No on Gay Marriage Amendments

Personally I am voting against the anti-gay marriage ballot amendment. Mostly, its because I don't think hate should be in our constitution. The other issue is this will be overturned in court and the second part of the amendment really does "go too far" I wouldn't be allowed to live with my fiancee our current common-law marriage would be invalidated (we will be getting normally married in June).

Utah is among the states deciding on a marriage amendment this Nov. Here's the exact wording of what voters will decide. In Utah, it's officially referred to as Amendment 3, which reads as follows:

"Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, two-thirds of all members elected to each of the two houses voting in favor thereof:

Section 1. It is proposed to enact Utah Constitution Article I, Section 29, to read:

Article I, Section 29. [Marriage.]
(1) Marriage consists only of the legal union between a man and a woman.
(2) No other domestic union, however denominated, may be recognized as a marriage or given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect.


There are very few high-profile against a marriage amendment in the states debating this issue for this election around the country. UT and OR are the exceptions. But UT appears to have the most aggressive and active campaign against a marriage amendment. Here are the scripts to a slew of TV ads. The ads were made by Outfront Communications and Love Communications (Josh Ewing and Tom Love the respective principals).

The Deseret News reported last month that the pro-amendment coalition had been as well organized as the anti-amendment 3 side. The pro-amendment forces had yet to air any TV ads. And now for the ad scripts (click the links to view the ads) from the anti-Amendment 3 side:
"Unique Position"

GARY WATTS: "You know, we're kind of in a unique position in a sense that we have family members who are gay and straight." MILLIE WATTS: "We're just like any fmily down the street." GARY WATTS: "Part, too, is about limiting the rights of our gay children to have what our straight children get automatically." TEXT: "Vote No on 3. It goes too far." GARY WATTS: "Whether it was designed to be hurtful or not, it is. I honestly don't know how anyone who knows and loves someone who is gay can support this amendment."

"Stop The Hurt"

MILLIE WATTS: "If the amendment passes, there are people that we know who have families and children and jobs that are really going to be effected by this." GARY WATTS: "It's time for us as a society to stop the hurt. It's time for us to come together and figure out a way to live together and get rid of this cultural divide. And all it requires is a little bit of the old golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you." ANNCR: "Vote no on amendment three. It goes too far."

"I Was Wrong"

MILLIE WATTS: "I thought gay people were terrible. I thought that they lived only in San Francisco. I for sure didn't think any lived in my house, and then suddenly I have this wonderful child who tells me he's gay. And I thought, 'Whoah, I got it wrong.' And I was wrong." ANNCR: "Vote no on amendment three. It goes too far."

"Not For The Better"

BOBBIE BUTTERFIELD: "We have a large loving family, and one of our sons, our youngest son, is gay. It saddens me to think that there is so much effort being put into passing an amendment that is so hurtful to committed partners. It's going to effect everyone in Utah some way. And not for the better." ANNCR: "Vote no on amendment three. It goes too far."

"A Popular Opinion"

ANNCR: "Many respected people in utah say amendment three will hurt real families people like Republican Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, his two opponents, and the past two Attorneys General. Legal experts like the leadership of the Utah Bar Association's family law section, opinion leaders like KSL's Doug Wright, the Ogden Standard Examiner and the Provo Daily Herald, which called amendment three dangerously flawed. Protect real Utah families. Vote no on amendment three. It goes too far."