Contact: Kevin McCoy, West Virginia Family Foundation, 304-721-4636, wvff@wvfamily.org
CHARLESTON, W.Va., Jan. 7, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session will for the sixth straight year introduce and sponsor a Marriage Protection Amendment to the state constitution, a statewide family values group that authored the amendment said Thursday.
West Virginia Family Foundation President Kevin McCoy stated:
"The Marriage Protection Amendment will constitutionally protect marriage as only between one man and one woman, preventing activist judges from radically redefining marriage in our state. The amendment will also preserve the unique legal benefits that are provided for this sacred institution and prohibit counterfeit relationships such as homosexual 'civil unions' and 'domestic partner benefits,' which are homosexual 'marriage' by another name.
"We call on the Legislature to stop obstructing the people's right to join thirty other states in constitutionally protecting the definition of marriage as only between one man and one woman."
The text of the amendment states: "Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for same-sex relationships to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities or effects of marriage."
He noted that the state Supreme Court of Appeals has already established so-called "sexual orientation" as a "protected class" in its Code of Judicial Conduct Canon. Three other state supreme courts -- California, Iowa, and Massachusetts -- cited their state's adoption of identical policies as validating their rulings declaring so-called homosexual "marriage" a constitutional right.
"It has been six years since we first introduced the Marriage Protection Amendment, and in that short time, voters in 30 other states have adopted such amendments. The Legislature needs to stop making excuses and allow West Virginia voters the right to vote on this issue and the opportunity to join voters in neighboring states who have already protected marriage in their states," McCoy concluded.
