Gay-rights coalition urges measured pace on same-sex marriage amendment
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009Posted Via Los Angeles Times
Gay-rights coalition urges measured pace on same-sex marriage amendment
Organizations say pushing for a California ballot measure in 2010 would be ‘rushed and risky.’ Some also fear the effort may divert critical funding from social-service programs.
By Jessica Garrison
…”Going back to the ballot . . . in 2010 would be rushed and risky,” read a joint statement issued Monday by three gay rights groups and signed by more than two dozen other groups and individuals. “We should proceed with a costly, demanding, and high-stakes electoral campaign of this sort only when we are confident we can win.”
Jim Key, spokesman for the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center, also worried that a 2010 political campaign might tap the same donors that service organizations rely on to fund HIV care, services for homeless youths and other programs at a time when, because of the economy, those programs are needed the most.
Other gay leaders vociferously disagreed.
“There is a majority of the community . . . that favors going forward in 2010,” said John Henning, executive director of the pro-same-sex-marriage group Love Honor Cherish. “The fact that some favor waiting should mean only one thing: They can wait, if they need to wait, but we are going to go ahead.”
Henning said his group along with a coalition of others is exploring introducing ballot language that could be filed with the Secretary of State’s office in the fall.
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