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Marriage Amendment Tops Agenda

(Columbia South, Carolina) Pride and politics mixed on the streets of Columbia on Saturday, as organizers of the state’s largest gay pride gathering tried to rally opposition to a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

“No one has a right to tell me who to marry or who to love,” said 23-year-old Velvet Wilson of Charleston, who cheered on participates as the parade passed. “People should vote no to this amendment because these are our rights. We live in the United States of America and we the people have rights.”

Armed with a megaphone and signs, small groups of protesters also gathered to show their support for the amendment.

“I want to warn these people … to warn America that it is turning its back on God through supporting homosexuality,” said Lewis B. Rivers, 54, of Columbia. “Homosexuality is evil. It’s an abomination to God. Marriage should be between a man and a woman. There’s no doubt about that.”

James Budenbender and a few members of Concord Baptist Church in Lexington held signs quoting Bible verses.

“I don’t agree with same-sex marriage. I don’t agree with same-sex at all,” Budenbender said. “The Bible is against it and I stand on God’s word.”

Voters will decide in November if the state Constitution should be changed to prohibit same-sex marriages.

State law already bars same-sex unions, but supporters say a constitutional ban is needed because a judge’s ruling could trump the law and force South Carolina to recognize same-sex unions from other states.

“This amendment is not good for anyone,” said Radar Williams, an organizer for this year’s South Carolina Pride parade and festival.

“It even affects heterosexuals. A lot of legal documents may become invalid. Domestic partner benefits may become invalid. You can even have instances where restraining orders for a girl who may be abused by a boyfriend would become invalid because the government would not recognize that union,” Williams said.

Same-sex marriage was the subject of contentious debate in Congress on Thursday as a Senate committee approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

The panel voted along party lines to send the constitutional amendment to the full Senate, after a shouting match that ended when one Democrat walked out and the Republican chairman bid him “good riddance.”

The amendment, which stands little chance of passing in the full Senate, would prohibit states from recognizing same-sex marriages.

Constitutional bans on same-sex marriages in some states, including Georgia, have been subject to legal challenges, Williams said.

A judge on Tuesday struck down Georgia’s ban on same-sex marriage, saying a measure overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2004 violated a rule that limits ballot questions to a single subject.

The judge said Georgia’s voters must first decide whether same-sex relationships should have any legal status before they can be asked whether to ban same-sex marriages.

Organizers of the South Carolina pride event did not rule out the possibility of a lawsuit if the amendment passes.

“We’re not sure at this point what the legal ramifications of this amendment would be,” said Kate Goodrich, president of the South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement. “Several lawyers have looked into it and are considering things.”

And there could be other repercussions of the amendment, said Ann Willbrand, delegate for the South Carolina Equality Coalition.

“It could affect anyone who is living in a household that is not a blood relative or married relative,” said Willbrand, 52. “That’s why it’s so nasty. It’s just a cheap shot. It’s cynical. It’s gay-bashing at its worst. And we want to show that South Carolinians are better than this.”

At least 48 vendors and dozens of groups participated in the parade and festival.

What is going on with today? What are your thoughts on this subject?

Article found at 365gay.com