Stonewall Statement on Presidential Press Conference Pushing Discrimination
(Monday, June 05, 2006)
Washington, DC – Today, the National Stonewall Democrats released the following statement on President Bush’s renewed call for discrimination against same-sex couples:
“President Bush has demonstrated again that Republicans would rather promote political rhetoric than provide concrete policy that actually strengthens families. This administration has delivered the American family a poor prosecution of the War on Terror, a lack of protection for troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and no solution to the foster care crises that threatens thousands of vulnerable children. President Bush knows full well that his support for this divisive amendment won’t save it from being rejected again by the U.S. Senate and public opinion. The only reason he campaigns for this amendment is because it is designed by political operatives to scare up a cheap influx of cash into Republican political campaigns already tainted by corruption. By supporting this amendment, President Bush does not protect the institution of marriage, the American family, or even the corrupt campaigns of his Republican colleagues like Katherine Harris. Its not just dirty politics, its disgraceful.”
- Jo Wyrick, Interim Executive Director, National Stonewall Democrats
President Bush reiterated his support for a constitutional dictate that requires states to adhere to federal regulations on family policy during a rare press conference held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds this afternoon. The amendment, which failed to pass the U.S. Senate in 2004, requires that states refuse to extend marital protections or the “legal incidents thereof” to same-sex couples. Many constitutional scholars conclude that the amendment would require states like California and Connecticut to rewrite their own laws or state constitutions to comply with such a dictate. Laws passed by local communities granting measures that could be described as “legal incidents” such as hospital visitation rights and property decisions may also be threatened by the amendment.
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National Stonewall Democrats is the only national organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democrats, with more than 90 local chapters across the nation. NSD is committed to working through the Democratic Party to advance the rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
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