GREEN PARTY OF PENNSYLVANIA CALLS FOR
PASSAGE OF SB 935 TO SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALITY

• Green Party urges passage of SB 935 legalizing same-sex marriage
• Leaders outraged over Sen. Eichelberger’s comments that society  “allows” gays and lesbians to exist

Recently, the Green Party of Pennsylvania spoke out in support of Senate Bill 935,  which would make same-sex marriage legal in Pennsylvania.  The bill has been sponsored by Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17).

“Legalizing same-sex marriage is an important step toward achieving equality  for all Pennsylvanians,” said GPPA Chair Hillary Kane of Philadelphia.  “The Green Party has  always supported same-sex marriage.”

Earlier this summer, Sen. Leach debated State Senator John Eichelberger (R-30) on WHYY’s Radio Times.  During the interview, Eichelberger implied that society goes far enough when it “allows” gay people to exist.  In  Eichelberger’s view, any broader guarantee of rights for gays and lesbians would constitute “special treatment.”  Eichelberger is sponsoring a bill to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution so that it specifically bans marriage equality.

“If gays and lesbians had not been singled out for the ‘special treatments’ of discrimination and violent attacks in the past, they wouldn’t need this kind of legislation now.  But they have, and they do,” said Skip Mendler of Honesdale,  Chair of the Wayne County Green Party.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office lists 1,138 federal laws that
pertain to married couples.  The rights and responsibilities outlined in
those laws currently do not apply to same-sex couples in Pennsylvania,
effectively denying these rights on the basis on sexual orientation.  These rights include:

• Ability to obtain Social Security survivor benefits
• Ability to provide citizenship to a spouse through marriage
• Ability to have one’s marriage recognized equally in all 50 states

It’s not just the Green Party whose members are speaking out.  “Senator Leach is attempting tos provide a solution to Pennsylvania’s intrusive laws that interfere with our  individual rights, and I applaud him for recognizing the importance of these  issues,” said Marakay Rogers, 2008 Attorney General candidate for the PA Libertarian Party and Pennsylvania coordinator of Outright  Libertarians.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania calls on all individuals who are concerned  about achieving full human rights for all Pennsylvanians to contact their  State Senator and urge them to support SB 935 to support marriage equality  in Pennsylvania.

Go to www.gpofpa.org to find your state senator’s contact information. Just put your zip code into the “Find State Lawmakers” box on the right-hand  side.  A new window will open with the results (scroll to the middle of the  page).  Tell your state senator to support SB 935 to achieve marriage  equality in Pennsylvania.

SEE ALSO
Lavender Greens Caucus:
http://www.lavendergreens.us/

Green Party Platform Statement on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity:
http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/socjustice.html#999082

October 11 – National March for Marriage Equality
http://nationalequalitymarch.com/

U.S. Government Accountability Office report listing the many laws that discriminate based on marital status
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04353r.pdf

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (http://www.gpofpa.org ) is an independent  political party founded on four pillars: grassroots democracy, social justice, ecological wisdom and nonviolence.

Here’s a video just posted to YouTube by the folks at the PA Ballot Access Coalition (PABAC)

Sen. Lisa Baker has just announced her support for the bill; she’ll be listed as a co-sponsor. (Thanks, Sen. Baker!)

For more info see the PABAC website …

What could possibly bring together such diverse groups as Libertarians, Greens, and Independents, along with members of the Constitution, Reform, and other smaller parties?

Simple: they all want (and deserve) the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to the political life of this Commonwealth, and they are all hampered in doing so by Pennsylvania’s antiquated and anti-democratic ballot access rules.

These rules enforce a great injustice that currently exists. Democratic and Republican candidates need only a couple of thousand signatures to qualify for the ballot, while independents or candidates of other parties must gather anywhere from 25,000-70,000 signatures statewide!

Fortunately, legislation has been introduced to rectify this situation. The “Voters’ Choice Act,” introduced by Sen. Mike Follmer, would change the definition of a party so that party status could be based on voter registration, and make the signature threshold for candidates much more consistent and fair. Improved ballot access would mean more choices for PA citizens – and that means a better, more robust, and more responsive democracy. This legislation would also eliminate the need for costly signature-challenge lawsuits that waste government employees’ time and taxpayers’ money.

Please contact your local State Senator’s office, and ask your Senator to co-sponsor the Voters’ Choice Act. For more information, visit the PA Ballot Access Coalition website at www.paballotaccess.org.