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Contact: Jim Ver Steeg, Director
18 Trinity Place
Buffalo, New York 14201
(716) 852-PRIDE (7743)
info
News Release
GAY AND LESBIAN COALITION
OF WESTERN NEW YORK ADOPTS
OFFICIAL POLICY ON GAY MARRIAGE
Buffalo, NY, December 11, 2003 - - In its continuing effort to advocate
for equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT)
individuals in Western New York, the Gay and Lesbian Coalition adopted
an official policy on gay marriage at its December 8th Board of
Directors meeting.
Closely matching the Empire State Pride Agenda’s (ESPA’s) advocacy
statement, the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Western New York’s position
reads:
The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Western New York is dedicated to
winning equal rights under federal and state law for LGBT families,
which must eventually include equal access to civil marriage. We also
support any local, state or federal measures that move our families
closer to receiving the rights and responsibilities granted to other
families through civil marriage, whether through the creation of civil
unions or a domestic partnership structure, or passage of any of the
incremental bills that give our families a piece of the 700+ state
rights which we are denied by being blocked from civil marriage. The
Coalition completely respects the separation of church and state and
would not want government to take the unconstitutional action of by
requiring any religious institution to perform same-sex marriages.
The adoption of this policy comes as important strides toward marriage
equality remain challenged by the threat of a Constitutional amendment
banning gay marriage and defining even civil marriages as only existing
between man and woman.
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