The Human Rights Campaign and other local and national gay groups criticized President Bush Monday for joining a coalition of ultra-conservative groups in attacking gay families by issuing a presidential proclamation declaring Oct. 12-18 'Marriage Protection Week.' Using gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families as pawns in electoral politics cost the president his claim of being a compassionate conservative, said HRC.
Last week, conservative groups claimed Bush's support for the week. With marriages increasingly ending in divorce and other strains on American families, politicians should be focused on strengthening families, not tearing them apart, said HRC.
'It would be inexcusable for President Bush to attach his name and the prestige of the White House to this effort to deny hospital visitation, Social Security survivors' benefits and other basic protections that leave gay families and their children without a safety net,' said Winnie Stachelberg, HRC's political director. 'It's time for these groups to stop misleading the American people by maintaining that they are 'protecting' families. What they're really doing is fostering discrimination against the GLBT community. Gay Americans are tax-paying, hard-working citizens, who deserve these basic legal protections.'
The Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, Focus on the Family and representatives from more than 20 other ultra-conservative, politically motivated groups announced that the president 'officially declared Oct. 12-18 as Marriage Protection Week.' One of the goals stated by coalition representatives is to garner support for the Federal Marriage Amendment, a divisive measure that seeks to permanently deny civil marriage to same-sex couples.
According to a Sept. 22, 2003, ABCNEWS poll, only 20 percent of Americans favor a constitutional ban on civil marriages for same-sex couples; 33 percent oppose such marriages but wouldn't amend the Constitution; and 37 percent would make them legal. Of those who oppose civil marriage equality for gays and lesbians, 60 percent still say it's not worth amending the Constitution.
'Let's be clear here. This is not a religious issue. Religious institutions have and will continue to have every right to decide which marriages they will solemnize and recognize,' said Stachelberg. 'What we're seeking are the more than 1,000 federal benefits, responsibilities and protections—along with hundreds of state protections—guaranteed to couples who receive a civil marriage license.'
The Metropolitan Community Churches and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays will be among groups countering the week of anti-gay marriage events. They encourage people to attend their churches and voice support for same-sex marriage.
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Hets Back Gay Benefits
According to a new survey, six out of 10 heterosexual adults (62%) say employees with same-sex partners should be equally eligible for workplace benefits available to spouses of married employees. Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive® conducted this national online survey of over 2,306 Americans.
Dignity Holds Prayer Outside Holy Name Cathedral
Dignity/Chicago, an organization of GLBT Catholics, will hold a 'Public and Prayerful Gathering in Support of Gay and Lesbian Families,' Saturday, Oct. 11, 10-10:45 a.m., on the sidewalk in front of Holy Name Roman Catholic Cathedral, State Street and Superior in downtown Chicago.
A coalition of GLBT Catholics and their allies will hold the gathering 'to celebrate and bless gay and lesbian families and to call the church to repentance for its sins of homophobia,' Dignity stated.
The coalition, 'Always Your Families, Always Our Church,' was formed in response to this summer's letter from the Vatican calling for all Catholics to work against legislation recognizing same-sex unions.
The coalition is lead by Dignity/Chicago and is supported by Call to Action Chicagoland, and individual GLBT parishioners. Individuals who attend the rally are asked to bring their own personal message to the Vatican and to Cardinal George in response to the Vatican document.
These messages will be sent to Rome and the Chicago Chancery following the pray-in.
'We will call on the Church in a public prayer to repent for injury done to gay and lesbian persons and our families through words and actions,' Dignity/Chicago said in a statement. 'We will respond to the Vatican's recent document against same-sex unions with a statement reflecting the moral truth of gay and lesbian relationships.'
www.dignitychicago.org; (312) 458-9438
