Some state legislators need a heavy dose of reality. Despite the relentless crusade for equality for members of the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community, some lawmakers are trying to reverse those efforts.
It was a sad display of timing when conservative lawmakers proposed an amendment to the Michigan Constitution stating only marriages between a man and a woman will be recognized as legally valid.
The resolution, the Marriage Protection Amendment, was proposed only a few days before Sunday, National Coming Out Day. National Coming Out Day began in 1987 to recognize and celebrate the collective community of LBGT individuals.
Although it's been 16 years, the members of this community are still not getting the protection they deserve.
The proposed amendment is embarrassing to the state of Michigan as a whole. It makes the state appear unwelcoming and nonprogressive.
If it receives enough votes from state legislators, the resolution will appear on the November 2004 ballot.
Our hope is that it will not make it that far, but if it does, all residents who support equality should fight against it.
State senators said the resolution is aimed at protecting "strong marriages" between men and women as well as deterring LBGT couples from crossing the border to obtain a legal union in Ontario, where same-sex unions are legal.
The reasoning for this amendment is completely unfounded.
There are other places, both states and countries, that same-sex couples could visit for a legal union.
While it is ridiculous that lawmakers should be worrying solely about Ontario, the bigger farce is that they would want to deter anyone from wanting to live in or visit Michigan.
Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt, who proposed the bill, said it is a "safeguard to the American Constitution" and will not affect the LBGT community. "Strong marriages are the foundations of strong families," he said.
This might come as a surprise to Cropsey and other state senators, but the LBGT community is, and will continue to be, affected by efforts such as the Marriage Protection Amendment.
If lawmakers are looking for a "safeguard to the American Constitution," then they are headed in the wrong direction.
The Constitution is about respect and equality, which LBGT individuals will continue to not have if the resolution is pushed through. Banning the legal term "marriage" from including same-sex couples is degrading and prohibitive of a lifestyle that comes naturally to them.
The irony behind the proposed legislation is that it is the reason for having celebrations such as National Coming Out Days.
The Marriage Protection Amendment is a step backward, not just for the LBGT community but for all Michigan citizens.
We are all members of a bigger community, and we should support equality for all, regardless of our differences.
