AUGUST 14.2004 • Q-NOTES
National
17
Missouri voters back measure
to ban gay marriage
State first to pass such measure
by Sue Daniels
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Voters in Missouri on
Aug. 3- overwhelmingly approved a pro
posal to amend the state’s constitution to
ban gay marriage, officially making the
state the first in the nation to do so.
The proposal had
garnered about 70
percent of the votes,
with much of the
support coming from
Coalition- to-
Vicky Hartzler of the
Coalition to Protect
Marriage in Missouri
was at the forefront
of the fight to insure
successful passage
of the country's first
complete ban on
gay marriage.
ifi; Crllisspuri,
conservative rural
area, according to
the Missouri Secre
tary of State’s office.
The Midwestern
state already has
laws barring same-
sex marriage, but
grassroots activists have lobbied for
stronger “protection” for traditional mar
riage in the wake of. a decision by the
Massachusetts Supreme Court late last
year that opened the door to same-sex
unions in that state.
“We’re very gratified and encouraged
by the overwhelming support for tradition
al marriage,” said Vicky Hartzler, spokes
woman for the Coalition to Protect
Marriage in Missouri.
“People understand we have a wise
public policy in Missouri and want to pro
tect traditional marriage from possible
legal challenges. People don’t want to see
in Missouri what happened in
Massachusetts.”
The outcome in Missouri was not a sur
prise — polls had shown the measure was
likely to pass.
“Gays and lesbians didn’t ask for this
fight; it was brought to them,” said Doug
Gray, campaign manager for the
Constitution Defense League, ■ which
opposed the amendment.
Despite the apparent overwhelming
support for the measure. Gray said oppo
nents still felt they had accomplished
something. “We educated a lot of people
around the state,” he said. “It’s an ongoing
battle.”
Although Missouri is the first state to
outlaw gay marriage, 40 other states
already have laws outlining their refusal to
recognize same-sex marriages in some
form or another.
The new law — in response to the
Massachusetts ruling earlier this year that
declared barring gay couples from mar
riage was unconstitutional — is intended
to limit the powers of state courts from
overturning this refusal.
The state constitutional amendment is
similar to the national amendment sup
ported up by U.S. President George W.
Bush.
He had hoped that the amendment
would see the country’s legal foundations
changed so as to limit marriage to hetero
sexual couples.
The federal amendment was blocked by
the U.S. Senate, after an outcry from both
civil rights groups — who believe same-
sex couples should be allowed to marry —
and conservatives that were unhappy with
the Constitution being altered.
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with your respective states.
Don't give away your right to be heard. Be sure to vote!
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