Opposition to the anti-gay Federal Marriage Amendment
(FMA), which is pending in the House and the Senate, is growing among
conservative thinkers, according to a story on the Gannett News Wire.
Conservative pundits including Chuck Muth, George Will, David Brooks,
Ward Connerly, Jonah Goldberg and Ann Coulter are all opposed to
amending the U.S. Constitution according to the story. The FMA would
define marriage in this country as being solely between one man and one
woman, thus permanently denying the rights, benefits and protections of
marriage to same-sex couples.
"The growing list of conservative thinkers who oppose amending the
Constitution goes to show just how extreme this proposal really is,"
said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. "An overwhelming
number of Americans agree that using the Constitution, our most sacred
national document, to discriminate or deny rights to any group of
Americans is flat out wrong."
A recent poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, found that
only 10 percent of the public supports amending the Constitution to
permanently deny marriage rights to same-sex couples. The same study
also showed that the majority of the public still opposes marriage
rights for same-sex couples, with 59 percent opposing and 32 percent in
favor.
"While the American people have not yet come to a consensus about how to protect and recognize same-sex couples under the law, there is clearly
great consensus around the notion that amending the constitution to
include discrimination is a bad idea," said Stachelberg.
During a vice-presidential debate in 2000, then candidate Dick Cheney
said that he believed same-sex relationship recognition should be left
to the states. Former Congressman Bob Barr, who authored the anti-gay
1996 Defense of Marriage Act, has also expressed opposition to amending
the Constitution calling it "unnecessary and needlessly intrusive and
punitive." Conservative writer David Horowitz has also expressed his
opposition saying that, "to do this in peacetime would be unwise; to
prosecute it in the midst of war is reckless."
For the full text of the story, please visit:
http://www.coloradoan.com/news/stories/20031211/news/16241.html
A conservative website dedicated solely to opposing the FMA can also be
found at: http://www.lawfullywedded.com
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