Officials: Expect Long, "Difficult" Debate on Gay Marriage Amendment

Inver Grove Heights' two DFL legislators, Sen. Jim Metzen and Rep. Joe Atkins, took two very different paths in their opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment that would redefine marriage in Minnesota as the “union of one man and one woman."

Metzen, who compared the debate over gay marriage to women's suffrage and the African-American Civil Rights movement, says his opposition to the amendment is grounded in equal rights and equal treatment. While Atkins' frustration with the amendment is rooted in its timing and the priorities of state legislators, he said.

“We have a $5 billion deficit to deal with, and it seemed to me that our first priority should be addressing it," Atkins said. "I’m still frustrated that we spent the last week of the session about a proposed amendment that won’t come up until 2012, when we’re steering toward deficit that could cause a [government] shutdown in a few weeks.”

Metzen and Atkins voted against the amendment, which passed in the House on May 11 and the Senate on May 21. The ultimate fate of the amendment rests in the hands of Minnesota voters, who will vote on the measure in 2012.

Although neither Atkins nor Metzen are sure yet whether they'll actively campaign against the measure, other proponents for and advocates against the amendment are lining up for the debate, which some are predicting will be long and difficult.

A Quick History

State Sen. Dave Thompson (R-District 36) of Lakeville, was one of the authors of the Senate bill that would and redefine marriage as the “union of one man and one woman."

Thompson, a freshman Senator from Lakeville, argued that conventional couples provide more nurturing environments for children than do same-sex spouses. He also asserted that marriage between a man and a woman was simply more natural.

“As a matter of fact and history, and I guess nature, it has always been that. Not to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman is inconsistent with the essence of the institution,” he told another Patch in an interview.

Thompson also argued for the legitimacy of a popular referendum on gay marriage.

“I think that how we define the most basic institution that we have in a society is a legitimate question to put to the people,” he said.

In the house, both State Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (R-District 36A), of Lakeville, and Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-District 36B), of Farmington, . Opponents to the amendment say the vote is misleading because under Minnesota law gay marriage is already illegal. But supporters say the amendment is needed to keep the issue from being decided by the courts.

Opponents Say They're Trying To Keep Debate Out Of The Mud

Gov. Mark Dayton told reporters on May 25 he believes the amendment will fail. "If the other side on this matter wants to engage in a cultural war, if that’s their intent, it’s going to be very, very difficult," Dayton said.

State Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-District 60) Minneapolis, who is openly gay, said he and his allies want to avoid toxic rhetoric as they campaign against the proposed constitutional ban. 

"There are a lot of folks who’ve got a question mark in their mind about [same-sex marriage]. It seems new to them," Dibble said. "They're not necessarily bigots, and they're not necessarily prejudiced." Painting all amendment supporters with such a broad brush, Dibble said, wouldn't be "valid" or "fair."

Instead, Dibble said much of the campaign leading up to November 2012 would be built around asking LGBT community members to share their life stories with friends and neighbors around the state, asking community leaders to announce their opposition to the amendment. Dibble and other opponents said they're spending this week assembling a coalition of small business groups, unions, religious groups, and civic groups like the League of Women Voters to work with LGBT-rights groups to stop the amendment.

"Our strength is really grassroots organizing, mobilizing people and leadership development," said Monica Meyer, OutFront's Executive Director.

Heavy hitters in the national LGBT rights movement are showing interest in joining in Minnesota's fight, despite the probability that as many as six states could be fighting similar battles in 2012. The Human Rights Campaign, Freedom to Marry and California's Courage Campaign are all working with OutFront on this issue, Meyer said.

With so many players on the field, Meyer acknowledged that coordinating the campaign—a goal over the next few weeks—would be difficult.

"We want an organized campaign, but we also want a campaign that lets local communities and local groups play a strong role," Meyer said. "They need to be able to decide what works best in their community."

A History of Extreme Rhetoric From Ban Supporters

The Minnesota Family Council didn't respond to repeated requests for comment, nor did the National Organization for Marriage, which is working in conjunction with the council.

Minnesota Family Council President Tom Prichard made statements reflecting a desire for a rational discussion on the issue. Following the May 21 vote in the Minnesota House of Representatives to put the amendment on the 2012 ballot, he told the Star Tribune that "our goal is to not make it personal. I think we can have a respectful discussion and conversation on the importance of marriage in our state."

The council's "Legislative Handbook," posted last month on its website, offers a rather different picture. The compilation of free soundbites for legislators and community leaders contains several claims that stray far from Prichard's stated desire for "respectful discussion and conversation."

Several weeks ago, the council removed the Handbook sections regarding homosexuality from its website, but Patch downloaded copies (click on PDF on the right). The document's chapter on "Domestic Partnership" reads: "Domestic partner benefits will serve as a 'homosexual recruitment program' since no other individuals will benefit from this proposal." 

The organization's manual also compares gay people to pedophiles. "The homosexual population includes a disproportionate number of pedophiles," the council's handbook continues. "Many prominent homosexuals and organizations have the stated objective to remove age-of-consent laws from state statutes."

According to the Hennepin County District Attorney's office, no prosecutor in Minnesota collects statistics on the sexual orientation of pedophiles. In many cases, said the office's spokesman, Chuck Laszewski, perpetrators prey on both boys and girls. "You have to wonder where they got that number," he said of the Minnesota Family Council.

Predictions

The rhetoric of the debate is certainly going to "heat up," said Metzen, who believes that forcing a vote on the amendment could galvanize swing voters against Republican lawmakers. Metzen also believes that a number of large businesses and companies will come down against the issue, because allowing the amendment to pass will hurt those businesses' efforts to recruit from outside the state.

If the amendment fails by a healthy margin, Atkins added, it's possible that opponents of the Constitutional gay marriage ban may draft legislature legalizing gay marriage in the state as early as 2013.

“You have folks who feel strongly on each side of that issue and the vast majority of people by far that I encounter are very, very frustrated by our priorities," Atkins said.