Tomorrow Wisconsinites will vote on whether the state will write discrimination into its constitution. While that may not be the exact wording of the civil union and gay marriage ban referendum question, this editorial board believes a ""yes"" vote would do just that.
This ban is morally reprehensible. In a world where almost half of heterosexual marriages end in divorce, our government should not be prohibiting two people who love each other from sharing their lives together. Divorce is what ruins the sanctity of marriage, not homosexuality.
Ban supporters are too busy riding their moral high-horse that they overlook its inherent immorality. Denying a person equal rights based on their sexual orientation is unconscionable.
By attempting to insert religion into our state constitution, the bigoted faction of ban supporters shun the ideals of a secular society. It is not the business of the state to promulgate biblical law or to impose law based on current social mores.
Instead, the law needs to transcend time, and we cannot allow a gay marriage ban to be a black eye on our state as Jim Crow laws were to other states a mere 40 years ago.
In addition to hurting gay couples, this amendment hurts everyone in Wisconsin because it does not allow for civil unions of any types. The vague second sentence of the amendment will hurt all couples, both homosexual and heterosexual, because many will miss out on the federal and state rights and privileges that a marriage affords.
Even if the referendum fails, gay marriage will still be illegal in Wisconsin. There is no need to carve it in stone with a constitutional amendment.
Gay marriage amendment referendums voted on in different states have all passed, but tomorrow, Wisconsin should be the exception. Let's make our state shine as a beacon of progressive spirit and tolerance—a beacon that strives to treat everyone equally and fairly.
