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-'Marriage Protection Week' a Weapon of Mass Discrimination and Fear-Mongering, says National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

- President Bush's proclamation in support of 'Marriage Protection Week' is "shocking and appalling" according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

"Marriage is a sacred institution, and its protection is essential to the continued strength of our society. Marriage Protection Week provides an opportunity to focus our efforts on preserving the sanctity of marriage and on building strong and healthy marriages in America."
- President George W. Bush, October 3, 2003

Statement by Matt Foreman, Executive Director National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

"We are shocked, appalled and immensely saddened that President Bush has sanctioned the so-called 'Marriage Protection Week' with an official proclamation. Contrary to his statement, this 'week' has nothing to do with 'building strong and healthy marriages in America.' Rather, it is a bald campaign to demonize and defame gay people and our families, a shameful mixing of religion and politics. This attack is about even more than denying our families equal civil rights and responsibilities that are associated with marriage, but also seeks to deny any legal recognition whatsoever to our families.

The stated purpose of the week on the Alliance for Marriage Web site makes these goals abundantly clear:

"The sacred institution of marriage is under attack. There are those who want to redefine marriage to include two men, or two women, or a group of any size or mix of sexes: One man and four women, one woman and two men, etc. If they fail to secure legal protection classifying these arrangements as 'marriage,' they want to include all these mixtures under the definition of 'civil union,' giving them identical standing with the marriage of one man and one woman."
- "Purpose of Marriage Protection Week," Alliance For Marriage, Allianceformarriage.org.

Through his proclamation, the President is adopting the politics of division and prejudice. He is catering to wealthy and politically powerful organizations intent on permanently relegating a minority to second class citizenship. He is using the civil office of the presidency to support an unprecedented and coordinated drive to use pulpits across the nation to win support for vindictive legislation. Our nation knows from long and painful experience that these tactics only divide and shame our great nation.

We call upon our families, friends, neighbors and co-workers to stand beside gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender America in this terrible and frightening time.

Together, we can prevail."

Founded in 1973, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is the oldest national organization working to eliminate prejudice, violence and injustice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people at the local, state and national level. The Task Force trains activists and leaders and organizes broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation. The Task Force Policy Institute, the community's premiere think tank, researches and reports on critical policy issues. As part of a broader social justice movement for freedom, justice and equality, the Task Force is creating a world that respects and celebrates the diversity of human expression and identity where all people may fully participate in society.