Voters asked to sign anti-gay marriage petition
Voters asked to sign anti-gay marriage petition
By Harry Hitzeman
Copyright by The Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Come the next Election Day — Nov. 7 — Illinois voters will not just choose a governor, if some conservative, traditional-family groups have their way.
They hope voters will also sound off on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman only.
The Glen Ellyn-based Illinois Family Institute used Tuesday’s primary as a chance to put a dent in the 283,111 signatures from registered voters needed to place a non-binding marriage question on the November ballot.
“It’s a way to send a message from the people of Illinois who really do support marriage,” said institute Executive Director Peter LaBarbera. “We think this is a great opportunity to debate the issue.”
The group fanned out to suburban polling places Tuesday. Working with other conservative groups and churches, it’s set an April 20 deadline to collect the signatures. The required number is 8 percent of voter turnout in November 2004. So far, the group has 140,000 signatures.
David Smith, project director for Protect Marriage Illinois, said the initiative is needed to stop the courts from overturning the state’s Defense of Marriage Act, which also defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.
“We’re trying to be pre-emptive,” Smith said. “Put the law in the constitution and, in theory, the Supreme Court can’t overturn that.”
Rick Garcia, political director of Equality Illinois, a gay rights lobby, dismissed the petition drive as a ruse for conservative groups to build a database of extreme right-wing voters.
“It’s not marriage that needs to be protected. It’s gay people who need to be protected from these bigots,” he said.
Garcia believes the advisory question “means little” but would still prefer it not make the November ballot.
“We don’t want to see it. We don’t want to see the gay community demonized and attacked by these right-wing people,” he said. “The way these people operate does not resonate in Illinois.”
LaBarbera called Garcia’s characterization way off base and predicted Illinois voters would side with him.
“It’s a civil disagreement. We disagree with Rick. He disagrees with us. We don’t have to call each other names,” he said. “We’re confident if we put it on the ballot it would pass.”
History may be on his side.
In November 2004, 15 states passed constitutional marriage amendments, according to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
The lowest margin was 58 percent in favor in Oregon; 86 percent in Mississippi supported the measure.
But Illinois in recent years has taken strides to protect gays and transgender people.
In January 2005, the Illinois General Assembly passed and Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a non-discrimination bill that protected people regardless of their sexual orientation.
Of the six candidates voters could chose from Tuesday in the governor’s race, four support civil unions: Republicans Ron Gidwitz and Judy Baar Topinka and Democrats Blagojevich and Edwin Eisendrath.
Two GOP candidates, Bill Brady and Jim Oberweis, support a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
The divisive issue and its undercurrents were on display Tuesday outside a Wheaton polling place.
“Would you like to sign a petition to protect marriage as one man, one woman?” Smith asked.
“No, I would not,” one woman snapped. “Get … away from me.”
Other patrons politely waved away Smith and LaBarbera. Some signed the petition but refused to answer questions.
Some were more than willing to support their position.
“I think it’s very important to maintain marriage between a man and a woman the way God ordained it,” said Wheaton resident Sandra Batchelar, who signed the petition.
Legalizing gay marriage would erode families and their values, she said, adding: “When families are strong, the country is strong.”
Chris Flores, a Wheaton native who attends college in Cincinnati, also signed the petition. “It’s biblical. When it comes to marriage, marriage is Bible-based,” he said.
Even if the petition is only for an advisory vote and wouldn’t directly lead to changes in the law, Flores believes it’s worthy of debate now.
“I believe it’s a topic that needed to be discussed,” he said. “What changes are going to be made, I don’t know.”
Voters in other towns had their feathers ruffled as well.
John Slania of Arlington Heights was asked to sign the marriage petition as he went to vote at Thomas Middle School.
Slania declined and ended up calling the Cook County clerk’s office to complain about electioneering. He said the woman who approached him was standing about 30 feet from the entrance to the school. Electioneers are supposed to keep a 100-foot buffer.
“I didn’t agree with the referendum, and I find it personally offensive that someone would try to solicit my signature on a day that I’m trying to vote,” he said.
Patricia Logue, senior counsel for the Midwest office of Lambda Legal, a national organization pushing for civil rights of gays, transgender and those with HIV, called the family institute’s views extreme.
“The Illinois Family Institute does not want rights for gay people,” she said. “They hope to use this as a wedge issue to bring people to the polls.”
•Daily Herald staff writer Avian Carrasquillo contributed to this report.
By Harry Hitzeman
Copyright by The Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Come the next Election Day — Nov. 7 — Illinois voters will not just choose a governor, if some conservative, traditional-family groups have their way.
They hope voters will also sound off on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman only.
The Glen Ellyn-based Illinois Family Institute used Tuesday’s primary as a chance to put a dent in the 283,111 signatures from registered voters needed to place a non-binding marriage question on the November ballot.
“It’s a way to send a message from the people of Illinois who really do support marriage,” said institute Executive Director Peter LaBarbera. “We think this is a great opportunity to debate the issue.”
The group fanned out to suburban polling places Tuesday. Working with other conservative groups and churches, it’s set an April 20 deadline to collect the signatures. The required number is 8 percent of voter turnout in November 2004. So far, the group has 140,000 signatures.
David Smith, project director for Protect Marriage Illinois, said the initiative is needed to stop the courts from overturning the state’s Defense of Marriage Act, which also defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.
“We’re trying to be pre-emptive,” Smith said. “Put the law in the constitution and, in theory, the Supreme Court can’t overturn that.”
Rick Garcia, political director of Equality Illinois, a gay rights lobby, dismissed the petition drive as a ruse for conservative groups to build a database of extreme right-wing voters.
“It’s not marriage that needs to be protected. It’s gay people who need to be protected from these bigots,” he said.
Garcia believes the advisory question “means little” but would still prefer it not make the November ballot.
“We don’t want to see it. We don’t want to see the gay community demonized and attacked by these right-wing people,” he said. “The way these people operate does not resonate in Illinois.”
LaBarbera called Garcia’s characterization way off base and predicted Illinois voters would side with him.
“It’s a civil disagreement. We disagree with Rick. He disagrees with us. We don’t have to call each other names,” he said. “We’re confident if we put it on the ballot it would pass.”
History may be on his side.
In November 2004, 15 states passed constitutional marriage amendments, according to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
The lowest margin was 58 percent in favor in Oregon; 86 percent in Mississippi supported the measure.
But Illinois in recent years has taken strides to protect gays and transgender people.
In January 2005, the Illinois General Assembly passed and Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a non-discrimination bill that protected people regardless of their sexual orientation.
Of the six candidates voters could chose from Tuesday in the governor’s race, four support civil unions: Republicans Ron Gidwitz and Judy Baar Topinka and Democrats Blagojevich and Edwin Eisendrath.
Two GOP candidates, Bill Brady and Jim Oberweis, support a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
The divisive issue and its undercurrents were on display Tuesday outside a Wheaton polling place.
“Would you like to sign a petition to protect marriage as one man, one woman?” Smith asked.
“No, I would not,” one woman snapped. “Get … away from me.”
Other patrons politely waved away Smith and LaBarbera. Some signed the petition but refused to answer questions.
Some were more than willing to support their position.
“I think it’s very important to maintain marriage between a man and a woman the way God ordained it,” said Wheaton resident Sandra Batchelar, who signed the petition.
Legalizing gay marriage would erode families and their values, she said, adding: “When families are strong, the country is strong.”
Chris Flores, a Wheaton native who attends college in Cincinnati, also signed the petition. “It’s biblical. When it comes to marriage, marriage is Bible-based,” he said.
Even if the petition is only for an advisory vote and wouldn’t directly lead to changes in the law, Flores believes it’s worthy of debate now.
“I believe it’s a topic that needed to be discussed,” he said. “What changes are going to be made, I don’t know.”
Voters in other towns had their feathers ruffled as well.
John Slania of Arlington Heights was asked to sign the marriage petition as he went to vote at Thomas Middle School.
Slania declined and ended up calling the Cook County clerk’s office to complain about electioneering. He said the woman who approached him was standing about 30 feet from the entrance to the school. Electioneers are supposed to keep a 100-foot buffer.
“I didn’t agree with the referendum, and I find it personally offensive that someone would try to solicit my signature on a day that I’m trying to vote,” he said.
Patricia Logue, senior counsel for the Midwest office of Lambda Legal, a national organization pushing for civil rights of gays, transgender and those with HIV, called the family institute’s views extreme.
“The Illinois Family Institute does not want rights for gay people,” she said. “They hope to use this as a wedge issue to bring people to the polls.”
•Daily Herald staff writer Avian Carrasquillo contributed to this report.
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