THE MESSAGE

Why Marriage Matters to Children

Ending discrimination in marriage would help families and hurt no one.

As Family Pride’s annual participation in the White House Easter Egg Roll approaches, we are reminded of the importance of making the case for all children to be able to have parents who can marry. Here are some important facts to talk about:

• Marriage provides over 1,138 federal (and hundreds more state-level) protections, rights, and responsibilities, along with intangible benefits, to committed couples and their families.

• Same-sex couples are raising children in at least 96% of all US counties.

• Nearly one quarter of all same-sex couples are raising children.

• More than 25 years of research have documented that there is no relationship between parents' sexual orientation and any measure of a child's emotional, psychosocial, and behavioral adjustment, demonstrating no risk to children raised by gay and lesbian parents.

• Ending the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage will provide protections, rights, and responsibilities to all children and families, helping families and hurting no one.

Next week…Why Marriage Matters during Tax Time

The Report Adoption and Foster Care by Gay and Lesbian Parents in the United States (The Williams Institute & The Urban Institute) March 2007

The Resource From C-SPAN, Evan Wolfson debates parenting and marriage equality with David Blankenhorn of the Institute for American Values. Evan draws on the leading experts (American Academy of Pediatrics, Family Law Quarterly) who say ending discrimination in marriage would help families and hurt no one. This debate was held on March 14, 2007 at Pace Law School. Download video Streaming video from Pace Law School

The Number 96% of all U.S. counties have same-sex couples who are raising children.

The Map Relationship Recognition in the U.S. (HRC)

THE SPOTLIGHT: Connecticut

Love Makes A Family

Last Monday, the Connecticut legislature's Judiciary Committee heard testimony for over 12 hours on a bill ending the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage. Connecticut’s Love Makes a Family has worked tirelessly and with tremendous success to promote and advance this bill in a state which created civil unions in 2005. During the hearing, Anne Stanback, the Executive Director of Love Makes a Family, said, “either civil union and marriage are the same, and therefore why not grant us the word. Or, civil union and marriage are not the same and then what legitimate reason does the state have for withholding the word and the status of civil marriage from committed couples?” The committee is expected to vote within the next week.

THE NEWS

For the latest news, opinions, and polls, including these articles, check out our website.

National

BLOG: Why Marriage Matters: LGBT Elders
QueerSighted; March 27, 2007
Six aging same-sex couples’ stories about struggling with aging and marriage inequality.

BLOG: Former AFA Columnist Joe Murray Speaks Out Against Homophobia and Hypocrisy, and for Marriage Equality
Pam's House Blend; March 27, 2007
Joe Murray realizes the debate over LGBT rights “must recognize that behind the theories there are real life human beings that are made in the image of the Creator.”

OPINION: Equality and Justice for All
Online Journal; March 26, 2007
A Pennsylvania resident writes, "This country was founded on the principle that all people -- not just the heterosexual ones -- are created equal. It's time to make that principle a reality."

Regional

No Separate but Equal in Marriage
New York Times; April 1, 2007
On the issue of civil unions versus marriage in Connecticut, the NYT editorial staff said, "Gays are the only group for whom the civil union law is intended. This being the case, the law does little more than create a second-class form of matrimony, which is not only entirely unnecessary but also counterproductive."

What's 10 Hours In The Wait For Equality?
Hartford Courant; March 30, 2007
On Monday they came in droves to testify at a public hearing in front of the Connecticut legislators' judiciary committee.

Marriage Foes Challenged in Ohio
Columbus Dispatch; March 30, 2007
An election-law complaint has been filed against the group, Citizens for Community Values, which led the campaign to write discrimination into the constitution in Ohio.

OPINION: Washington Bill Extends Very Limited Rights to Same-Sex Partners
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; March 30, 2007
A proposed bill in Washington state wouldn't provide all of the benefits of marriage, but it would provide some basic legal protections for same-sex couples.

Social Workers Stand Up for Marriage Equality in Connecticut
My Record Journal; March 29, 2007
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Connecticut chapter asserts that although civil unions mark a step forward, it is simply not enough.