Click here to join the Pride Center!
Check out the New Alternative Phone Book:
"My Out and About"
|
Supporting Marriage Discrimination Leaves Our Children Behind
WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 21, 2004 - In his State of the Union address last night, President George W. Bush reaffirmed his support for the definition of marriage to be limited to one man and one woman, saying "Our Nation must defend the sanctity of marriage." With a proposed constitutional amendment barring all types of recognition for same-sex couples in the U.S. Congress, Bush's remarks were a call to action for those who oppose marriage equality and a challenge to members of Congress. Bush also called for Congress and the nation to "stand with our families to help them raise healthy, responsible children."
"We couldn't agree more with efforts to strengthen our families and provide our children with the best possible environments at home, at school and in other institutions of our choosing. But when a lesbian or gay parent is denied the opportunity to be with his or her child in the emergency room, we aren't serving or protecting our children's health. When children are called out and punished at school for honestly answering questions about their families, we aren't providing them with the best of educational opportunities," said Aimee Gelnaw, executive director of the Family Pride Coalition, the only national non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to securing equality for LGBT parents and their families. "Our country can do better, and all our children deserve our best efforts. To continue with this effort to deny marriage -- or any legal recognition of our relationships -- is anathema to any call to stand for families.
"While President Bush tries to appear more compassionate by following his incredibly divisive remarks with a reminder that 'each individual has dignity and value in God's sight,' he completely fails to recognize that basic human dignity by supporting efforts to discriminate against lesbian and gay Americans," Gelnaw said.
"Our Constitution has never been amended to discriminate against an entire group of people; to deny one group of Americans the same rights and responsibilities granted to others," Gelnaw said. "While President Bush clearly took great pride in his efforts to leave no child behind, I would remind him and members of Congress considering this ill-advised amendment that they would be doing just that - leaving behind millions of American children who have lesbian or gay parents by denying them legal recognition of their relationships."
The Family Pride Coalition is the only national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to securing equality for LGBT parents and their families.
|
