A group lobbying for passage of a gay
marriage ban in Indiana on Wednesday launched two television spots in
support of HJR-6, a proposed amendment to the Indiana Constitution
which would prohibit the state from recognizing any union other than
a heterosexual marriage.
Both of the 30-second spots call on
lawmakers to advance the amendment to the November ballot box.
“A small committee will meet very
soon at the Statehouse to decide whether you get to vote to protect
marriage,” a male announcer says in one of the ads over dark images
of the Statehouse as a foreboding soundtrack plays. (The video is
embedded on this page. Visit
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The conservative group Advance America
is behind the ads.
The group last month was criticized for
distributing fliers to churches warning of the “four dangers of
same-sex marriage.”
(Related: Indiana
conservatives warn gay marriage would harm children.)
Freedom Indiana, the umbrella group
working to derail the proposed amendment, criticized the ads released
Wednesday.
“They know a majority of Hoosiers
oppose HJR-6 and that our grassroots network is the strongest in
Indiana history …,” the group said in an e-mail to supporters.
“That's why our opponents are resorting to special interest money
and television ads to strong-arm lawmakers into thinking the people
of Indiana actually want this harmful language in our Constitution.”
Indiana lawmakers returned to work on
Monday and are shortly expected to take up a needed second vote on
HJR-6 before heading to voters in November.