Despicable Coalition Announces Assault on Rights

Gay Marriage Foes Will Seek State Constitutional Ban

September 21, 2004

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Foes of same-sex marriage on Tuesday announced a drive to add a ban to the state constitution. The newly formed Allies for Marriage and Children, which includes social conservatives, community activists and some religious leaders, said it is responding to two recent court rulings that invalidated the state's Defense of Marriage Act. That law, passed in 1998 by the Legislature after overriding Gov. Gary Locke's veto, defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Many states have passed similar laws and state constitutional amendments and President Bush and some congressional allies have suggested an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage.

The rulings from King and Thurston county judges are on appeal to the state Supreme Court. A state constitutional amendment must originate in the Legislature, with a two-thirds vote in both chambers, followed by a statewide public vote.

State Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, said gay marriage will be a hot issue on the campaign trail and that pressure will mount to pass the amendment this winter. But state Rep. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, one of four openly gay men in the House, said the measure is doomed to fail and probably wouldn't even get out of committee.

Equal Rights Washington, a group advocating equal treatment for gays, said marriage is "a pro-family ideal" that should be available to all. Children need a safe and loving environment created by nurturing parents, regardless of the couple's gender, the group said.

Leaders of the new anti-gay marriage coalition, described by former Seattle Seahawks football star Jeff Kemp as "broad and diverse," announced the new effort at the Capitol. A handful of legislators attended their news conference. "Marriage needs to be strengthened, not redefined," said Kemp, executive director of the Bellevue-based Families Northwest.

Other speakers, including three African-American pastors, said the nation's children have been left out of the debate over adults' rights. "All of us have seen first hand the damage that is done when children don't have the benefit of experiencing the different types of parenting that a mother and a father bring to the family," Kemp said. "Children need to have both a mother and father as role models. ... That is the best arrangement for our kids."

He said the group has "no intention of being mean" to gays, but believes the institution of marriage and traditional families must be upheld.

"Marriage was created for children and strong families, not for the convenience of adults," said The Rev. Aaron Haskins, director of the Seattle-based Coalition for Community Development and Renewal. "In my own ministry, I see the terrible effects on children not having a mother and a father present every day."

Doug Wheeler, director of Zion Preparatory Academy in Seattle, said young people already are confused by all the debate over families and marriage. Expanding the definition of marriage would "pollute the minds of our children," he said.

The Rev. Joe Fuiten, pastor of Cedar Park Church in Bothell and head of Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government, said in a prepared statement that lawmakers need to pay attention to kids. "We talk constantly about children in other areas, like education and access to health care, but this legal debate has put the interests of kids aside," he said.

Kemp said his group's first goal is to get legislative candidates paying attention to the issue and to let the Supreme Court know that plenty of people care about preserving traditional marriage. The next step will be to advocate for a constitutional amendment, he said. Sponsors have not been lined up.

Although the original Defense of Marriage Act passed by at least two-thirds in both houses, it will be an uphill battle to change the constitution, he said. The language of the amendment hasn't been firmed up. It could simply enshrine the state ban in the constitution or could attempt to declare that the Legislature, not the courts, is the last word on defining marriage, Kemp said.

Murray, meanwhile, said he objects to injecting a divisive issue into legislative races. Some lawmakers who voted for the ban in 1998 lost their seats, but no one who opposed it was defeated, he said.

Gay marriage should actually stabilize and enhance relationships and families, he said. "I think we will have a battle royal over the issue of marriage next year and at the end, I don't believe it will be sent to the ballot," Murray said. "I don't believe the majority of people in Washington support same-sex marriage, but I also don't believe they support the kind of intolerance that was on display today."

The pro-gay rights coalition released statements from eight groups that oppose the ban. "Our families deserve the same rights and respect as any other family," said Bill Dubay, organizer of the state chapter of DontAmend.com. "We have been preparing to face our opponents and will continue to organize and stay active in the political process until all Americans are treated equally under the law."

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