Steve Hanson is the founder and editor of Uppity Wisconsin. He is also a web developer in his spare time.
Vote No November 7 on the Constitutional Amendment
Posted May 14th, 2006 by Steve Hanson
Wisconsin has a chance to stand up and make a difference.
On November 7th Wisconsin voters will have an opportunity to vote on the proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman. This is despite the fact that this is already established by Wisconsin law. The amendment goes further in stating
"Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state."
Therefore it not only prevents marriage between people of the same sex, but goes a long way toward preventing any legal domestic partner arrangement. This has very far-reaching consequences, and from the wording of the amendment, is clearly intentional.
Although supporters of this amendment claim that it is intended to defend marriage, it goes far beyond this and intends to legally discriminate against gay couples by denying them the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. If you believe that people should all have the same legal rights, you must vote against this amendment, which seeks to legalize discrimination and stigma attached to a substantial minority of the citizens of our state. People who have committed relationships need to have a means of legally defending that status so that they can enjoy the same rights and privileges as anyone else. Recent decisions in some states have allowed discrimination against gay people in domestic violence cases, and as these hate-mongering constitutional changes spread throughout the country things will only become worse. Please read the attached report from The Human Rights Campaign Foundation before making up your mind on whether this amendment is a good idea. See for yourself what the consequences of these amendments have been in other states.
Personally I am flummoxed by the whole notion of "defending marriage". I've been married for some time now and don't understand what is threatening about allowing gay people to make the same commitment that my wife and I have chosen to make. I would hope that making a commitment to a long-term loving relationship is good for our society no matter who the person is making that decision.
But whether you support the notion of gay marriage or not, this amendment clearly goes overboard in attempting to lock discrimination into our constitution. All of us in Wisconsin deserve better than this.
The Fair Wisconsin Campaign is working very hard to prevent this amendment from passing, and they currently have coordinators in every Wisconsin county. If you believe that Wisconsin has a tradition of fairness and tolerance that is worth upholding, please go to their web site, find your county coordinator, and help to prevent this amendment from passing in November. Volunteer, help campaign, donate money, or just talk about this with your friends. Write letters, or have a speaker from Fair Wisconsin at your club or church. Buy a T-shirt, or get a pack of buttons and hand them out to your friends. Let's not let Wisconsin join the ranks of the other states that have spoken out for promoting discrimination and injustice as a core value of their state.
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Same-Sex Marriages
I am a Homosexual from Central Wisconsin. In this part of the start there alot of individuals against this short of thing, because they are the older generation. But this is how I feel about all this.
I do not get up ever morning and think, ha what is my neighbor doing in there bedroom and why should they do the same. I am a cab driver and ever day I am asked by customers if I am gay or not. And of course I say YES. And they think that is the coolest thing, because I am confident in myself and am proud of who I am.
So this is my reactions to this vote on November 7, 2006. I feel that we should be given the right to marry, have insurence for each other and have the same respect as Hetrosexuals in the United States Of America. If they wanted it as an amendment they would have done it then and NOT now.
People and there Adam & Steve! In the Bible God says he created everyone in his OWN eye. Everyone is created Equal! I have been watching the news alot on this subject. There are scintists have said there is a gean in a womens body that dose create a Gay son or daughter.
So I feel that they Goverment and the people of the United States Of America, should be shown this facts before they are told to vote for something that is totally for the United States.
The Homosexuals in the United States will protest against alot of this refarendom for same sex marriages and many other things, becausae all the goverment knows how to do is show the negitive sides and no positive sides. and that is so wrong.
With being a Homosexual, my family had nothing against me, all they wanted for me was to be Happy. Alot of Americans in the United States of America say who cares if they are who they are, we are for they in there life style and they are just like everyone else. Black, White, Straight, Bi-sexual, Homosexual, Hetrosexual. We are all the same inside and react the same and respect everyone the same.
I want to thank you for letting me show why I think this referrendom is a hooks and the United States Goverment should do alittle more reserch on this subject before they put there foot in there own mouths. Like the people are saying if this gose a different way, boy the goverment is going to feel really bad and Not know what to do in there Big Tent!
I agree. I don't think what
I agree. I don't think what happens under the sheets should determine if a couple who is in love and is comitted to each other should or should not get married. I think it is wonderful that a couple (gay or not) is willing to take that huge step in life to get married. Considering that less than 1% of the population would be involved in this same-sex marriage, it really doesn't affect that many people to make it as much of a big deal as people are making it. Also, compared to the 60% of heterosexual marriages, 45-50% end in divorce. Most of these divorces are among our evangelicals, our concerned citizens who carry their bibles around with them! I think maybe the debate should be on divorce, not gay marriage, that is where more of the problems are. Looking at today's youth and their problem's with divorced parents. I am divorced and remarried, and I have 3 kids with my ex-husband, and it is very difficult for all of us continue to do the best we can for ourselves and for others in our lives. Anyway, I think it is important to show our youngsters that it is good to love someone, and only one person. Marriage is sacred, and it can still be sacred if it is same-sex or opposite-sex.
Good luck!
We need equal rights
Im a lesbian..and ive been beat my mom, yelled at just for who i am.. it needs to stop. were treated like dirt and people need to stand and realize its not fair!!!.. christians use the bible against us, telling us man and man are an abonamation..but did u know its also a sin to divorce and remarry...but no buddy thinks thats a big deal... its horrible how were treated like dirt.. the US is suppose to be a free country, liberty and justice for all.. im not seeing that any more and it needs to change!!
no samew sex marriage
i vote no on same sex marriage because i am a total beiver in christ and he made man and women period he did not make man to mate with man and women mate with women. being gay is not a right its a mental condition seriouly sex is male and female only take off your clothes and look at yourself if you have balls you are a male if you have breasts and a pussy your a women and that what sex is . if a male does have what women has its a birth defect or he is totally **** up period. equal rights a person has equal rights of who they are period male have equal right and female have equal rights homos to me does not excist because its a medical condition not a sex.i had no problem of people being gay when it was kept in the closet and we did not hear about but when they want to change the meaning of marriage and complain about equal rights then i have a big problem. i dont care what they do in their personal lives but when they start screwing with all this crap about rights and same sex marriage and changing what marrage is then i have a problem.my question is why do they want to do it so bad married people do get benifts but at the same time they have to pay a higher tax bracket and marrige is between a man and a women period if a male wants to have equal rights as a women then there should be a law to state that if a male wants to be a feamle they have to get a sex change so they can have rights as a women and the other way around period. what are we teaching are kids that its ok to be gay and have sex and be married to the same sex. that is so perverted.
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