Democratic leaders in Minnesota have
pledged to fight against a constitutional amendment banning gay
marriage in the state, the Minnesota Independent reported.
Voters on November 2 handed both
chambers of the Legislature over to Republicans, a move that shut off
talk of Minnesota becoming the next state to legalize gay marriage,
and renewed hope among social conservatives opposed to the
institution.
One socially conservative group, the
Minnesota Family Council, announced in January it would spend $4.71
million over the next two years to ban gay marriage.
Republican Senator Warren Limmer was
also quick to pledge his support for such an amendment. Saint Paul
watchers believe the GOP will push the issue next year.
In its newsletter to supporters,
Minnesota DFL chair Ken Martin pledged that the party would fight
such a proposal.
“Let me be clear: the DFL Party has
and always will be the Party that stands for equal rights,” Martin
wrote. “And we will work hard to ensure that the GOP is not
successful in their quest to write discrimination into our state
constitution.”
“We are the party that supports
equality and fairness. We believe that every person in Minnesota
should have the ability to marry the person they love. We believe
every student should be safe at school, and have a healthy,
respectful learning environment free of harassment and violence. We
believe in ending discrimination based on sexual orientation (and
also based on gender, race, religion, disability and any other
perceived or actual characteristic). And we will fight to make sure
that any GOP efforts to outlaw gay marriage through a constitutional
amendment will be voted down in 2012.”