Jen Christensen, PlanetOut Network
Tuesday, November 29, 2005 / 03:45 PMA fired-up crowd jammed a hearing room Tuesday at the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison to discuss a constitutional amendment that would ban marriage rights for gay couples.
Even before the testimony in front of the two legislative committees could begin, opponents made sure their voices were heard. During the session's usually mundane opening recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, they shouted "for all" after the "liberty and justice" part.
Hundreds gathered on each side of the debate during the public hearing, a step toward the legislature's mandatory second vote on the amendment. The Republican-controlled body first approved the amendment in 2004, but under Wisconsin law, the legislature must pass any amendment to the state Constitution in two consecutive sessions.
The amendment's backers say it is necessary because the state's current law is too vague. Wisconsin law defines marriage as a union between a man and a wife. This amendment to the state constitution would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. It would also stop the state from recognizing any legal status that is "substantially similar" to marriage, such as civil unions.
Supporters of the amendment trotted out some unusual arguments. Co-author Mark Gundrum, a Republican from New Berlin, told the committees that Wisconsin needed the amendment in part to keep teens from being confused. He argued that the Wisconsin school system would have to teach teens about families with gay parents if gay people were allowed to marry in the state. He also argued that society needed to be protected from gay parents who couldn't provide "gender equality" for their children.
Opponents of the amendment say it would enshrine discrimination. They argued it would prohibit state and local governments from providing domestic partnership benefits. A number of Wisconsin school districts offer health benefits for their employees' unmarried partners, and the cities of Milwaukee and Madison maintain domestic partnership registries. Lawyers for Madison released opinions last year that suggested an amendment would keep cities from offering such benefits.
If put to a statewide vote, there may be considerable voter support for the amendment. Members of the Wisconsin Coalition for Traditional Marriage attended Tuesday's hearing and brought legislators a petition signed by nearly 56,000 people in support.
No state that has put a marriage amendment up for a vote has turned it down.
Link here: http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?2005/11/29/4