political action

Contesting a constitutional amendment

by Rob Keithan

In response to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision and action in many other communities to legally recognize same-sex marriage, amendments have been proposed to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as only between one man and one woman. While some would permit differences from state to state, others would not, and all would give states the authority to choose whether to recognize another state's marriages. States already have this authority under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, but many experts believe that DOMA will eventually be ruled unconstitutional because it violates the Constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause (Article IV, Section I).

Unitarian Universalists have long supported equality for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgendered people in many areas of life and law from adoption rights to workplace protection to legally recognized marriages.

What You Can Do

Write, fax, call, and e-mail your congressional representatives and urge them to oppose writing discrimination into the Constitution. Better yet—organize a visit to your representatives' offices with others from your congregation.

Write letters to the editor, op-eds, and consider organizing paid advertising in local newspapers.

To get more information, visit www.uua.org/uuawo; or contact Kierstin Homblette at (202) 296-4672 x15, or khomblette@uua.org.

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