|
Gay activists reveal plan |
|
SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--If the major homosexual activist groups have their way, there won't be an outbreak of "gay marriage" lawsuits nationwide now that California has legalized such unions -- at least not yet.
Nine of the nation's largest homosexual activist organizations have issued a joint six-page statement urging couples not to sue in their home states or in federal court. The reason? Losses in such lawsuits could set the "gay marriage" movement back for years.
The joint document, called "Make Change, Not Lawsuits," was signed by, among others, the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal and the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD).
For years the groups have worked together to put forth a unified effort on the issue of "gay marriage" and "gay rights." The statement, though, is the first time they have jointly put their strategy on paper for the entire nation to read.
The document apparently seeks to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2005 when a federal judge in Florida tossed out a lawsuit against the federal Defense of Marriage Act and in Arizona in 2003 when a state appeals court refused to legalize "gay marriage." Neither lawsuit had the backing of major homosexual activist groups.
"The fastest way to win the freedom to marry throughout America is by getting marriage through state courts (to show that fairness requires it) and state legislatures (to show that people support it)," the June 9 statement reads. "We need to start with states where we have the best odds of winning.
Related Items:
|