Oppose Discriminatory Constitutional Amendments SC 1/ACA 3

MECAMail!© Marriage Equality California,
a project of Equality California Institute
http://www.marriageequalityca.org and http://www.eqca.org
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"Marriage, Anything Less Is Less Than Equal"
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URGENT ACTION ALERT
Discriminatory Anti-LGBT California Constitutional Amendments Set for May 10th Vote

Please Take Immediate Action to Oppose These Discriminatory Amendments Pending in
the State Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committees!

If you aren't already signed up, go to http://www.eqca.org action alert center and send an
automated message to your elected officials through EQCA's advocacy center.

We have entered one of the most important time's in the fight for equal rights that
LGBT Californian's have ever faced. As we continue to move forward a positive agenda
to end discrimination, our opponents are working overtime to take away everything
we've gained.

Next Tuesday, the State Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committees will hear two
Constitutional Amendments sponsored by the Traditional Values Coalition that would
shamelessly repeal all rights for LGBT people and their families by enshrining
discrimination in our state Constitution. PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW TO OPPOSE THESE
AMENDMENTS. (A sample of the letter you can send through the action alert center at
http://www.eqca.org is below)

Senate Constitutional Amendment 1, by Senator Bill Morrow (R-Oceanside), and
Assembly Constitutional Amendment 3, by Assemblymember Ray Haynes (R-Temecula)
state:

"(a) Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California,
whether contracted in this state or elsewhere. (b) The rights, responsibilities,
benefits, and obligations of a marriage shall only be granted, bestowed, and
conferred upon a man and a woman joined in a valid marriage, and may not be
conferred upon any other union or partnership."

Last year, the California Legislature passed Equality California-sponsored Assembly
Joint Resolution 85, by Assemblymember Mark Leno, that put the State of California
on record as opposing such discriminatory legislation and initiatives.

It is vitally important you support us today. We cannot allow our constitution to
be used to deny rights to LGBT people and create second-class status for our
community. California has a strong history of protecting the rights of its people
and it is essential that the state oppose this effort to prevent equality for all
its residents. California is home to the largest population of same-sex couples and
families in the country. These amendments would have a deafening impact on our
lives if we do not act now!

California is only one of two legislatures in the country to enact legislation
providing comprehensive rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples without
court intervention and the first state legislature to pass a marriage equality bill
through a legislative committee.

It is imperative that the legislature oppose any amendment that would jeopardize
California’s domestic partnership laws, limit California’s ability to enact
legislation that would allow same-sex couples to marry, or prohibit California’s
courts from addressing this issue.

Please OPPOSE these amendments now by emailing the Judiciary Committees-- now.

You should also call to encourage your legislator to oppose these divisive and
discriminatory bills. You can find your legislator's contact information by visiting
http://www.legislature.ca.gov.

Thank you!

Geoffrey Kors
Executive Director
Equality California

Join EQCA, renew your membership or make a donation to support our work : SUPPORT
EQCA TODAY


Sample Letter to Legislators Opposing SCA 1 and ACA 3
I am adamantly opposed to ACA 3 (Haynes) and SCA 1 (Morrow), which would repeal all
protections for gay and lesbian families and undo the California constitution’s
guarantee of equal protection under the law for all its citizens by amending our
state Constitution.

Last year, the California Legislature passed Equality California-sponsored Assembly
Joint Resolution 85 by Assemblymember Mark Leno that put the State of California on
record as opposing such discriminatory legislation and initiatives.

It is vitally important you oppose these two constitutional amendments. We cannot
allow our constitution to be used to deny rights to LGBT people and create
second-class status for our community. California has a strong history of protecting
the rights of its people and it is essential that the state oppose this effort to
prevent California from providing equality to all its residents.

It is imperative that the legislature oppose any amendment that would jeopardize
California’s domestic partnership laws, limit California’s ability to enact
legislation that would allow same-sex couples to marry, or prohibit California’s
courts from addressing this issue.

Some argue that a constitutional amendment is necessary to ensure that clergy and
faith groups will never be forced to recognize same-sex marriages against their
will. This argument is unfounded and false. Such coercion is already forbidden by
the First Amendment’s "establishment" clause, its guarantee of the right to "free
exercise" of religion, and the Supreme Court’s doctrine of religious autonomy that
is rooted in both religion clauses. These, and only these, are all the protections
for religious autonomy–-and religious marriage–-our nation needs.

Our nation’s founders adopted the First Amendment precisely because they foresaw
the dangers of allowing government to have control over religious doctrine and
decision. It is their commitment to religious freedom that has allowed religious
practice and pluralism to flourish in America. If that freedom is to be preserved,
we must respect the rights of those in the faith community to apply these religious
teachings and values to the issue of same-sex relationships. It is surely not the
business of congress, much less the constitution, to assert control over the
doctrine and practice of our faith communities.

These amendments would weaken our constitution, threaten religious liberty, and
stifle America’s diverse religious voices. I believe it would be a terrible
mistake to write into our constitution bias and discrimination. We are therefore
united in urging you to reject this constitutional amendment and avoid stigmatizing
so many of our fellow citizens who do not deserve to be treated in such a manner.

In 1948, the California Supreme Court became the first state court in the country
to strike down a law prohibiting interracial marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court
invalidated all such laws in 1967. The California Supreme Court held that "marriage
is...something more than a civil contract subject to regulation by the state; it is
a fundamental right of free men...legislation infringing such rights must be based
upon more than prejudice and must be free from oppressive discrimination to comply
with the constitutional requirements of due process and equal protection of the
laws."

Every Californian deserves access to the legal rights and responsibilities designed
to protect relationships and families. While domestic partnerships provide many
vital protections, they still fall short of civil marriage by denying same-sex
couples access to more than one thousand rights under federal law, such as social
security benefits and family and medical leave. Domestic partners may not file
joint tax returns and their family contract is not portable out of state. These
families deserve better from their government and should be provided access to the
civil institution of marriage without regard to their gender or sexual orientation.

Thank you for your support of equality.