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Originally Posted by Vanessa White
Thank you Steven. We are trying to get things moving, the friend that is most active along with me is getting together with me next week to start planning and looking at the resources that we already have here, then an organizational meeting in a week with friends and allies. We have been trying to get a community awareness group going here for a year regarding LGBTQ issues, and just need to organize a bit better. From what I understand, this cannot go to the citizens for a vote until 2009, but it does need to be voted on by house and Senate at least once more. I think it only was voted on by House in the last session.
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Vanessa,
Does the LGBTQ community have a lobbyist working in your State House? You guys need to fight like heck to stop the legislature from putting this on the ballot. (We worked hard in Madison, too, but we had a right-wing Republican legislature that wanted this issue on the ballot for partisan politcal reasons).
One very good argument is that placing this issue on the ballot is a divisive move (and probably unneccessary because same-gender marriages are not legal in Pennsylvania). Of course, the right wing is seeking to be devisive.
One other very good argument is that it is offensive to put a minorities rights up for a vote.
Why would they put this on the ballot in 2009? The Republicans in Wisconsin actually delayed their ballot referendum until there was a race for Govenor and national representatives on the ballot. They thought this would be a really good issue to get lots of Republicans elected---the joke was on them, the Republicans lost the race for Govenor, lost control of one house in the legislature and lost at least one more seat in Congress. The issue did not work for them like they thought--as a matter of fact, the vote turnout was very high in the college towns and the students mostly voted against the Republicans. So although we lost on the amendment, the Republican strategy back-fired on them. Point that out to legislators when you lobby them!
Steven Webster