HRC: AMENDMENT REINTRODUCTION DEMONSTRATES ALLARD AND ALLIES ARE OUT-OF-TOUCH WITH AMERICAN PUBLIC

‘The American people value freedom, not discrimination,’ said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg.

WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign denounced today’s reintroduction of an amendment that would deny marriage to same-sex couples, emphasizing how out-of-touch Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.; his co-sponsors; President Bush and the extreme right wing are with the American public on the issue of writing discrimination into the Constitution.

“The American people value freedom, not discrimination,” said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. “Americans want laws that ensure the safety and stability of their neighbors, and that’s what our policymakers should be focused on. Pushing an amendment that would deny protections to millions of Americans is completely out-of-step with our nation’s values.”

According to an article in The Rocky Mountain News, Allard today plans to reintroduce the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment, which would deny marriage to same-sex couples and deny the ability to provide any protections to same-sex couples, such as domestic partnerships and civil unions.


In a Jan. 16 interview with The Washington Post, President Bush acknowledged the lack of congressional support for the amendment and told reporters he “will not press senators to pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.” After being pressured by the extreme right wing, the administration backtracked, declaring they would expend political capital to push the discriminatory amendment, despite knowing they lack the votes.