jim neal - Pennsylvania Senate to vote on marriage amendment bill today

May 6th, 2008 · No Comments

jim neal - In yet another move to “protect” marriage, the wingnuts in Pennsylvania have stepped up to the plate as Senate Bill 1250 moved from committee to a full Senate vote today

Senate Bill 1250, which is meant to bolster the state’s 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which already prohibits same-sex marriage, “is disheartening and discriminatory,” said Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park. “It’s marriage mischief — an attempt to enshrine bigotry in the state constitution,” he told an angry crowd of 200 protesters gathered in the Capitol rotunda.
“Politicians always want to get into your wallet, but now many politicians, some Democrats as well as Republicans, want to get into your bedroom.”
Other opponents of the constitutional amendment included Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, and Democratic Sens. Vincent Fumo of Philadelphia and Connie Williams of Delaware County. “When the basic rights of any group are threatened, then no one’s rights are safe,” said Mr. Fumo, amid echoing chants of “Stop this bill! Stop this bill!”
“Freedom is at risk in the bill,” said Mr. Fumo, whose South Philadelphia district includes considerable numbers of gay and lesbian voters. “It’s possible this legislative body could embed discrimination in our constitution by taking away the rights of a group of people based on their sexuality.”

You can read more about this at Joe Murray’s blog, Paleo Place. Over at Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, there is a call for LGBT residents to get on the phone and call their legislators.
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