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Why Marriage Matters to Conservatives
[A] federal amendment to define marriage would do nothing to strengthen families—just the opposite. And it would unnecessarily undermine one of the core principles I have always believed the GOP stood for: federalism. ... How are gay men and women to be expected to build stable, loving relationships as all of us try to do, when American society refuses to recognize the relationships?
Use the key resources below to learn more about why marriage matters to Conservatives.
FROM EVAN WOLFSON:
A Tearful Republican Mayor Comes Out — For the Freedom to Marry
Complete with video, Evan Wolfson highlights an emotional press conference by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, a Republican former police chief, at which he announced his intention to sign a resolution supporting the freedom to marry, a reversal from his prior public opposition. Mayor Sanders said his change of heart and mind was due to soul-searching and personal conversations with gay people he knows, including his lesbian daughter, showing how powerful it is to make the conversation about real people, not just legalisms or hypotheticals. He also described how he has come to understand that his prior support for civil union, rather than marriage, was inadequate and wrong. San Diego now joins the other major California cities in calling on the Governor and State Supreme Court to follow the legislature's lead in embracing marriage equality.
VIDEO: Public Policy Lecture Series: "Should State Legislatures Approve Same-Sex Marriage?"
Evan Wolfson debates parenting and marriage equality with David Blankenhorn of the Institute for American Values. Evan draws on the leading experts (American Academy of Pediatrics, Family Law Quarterly) who say ending discrimination in marriage would help families and hurt no one, emphasizing that marriage matters to everyone, no matter their political persuasion.
Streaming video from Pace Law School
Download video
Evan's opening remarks on YouTube
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WHERE YOU CAN GO TO GET INVOLVED OR LEARN MORE:
Log Cabin Republicans
The Issues—Gay & Lesbian Families section of the Log Cabin Republicans website contains The Case for Civil Marriage Equality and various other sections which address why marriage matters to conservatives.
Andrew Sullivan: The Daily Dish
Andrew Sullivan, a leading conservative journalist who supports ending discrimination in marriage, blogs daily on the Atlantic Online and often discusses why the freedom to marry is important to conservatives.
Right on the Internet
A great list of websites and blogs by writers who are either conservative or libertarian and committed to equality for gay and lesbian Americans.
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THE NUMBERS: POLLING & STATISTICS:
Groundbreaking New Poll of Republican Base Shows Strong Support for Gay Rights
A groundbreaking new poll by leading GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio shows that Republican voters support basic fairness for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation.
A number of conservative leaders and elected officials have made great strides for gay and lesbian rights and for marriage equality including:
- Oregon's Senator Gordon Smith, whose most recent campaign commercials specifically highlighted his support of gay and lesbian rights;
- New York's Governor George Pataki who successfully negotiated a contract with state workers enabling their domestic partners to receive full benefits;
- Pennsylvania's Senator Arlen Spector, an unequivocal voice against the Federal Marriage Amendment;
- Rhode Island's Senator Lincoln Chaffee, a firm supporter of full marriage equality;
- New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also an opponent of the Federal Marriage Amendment.
For more information check out the Log Cabin Republicans' online list of conservative allies.
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PUBLICATIONS:
Summary of "Homosexuality, Human Dignity and Halakha"
The Dorff Teshuva calls for the full normalization of the status of gay and lesbian Jews at all levels of the Conservative movement.
Conservatives against amending the Constitution to ban civil marriage for same-sex couples
Eight conservative elected officials, political leaders and columnists share why they oppose amending the constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
The Case for Civil Marriage Equality
The Log Cabin Republicans clearly and concisely lay out their reasons for supporting marriage equality. Citing three tenets—how marriage equality will lead to more stable relationships, will not threaten marriage as we know it, and is simply the next step of a constantly-evolving institution—the LCR makes a compelling argument worth reading.
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NEWS:
McCain should copy Schwarzenegger, Reagan
My nominee for best ex-actor in a very supportive role: Arnold Schwarzenegger. In a few simple sentences, the muscular Republican governor of California did some heroically heavy lifting for all Americans who believe in equal marriage rights for those of us who're gay.
BLOG: A conservative perspective against anti-gay Marriage Amendments
In this summary of an op-ed by conservative U.S. Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, Link explores Wilkinson's belief that writing anti-marriage amendments into constitutions is bad for political activity at the state level. He does not argue in support of marriage equality but rather discusses important practicalities of our political system, an understanding of which is integral for the marriage movement.
A libertarian case for marriage equality
The Q and O blog explores the libertarian perspective on marriage equality, concluding with the notion that, "the ideal libertarian solution would be to have the government get out of the 'marriage' business altogether."
Common ground among conservatives on marriage
Dale Carpenter covers ten points that conservatives agree on when it comes to marriage. He briefly discusses the intellectual conservatives, such as Andrew Sullivan and Jonathan Rauch, who have made the conservative case for marriage, embracing the idea that the commitment and stability of marriage would benefit same-sex couples, their relationships, society and the institution of marriage itself.
Conservative family opens their door to same-sex family, victims of Katrina
Conservative Forrest King, was told by the American Red Cross and FEMA that the best way to help Hurricane Katrina victims is to donate money rather than opening one's doors to possible murderers, smokers, etc. Nonetheless, after witnessing the suffering of victims, his family has decided to welcome into their home the Meehan-Hoo family, a lesbian couple with three children, ages 5, 7 and 9. "The adults are same-sex, and I don't care," he says. "They're Americans first."
Here comes the groom: A conservative case for marriage equality
Andrew Sullivan's landmark essay addresses anti-marriage arguments, and concludes by asking: "what goal is advanced by framing the law to encourage [gay] relationships to be unfaithful and insecure?"
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MULTIMEDIA:
A Republican Mayor Explains Why He Supports Marriage Equality
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders holds a press conference to explain the evolution of his experience coming out in support of marriage equality.
The Conservative Soul — Marriage Question
Blogger and columnist Andrew Sullivan addresses an audience member's discomfort with marriage equality at a forum at the Cato Institute.
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Complete with video, Evan Wolfson highlights an emotional press conference by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, a Republican former police chief, at which he announced his intention to sign a resolution supporting the freedom to marry, a reversal from his prior public opposition. Mayor Sanders said his change of heart and mind was due to soul-searching and personal conversations with gay people he knows, including his lesbian daughter, showing how powerful it is to make the conversation about real people, not just legalisms or hypotheticals. He also described how he has come to understand that his prior support for civil union, rather than marriage, was inadequate and wrong. San Diego now joins the other major California cities in calling on the Governor and State Supreme Court to follow the legislature's lead in embracing marriage equality.
The Issues—Gay & Lesbian Families section of the Log Cabin Republicans website contains The Case for Civil Marriage Equality and various other sections which address why marriage matters to conservatives.
Andrew Sullivan, a leading conservative journalist who supports ending discrimination in marriage, blogs daily on the Atlantic Online and often discusses why the freedom to marry is important to conservatives.
A great list of websites and blogs by writers who are either conservative or libertarian and committed to equality for gay and lesbian Americans.
