A Stitch in Haste

We have seen in several instances where the “defend marriage” crowd employs a duplicitous bait-and-switch in pushing for their “backlash” legislation: promising that their legislation or constitutional amendment was “only” about marriage and then, after it’s enacted, insisting that in fact it bans all forms of gay partner recognition.
Purple Scarf now has perhaps the most brazen example of this shameful fraud — in Oregon:

Oregon passed a “straights only” marriage amendment (Measure 36) last November. The amendment reads: “It is the policy of Oregon, and its political subdivisions, that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or legally recognized as a marriage.” The amendment does not, unlike the “super-amendments” enacted in a number of states, explicitly ban civil unions, domestic partnerships or other “marriage-similar” protections for same-sex couples.
…
“Same-sex couples should seek marriage-like rights through another avenue, such as civil unions. Oregon’s measure was written specifically not to address civil unions.”

–Oregon Family Council Director, Fall 2004 (before the measure passed)
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“We would be against any measure that takes all the benefits of marriage and then calls it something else. We don’t think Oregonians had that in mind when they passed Measure 36. …Please understand there is no greater threat to marriage right now than civil unions.”
–Oregon Family Council Communications Director, April 2005 (after the measure passed)

As I have blogged ad nauseum: It has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with “defending marriage.” It is all about naked bigotry.

Straights of goodwill must be reminded of this axiom relentlessly, as residual anti-gay votes occur in 2005 and 2006. When the activist opponents of equal treatment for gays say it’s about marriage, they lie. They always lie. Don’t be used and abused by them. Don’t be on the wrong side of history.

More at Gay Rights Watch.