Louisiana Anti-Marriage Amendment Struck Down
Statement by Matt Foreman, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:


"All across the country, the forces of religious and political intolerance are trying to do the same thing they did in Louisiana - mislead voters about what's at stake. They say they are only interested in preserving marriage as a heterosexual institution. In reality, the measures they are putting forward not only seek to forbid same sex marriage, they also seek to eliminate all other forms of partner recognition, such as domestic partnerships. This is true in 8 of the 11 anti-marriage amendments on the ballot in November 2.

Clearly, this is about more than 'defending marriage' (from what they cannot explain) it is about denying any protections or benefits to any kind of relationships outside of marriage. They do not care about real people's lives - real families and their children - only their own narrow view of the world.

We know these same forces will be back next year, but at the very least, today's court decision means that they will not be able to again mislead voters about what's truly at stake. We look forward to working with Equality Louisiana and its allies and beating our opponents in round 2."