Broad coalition seeks to defeat anti-gay referendum

A broad base of progressive forces across Wisconsin is working around the clock to defeat a state referendum that proposes a constitutional ban on same-gender marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Melissa Eder-Fowles, like many opposing the ban, thinks that Wisconsin could be the first state to defeat such a measure in the Nov. 7 election.

A student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Eder-Fowles first became aware of the referendum when a speaker from the statewide coalition FAIR Wisconsin came to her church, the Unitarian Universalist-West in Brookfield. She quickly joined Students for a FAIR Wisconsin at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in an effort to defeat the proposed constitutional amendment. Their activities include class raps, door-to-door canvassing, leafleting, organizing meetings and tabling. (www.fairwisconsin.com)

Eder-Fowles now resides in the Milwaukee Metro area with her transgender spouse, a member of the Wisconsin Sheet Metal Workers union. Speaking to WW while tabling in the Student Union Concourse Oct. 9, the first day of National Coming Out Week (Oct. 9-13), she said she wants to defeat this referendum because it is unfair and discriminatory.

A marriage license extends over one thousand rights, benefits and responsibilities under federal law and nearly 200 more under Wisconsin law. These include being able to share health and retirement benefits and take bereavement leave in the case of a death in the family, the right to file joint tax returns, and the right to private visits in long-term care facilities.

The ban could preclude children from obtaining health care benefits and preclude parents from making emergency health care decisions for their children, according to an Oct. 9 press release issued by 19 current, future and former presidents of the State Bar of Wisconsin, who have signed a statement opposing the proposed amendment.

The text of the proposed ban that voters will consider on Nov. 7 reads:

“Marriage. Shall section 13 of article XIII of the constitution be created to provide that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state and that a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state?”

In Wisconsin, before a proposed referendum can be put to a public vote to make any changes or additions to the state constitution, it must pass both the State Assembly and State Senate in two consecutive sessions in each house. The referendum’s language must stay the same in each session. The governor has no veto power over the referendum.

Resistance widespread

Hundreds of individuals and organizations have officially opposed the proposed amendment. Many are listed on FAIR Wisconsin’s Web site.

The United Council of UW Students, the statewide student association representing more than 125,000 students on 21 University of Wisconsin campuses, says thousands of students are working to defeat the referendum through the council itself and a number of diverse campus organizations. (www.unitedcouncil.net) Some activities include forums, debates, rallies and more.

On Oct. 6 the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents—under massive pressure from students and their allies—passed a resolution opposing the proposed constitutional ban.

On Oct. 4 various African American leaders in Milwaukee had signed a statement which reads:

“We the undersigned are opposed to the constitutional amendment that would write discrimination into the constitution by making domestic partnerships and civil unions permanently illegal in our state. If enacted this would be the first time that the Wisconsin Constitution has been used to limit people’s freedoms. It would establish a very dangerous precedent. As African American leaders who have participated in and benefited from the historic struggle for civil rights we are opposed to discrimination in any and all forms.”

A majority of private- and public-sector labor unions in Wisconsin and the state AFL-CIO are on record opposing the ban.

Labor representatives like Frank Emspak of the American Federation of Teachers chapter at the UW-Madison School for Workers and Workers Independent News Service told WW that his union’s opposition is based on “a basic issue of fairness. It isn’t fair to exclude people from benefits who have a committed relationship.”

Sheila Cochran, president of the Milwaukee County Labor Council, agrees. And, like Emspak, Cochran says that the amendments’ passage could have dire consequences for organized labor in regard to collective bargaining.

Cochran emphasized that after a constitutional ban passed in Michigan, the state attorney general ruled that the new measure overturns domestic partner benefits, many of which have been in place for years in many cities. And, basing its actions on the state attorney’s decision, the city administration of Kalamazoo, Mich., recently refused to offer health care coverage to domestic partners of city employees.

Cochran says a constitutional ban in Wisconsin could have similar results, especially for public-sector unions like AFSCME.

The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which opposes the Wisconsin ban, points to recent decisions by Ohio judges dismissing domestic violence cases involving unmarried heterosexual couples because the victims were not married to their alleged abusers. Even though the women were in a heterosexual relationship, the judges ruled that the state’s new ban prohibits legal recognition for any unmarried couples, even in cases of domestic violence.

Hundreds of faith-based, labor and community organizations are engaging in statewide actions to defeat the referendum, including activities such as community forums, door-to-door canvassing and educational house parties.

The main organization attempting to gather support for the constitutional ban is Vote Yes For Marriage.

Vote Yes is closely allied with the conservative Family Research Institute, which has an office in Madison. And on Sept. 13 Focus on the Family, a right-wing faith-based group led by reactionary James Dobson registered with the state elections board to create a referendum committee to assist Vote Yes financially and in other ways, according to Madison.com.

Both these national organizations have helped get bans, like the one proposed in Wisconsin, passed in 19 states.

Both have received millions of dollars from conservative philanthropies, such as the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, according to Mediatransparency.org, an organization that tracks conservative funding and publishes material on this topic.