Constitutions
Our federal and state constitutions are the principal blueprints for how we Americans govern ourselves, the treasured safeguards of national unity and personal freedom. Most Americans believe that our Constitution should protect equality and expand rights for all, not be used as a weapon for transient political agendas, ideological prejudices, or discrimination.
There has been a wave of attacks on the U.S. and state constitutions mounted by those who seek to impose their views on all fifty states and all future generations, but the truth is beginning to prevail and victories are starting to add up against these discriminatory measures. In both 2006 and 2004, federal efforts to write discrimination into the constitution were halted. In the 2006 election, Arizona's proposed anti-gay constitutional amendment was defeated by the electorate, and six state legislatures in 2007 defeated and/or blocked such amendments.
Anti-gay initiatives in California, Florida, and Arizona all passed in November 2008.
The 2010 election was the first time since the 1990s that no measure to ban marriage for same-sex couples appeared on any state ballot. Yet, as more discriminatory amendments are proposed, the fight to protect our constitutions continues.
Blog Posts Related to Constitution
Watch: Evan Wolfson speaks at the Center on Law and Government
Evan Wolfson speaks at North Carolina's Center on Law and Government.
Minnesotan Republican pens powerful commentary in favor of marriage
This past weekend, Minnesotan Republican Wheelock Whitney published a powerful opinion editorial in the Star Tribune about his opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment that would ban marriages for gay and lesbian couples.
Field update: On the ground in Minnesota
Freedom to Marry's Field Director Regina Clemente just got back from Minnesota, where she's working with the Minnesotans United for All Families coalition to defeat the anti-gay constitutional amendment on the November 2012 ballot.
Resources Related to Constitution
CNN Poll Finds Majority Support for the Freedom to Marry Nationwide
For the first time, a national poll shows that a majority of Americans support the freedom to marry.
Special Report: The Marriage Equality Debate
A broad discussion of the debate surrounding the freedom to marry
From Griswold to Goodridge: The Constitutional Dimensions of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate
Analysis of the constitutional issues surrounding the freedom to marry