Don't use Constitution to deny rights to citizens

Saturday, November 4, 2006 2:11 AM CST

The purpose of the U.S. Constitution and the Wisconsin Constitution is to delineate and defend the rights of citizens.

On Tuesday there is on the ballot an attempt to usurp the spirit of the state constitution by singling out gays and lesbians and denying them rights solely on the basis of their sexual orientation.

It would amend the state Constitution to say, "A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state."

That would slam the door on civil unions and would deny two people of the same gender the opportunity to legally express a commitment to each other _ and also deny them many of the rights that go along with such commitments, rights of survivorship and health benefits among others.

It would also deny such rights to thousands of other unmarried couples who live together.

Much of the push for the constitutional amendment has come from religious groups who oppose gay relationships as being a sin under their church teachings.

But that is not the interest of the state.

The state's obligation is to serve the interests of all citizens and to guard the rights of all of them - minority groups as well as those in the majority.

If it is in the state's best interest to encourage long-term loving commitments, and we believe it is, that should apply to citizens of the same gender as well.

It is foolish to think banning gay marriages or civil unions will make gay relationships disappear. They have been part of our social mix since the beginning of time.

The only thing a yes vote on Tuesday will do is turn our state Constitution into an instrument that would persecute gays and deny them basic rights afforded all other citizens.

There was a time when constitutional protections were not afforded equally to women or to racial minorities.

That was a mistake.

We hope Wisconsin voters don't repeat that mistake Tuesday and turn our Constitution into a device to deny the rights of citizens instead of upholding them.

Vote "No" on the marriage amendment.

Special Offer: Get 5 Weeks of the Journal Times for $7!