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http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/leg.../01gaymain.html
Gay marriage ban amendment passes
Georgia voters to decide issue in November
By JIM THARPE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/01/04
Conservatives celebrated and subdued gay rights supporters vowed to continue fighting Wednesday night after the Georgia Legislature gave final approval to a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
The proposal, one of the most divisive issues to confront Georgia lawmakers in years, now moves to the state's voters, who must approve it in a
Nov. 2 referendum before it can become part of the state constitution.
After two hours of intense debate, the Democratic-controlled state House of Representatives narrowly endorsed the referendum, w
hic
passed the Republican-run Senate early in the legislativ
e session.
"I feel very gratified that the House gave the people the right to have a voice," said Sadie Fields, executive director of the Christian Coalition of Georgia, a key supporter of the proposed ban. "They did the right thing. It's the fair thing to do."
But gay rights advocates said the passage of Senate Resolution 595 just clears the way to make "discrimination" part of the Georgia Constitution. Several opponents of the proposed ban hugged one another and wiped away tears outside the House chamber as they vowed to continue their battle at the ballot box.
"I think we fought the good fight," said state Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), the state's only openly
gay lawmaker. "The conservatives won, but gay people are not going away."
The House voted 122-52 for the gay marriage ban as the giant tote boards over the chamber lit up at 6:5
4 p.
m. T
he final t
ally was just two votes more than the two-thirds majority needed in the 180-member House for passage of a propos
ed constitutional amendment.
The same proposal failed by just three votes in its first House appearance in late February, a decision that buoyed the hopes of gay rights supporters and sent conservatives scrambling. But four members of the 39-member House Legislative Black Caucus who did not vote Feb. 26 supported the ban Wednesday, ensuring its passage.
Gay rights advocates will begin an immediate campaign to defeat the proposal in November, said Allen Thornell, director of Georgia Equality, the state's largest gay rights group, which like the Christian Coalition had lobbied daily on the legislation. Metro Atlanta is believed to have the third-largest number of gay r
esidents in the nation, and many of them made their first trip to the Capitol this year to lobby against the ban.
"Today was a step backwards," said state Rep. Nan O
rrock (D
-Atlanta
), the Democratic
whip in the House and a staunch opponent of the amendment. "But we'll be back. We will continue to fight this battle. T
he forces of tolerance and inclusion and fair-mindedness ultimately are the forces that will move this state forward. We will not take this setback standing still."
Wednesday's vote followed three months of controversy that roiled the Capitol and strained traditional political alliances within the Democratic Party. The Georgia debate took place amid a growing national conversation about gay marriage. More than two dozen state legislatures are considering some form of gay marriage ban this year. Earlier this week, Massachusetts approved a same-sex marriage ban but, unlike Georgia, permitted gay civil unions.
Here, both sides ran well-polished l
obbying blitzes that jammed lawmakers' telephone lines, fax machines and e-mail in-boxes. On March 1, several thousand people on both sides of the issue took part in a
raucous Cap
itol rally
one of the largest in ye
ars --that attracted people from across the state.
Gay rights advocates contend that the ban would dangerously broa
den existing Georgia law, which already prohibits same-sex marriage. The constitutional amendment not only would bar same-sex marriage in Georgia but would prohibit the state from recognizing any same-sex "union" approved in another state.
Opponents of the amendment argued that its broad language could affect domestic partnership benefits offered by some Georgia companies. Supporters said it would have no impact on the policies of private companies.
Some opponents also accused Republicans of using the proposed ban as a ploy to increase conservative voter turnout in November. Conservatives countered that they are just trying to ward off attacks
on their core value system and to preserve marriage as a sacred bond that exists exclusively between a man and a woman. They argued that a constitutional ban
is necessary bec
ause "activ
ist judges" have overturned
statutory gay marriage bans in other states.
"We cannot let judges in Boston, or officials in San Francisco, define marriage for th
e people of Georgia," declared Rep. Bill Hembree (R-Douglasville). Hembree, a leading House spokesman for the amendment, said the ban will build a "wall of defense around the institution of marriage" and is needed to "protect the family structure that has existed for 6,000 years."
That argument apparently helped win over Black Caucus members Randal Mangham (D-Decatur), Sharon Beasley-Teague (D-Red Oak), Carl Von Epps (D-LaGrange) and LaNett Stanley-Turner (D-Atlanta). Those legislators did not vote Feb. 26 but supported the ban in Wednesday's vote.
"We shouldn't have to explain to 6-, 7- and
8-year-olds why men are kissing each other," said Mangham, whose vote was critical in Wednesday's passage. "I don't like having to
explain that to my
kids. I will continu
e to support their [homosexuals'] r
ight to do what they do, but they will not have the sanctity of marriage."
Staff writers Ernie Suggs and Patti Ghezzi contributed to this article.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/leg.../01gaymain.html
Gay marriage ban amendment passes
Georgia voters to decide issue in November
By JIM THARPE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/01/04
Conservatives celebrated and subdued gay rights supporters vowed to continue fighting Wednesday night after the Georgia Legislature gave final approval to a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
The proposal, one of the most divisive issues to confront Georgia lawmakers in years, now moves to the state's voters, who must approve it in a
Nov. 2 referendum before it can become part of the state constitution.
After two hours of intense debate, the Democratic-controlled state House of Representatives narrowly endorsed the referendum, w
hic
passed the Republican-run Senate early in the legislativ
e session.
"I feel very gratified that the House gave the people the right to have a voice," said Sadie Fields, executive director of the Christian Coalition of Georgia, a key supporter of the proposed ban. "They did the right thing. It's the fair thing to do."
But gay rights advocates said the passage of Senate Resolution 595 just clears the way to make "discrimination" part of the Georgia Constitution. Several opponents of the proposed ban hugged one another and wiped away tears outside the House chamber as they vowed to continue their battle at the ballot box.
"I think we fought the good fight," said state Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), the state's only openly
gay lawmaker. "The conservatives won, but gay people are not going away."
The House voted 122-52 for the gay marriage ban as the giant tote boards over the chamber lit up at 6:5
4 p.
m. T
he final t
ally was just two votes more than the two-thirds majority needed in the 180-member House for passage of a propos
ed constitutional amendment.
The same proposal failed by just three votes in its first House appearance in late February, a decision that buoyed the hopes of gay rights supporters and sent conservatives scrambling. But four members of the 39-member House Legislative Black Caucus who did not vote Feb. 26 supported the ban Wednesday, ensuring its passage.
Gay rights advocates will begin an immediate campaign to defeat the proposal in November, said Allen Thornell, director of Georgia Equality, the state's largest gay rights group, which like the Christian Coalition had lobbied daily on the legislation. Metro Atlanta is believed to have the third-largest number of gay r
esidents in the nation, and many of them made their first trip to the Capitol this year to lobby against the ban.
"Today was a step backwards," said state Rep. Nan O
rrock (D
-Atlanta
), the Democratic
whip in the House and a staunch opponent of the amendment. "But we'll be back. We will continue to fight this battle. T
he forces of tolerance and inclusion and fair-mindedness ultimately are the forces that will move this state forward. We will not take this setback standing still."
Wednesday's vote followed three months of controversy that roiled the Capitol and strained traditional political alliances within the Democratic Party. The Georgia debate took place amid a growing national conversation about gay marriage. More than two dozen state legislatures are considering some form of gay marriage ban this year. Earlier this week, Massachusetts approved a same-sex marriage ban but, unlike Georgia, permitted gay civil unions.
Here, both sides ran well-polished l
obbying blitzes that jammed lawmakers' telephone lines, fax machines and e-mail in-boxes. On March 1, several thousand people on both sides of the issue took part in a
raucous Cap
itol rally
one of the largest in ye
ars --that attracted people from across the state.
Gay rights advocates contend that the ban would dangerously broa
den existing Georgia law, which already prohibits same-sex marriage. The constitutional amendment not only would bar same-sex marriage in Georgia but would prohibit the state from recognizing any same-sex "union" approved in another state.
Opponents of the amendment argued that its broad language could affect domestic partnership benefits offered by some Georgia companies. Supporters said it would have no impact on the policies of private companies.
Some opponents also accused Republicans of using the proposed ban as a ploy to increase conservative voter turnout in November. Conservatives countered that they are just trying to ward off attacks
on their core value system and to preserve marriage as a sacred bond that exists exclusively between a man and a woman. They argued that a constitutional ban
is necessary bec
ause "activ
ist judges" have overturned
statutory gay marriage bans in other states.
"We cannot let judges in Boston, or officials in San Francisco, define marriage for th
e people of Georgia," declared Rep. Bill Hembree (R-Douglasville). Hembree, a leading House spokesman for the amendment, said the ban will build a "wall of defense around the institution of marriage" and is needed to "protect the family structure that has existed for 6,000 years."
That argument apparently helped win over Black Caucus members Randal Mangham (D-Decatur), Sharon Beasley-Teague (D-Red Oak), Carl Von Epps (D-LaGrange) and LaNett Stanley-Turner (D-Atlanta). Those legislators did not vote Feb. 26 but supported the ban in Wednesday's vote.
"We shouldn't have to explain to 6-, 7- and
8-year-olds why men are kissing each other," said Mangham, whose vote was critical in Wednesday's passage. "I don't like having to
explain that to my
kids. I will continu
e to support their [homosexuals'] r
ight to do what they do, but they will not have the sanctity of marriage."
Staff writers Ernie Suggs and Patti Ghezzi contributed to this article.