A proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage is headed directly to the November ballot — setting the stage for a vigorous battle between gay rights advocates and opponents.

"We aren't advocating anything new or radical here," said John Stemberger, an Orlando attorney and chairman of Florida4Marriage.org, the group pushing the ban. "We're just saying keep things as they are. We want the institution [of marriage] to be protected for centuries."

Florida law already forbids gay marriage, but Stemberger says writing a ban into the state constitution is the only way to ensure a permanent prohibition.

People who oppose the measure, however, believe it is a covert political tool designed to bring ultra-conservatives to the polls in a presidential election year.