More Anti-Gay Marriage Efforts to Get Out The November 2008 Vote

In typical form, the GOP is busy trying to get anti-gay marriage initiatives on the ballot for November in order to motivate the bat shit wingnuts to go out an vote for the amendment and GOP candidates while at the polls. The predictability of such totally transparent ploys would be almost humorous in some ways except for the fact that we are talking about adversely impacting many lives solely to win votes based on homophobia. It is sad that the GOP is so bankrupt that it has to appeal to hatred to get out the vote. Fortunately, as 365gay.com reports (http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/03/030508io.htm), the effort in Iowa has apparently failed. Here are highlights:

(Des Moines, Iowa) Iowa Republicans frustrated with the majority Democrats refusal to hold a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage have failed in their last ditch effort to advance the measure. House Minority Leader Christopher Rants attempted on Tuesday to use a procedural motion to move the amendment out of committee where it has been stonewalled and onto the floor of the House for a full vote. On a 50-to-46 vote along party lines Democrats rejected the motion. That means the issue remains in committee where it will likely die by the end of the week. Republicans have been pushing the proposed amendment since last year when Polk County Judge Robert Hanson struck down a state law limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples.

Meanwhile, the gay haters in the GOP base in California as well as out of state Christianists organizations are busy trying to get “The Voters' Right to Protect Marriage Initiative” on the November 2008 ballot. According to Diane Abbitt, the chair of Equality California's political action committee (http://www.eqca.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=9oINKWMCF&b=40337&ct=5006353), the out-of-state anti-gay Christianist organizations are pouring money into the state for this effort, including Daddy Dobson's Focus on the Family ($650,000), the National Organization for Marriage in Virginia, and the Knights of Columbus ($250,000). I would add a further note that the Knights of Columbus - an allegedly Catholic pro-family organization which I once belonged to – has NEVER demanded accountability from the Catholic Church hierarchy in the sex abuse scandal. Rather than standing up for thousands of sexually abused children and youths, the leadership of the Knights have had their noses so far up the asses of the Pope and offending bishops and cardinals it’s a wonder they haven’t smothered. But I digress. Here’s the wording of the amendment being proposed:

SEC. 1.1. Only marriage between one man and one woman is valid or recognized in California, whether contracted in this state or elsewhere. A man is an adult male human being who possesses at least one inherited Y chromosome, and a woman is an adult female human being who does not possess an inherited Y chromosome. Neither the Legislature nor any court, government institution, government agency, initiative statute, local government, or government official shall abolish the civil institution of marriage between one man and one woman, or decrease statutory rights, incidents, or employee benefits of marriage shared by one man and one woman, or require private entities to offer or provide rights, incidents, or benefits of marriage to unmarried individuals, or bestow statutory rights, incidents, or employee benefits of marriage on unmarried individuals. Any public act, record, or judicial proceeding, from within this state or another jurisdiction, that violates this section is void and unenforceable.