadline to get the issue on the November ballot.
So far, at least 466,614 Floridians have signed the petition, according to Florida Department of State's Division of Elections Web site. Organizers need 611,009 certified signatures to get the amendment onto the November 2008 ballot.
The Rev. Gary DeBusk, pastor at Christ Church of Peace in Riverside, said the congregation helped launch the Web site as a way to foster dialogue between opponents and proponents of same-sex marriage and to help ensure that the names submitted by petitioners are valid.
DeBusk said most of his 200-member congregation is gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered people.
The proposed amendment would limit the rights of gays in Florida, and supporters shouldn't be allow to enact it anonymously, DeBusk said.
The site -- www.KnowThyNeighbor.org/florida -- also is meant to show that not all churches in the state support the amendment campaign.
"Churches are the foundation of their support, but it's time for churches that see our faith and our belief differently to stand up and say, 'This is just wrong,'" DeBusk said.
DeBusk said his congregation was inspired by a similar Web site launched in Massachusetts by an organization called Know Thy Neighbor. The process of contacting that group and preparing the Florida Web site began in February, he said.
He said the church had to contact the election supervisors in each of the state's 67 counties for lists of names.
Joey Vaughn, a Jacksonville attorney who leads the marriage amendment effort in Duval County, said the Web site is legal and that the names of voters who signed petitions are public record.
But he said it's also an attempt to discourage others from signing the petitions.
jeff.brumleyjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4310
@The Web site listing names of voters who have signed the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment is at www.KnowThyNeighbor.org/florida.
To view the amendment or download the petition, visit www.florida4marriage.org.
Source: Florida Time-Union
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