Portrait of Pam Bondi
Politician · policy
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Pam Bondi on Same-Sex Marriage

Vocal opponent (strong)

TL;DR

Pam Bondi has a strong, established history of opposing same-sex marriage as Florida's Attorney General.

Key Points

  • She requested that the Florida Supreme Court overrule a lower court decision that found the state's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional.

  • She said she would "vigorously defend Florida's law banning gay adoption in our state" as Attorney General.

  • She wrote in a court filing that recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages would "impose significant public harm" on Florida.

Summary

Pam Bondi, during her tenure as Florida's Attorney General, actively fought against the legalization of same-sex marriage in the state. She argued that allowing marriage equality would cause “serious public harm” and sought to uphold the state's ban, which was enshrined in the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment passed in 2008. This prolonged legal battle against marriage equality cost Florida taxpayers a significant amount of money until the ban was ultimately overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015.

Despite her past actions defending the ban, she later attempted to reconcile her stance with condemnation of anti-LGBTQ+ violence, such as after the 2016 Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, by asserting that her legal defense was simply a matter of upholding the state constitution. She also voiced opposition to adoption by same-sex couples, although more recently, in the context of a federal nomination, she has stated she would "respect the law" regarding marriage equality.

Frequently Asked Questions

As Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi was a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, actively litigating to uphold the state's constitutional ban. She argued that legalizing it would result in "serious public harm" to Florida.

While she rigorously fought marriage equality in Florida until it was federally mandated, she has since stated she would "respect the law" as it currently stands. Her fundamental opposition, however, is clearly established in her past actions.

Following the 2016 Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, she expressed support for the LGBTQ community in the wake of the attack. However, this was widely contrasted with her past legal record opposing marriage equality and gay adoption.