When one of the best chains in the country and my local supermarket does the following, it must know something Pam Bondi won’t acknowledge: Publix will acknowledge and insure coverage for same sex couples, even those married in other states. Well. The news gets better too:
“This is huge news,” said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, a leading statewide LGBT-rights groups. “Publix is an iconic brand as associated with Florida as beaches and sunshine. This step recognizes that marriage is coming and acknowledges the impossibility of maintaining separate and unequal laws in some parts of our state and nation.
“The timing of this announcement comes as dozens of businesses are weighing in calling for an end to the marriage ban.”
National companies including Target, Amazon.com, Delta and Marriott have filed friends-of-the-court briefs calling for an end to Florida’s gay marriage ban.
In 2008, 62 percent of Florida voters approved amending the Florida Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.
Same-sex marriage is likely to become legal in Florida on Jan. 6, when a stay expires in the state’s federal case overseen by U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle of Tallahassee. The attorney general’s defense in the case cited the 2008 vote and said the judge should respect the will of the state’s voters.
And now it’s up to the attorney general to respect the wishes of the chamber of commerce.
Humanizing The Vacuum 