The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

Members of SupportMarriage.org, an organization working to pass the dangerous and deceptive Amendment 2, are traveling the state to urge church leaders to tell their flocks to vote yes. Rev. Clayton Cloer, pastor of Orlando's First Baptist Church of Central Florida, is urging pastors to "wake up" to the notion that the sanctity of marriage needs protection, "speak up" about Amendment 2 and "show up" to vote for its passage.

Also behind the pastoral push is the "Christian Law Association"- whose very nature is puzzling to me since I have this crazy view that like politics, the law should be non-denominational... But that's just me, I guess.

This group of bias-pushers is also spreading a scare campaign by saying that if Amendment 2 doesn't pass, "Christians will be taken to court and punished for speaking to or acting on their beliefs." Scare-mongering and lies? That doesn't sound very Christian to me.

I am beyond tired of these fundamentalists pushing their narrow views on all of us. Using religion, which can be a beautiful and comforting thing, as a wedge to take away the rights of others is beyond despicable.

Let's have a little reality check:

Amendment 2 would have no effect on religious freedom. None. No one will be "taken to court" if this amendment fails- nothing will change. You don't see these churches being drug into court right now for "speaking their beliefs" (no matter how bigoted they might be). This scare tactic is simply a lie.

Amendment 2 does do some serious things if passed, however. It codifies discrimination into our constitution, which would be a powerful symbol of bigotry for our state. Even more dangerously, Amendment 2 would strip away the benefits and rights of unmarried Floridians. No more domestic partnerships means no more health benefits for many Floridians.

But these dangerous ramifications are not mentioned by the traveling pastor pack. Instead they simply continue to shake their Bible's in "outrage" and spread lies to unsuspecting parishioners.

I am tired of the stranglehold these pastors have over our state and politics. It's time to get the religion out of our politics. Let's send them a clear message by making sure this amendment doesn't pass!

Let's all SAY NO 2!