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Stop discrimination! Say NO to SJR 7!
On Thursday, January 24th, at 8:45 AM the Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee will hear testimony from opponents and proponents of the "Marrriage Discrimination Amendment" - Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7). The hearing will take place in the Senate Chambers at the Indiana Statehouse.
SJR 7 is discriminatory against all unmarried couples, gay and straight. Make Your Voice Heard! Ask members of the Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee to vote NO on SJR 7.
Passage of SJR 7 by this committee will keep this harmful legislation in play and set the stage for a possible ballot initiative this year. If approved by the electorate, SJR 7 will forever write discrimination into the Indiana Constitution, affecting thousands of Hoosier families.
The Marriage Discrimination Amendment is WRONG for Indiana. It is just an attempt to distract Hoosiers from the greater issues at hand, such as fixing the broken property tax system.
Please join the fight against the passage of SJR-7 by telling the members of the Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee to vote NO.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject:
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I urge you to vote NO on Senate Joint Resolution 7. Please don't be distracted by the rhetoric; please concentrate on fixing Indiana's real problems, like our property tax system.
Spending valuable time on this divisive social issue can only distract from the real issues facing the citizens of Indiana.
Furthermore, SJR 7 would mark the first time our constitution is used to limit the rights and freedoms of Indiana citizens. Regardless of our mixed views on the word "marriage," Hoosiers agree that it's wrong to deny anyone equal protection under the law.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
January 22, 2008
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Senate Joint Resolution 7—Discrimination in our constitution?
This proposed amendment to the state constitution would write discrimination into the founding document of Indiana. SJR 7 would not only reserve the term "marriage" for heterosexual couples, but all related status and legal incidents thereof. In other words, gay and lesbian couples would be denied insurance, access to one another's hospital room, tax status, inheritance of property, and a host of other rights that married couples take for granted. In addition, similarly constructed constitutional amendments in other states are being used as a defense by men who abuse their girlfriends, claiming that domestic violence statutes do not apply to unmarried couples.
Regardless of whether one believes that a homosexual couple should be called married, how can one deny the constitutional rights of equal protection under the law to any segment of our population? Planned Parenthood believes that all people, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, live under the same constitution, which protects rights of privacy, liberty, due process and equal protection. It is these same rights that guarantee women the right to vote, to choose when or whether to have children, and that are at the core of all civil rights protections for women and minorities alike. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana strongly opposes SJR 7 and all efforts to write discrimination into the state constitution, a document intended to protect the rights of all its citizens, not alienate them.
To ignore SJR 7 would be to unravel the rights of Hoosiers everywhere! SJR 7 passed both houses of the General Assembly in 2005; in order to become part of the Indiana state constitution, it must be passed by both houses in this session, and then be passed by all Indiana citizens in a general election ballot in 2008.
Join the fight against SJR 7! Check out more info and opportunities at:
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