“The General Assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privileges or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens.” – Article 1, section 23, Indiana Constitution
“Liberty” and “freedom” are highly prized by tea party activists promoting fiscal and social conservatism. They work as well for the broad coalition formed to defeat a proposed ban on gay marriage.
Coalition members recognize that writing restrictions of individual rights into the Indiana Constitution is contrary to founders’ intentions. Freedom Indiana rightly acknowledges that a statewide referendum aimed at amending the constitution threatens the guarantee for rights to be enjoyed equally by all.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal prohibition on benefits for legally married gay couples, but left it to individual states to define marriage. Indiana law already defines marriage as between a man and woman; the amendment is unnecessary. House Joint Resolution 6 proponents argue it is needed to protect the sanctity of marriage.
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