VER|lIlONT'S VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY,
' BISEXUAL 8: TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

 
  
  
  
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
  
    
  
     
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
    
   
      
   
    
   
 
   
   
   
     
   
   
    
  
  
     

MONTPELIER — Nearly a
decade after three same-
sex couples sued the state
of Vermont for the right to
marry, and six years after
the state handed down the
civil union compromise,
equal rights advocates have
placed a marriage proposal
on the table.,Last month,
Burlington Rep. Mark Lar-

son intro-
duced H742,
which if
passed, will

remove, gen-
der discrirni-
nation from
the state’s
marriage law.
Advocates do
not - expect
the amend-
ment, named
“An Act to Pro-
tect Religious
Freedom and
Eliminate Dis-
crimination in
Marriage,” to
go far during‘
the remainder of the legisla-
tive session.
“We’re not actively push-
ing for hearings on the mar-
riage bill,” said Beth Robin-
son, chair of the Vermont
Freedom to Many Task
Force (VFMTF). “We're just
- starting the process.” The
bill, which would adjust Ver-

Last month, Burlington

Rep, Mark Larson introduced
.H742, which if passed, will
remove gentler dis;t:r‘imine:t:ir:is*r
from ‘the state's marriage’ law.

mont’s marriage law to be
gender neutral, also makes
it clear that no clergy would

be required to sanction any ’

same-sex marriage.

“We really are saying
churches are free to do as
they choose to do," said
Robinson, who was one
of two attorneys who filed
Baker v. State in 1998, the
case that eventually led to
the civil union law of 2000.
Robinson said the current
proposal is not a change
in position, but rather an
attempt to be clearer up
front that clergy would not
be required to sanction any
marriage she_ or he disap-
proves of.

VFMTF recently com-
missioned a poll of 401
Vermonters on the issue of
marriage equality, Robinson
said. In that poll, conducted
by ORC Macro which has of-
fices in Burlington, a major-

ity of the 401 people polled .

either favored equality in
marriage, or leaned that
way. “I was not surprised,
but I was heartened" by the
results, Robinson said. She
said the poll confirmed what
she has feltin recent years
that “people are with us"
and ensures that it’s “safer
politically” now to put this
issue before the legislature.‘
The results contrast with a
November 2004 poll show-
ing 40 percent of Vermont-

Beth Robinsorl and Robyn Maguire (right) talk up equal

  
 

marriage at the R.U.1.2? house party.

ers supporting marriage.
The Vermont initiative
takes ‘place among a mix
of measuresin other states
both for marriage equality
and against it. In Maryland
recently, a judge struck
down a law denying ‘equal
marriage to same-sex cou-
ples. The state of Virginia
will be considering an anti-
marriage amendment this
year, as will several other
states. Last year, the ‘Cali-
fornia legislature passed an
equal marriage bill, but that
was vetoed by Gov. Schwar-
zenegger. Currently only
the state of Massachusetts
allows same-sex couples to
legally many.
On the national scene,
a newly organized coali-
tion of groups called Mar-
riage Equality Matters will
work to support the right
to many. During Freedom
to Marry Week in Februa.ry,
the five groups announced

they had joined forces to

end discrimination in mar-
riage, and in particular to

bring the discussion to a

higher level within commu-
nities of color. Lambda Le-
gal, National Black Justice

Coalition, Asian Equality,
National Latina/o Coalition

for Justice, and Freedom to

Marry joined hands’ to form

the coalition.

It was a timely move, giv-
en that a majority of states
within the U.S. have already
written marriage discrimi-
nation into their laws, or
constitutions, or both. In
‘addition to states’ efforts
to discriminate, Republican
members of the U.S. Sen-
ate have announced their
bid for 'a Constitutional
amendment baxming equal
marriage rights for the third
year in a row.

Sen. Rick Santorum of

CONTINUED ON P.23 -)

 
  
 

 

/: VERMONT FREEDOM TO MARRY TASK FORCE: To volunteer or for more information
about marriage equality in Vermont go to www.vtfreetomarry.org’, email Robyn Maguire at
field_director@vtfreetomarry.org or call 802.388.2633.

March is Women's History Month! 5 PP. 8 8: 9