A lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of six gay and lesbian couples and Equality Florida Institute challenges the constitutionality of Florida's ban on gay marriage.

Florida voters in 2008 approved Amendment 2, which prohibits the state from recognizing the relationships of gay couples with civil unions or marriage.

Plaintiffs in the case are being represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and the law firm Carlton Fields Jorden Burt.

“The law should support families, not make it harder for committed couples to support one another and protect their children,” said Shannon Minter, legal director for NCLR. “Barring same-sex couples from marriage causes great harms to their families and children while helping no one.”

The couples – four of which are raising children and one has an adult child and two grandchildren – are from Miami and the surrounding area.

The lawsuit argues that Florida's laws barring same-sex couples from marriage violate the U.S. Constitution. The Florida case is out of step with recent high-profile cases challenging similar bans in Oklahoma and Utah. Those cases were filed in federal courts, while today's case was filed in Florida state court in Miami.

According to a 2012 Washington Post poll, a majority (54%) of Floridians support marriage equality, while 33 percent remain opposed.