ANTI-Marriage: Call it "the Musgrave Amendment"

CALL IT "THE MUSGRAVE AMENDMENT"

Dear sisters and brothers,


"Name it and claim it."

That's a powerful principle in linguistics and in politics, meaning that terminology shapes discourse. Right-wingers have mastered this very well. That's why they speak of a "Federal Marriage Amendment", as if an anti-queer amendment would somehow assist different-sex marriages.

Please don't help our opponents by using their biased language, thus tilting the debate in their favor.

The amendment currently before Congress is properly, logically, and neutrally called "the Musgrave Amendment", after its House sponsor, Representative Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colorado). She deserves historical credit for her effort.

Don't fall into the trap of calling her proposal "the FMA", or "the Marriage Amendment", as fascists will surely do. Call this version THE MUSGRAVE AMENDMENT.

Other versions may soon appear, from the White House and/or from Congress. Call these by the names of their principal sponsors (Ashcroft, Bush, whomever).

What would we call several competing queer-bashing bills of attainder, as a group? Plurally, the most logical terms of reference would be "the ANTI-marriage amendments", and/or "the anti-gay amendments".


Urgently.
Tortuga Bi Liberty,
for SUN,
San Francisco
.......
PLEASE FORWARD THIS
to all friends of civil liberties & civil rights.
.............