Same-sex marriage advertisement draws complaints from readers
Anita Clark Wisconsin State Journal

A full-page newspaper advertisement against same-sex marriage drew angry reaction from readers Wednesday.

An Madison-based interdenominational Christian organization, Alliance for Life Ministries, said it bought the ad because the issue needs more public discussion.

"There's a lot of rhetoric that you hear on both sides of the issue, but a lot of truth is not being broadcast," said Paul Lagan, Madison, president of the alliance.

The advertisement, which cost more than $5,000, ran in the front sections of the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times on the same day the U.S. Senate scuttled a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage


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Gay rights proponents savor Senate victory, brace for long battle
LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer

Gay rights advocates reveled in the moment after the Senate handed President Bush and his most conservative backers an embarrassing setback by voting to block a constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage.

But opponents of the Federal Marriage Amendment also acknowledged that with the House of Representatives and voters in 11 states set to take up the issue again, it's too early to declare victory. And conservatives vowed to use Wednesday's Senate outcome as ammunition in the upcoming election.

"The Republicans, at least some of them, have made the political calculation that this is to their benefit to raise," said Michael Adams, education director of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. "We certainly hope today's vote might have a moderating influence on them to realize it's not the political wedge issue they wanted."

Gay rights organizations have made fighting the amendment their top priority since the president announced his support for it in late February in a speech that complained about "activist judges" on Massachusetts' top court.