Democratic Leadership Stands Solid In Pushing For Homosexual Marriage
From: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
NGLTF Communications Department
May 14, 2004
Washington, DC. Yesterday, leaders of the Democratic minority in the
U.S. Senate pledged they would block any proposed amendment to the U.S.
Constitution that would prohibit the recognition of same-sex marriage. The
commitment was made at a meeting in the Capitol between the Senate
Leadership Council and leaders of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) community.
"We are gratified that our allies in the Democratic minority have committed
to killing any attempt to enshrine anti-gay discrimination into our nation's
most sacred document," said Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "This display of leadership stands in stark
contrast to President Bush's calculated campaign to use our lives and our
relationships as a wedge issue in the elections."
At yesterday's meeting, three senators -- Chuck Schumer (NY), Barbara
Boxer (CA), and Debbie Stabenow (MI) -- reaffirmed the solidity of support
against an amendment, regardless of any potential changes in its language.
At a similar meeting last July 17, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle
said Democrats would ensure that the Federal Marriage Amendment would never
get the 67 votes needed in the Senate to be passed on to the states for
ratification. Since then, however, the religious and political right has
mounted a furious campaign in support of the amendment, President Bush has
called upon Congress to pass it, and different wordings of the amendment
have been floated to potentially soften its impact on domestic partnerships
and civil unions. As a result, many LGBT leaders and organizations have
become concerned about a softening of the commitment to oppose an amendment.
To shore that up that support, LGBT groups have launched urgent fundraising
and advocacy appeals.
"While the Right will continue to press Congress to move the amendment - and
we still must be vigilant - our community can now start shifting focus and
more of our resources to fighting the ugly tide of anti-gay initiatives we
face in multiple states this November," Foreman said.
As of today, anti-marriage constitutional amendments will be on the November
ballot in five states (Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Utah).
That number could easily double over the next 8-10 weeks. Other imperiled
states include the key 2004 battleground states of Michigan, Ohio and
Oregon.
-End Press Release-
Marriage Under
Fire: Why
We MUST Win This War - Dr. James Dobson addresses the dire
ramifications of judicial activism and presents compelling arguments against
the legalization of homosexual unions—mobilizing the Christian community to
respond to a call to action.
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