It's scheduled to be voted on in the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow.
The only things bills like this one do is "protect" and enshrine inequality and therefore must be protested.
As I wrote back in 2008:
The subject of the "equality" of this day is an attempt to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to define marriage as solely between one man and one woman as part of a "Marriage Protection Amendment."
First, let's throw out any straw man arguments: we are talking about the legal institution of marriage. We are not speaking about any particular religion's take on the subject -- they are free to define marriage exactly as they want.
What we are talking about is a legal contract between two adults. A contract that, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, confers over 1,000 protections and benefits to couples who enter into it. A contract that is currently only available to heterosexual couples. This despite the fact that there are already thousands of families in Pennsylvania headed by gays and that society has determined that encouraging stable, monogamous relationships is healthy for children in these and all families.
Moreover, Pennsylvania already prohibits same-sex marriage so this bill is a waste of time and resources.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY!
1) Make sure that this divisive, hateful initiative never becomes a reality in Pennsylvania by emailing the Senate Judiciary Committee members here and letting them know that you oppose discrimination in our constitution.
2) Call the Senate Judiciary Committee members (phone numbers here) and tell them to vote NO on SB 707.
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You can click here to see what other Pittsburgh bloggers have to say on this issue.
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The amendment was sponsored by Roger Wicker, Senator from Mississippi. Wicker is the guy appointed to fill the vacant seat vacated by our ole pal Trent Lott.Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission by the Congress:
`Article --
`Section 1. This article may be cited as the `Marriage Protection Amendment'.
`Section 2. Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.'.
HARRISBURG -- A bill that would amend the state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage is in a deep coma and is probably dead, at least for the rest of this session.Sue has more on this.
Faced with staunch opposition to the measure in the Democrat-controlled House, the main sponsor, Sen. Michael Brubaker, R-Lancaster, asked the Senate last evening to table the bill indefinitely, and it agreed.
SB 1250, the anti-family constitutional amendment was voted out of the the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 5 and a full Senate vote can occur as soon as May 6. We need your help NOW!Much more on this issue can be found at Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents including a list of local Senators:
Please call your state Senator and Representative on Tuesday and ask them to oppose SB 1250. To find out the name of your state legislators and their contact information, visit our Legislator Locater -- just enter your address, then click on the "state" tab above the legislators' pictures.
Please visit our website for updated information.
Thank you to everyone who attended today's rally! There were approximately 400 people who opposed the legislation in the Capitol rotunda. Senators Connie Williams, Jim Ferlo and Vince Fumo spoke against the bill, as well as Representatives Babette Josephs, Dan Frankel and Mike O'Brien. Senator Wayne Fontana and Representatives Steve Nickol, David Steil, Kathy Manderino and Mike Gerber were also in attendence.
Other speakers included members of the Value All Families Coalition: Stacey Sobel of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania; Karen Buck of the SeniorLAW Center; Rev. Paul Fullmer, Chaplain, Lebanon Valley Community College; Diane Topakian, SEIU; and Andy Hoover of the ACLU of Pennsylvania.
Legislators, staffers and citizens heard and saw the rally. In fact, legislators said that they could hear the chants of "STOP THIS BILL" on the House floor.
Thank you to everyone who has called, written and visited your state legislators -- it truly makes a difference!
Jay Costa: Harrisburg (717) 787-7683, Pittsburgh (412) 241-6690
Sean Logan: Harrisburg (717) 787-5580, Pittsburgh (412) 664-5200
Wayne Fontana: Harrisburg (717) 787-5300, Pittsburgh (412) 344-2551
John Pippy: Harrisburg (717) 787-5839, Pittsburgh (412) 262-2260
Jim Ferlo: Harrisburg (717) 787-6123, Pittsburgh (412) 621-3006
Jane Orie: Harrisburg (717) 787-6538, Pittsburgh (412) 630-9466 j
J. Barry Stout: Harrisburg (717) 787-1463, Pittsburgh (724) 225-5400 b
Gerald Lavelle: Harrisburg (717) 787-3076, Pittsburgh (724) 654-1444
Mary Jo White: Harrisburg (717) 787-9684, Pittsburgh (814) 432-4345
Donald C.White: Harrisburg (717) 787-8724, Pittsburgh (724) 357-0151
Robert D. Robbins: Harrisburg (717) 787-1322, Pittsburgh (724) 588-1323
Bob Regola: Harrisburg (717) 787-6063, Pittsburgh (724) 600-7002
Richard Kasunic: Harrisburg (717) 787-7175, Pittsburgh (724) 626-1611.
The subject of the "equality" of this day is an attempt to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to define marriage as solely between one man and one woman as part of a "Marriage Protection Amendment."
First, let's throw out any straw man arguments: we are talking about the legal institution of marriage. We are not speaking about any particular religion's take on the subject -- they are free to define marriage exactly as they want.
What we are talking about is a legal contract between two adults. A contract that, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, confers over 1,000 protections and benefits to couples who enter into it. A contract that is currently only available to heterosexual couples. This despite the fact that there are already thousands of families in Pennsylvania headed by gays and that society has determined that encouraging stabile, monogamous relationships is healthy for children in these and all families.
Moreover, this proposed amendment could possibly remove existing legal protections for committed long-term couples and their children and would prohibit civil unions by heterosexual couples.
So, what exactly is being "protected" here?
No one has ever been able to adequately explain how allowing gays to marry weakens hetero marriages.
The only thing that this amendment does is "protect" gays from having the same rights, benefits, privileges and protections as heteros and "protect" children with gay parents from having the same security that children have whose parents are straight.
It "protects" and enshrines inequality and therefore must be protested.
Equality Advocates Pennsylvania asks that you do the following to register your disagreement with this amendment:
It's a good start.Click HERE to e-mail your State Senator! Click HERE for more information on setting up a meeting with your Senator! Email Jake at jkaskey@equalitypa.org to help out!
