Anti-same-sex marriage referendum push fails

GLN IN THE PRESS

Anti-same-sex marriage referendum push fails

by Amy Wooten

2008-05-07 Windy City Times - LINK

Same-sex marriage opponents failed to collect enough signatures to place an advisory referendum on the November ballot.

Protect Marriage Illinois ( PMI ) had previously boasted that they would turn in 300,000 signatures to the Illinois State Board of Elections by the May 5 deadline. In order to place an advisory referendum that would ask state legislatures to amend the constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman on the ballot, supporters would have had to turn in 270,000 valid signatures.

According to the Springfield Journal-Register, PMI did not file by the deadline.

"By failing to even file petitions for an anti-gay ballot referendum, the ‘Protect Marriage' bigots reveal themselves to be a weakened threat —at least for the moment,” Gay Liberation's Bob Schwartz told Windy City Times.

The recent news of PMI's failure does not mean that LGBT people no longer have to fight continued opposition when attempting to obtain equality.

“However, forward movement for our equality is by no means guaranteed, as shown by the 67-43 defeat of the same-sex partner benefits bill for Chicago teachers, a rebuke delivered by the Illinois House where Democrats hold a 15-vote majority,” Schwartz continued.

PMI has failed before. During a similar effort in 2006, the organization did not collect enough valid signatures. The State Board of Elections refused to certify PMI's call for a non-binding referendum.

States across the country have passed anti-same-sex marriage amendments.

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