The PG has published several letters to the editor in response to Darryl Metcalfe's uninspiring diatribe on the need for a anti-gay marriage amendment. 

The letters tend to be from heterosexual people, some parents of gay adult children, who clearly get that not only is Metcalfe scapegoating gays but that he has no business investing his time and energy into a non-issue while other critical matters go unaddressed.  Darryl Metcalfe is not doing his job. 

Today ...

M.W. Sage of Swissvale writes "Care depends on the caring capacity of the individuals involved in providing the care, not on sexual orientation."

William O'Donnell of Elizabeth Township adds, "The theme of his comments is that Pennsylvania should be a two-tiered society -- the we-gets and the you-don'ts." 

Friday ...

Kara O'Bryon of Point Breeze indicates that Metcalfe's bigotry has inspired her to take action "It is time for us to stop accepting this thinly veiled bigotry. This is an attack on gay people who, believe it or not, Mr. Metcalfe, are "productive members of society." I've never called myself a "homosexual activist," but I am deeply offended that Mr. Metcalfe has so frontally attacked me and people whom I love and care about and likened their relationships to criminal relationships between brothers and sisters. "

And Diana Slivinska of Ingram knocks the ball out of the park. She writes, "As a married woman, I'll thank Mr. Metcalfe not to take it upon himself to defend me or define me. Unless someone proposes to marry my husband, another's marriage has nothing to do with me. People get married every day, and their marriages have absolutely no effect upon mine."

Interestingly, not a single letter (thus far) in support of Mr. Metcalfe.  I hope Western PA legislators are reading the paper.  And I hope Western PA queers take heart to realize that we have vocal defenders in the heterosexual community. 

Just for good measure ....from 4/6/06

Rosemary Protsko of Bethel Park wrote "Our stealth Legislature is at it again. It can't pass tax reform, lobby reform or an increase to the minimum wage, but it can put energy toward a state constitutional amendment to protect marriage"

Kurt Colborn of Swisshelm Park notes the hypocrisy of PA legislators, "So, our salary-jacking friends in Harrisburg think it's OK to quash free speech, deny that all men are created equal and restrict the pursuit of happiness to the privileged majority. What's important, it seems, is that they use polite language while they do it."

If you know these good folks, thank 'em for taking the time to write to the PG. 

Pennsylvania State Representative Dan Frankel writes a passionate op/ed in today's Post-Gazette.  Frankel, a Democrat and long time progressive ally of the LGBT community, examines the potential damage the marriage protection amendment will do to the gay AND unmarried straight communities. Including senior citizens.

The impact could be far reaching - health insurance coverage, foster care and adoption, hospital visitation, domestic violence protection, pension security --- for unmarried HETEROSEXUAL families. 

The right wing is trying to whip Pennsylvania residents into a frenzy just before the spring primaries.  This is not about a threat to marriage, it is a about a threat to incumbent Republicans.  If it was not acceptable for the state legislature to secretly vote themselves a pay raise, is it any more acceptable for them to hurry up to amend the constitution? 

The wingnuts deny the plausibility of these drastic outcomes.  But they cannot guarantee anything. One need only look around at other states to determine where this path may lead us -- it ain't pretty.  Frankel lays it out nicely. 

Read his piece.  Then make a note to yourself to pick up your phone on Monday and call your legislators.  Tell them that the amendment is unnecessary and that you don't want to write discrimination into our constitution.  This ball is fueled by politics. Once it rolls, it will only gain momentum.  Now it the time to take action.