Senator Lieberman: Connecticut can’t wait anymore
December 20, 2011
Today, Freedom to Marry along with our coalition partners at Courage Campaign, GLAD, and the ACLU of CT delivered over 1,000 signatures calling on Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) to cosponsor the Respect for Marriage Act, the bill that will repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Since we launched our campaign urging Senator Lieberman to cosponsor DOMA repeal over a month ago, thousands of his constituents have added their names and shared why they personally are asking for Senator Lieberman's support.
The signatures were delivered by several couples in Connecticut who have personally experienced the sting of federal marriage discrimination. Jody Mock, 57, and Beth Kerrigan, 56, have been together for 17 years and were married in Connecticut two years ago. Their twin sons, Fernando and Carlos, are ten years old. Tracy Weber Tierney, 38, and her partner Katy Weber Tierney, 34, live in Cheshire and have been together for 11 years. They had a civil union in 2005 which they converted to marriage on October 1, 2010. Rob Biddleman, 49, and Dan Sullivan, 48, from West Hartford, have been together 24 years and were married after it became legal in Massachusetts. Rob, Dan, Tracy, Katy, Beth, and Beth and Jody’s twins all participated in delivering the letters and meeting with staff members of Senator Lieberman’s office.
Following today's delivery, our coalition released this joint statement:
“Senator Lieberman made history last year as a crucial leader in the successful effort to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, but many gay and lesbian service members continue to suffer unequal treatment as a result of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. We urge him to stand on the right side of history today by cosponsoring the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA and restore the federal government to its historic practice of respecting marriages performed in individual states. Thousands of loving and committed gay and lesbian couples who were legally married in Lieberman’s home state of Connecticut and across the nation need the Respect for Marriage Act to ensure the critical safety-net of protections that only marriage provides.”
Today's delivery is part of our ongoing campaign to build support for the Respect for Marriage Act in Congress. Just last week, we delivered thousands of signatures to Senator Susan Collins' office in Portland Maine. Earlier this week, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) added his name to the list of cosponsors in the Senate.
We'll continue to work with couples and fair-minded residents of Connecticut to make the case to Senator Lieberman that his constituents can't wait any longer for him to speak out against DOMA.
Click here to learn more about the Respect for Marriage Act and Freedom to Marry's work to repeal DOMA.
