The Louisiana legislature will soon consider a bill defining marriage. The bill’s introduction follows controversy in Massachusetts and California over the legality of granting marriage licenses to gay couples.
“Marriage in the state of Louisiana shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman,” the bill states. “Neither this constitution nor state law shall be constructed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups. No official or court of the State of Louisiana shall recognize any marriage contracted in any other jurisdiction which is not the union of one man and one woman.”
State Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, filed the bill, which will be voted upon in the Nov. 2 general election if it gains approval during the upcoming Regular Session.
“I don’t want one liberal judge in Massachusetts redefining marriage in Louisiana,” Scalise said in an official statement. “I support President Bush’s call for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In the meantime, we need to move quickly to prevent actions in Massachusetts, San Francisco and other liberal places for changing the way we define marriage in Louisiana.”
Louisiana law currently defines marriage as a legal relationship between a man and a woman.
“Recent court actions have threatened to undermine our existing laws,” Scalise said. “We need to add this constitutional safeguard to prevent actions in other states from threatening our existing definition of marriage.”
Anna Byars, a Women’s and Gender Studies junior and Spectrum Alliance member, said this would be the first time the Constitution has been amended to discriminate against a particular group.
“It is pretty horrific,” Byars said.
She said Spectrum Alliance members have signed the “Million for Marriage” petition, a document advocating the legality of gay marriage.
On the national level, U.S. Rep. David Vitter, R-Metarie, co-sponsored a bill calling for a similar amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Vitter is a candidate for Sen. John Breaux’s open seat.
“The pending amendment would mark only the second time in our history when rights were denied American citizens,” Christopher Daigle of Equality Louisiana said in a statement. “The only other denial of individual rights was called ‘Prohibition’ and proved to be a social and political disaster, having been repealed less than two decades later.”
Equality Louisiana, a gay rights group, opposes constitutional amendments defining marriage on the state and national level.
“The ‘compassionate conservative, uniter not divider’ presidential candidate of 2000 no longer exists,” Daigle said of President George W. Bush. “The 2004 candidate is using the country’s most sacred document to further his political goals rather than respect it as an instrument that has sought to limit the power of government and instead expand upon the liberties of this country’s citizens. His actions don’t reflect a true conservative’s views and is totally lacking for compassion.”
Daigle said the issue of marriage should not be used “as a ‘Hail Mary’ pass on the political gridiron.”
“This ongoing debate is not about ‘gay marriage’ or same-sex marriage,” Daigle said. “The discussion should center on ‘marriage equality.’ Marriage is a right that should be afforded to all American citizens — it is not a heterosexual privilege.”
Spectrum Alliance hopes the legislation fails to pass in a general election, Byars said.
The Louisiana legislature will consider the bill when the Regular Session begins March 29.
Ban on gay marriage proposed
March 8, 2004