I AM SO GLAD ALL OF YOU TURNED OUT FOR TODAY’S RALLY! THESE PAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN THE COUNTRY GO FROM STARTING TO EMBRACE THE GAY - LESBIAN - BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDERED COMMUNITY WITH SHOWS SUCH AS WILL & GRACE AND QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY, TO THE EXACT OPPOSITE: TRYING TO WRITE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE GLBT COMMUNITY INTO THE CONSTITUTION. IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND IT IS TIME WE STAND UP AND FIGHT AGAINST THIS TYPE OF DISCRIMINATION!

AS A CHILD AND TEENAGER GROWING UP IN THE BIBLE BELT OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY, THE U - S OF A, I WAS A PART OF AND OPPOSITELY THE TARGET OF DISCRIMINATION, BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

I UNDERSTAND THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT- NOT BECAUSE I AGREE, BUT BECAUSE I USED TO STAND WITH THEM THINKING GOD CONDEMNS GAYS, LESBIANS, BISEXUALS AND TRANSGENDERS. I AM GRATEFUL THAT GOD HAS SHOWN ME WHAT A HUGE BLIND SPOT I HAD IN MY FAITH.

I CAN ALSO HAPPILY SAY THAT I UNDERSTAND THE GLBT SIDE OF IT - BECAUSE AS A GAY MAN, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES TO MARRY, WHEN I FIND THAT RIGHT SPOUSE FOR ME!!!

WHEN I GET RIGHT DOWN TO IT - AS A GAY MAN, I DO NOT WANT TO BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BECAUSE SIMPLY - IT MAKES ME ANGRY.

BUT - MY PERSONAL FEELINGS DO NOT MATTER TODAY. THE WHOLE DEBATE ON WHETHER GOD CONDEMNS US OR ACCEPTS THE GLBT - IS NOT GOING TO CONVINCE CONGRESS EITHER WAY. THAT IS NOT WHAT CONGRESS WILL BE CONCERNED WITH WHEN MAKING THEIR DECISION.

WHAT THEY WILL BE AND SHOULD BE - DECIDING - IS WHETHER THIS PROPOSED MARRIAGE AMENDMENT IS CONSTITUTIONAL?

I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT IT IS NOT -

THE CONSTITUTION WAS WRITTEN FOR TWO MAIN PURPOSES: TO ESTABLISH THE GOVERNMENT AND TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

AS YOU RECALL, THE COLONIES WERE UNDER TYRANNY FROM THEIR MOTHER COUNTRY AND THEY DID NOT WANT THIS SAME THING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEW COUNTRY.

TO THAT END, THE FOUNDING FATHERS WROTE THEIR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, STATING:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL MEN are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain un-alien-able Rights. That among these is Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their powers from the consent of governed"

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU - BUT WHAT WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY AND WHAT I CONSENT TO - IS THAT I BE ABLE TO MARRY WHO I WANT AND I IMAGINE YOU DO TOO!!! OTHERWISE YOU WOULDN’T BE HERE TODAY!!!!!!!

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE STATED THE IDEAS ON WHICH THE CONSTITUTION WAS WRITTEN. IN THE CONSTITUTION, THE FOUNDING FATHERS FURHTERED THESE IDEAS, STATING IT WAS WRITTEN "in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity"

FURHTERMORE THE BILL OF RIGHTS SPELLS OUT WHAT RIGHTS ARE SECURED WITH THE CONSITUTION - I ONLY HAVE TIME TO GO INTO ONE OF THESE AMENEDMENTS. SO BARE WITH ME, I AM ALMOST FINISHED.

WE ALWAYS HERE ABOUT THE RIGHTS UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT - IT GIVES US THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH -EVIDENCED AS WE STAND HERE IN SUPPORT OF EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS.

AND IT ALSO SAYS "CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THERE OF"

YOU MAY SAY, WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH US? WE ARE NOT A RELIGION!

BUT ACCORDING TO CORNELL LAW SCHOOL’S LEGAL INFORMATION INSTITUTE IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THIS. THEY INTERPRET IT SAYING - THIS AMENDMENT PROHIBITS THE GOVERNMENT FROM PASSING LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICIAL RELIGION OR PREFERRING ONE RELIGION OVER ANOTHER.

AND YET - THAT IS WHAT OUR RIGHT-WING CHRISTIAN, FELLOW COUNTRYMEN ARE DOING. THEY ARE LOBBYING POLITICIANS TO ENFORCE THEIR RELGIOUS PRACTICES ON US - THE POPLE. AND WE HAVE TO SHOW THEM WE WILL NOT STAND FOR IT.

SO PLEASE - DO YOUR PART TO STAND UP AND TO BE HEARD. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU FOR COMING OUT HERE TODAY. IT IS A GREAT FIRST STEP.

PLEASE - MAKE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE. MANY PEOPLE TODAY THINK THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER. BUT WE CAN HAVE A GREAT AND PROFOUND EFFECT ON OUR GOVERNMENT IF WE EDUCATE OURSELVES ON THE PEOPLE REPRESENTING US AND ON THE ISSUES THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED.

ALSO - MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMEN - YOUR SENATORS AND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. CALL THEM OR E-MAIL THEM. WRITE THEM A LETTER, STAND OUTSIDE THEIR OFFICE AND PROTEST. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

WE WILL NOT STAND TO BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST - WE WILL NOT LET YOUR RELGIOUS IDEOLOGIES RUN THIS COUNTRY! WE WILL STAND UP! WE WILL FIGHT THIS ALL THE WAY!

THANK YOU!

Close Window to Return to DontAmend Campaign Tampa Bay