A campaign seeking to legalize gay
marriage in Pennsylvania kicked off Wednesday in Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh.
In Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter
was among those lending his support during a news conference for the
Why
Marriage Matters Pennsylvania campaign, which is sponsored by
Freedom to Marry and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of
Pennsylvania.
Nutter told attendees that he was proud
that Philadelphia has the strongest LGBT civil rights protections of
any city in America. He said that the campaign was “an important
opportunity to grow support for marriage across the commonwealth.”
“I've come to the conclusion …
we're going to win,” Nutter said.
Shawn Werner of Freedom to Marry said
that the campaign is about “one-on-one conversations, which we know
will increase support for marriage.”
“In the coming months, we will hold
town halls across the state and work with local leaders to build
support for marriage,” he said.
Pennsylvania is the lone Northeast
state without marriage equality.
Efforts to move Pennsylvania into the
marriage equality column include a marriage bill proposed by
Democrats that faces a steep incline in the General Assembly and a
number of lawsuits.
(Related: Pennsylvania
gay marriage trial set for June 9.)