An initiative to constitutionally prohibit gay marriage and public benefits to unmarried couples should be opposed by all political persuasions, says the leader of the nation’s largest gay Republican organization.
Patrick Guerriero, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, says he came to Phoenix April 13 to meet with local leaders of the organization and “get a sense of what’s going on” with a citizen’s initiative to declare marriage as a union only between a man and a woman and to prevent a partisan battle over the issue.
“We will have a bipartisan message: There should be a broader discussion of whether we want to put discrimination into the Arizona Constitution,” he said. “It’s an attempt to roll back basic rights . . .We want to make sure it doesn’t pit Democrats against Republicans.”
The initiative, spearheaded by The Center for Arizona Policy, has been struggling to gather more than 188,000 signatures needed to qualify the measure for the general election ballot. While marriage is already defined in state law as between a man and a woman, proponents of the initiative want that declaration in the state Constitution to prevent, they say, activist judges from permitting gay marriage as a constitutional right.
Opponents, such as the Arizona Together Coalition, say the initiative also would prohibit public benefits for unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples in domestic partner relationships.
Mr. Guerriero, who headed a $1 million TV and lobbying campaign against the proposed federal ban on gay marriage, said the organization’s polls show Arizonans are fair minded.
“They are reluctant to embrace any form of discrimination,” he said. “The majority of America is moving to acknowledgment of law-abiding couples.”
Polls: Support slipping
Although state polls have shown support for the marriage amendment, that support has slipped in recent months. Nationally, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press in a March survey found that 51 percent of Americans continue to oppose legalizing gay marriage, but that number had declined from 63 percent in February 2004.
“Opposition to gay marriage has fallen across the board, with substantial declines among Republicans,” the Pew Center stated.
Mr. Guerriero said he has met twice with President Bush, and they “agreed to disagree” on gay marriage. “I don’t believe he’s a man motivated by hate,” he said, but “The party is putting itself on the wrong side of history because public opinion is moving so quickly to supporting basic fairness for all.”
The Pew survey also found an increasing public willingness to permit gays to adopt children, with 46 percent supporting gay adoption, up from 38 percent in 1999. The Arizona Legislature is expected to pass H2696, which would, in most cases, give preference to married couples for adoption of foster children, a measure that has the potential for a gubernatorial veto.
“At a time when we have thousands and thousands of children across the country, including in Arizona, who are looking for a loving, supporting parent or parents, it’s remarkable that we should start attacking individuals who would consider offering that to the many children waiting for a home,” Mr. Guerriero said. “Politicians aren’t getting a whole lot right these days, and the notion that politicians should be starting to dictate policy in regards to what is best for children — I think that is best left to the experts and should not be part of the anti-gay political games that happen unsurprisingly around elections.”
Office should be about
‘serving with integrity
He said Log Cabin Republicans are fiscal conservatives, support free trade and a balanced immigration policy and support limited government “that stays out of people’s lives.”
Dozens of gays and lesbians hold public office, he said, and their sexual orientation should not be an issue.
“In the past, many folks ran and were quite private about their sexual orientation, but we’re entering kind of a new area where people are more comfortable being honest and open and that means a lot more gay Republicans are running for office… at the same time not trying to stress their sexual orientation,” he said. “It should be about serving with integrity.”
Arizona Congressman John Kolbe, who is retiring this year from the U.S. House and a member of the Log Cabin Republicans, revealed he was gay in 1997, after he learned he would be “outed” by a reporter for The Advocate, a pro-gay publication. Mr. Guerriero says it depends on the mood of a state whether a politician, especially a Republican, can reveal his or her homosexuality.
“We’re against outing. It has a corrosive effect,” said Mr. Guerriero, who ran for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts as an openly gay, pro-death penalty, anti-tax candidate.
Other Log Cabin Republicans in Arizona include former state senator Steve May and Phoenix City Councilman Tom Simplot.