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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 2004)
i I news handful of prominent Massachu setts legal figures have written to state legislators urging them to pass a law that will carry out the Catholics condemn; polls backfire on bigots; ruling of the Supreme Judicial Court allowing gays to marry. The letter greeted Dick Cheney stabs his daughter in the back by B o b R oeh r them at the start of legislative session Jan. 5. “We see the S JC ’s ruling as unequivocal: The existing han on marriage for gay people is unconstitutional,” they wrote. “We urge each of you as members of a coordinated branch of gov ernment sworn to uphold the constitution, and the rule of law, to use the remainder of the time period in the court’s stay to take any and all steps possible to facilitate the orderly issuance of marriage licenses to qualified same-sex couples.” Lawrence Tribe, a constitutional scholar at Harvard University, was the primary drafter of the letter. Signing it were former U.S. Attorney and Republican Gov. William Weld; former state Once the politicians start using Attorneys General Scott Harshbarger and James the Constitution to take away M. Shannon; and Renee M. Landers, Boston Bar rights, I wondet which ones Association president. they'll go after next A All of the signers had announced their positions ■ 'Ofm t-»t ♦■ <«*>♦ -'*««». % >’ \ * Y/. % *• 9*9* at earlier dates. However, it is unusual for them to A i x?t •• **»' * Jr> ÿü! «A * i s t i* * » -V-' V«. v<* »•:(**** ; i Jfe- vtw> . <X 4 V' <kw » :t v* Vtt take such a public stance in lobbying legislators. *x*x « : f f k q p K : M t * v > » :<• p }•■> > t ::• :l »>* : :-k y * <«*• n a «k í '•< U to .<-tyA* H«-. fx v ..«• « s • ¡ i * * ,; î *?*■>*» «>*■ •*+ **$ *& *** Openly gay state Sen. Jarrett T. Barrios has x <*-*-• * xx »b ..«**> (v : said that he intends to apply for a marriage « iy-**MMi»<ÀWieBW w « 3 *>ír* **• t< W a I> :xí> A* : *í>*'-* » *»•: •Mr'*» •-<: ::v s ■ <. : V ax t < S- - » :> -t&v v license when they become available in the %-xi X. fru» : »»ox«* x# : spring. He told The Boston Globe that the letter *c: ><*••»•••: >»« i■ :M- »• : ^m: <4 f *<** vAt^ A * Jkt-* would have a positive effect, though no one is S. :>.<•** ln 'i -H WViiVp'- ta» :« * , t;*<- V N «xi V'vt-w ” <*•:. •-*< • : • sr -a* ap <x:: predicting the extent of that effect. In a Jan. 3 column in the Globe, Patrick Guer- xi»; %av»> >•<::»: '»¡ÿ ioèr riero, Log Cabin Republicans executive director ***r ».ti *< i *"" and former Melrose mayor and Massachusetts state Be omsenmivr with the Constitution Don t amend it. Be í oflservstive »ítli the Constiiuiion Don t amend il legislator, called the courts decision “a conserva M OMAN fot Hwrr itôimKüiofi: a a ah -v !.r&'i:-;n>Ui;;»o(í. form ón» fréJiM inir ^ h « < xisii; • « m > îi r i g h i s tive ruling on gay marriage.” He pointed to its argu ment that “exclusive unions, recognized by a civil marriage license, will provide greater family stabil The Human Rights Campaign has launched an advertising campaign quoting conservative ity and a more ordered society. Self-proclaimed opponents to the Federal Marriage Amendment pro-family groups should be embracing stable rela tionship«, not encouraging transient ones." the Catholic Lawyers’ Guild, Robert Bork lam “nearly seven in 10 Massachusetts residents Guerriero reminded readers that state basted the judicial tyranny of the Massachusetts want to vote on whether the state should issue lawmakers “repeatedly failed” to act on lesser Supreme Judicial Court in deciding the gay mar marriage licenses to gay couples.” The respected legislation, including domestic partnership and riage case. He said the majority decision was based firm Zogby International conducted the poll. civil union bills that he had introduced. on “arguments that did not rise above the quality But the coalition’s spin turned to humilia of a late-night philosophy session in a dormitory.” tion Jan. 8 when it became known that it had nce again the Catholic Church has raised Bork was nominated for the U.S. Supreme released only part of the survey results and had its voice in opposition to same-sex mar Court by President Ronald Reagan but was grossly misrepresented the total picture. riage. Speaking from the pulpit Jan. 11, Boston rejected by the Senate as too ideological. “1 want to apologize,” spokesman Ronald A. Archbishop Sean P. O ’Malley called upon “our Neither set of comments surprised Margaret Crews told the Globe. “I misspoke. I misspoke Catholic lawyers and jurists to live your bap Williams, interim executive director of Gay & primarily out of ignorance.” The coalition tismal commitment” and oppose such unions. Lesbian Advocates &. Defenders, the group that quickly released results from the remaining 13 “The prevalence of divorce and cohabitation brought the case. “This is not about the questions on the 20-question survey. in the last decades has done great harm to the Catholic Church,” she told The Boston Globe. The key question, “Marriage is such an impor institution of marriage, by taking the focus off “It’s about the rights and freedoms under the tant institution that it should be defined in our children," he said. “Same-sex marriage will only Massachusetts Constitution.... The separation constitution as the union of a man and a woman,” further the tendency to only see marriage as of church and state should be very clear.” found 48 percent agreeing and 49 percent dis being for the good of the adult without taking agreeing with the statement. That is consistent into account the children and their interests.” arlier in the week the right-wing Coalition with earlier polls that had found Massachusetts After the service, at a luncheon sponsored by for Marriage released survey results claiming voters fairly evenly divided on the subject. M arriage U pdate A -«•’ • j . * •fcrir >< X.*K- - « X » V ■r-x-jf - . i , # * * » * x « < í í : x : r « 4 r * « k : w -• * « » » • ftrtc 4 k - 4* • y * * : » « - s.: < a t **- *,x :ti*' «V.: m 2 x í a xm m •x. ;* « * < < •< :* •■ ■ *+* U*«.- x . * 4 >A r » .> ' vowjé V x \ « : y x *> •»'. < . - x m Î k > <*•> $•>*(■ ■ v * ' « ; * . A ? 'W * fc*-» ••fcc- :-j»**•>:: i:-»> .v* : s: •*«; * SKlMlt¿ A X f > " « « t e W - . - m Í XXÍ* tí» -k ' • Ut :* f> s x ¡*:À . ' ’.<< ‘A ‘- a ■ <ji M X - î v ,.* . j* y .- V t » * i x *. * ' • -Al* < j» : K»*a •< i t A m ; * « -K if * ••» n j A y , ' t W e-x» Irv : * V A t : * » « ( > -.V v f t x ó Sr.NMk >*x k -• A - A « ' . ) a * - k < : * í< :x t « « » « * ¡ MWt ' < a **« -1 :<ft>at)Mtf «t*4 i , ' - - m m ■ »■» * * - < x no» íx ^ -4 ♦ * : t tT ’ ; ft n .j*. t a v rx ru *. t v « * < * * , m * , ***■ + *» O E Lowest Gauranteed Prices! • Free Estimates • Free Installation • 90 days same as cash on approved credit LOCALLY — OWNED Perhaps most importantly, the Zogby poll found that only 5 percent of likely voters believe gay marriage is the most important issue facing the state. Jobs, the economy, health care and education all ranked far higher. A nother right-wing organization, the Tupelo, Miss.-hased American Family Association, has been running “America’s Poll on Homosex ual Marriage” at www.marriagepoll.com for the past few weeks. Only votes with a valid e-mail address will be counted. The survey says, “Results of this poll will be presented to Congress.” But perhaps not, if current results hold up. More than 800,000 people have weighed in, and so far the association’s favorite position—“I oppose legalization of homosexual marriage and ‘civil unions’ ”— has garnered only about 32 percent of the vote. Nearly 60 percent “favor legalization of homosexual marriage.” The vote in support of “civil union with the full benefits of marriage except for the name” is coming in at about 8 percent. he Denver Post pressed Vice President Dick Cheney on his views about same-sex mar riage, and the constitutional amendment that would ban it, in an interview published Jan. 9. He reiterated the view he expressed during the 2000 campaign— that such relationships ought to be legally recognized, that states were the proper venue to make those decisions and that they may choose varying approaches. However, Cheney pledged political loyalty to Bush with regard to federal aspects of mar riage. “The president is going to have to make a decision in terms of what administration policy is on this particular provision, and I will support whatever decision he makes.” Cheney declined to discuss what advice he has offered Bush on this or any other issue. His daughter Mary is a lesbian in a long-term rela tionship who also heads the vice presidential re- election effort. T M eanwhile, the Human Rights Campaign, in partnership with other organizations, has launched a $350,000 print and radio adver tising campaign opposing the Federal Marriage Amendment. It quotes conservative opponents to the amendment, such as former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga.; former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo.; and columnist George F. Will. And it closes with the tag line “Real conservatives agree: Be conserva tive with the Constitution— don’t amend it.” The ad campaign urges U.S. citizens to con tact their members of Congress expressing that view, j n B ob R oehr is a free-lance reporter based m Washington, D .C . A OPERATED — Tiome iDcluwied ‘ FR ESH LO CAL ORGANIC PRODUCE 1 I 1 I | 1 . Y ew £ a c a t io n 2019 SE Belmont W ITH RETAIL SPACE Serving Oregon & 51V Washington 503-590-4333 E H H 3 E J Œ I HuntefDougtos Salem 5 0 3 - 3 6 2 - 1 6 4 3 w w w .b u d g ttM iM lt.co m • O r g a n ic s to You H O M E '^ D E I . I V K RY O F O R G A N I C G O O D S (503)236-6496 1 1 I w w w .o r g a n ic s to y o u .o r g
