Tour denouncing gay marriage bill stops in Valley
Julie Drake, Antelope Valley Press
February 17, 2005

LANCASTER - Critics of a proposed state Assembly bill that would redefine marriage as gender neutral are on the offensive to protect marriage as they see it - between a man and a woman.

Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, brought the pro-family group's "Keep Your Hands Off Marriage" tour to the city Wednesday afternoon to speak in favor of "natural marriage" and the "people's vote."

Thomasson and a group of five supporters stood in front of a mural of the late state Sen. William J. "Pete" Knight on Elm Street and Lancaster Boulevard to denounce Democratic legislators and the proposed legislation.

The setting was no fluke.

Knight authored Proposition 22, the initiative that passed by 61.4% of the vote in March 2000.

"The legacy of Pete Knight for Californians is protecting marriage for a man and a woman for Prop. 22," Thomasson said.

Prop. 22 read "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California," and became California Family Code, Section 308.5.

"The voters overwhelmingly gave a marriage mandate by passing Pete Knight's Proposition 22," Thomasson said. "The Democrat politicians are arrogantly attacking the people's vote."

Thomasson called AB 19, "The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act," the "Democrat politicians' scheme to impose homosexual marriage licenses upon every county in California."

The 15-city "pro-marriage, pro-voter" tour began in Sacramento on Valentine's Day and is expected to end Saturday, Feb. 19, in San Diego.

Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who introduced the bill, co-authored by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nœ–ez, said it would not amend or modify Prop. 22.

"It amends Section 300 of the California Family Code," he said in a telephone conversation from his Sacramento office.

Section 300 reads, "Marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil contract between a man and a woman, to which the consent of the parties capable of making that contract is necessary."

Leno's bill would amend that phrase to define marriage as a "personal relation arising out of a civil contract between two persons."

He said Prop. 22 would not be affected because that refers to marriages contracted outside of the state and does not require California to recognize those marriages.

Religious officials are allowed under law to refuse to perform any marriages that do not fulfill the requirements of their faith.

Leno also pointed out that AB 19 does not require any religious official to perform a marriage ceremony that conflicts with his or her dogma.

"We protect the Constitution," he said. "I believe everyone should have the right to believe what they wish."

Thomasson disputed the contention that AB 19 would not affect Prop. 22, because of the use of "valid" and "recognized" in the 14-word initiative.

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid to be created in California," Thomasson said. "Ê'Recognized' means only marriage between a man and a woman will be recognized by California from other states."

Same-sex marriages became a hot-button issue last February when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom allowed his administration to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Nearly 4,000 same-sex couples were married before the California Supreme Court put a halt to the weddings a month later, then ruled the marriages invalid in August.

Thomasson sued Newsom last year to halt the city's issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

"This is not a civil rights issue," Craig DeLuz said. "This is about marriage and this is about the people's vote."

DeLuz, an African American, said the core values within the African-American community support traditional marriages.

"If you want to look at what happens when we devalue marriage, look at what happens in our inner cities where 70% of the kids are born in a single-parent household."

By devaluing marriage, DeLuz said it undercuts the value of marriage across the board.

"We're not here attacking the homosexuals; we have no hate for them," said Danny Ramizez, a San Diego Democrat on Thomasson's tour. "Our anger goes to these politicians, these liberal Democrats."

AB 205 in 2003 widely expanded civil rights of California's gay and lesbian domestic partners, giving them many of the rights of married couples. The law became effective in January, but does not extend to federal benefits.

"Our Constitution guarantees fundamental rights for all citizens and equal protection and due process," Leno said.

He added about 1,100 federal benefits come with a marriage license but are denied to same-sex couples, or "legal strangers," registered as domestic partners or in a civil union.

"We're talking about real human lives that are being damaged."