NATIONAL

Few in Congress back gay marriage
Rep. Frank claims at least 50 in House favor full rights

LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Friday, April 09, 2004

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay civil rights group, is studying the ebb and flow of every development surrounding the status in Congress of a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

“We’re mobilizing all of our resources to defeat it,” said Winnie Stachelberg, HRC’s political director.

But when asked if she knows how many members of Congress support legal recognition of same-sex marriage on its own merits, separate from the question of a constitutional amendment, Stachelberg pauses.

“I can’t tell you,” she said. “That’s not something we’re keeping track of right now.”

Stachelberg said HRC has chosen to focus on the anti-gay constitutional amendment now, because that’s the issue pending before the Congress. And that’s the issue that poses the greatest threat to gays and their families — the specter that anti-gay discrimination might be enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, she said.

A check with HRC, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, and Freedom to Marry — the largest gay civil rights groups working on the gay marriage issue — shows that none have conducted a systematic survey of members of Congress to determine their support — or opposition — to the idea of legalizing same-sex marriage.

In a preliminary, spot survey of some of the House members who have strong, pro-gay voting records, only 15 members could be identified who say they firmly support the right of gays to marry. All are Democrats.

Frank says 50 or more favor gay marriage
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is gay and is among the strongest advocates in Congress for legalizing same-sex marriage, said he could not come up with an actual number of House members who support same-sex marriage.

“I can say the number is growing rapidly,” he said. “I would say it’s in the dozens.”

When asked for a more specific number, Frank said he believes there are at least “50 or more” House members who support same-sex marriage.

In addition to Frank, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who became the first open lesbian to win election to Congress, also supports same-sex marriage.

Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), who is also gay, has said he strongly opposes a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, but has not said whether he supports gay marriage. His office did not return a call by press time seeking to determine Kolbe’s position on gay marriage itself.

Neither Frank nor other Capitol Hill observers could name a single U.S. senator who has publicly declared support for legalizing same-sex marriage.

Frank said he believes most of the current House supporters of same-sex marriage come from New York and California.

D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is the only House member from the D.C. metropolitan area who has come out in support of same-sex marriage.

Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom To Marry, the New York-based group that is coordinating gay movement efforts to advance same-sex marriage rights, said that while he could not speculate on the number of Congress members who support same-sex marriage, he is certain the number will continue to grow.

Americans are focusing on this issue “like they never had before,” Wolfson said, and they are clearly moving in the direction of support for equal marriage rights for gay people. He predicted that members of Congress, like the nation’s citizens, are beginning to embrace the concept of “equal marriage rights” in growing numbers.

Among the most influential House members to declare support for same-sex marriage is Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the House minority leader. Pelosi expressed support for same-sex marriage in a recent interview on the Fox News cable network.

“How do you stand on the issue,” asked talk show host Neil Cavuto?

“I don’t believe in discrimination of any kind,” Pelosi said.

“Can same-sex couples marry?” Cavuto asked.

“Yes,” replied Pelosi, who added that she approved of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s decision to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) was just as matter-of-fact in his position on the issue.

“I support the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry,” he said. “Only full marriage rights will guarantee same-sex couples equal protection under the law and provide them access to the same rights and benefits enjoyed by all other families.”

Lynne Weil, communications director for Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), said Lantos “absolutely supports” same-sex marriage. “He can’t see why two women in a committed relationship who wish to be married might threaten his own relationship. It doesn’t make sense to him.”

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) is one of the only House members from the South who has expressed support for same-sex marriage. Lewis, a highly acclaimed civil rights leader who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, has spoken out in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage at appearances before gay audiences. He represents a district that includes the city of Atlanta, which contains a large number of gay voters.

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