The Human Rights Campaign denounced the January 24th reintroduction
of an amendment that would deny marriage to same-sex couples,
emphasizing how out-of-touch Sen. Wayne Allard, his cosponsors,
President Bush and the extreme right wing are with the American public
on the issue of writing discrimination into the Constitution.
"The American people value freedom, not discrimination," said HRC
Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. "Americans want laws that ensure
the safety and stability of their neighbors, and that's what our
policymakers should be focused on. Pushing an amendment that would deny
protections to millions of Americans is completely out of step with our
nation's values."
According to an article in the Rocky Mountain News, Colorado Sen. Wayne
Allard today plans to reintroduce the so-called Marriage Protection
Amendment, which would deny marriage to same-sex couples and deny the
ability to provide any protections to same-sex couples, such as domestic
partnerships and civil unions.
In a Jan. 16 interview with the Washington Post, President Bush
acknowledged the lack of congressional support for the amendment and
told reporters he "will not press senators to pass a constitutional
amendment banning same-sex marriage." After being pressured by the
extreme right wing, the administration backtracked declaring they would
expend political capital to push the discriminatory amendment, despite
knowing they lack the votes.
The amendment failed in both the House and Senate last year, by a
227-186 margin in the House in September and a 48-50 vote in the Senate
in July.
"Sixty percent of Americans support either marriage or civil unions for
same-sex couples," added Stachelberg. "Same-sex couples are already
denied more than 1,100 federal protections that other families take for
granted. This amendment would enshrine that discrimination into our
nation's most cherished document of freedom. It would also threaten
protections that states have enacted, and on which thousands of American
families already rely. It's wrong. Congress should be spending time
protecting Americans, not looking for ways to preserve our peril."
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