|
Anti-Gay Amendment Advances In Pennsylvania
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: May 5, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET
(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) A proposed
constitutional amendment that would bar same-sex marriage and civil unions in
Pennsylvania passed a key committee on Monday and is now headed for a full vote
on the Senate floor.
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 18 - 8
to send the bill to the Senate. If it passes it would then need approval of the
House and then a second round of approvals in the next session of the
legislature.
The earliest it could be placed on the ballot
would be in 2009.
Pennsylvania already limits marriage to
opposite-sex couples but supporters of the amendment say a clear definition of
marriage is needed in the constitution to prevent judges from striking down the
law.
Following the committee vote LGBT rights groups
and their supporters demonstrated inside the Capitol, shouting "Stop this
bill."
"Pennsylvania's constitution was never
intended to be a tool that restricts people's rights," state Sen.
Connie Williams (D) told the protestors.
"When the basic human rights are threatened
then no one's rights are safe," said Sen. VIncent Fumo (D). Both Fumo and
Williams said they would vote against the measure when it comes before the
Senate.
Rep. Dan Frankel (D) vowed a fight in the House.
"It takes a lot of chutzpah to talk about
putting discrimination into the constitution of Pennsylvania," he told the
protestors.
A recent poll found that although most
Pennsylvanians oppose same-sex marriage there was widespread support civil
unions.
The poll, conducted by Susquehanna Polling and
Research, found 65 percent of those questioned support civil unions while only
27 percent were opposed. (story)
©365Gay.com 2008
|
Entertainment
