MIAMI, FL - Today, Florida same-sex marriage proponents announced they would abandon their challenges to the federal Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA"). Eight lawsuits were filed last year in the State of Florida seeking to establish same-sex marriage. Three of those lawsuits challenged the constitutionality of DOMA. One of the cases was Wilson v. Ake, filed by a lesbian couple seeking to have Florida recognize their Massachusetts same-sex "marriage". Last week, federal district court Judge James Moody upheld the constitutionality of DOMA in that case, stating, "Adopting Plaintiffs' rigid and literal interpretation of the Full Faith and Credit would create a license for a single State to create national policy."

Liberty Counsel has defended traditional marriage in more than 30 cases around the nation. Mathew Staver, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel, stated, "Today's abandonment of the challenges to DOMA is a victory for traditional marriage. While the legal strategy has shifted, the goal of establishing same-sex marriage remains the same. Apparently, the legal strategy will now focus on establishing same-sex marriage state by state." Staver continued, "As the same-sex marriage movement's legal strategy shifts to a piecemeal approach, Liberty Counsel will continue to vigorously defend traditional marriage."

Staver concluded, "Today's announcement demonstrates the need for a federal amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. We still need a federal constitutional amendment so we don't have to scour the wire services hour by hour to determine whether our marriage laws remain intact. Marriage is a fundamental basis of our society, and it must be preserved and stabilized on a national basis."