On March 15th, the Pennsylvania House of Representative's State Government Committee will be voting on HB 2381, the anti-LGBT, anti-family constitutional amendment that would prohibit recognition of same-sex marriage and all unmarried relationships in the Commonwealth.
We need your help to stop anti-LGBT activists from writing discrimination into the Pennsylvania Constitution. Pennsylvania state legislators are attempting to amend the Pennsylvania state constitution to deny gay, lesbian and unmarried families legal recognition.
We need you to call your state Representative immediately and ask them to oppose HB 2381, known as the "Pennsylvania Marriage Protection Amendment."
The amendment's text states, "Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this Commonwealth, and neither the Commonwealth nor any of its political subdivisions shall create or recognize a legal status identical or substantially equivalent to that of marriage for unmarried individuals."
Ask your legislators to protect all of Pennsylvania's families and not harm some by writing discrimination into Pennsylvania's constitution. Pennsylvania law already stops gay and lesbian couples from marrying, and this amendment is not necessary.
So-called marriage protection amendments affect all families in our state, not just same-sex families. While supporters in other states have said these amendments are only about gay marriage, this is not true. In Ohio, courts have ruled that unmarried people, including unmarried heterosexual couples, may not seek protection from abuse orders. In Michigan, groups are challenging domestic partner benefits for employees. Virginia's recently enhanced amendment is so broad that it may interfere with the rights of all Virginians to create wills, medical directives, powers of attorney, child custody and property arrangements, and even joint bank accounts!
Thank you for your support. Please forward this information to friends, family, and other people in Pennsylvania who believe in civil rights and equality for all Pennsylvanians.
