GLBT Election Defeats "Disheartening"

November 2, 2004

WASHINGTON — LGBT civil rights groups call Tuesday's election results in which 11 states passed constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage disheartening but vow they will not be deterred.

This is only round one of a very long fight, Matt Foreman, the Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force said.

Foreman said despite the losses he is encouraged that one in five who cast votes in states considering amendments cast a vote against the measure. That's remarkable on its own, he said.

Foreman also said that the amendments and the negative campaigns run by Republicans and Christian fundamentalist groups helped fuel the President's victory Tuesday.

This was a political strategy to energize the vote for Pres. Bush, said Foreman, adding that Task Force data showed in many states it did not work.

Sen. John Kerry increased the number of votes cast for Al Gore in Michigan in 2000 Foreman noted.

In Ohio more people voted for pres than for the amendment. That shows the strategy failed, he said.

An angry Cheryl Jacques, President of the Human Rights Campaign said, These amendments protect no one but instead discriminate against millions of American families.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday Jacques ultimately gay and lesbian couples seeking to marry will prevail.

GLBT Americans and our allies are more united than ever before, Jacques said.

Since the beginning of this fight, we knew it would be a long journey. We are committed and we will not give up. In challenging times, America has grappled with and ultimately stood on the side of fairness, and we will repeat this proud experience. History is on our side.

Both Lambda Legal and the ACLU which are fighting for same-sex marriage in the courts in a number of states said they were energized by the election.

But, Eric Ferrero of Lambda Legal cautioned that it is much harder to change a constitution than to change a statute, so it is now harder to reverse the harm to families.

But, said Ferrero, we remain confident that time is on our side.

In Georgia, Lambda Legal, along with an Atlanta law firm and the ACLU of Georgia, will file a lawsuit in state court, challenging the amendment to Georgia's constitution that voters passed Tuesday.

The case, which will be filed as soon as the election results are certified, argues that the process for voting on the amendment was illegal, partly because the wording the voters actually saw on the ballot didn't reflect everything that will wind up in the state's constitution, he said.

No movement for freedom has ever had a smooth path to progress, and the movement to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage is no different, said Matt Coles, Director of the ACLU's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project.

In at least Oregon, more than 45 per cent of the people voted not to keep same-sex couples out of marriage. Only 10 years ago, we could hardly get 30 per cent of the public anywhere.

For gay Republicans the Bush win is both good and bad news. Bad because the Log Cabin Republicans refused to endorse the President's reelection bid, but, as LCR President Patrick Guerriero is quick to point out if the White House is to reach out to any group it is likely to Log Cabin.

This is a remarkable responsibility, Guerriero said, adding that it is more imperative than ever for gay civil rights groups to work together.

This has been a great wakeup call to all of us about how much work we all have to do, he said.

For Don't Amend, the election results are a call to action.

The next four years will be hell for Bush, said Executive Director Robin Tyler.

After Nixon was reelected, the resistance to his policies escalated enormously. This will happen now. From the anti-war movement, to the pro-stem cell movement, to the pro choice movement, to the pro environmental movement, to the LGBT movement, people will be in the streets. Today is not a day to agonize, it is a day to mobilize, said Tyler.