Congratulations for a job well done!
By a vote of 48 to 50, opponents of same sex marriage in the Senate lost a procedural vote for their anti-gay "Federal Marriage Amendment." Just days earlier they thought they could muster at least 60 votes, the number needed to win their motion, then they lowered their sights to trying to win at least a bare majority, so as to save face. In the end, all they had was egg in their faces. However sweet it was, this was only the first victory in what will be a long struggle for marriage equality. Please visit the DontAmend.com website to see all the work we are doing and how you can get involved.
(1) In addition to facilitating the filing of several lawsuits for marriage equality in Florida last week, DontAmend.com recently asked Ellis Rubin, a famous attorney in Florida, to represent Rev. Nancy Wilson, of Metropolitan Community Church, and her wife, Dr. Paula Schoenwether, a former family and marriage counselor. Theirs will be the first federal lawsuit to demand that another state recognize a marriage conducted in Massachusetts. Married, non-gay people think nothing of crossing state lines and having their rights respected -- so should we. This is the "nightmare scenario" the far right has been afraid of -- equal marriages conducted in Massachusetts spreading throughout the nation. Wilson's and Schoenwether's case will be filed in Tampa on Tuesday, July 20. The Metropolitan Community Churches have been working on this issue for decades, so it is really fitting that Nancy and Paula will be the first case of its type.
(2) We received both praise and criticism for our dearmary.com campaign, and also, our "outing" of people (gay or straight) who work for politicians who supported the FMA, or those who voted for it. This is not about our lifestyles, it is about our lives, and we are no longer going to protect the closets of those who aid our enemies. As they attempt to destroy the private lives of millions of LGBT people, exposing the private lives of some of these politicians will show what hypocrites they are. I was delighted that Lynn Cheney, Vice President Dick Cheney's wife, came out against the FMA. I would be proud to be in any novel she writes. (She wrote a lesbian novel years ago).
So, yes, we have been controversial. I am a Democrat, and have been receiving many emails for criticizing John Kerry's support of amending the Massachusetts Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. Of course there has been a backlash from 'progressive' democrats who think that I alone will cause Bush to win. If I have that kind of power (which I don't) then I would be happy to talk to Senator Kerry about reversing his position. And yes, I am in the "ABB" camp. (anybody but Bush). Here are the facts. We knew (but fought hard against it anyway) that the Federal Marriage Amendment would not pass. With the FMA sidetracked for now, Ground 0 in the marriage equality fight is going to be Massachusetts. And so, DontAmend.com plans to be in Boston, to protest Kerry and the Democrats' support of the statewide amendment designed to destroy equal marriage there. Please join us. We need to have the courage to continue to stand up to injustice, whether it is our party or not. An email immediately following this one will outline plans for the protest.
Please stand with us.
Robin Tyler, national co-chair
Close Window to Return to DontAmend Tampa Bay Website