Opponents of a proposed constitutional
amendment which would define marriage as a heterosexual union are
planning a rally in early January.
The Rally Against HJR-6 will be held at
Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis on Monday, January 6 to
coincide with the start of the Indiana General Assembly's legislative
session.
“As our legislators prepare to
reconvene for the upcoming session, it is crucial that we continue to
show them our opposition to HJR-6,” the
group Freedom Indiana said in announcing plans for the evening
rally. “We know that this anti-freedom amendment will hurt Hoosier
families, our economy, and job growth. It's up to us to let our
legislators know that HJR-6 goes against our values of Hoosier
Hospitality.”
The Republican-controlled House and
Senate approved HJR-6 in 2011. A needed second vote before heading
to voters in November is expected to take place early in the upcoming
session.
The political climate surrounding the
issue of gay nuptials has shifted dramatically in the intervening
years since the amendment received its initial approval. After the
U.S. Supreme Court knocked down a key provision of the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) in June, challenges to numerous state bans were
filed in federal courts throughout the country. Victory for marriage
equality activists in Utah last week could signal the beginning of
the end for such marriage amendments.
(Related: Stay
in Utah gay marriage ruling could happen Monday.)