Sent to Minnesota State Senators April 15, 2004
Dear Senator:
The proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution on same-sex marriage amounts
to an assault on a minority group. While the League of Women Voters has no
position on marriage, we do have a strong position in support of equal opportunity
in public services for all people. The proposed amendment's language barring
recognition of a "legal equivalent" of marriage appears to prevent same-sex marriage
partners from enjoying the privileges and responsibilities of a civil union.
We believe that this highly divisive amendment is a dangerous and unnecessary
approach to resolving the ongoing debate over same-sex marriage, and it would turn
constitutional history on its head by requiring that Minnesota actually restrict
the civil rights of a portion of its citizens.
Supporters of the Marriage Amendment cite "judicial activism" as a reason to
enact it. Terms like judicial activism are alarming to the civil rights community
because such labels have routinely been used in the past to attack judges who made
courageous decisions on civil rights matters.
The substitute amendment authored by Sen. Don Betzold, while not banning either
same sex marriage or civil unions, would strip Minnesota’s courts of the power to
interpret the State Constitution when it involves issues related to legal recognition
of same-sex relationships. We cannot imagine the necessity of excluding one
group from the constitutional protection of the courts and we urge you to reject
this as well.
We reject the coercive tactics taken by the Minnesota Citizens in Defense of
Marriage, who appear to advocate for their position by means of threats to those
who oppose it. We believe that the citizens of Minnesota do not elect their
representatives on the basis of one issue and they expect their leaders to protect
all citizens. Please do not give in to a false populism which would allow
our basic rights to be decided by a simple majority of the voters.
The matter of basic human rights is too precious to be decided by 50% + 1.
We hope you will consider this when either or both of these amendments are debated
on the Senate floor.
Sincerely,
Helen Palmer, President
League of Women Voters of Minnesota
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