News

Needless Anti-Marriage Legislation Threatens GOP's Majority in Fall

May 8, 1996

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Federal legislation seeking to both bar recognition of same-sex marriages and allow states to ignore same-sex marriages performed in other states, introduced in Congress today, will needlessly hurt the GOP majority in Congress.

"There is nothing Democrats would like more than to tag the Republicans in the 104th Congress as extreme," said Richard Tafel, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans. "The fact is that President Clinton has already come out against marriage for gay couples. No state recognizes gay marriages. And the Republicans have yet to deliver on the central promises in the Contract with America. Introducing this gratuitous anti-marriage legislation will only help to ensure that the extreme, gay-bashing image of the party will stick."

"This issue is still being discussed at the local and state levels. It is the height of hyprocrisy to call for the devolution of power to the states, and then propose this type of federal legislation," Tafel added. "If such a bill passes, it will once again pit states against the federal government, something Republicans have said they were trying to get away from."

"The Republican leadership should get these members under control. The American people want balanced budgets, less government and reduced taxes. Republicans should be fulfilling promises to the American people instead of putting out fires started by the far right, whether by Rep. Bob Dornan (R-CA) or Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA). The real losers here will be Republican moderates in close races who will have extremist, gay-bashing image hung around their necks in the election," Tafel said.