Martin Luther Queen, where are you?

Jaime sent me this today...and it pissed me off. I mean PISSED ME OFF. _www.lgrl.org_ (http://www.lgrl.org)Anti-Gay Texas Marriage Amendment Passes SenateHurtful Legislation Will Weaken Legal Agreements in TexasMay 21, 2005 Contact: Heath Riddles For Immediate Release 512.474.5475AUSTIN, TX- A historically dangerous and discriminatory constitutionalamendment is headed to Texas voters. The Anti-Gay Texas Marriage Amendment (HJR 6)passed the Texas Senate this afernoon. The amendment was approved by a voteof 21 to 8, narrowly meeting the two-thirds majority required.Upon approval by the Senate, the amendment is now cleared to appear on astatewide ballot this November. This will mark the first time in history that aminority group would be singled out in the Texas Constitution to be deniedequal treatment. Constitutions are historically treated as sacred documents,designed to preserve rights and ensure equality for all.Randall Ellis, Executive Director of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas,says the amendment is dangerous. "This amendment is devastating to thousandsof Texas families, gay and straight alike," Ellis said. "Domestic partnerbenefits, powers of attorney, and even common law marriage will be called intoquestion by this amendment. These are consequences that are supposedlyunintended, according to the amendment's authors. But this is clearly adiscriminatory act, designed to strike at our community at its fundamental level: ourfamilies. The Legislature is obviously willing to sacrifice all Texas familiesfor this unjust agenda of intolerance and discrimination."Marriage affords hundreds of legal rights, responsibilities and obligations,including the ability to visit a spouse in the hospital, social securitybenefits, second parent adoptions and many more. These are denied to thousandsof loving, committed gay and lesbian couples across Texas, many of them raisingfamilies of their own.This amendment would, in effect, solidify LGBT Texans' status as second-classcitizens.Senators Barrientos, Ellis, Hinojosa, Shapleigh, Van de Putte, West, Whitmireand Zaffirini voted against the Anti-Gay Texas Marriage Amendment. Why won't they just leave us alone and be like everyone else?