News

Log Cabin campaign against anti-gay constitutional amendment

September 2, 2003

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Log Cabin Republicans announce the launch of a nation-wide lobbying campaign targeting Republican elected officials and party leaders in response to a United States Senate hearing scheduled for Thursday, September 4, 2003 before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution. The hearing will focus on the Defense of Marriage Act, passed by Congress in 1996 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, and whether amending the Constitution is necessary to support the Congressional intent of that act.

"The message from Log Cabin members and allies across the nation is clear and unequivocal; hijacking the sacred Constitution of the United States of America to score political points with the radical right is completely unnecessary and will only serve to divide the American family," said Log Cabin Republican executive director Patrick Guerriero. The federal Defense of Marriage Act already defines marriage as something between a man and a woman.

"As Republicans, we agree with Vice-President Cheney, who said 'I think we ought to do everything we can to tolerate and accommodate whatever kind of relationships people want to enter into.' Even former Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA), the author of the Defense of Marriage Act, is on record opposing a constitutional amendment noting that, 'A constitutional amendment is both unnecessary and needlessly intrusive and punitive.' There is nothing conservative about unnecessarily tinkering with the U.S Constitution and nothing conservative about discouraging stable relationships," added Guerriero.

Log Cabin Republicans believe in civil recognition of gay and lesbian couples in law-abiding, tax-paying committed relationships. This basic recognition would encourage stable families, offer tax fairness, insure inheritance rights and guarantee hospital visitation rights for all American families – all supported by a majority of Americans. This civil recognition would in no way interfere with religious traditions or religious freedom.

This campaign will feature Log Cabin Republicans and friends writing, emailing and meeting with members of Congress and GOP party leaders urging them not to amend the Constitution. "As a grass-roots political organization with members and chapters across the nation we are uniquely prepared to reach out to Republican leaders and make a conservative and Republican case against igniting a cultural war as we head to the 2004 elections," added Mark Mead, Log Cabin Director of Public Affairs.

"The American people are looking to our nation's leaders to win the war on terror and jump start the economy. A Congressional move to amend the Constitution, and the resulting fight in states across the nation, would result in an intense cultural war that would divide the Republican Party and divide the American family," concluded Guerriero.