And the Marriage Amendments Keep-a-Comin'

by Michael Jones · 2009-01-13 07:28:00 UTC
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Vote on your marriageIt almost feels like listening to the announcer at the Kentucky Derby. "And, we're off! Indiana takes the lead by a hair over Wyoming, and oh-no, here comes Pennsylvania on the outside! But watch North Carolina from the back! This could be a photo finish! Who will win the race to revise their state constitution and ban same-sex marriage!"

(OK, William H. Macy does it better.)

We're two weeks into 2009, and already two states are shepherding the process for adding statewide constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage.  And both states just happened to mention their plans yesterday. Winning the race by a few hours was Indiana, where anti-marriage legislators are going to attempt yet again to amend the constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Previous attempts at amending the constitution failed in 2006 when the state House of Representatives stalled (thankfully). But organizers are back with a new amendment, and their new proposed law packs the same discriminatory punch - it would ban any form of same-sex marriage, as well as civil unions.

Hopefully, as reports seem to indicate, the Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives will let this proposed amendment die a much deserved death in Committee.

The second state out of the gate (to continue with the horse racing metaphors) yesterday was Wyoming, where lawmakers are pushing for an amendment which would ban out-of-state same-sex marriages, and define marriage in Wyoming as between one Herr and one Frau. Wyoming already has a state statute that discriminates against same-sex marriage.

Post-Prop 8, Indiana and Wyoming now become the first two states to mix it up in their respective state legislatures on the issue of same-sex marriage and constitutional amendments. But with waning public support for constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage, will there be enough juice for anti-marriage activists to move these initiatives forward?

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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