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Log Cabin Criticizes President's Speech on the Anti-Family Constitutional Amendment

The President's Call for "Tolerance and Civility" While Advocating Discrimination Rings Hollow

June 5, 2006

(Washington, DC) – "Good conservatives and loyal Republicans should resist politically motivated efforts to write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution," said Log Cabin President Patrick Guerriero. "The President's call for 'tolerance and civility' while advocating discrimination rings hollow. In fact, the effort to write discrimination into our Constitution is an intolerant and uncivil attack on gay and lesbian Americans and our families."

"Good conservatives and loyal Republicans should oppose this amendment," said Guerriero. "Vice-President Dick Cheney, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), former Senator John Danforth (R-MO), and many others understand this amendment hurts families, weakens the Constitution, and puts our party on the wrong side of history."

The President said this amendment would protect states rights. Nothing could be further from the truth. "This amendment undermines our Party's conservative belief in federalism," said Guerriero. "States around the nation are working through this issue in different ways. The President and other amendment supporters are trying to short circuit this healthy debate by imposing a federal solution for a problem that doesn't exist. States remain capable of working through this issue without interference from politically motivated Washington politicians."

Those who are pushing this amendment aren't really afraid of so-called "activist judges;" they're actually afraid of fair-minded Americans deciding this issue in the coming years and decades. Every day, more and more Americans understand that gay and lesbian families deserve basic protections and fairness. Amendment supporters don't really believe in "the will of the people" if the people end up coming to a conclusion they disagree with.

Three weeks ago, here's what President Bush said from the Oval Office about the immigration issue: "We cannot build a unified country by inciting people to anger, or playing on anyone's fears or exploiting the issue of immigration for political gain."

"It's unfortunate the President doesn't feel the same way about gay and lesbian families," said Guerriero.