Equality for All Campaign Responds to Possibility of Constitutional Amendment Banning Marriage for Gay and Lesbian Couples
 

Sacramento—Proponents of an initiative that would use the California constitution to unfairly prohibit gay and lesbian couples from marrying claim to have enough signatures to qualify the initiative for the California ballot in November.

“While we don’t know the actual number of signatures they will turn in, we do know that California voters believe people should not be treated unfairly under the laws of our state,” said Geoff Kors, Executive Director of Equality California and member of the Equality For All Executive Committee.  “We won’t know for several weeks if the proponents have actually submitted the signatures they claim or if they have turned in enough to qualify their proposal for the November ballot. “

The initiative requires 694,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.  If passed, the amendment would amend the state constitution to “provide that only marriage between one man and one woman (be) valid or recognized in California.”  

“After failing in 2004 and 2006 to qualify similar amendments for the ballot, out-of-state extremist organizations had to spend close to 2 million dollars to collect the signatures they claim to have,” said Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and President of the Equality For All Campaign.  “Proponents of this amendment resorted to paying people brought in from across the country to gather signatures.  It is clear that the people of California did not rush to put this measure on the ballot.”

On April 10, Governor Schwarzenegger added his voice of opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment, saying, "Well, first of all, I think it would never happen in California because I think that California people are much further along on that issue, and number two, I will always be there to fight against that.”

 “The freedom to marry is a fundamental right like other basic human rights, such as free speech, the right to vote and the pursuit of happiness,” said Jean.  “The government has no business determining who can or cannot get married.”   

“Whatever the true number turns out to be, the Governor is right that the people of California have come a long way on this issue,” said Kors.  “Whether this amendment qualifies this year or appears on a future ballot we are prepared to mount a vigorous statewide campaign and we are optimistic that California voters will reject this attempt to deny gay and lesbian couples the right to marry.”

The Equality for All campaign is a large and diverse coalition of civil rights, faith, choice, labor and community of color organizations working to stop and defeat any ballot measure that would deny gay and lesbian couples the right to marry in California