Green Party of New York State
www.gpnys.org
Howie Hawkins for US Senate
www.hawkinsforsenate.org
PO Box 562
Syracuse NY 13205
315 425-1019
July 8, 2006
For More Information: Howie Hawkins 315-425-1019, hhawkins@igc.org
Sally Kim, (518) 364-2968, green_sallyk@yahoo.com
Hawkins Long-Standing Supporter of Same-Sex Marriage;
Says Clinton's Call for Civil Unions is Inadequate
Howie Hawkins, the Green Party nominee for US Senate, called today for New York and the US Senate to
embrace same-sex marriage.
NEW YORK -- "It is a travesty that the Court of Appeals refused to follow the leadership of Chief Judge Judith Kaye in recognizing that the
constitutional right to marriages extends to all New Yorkers. The right to marry is a fundamental human right. If two people
love each other and wish to enter into a permanent legal relationship as equal partners in a marriage, they should be free to
do so. As a Green, I am very proud of the leadership role played by New Paltz Mayor Jason West in refusing to participate
in the denial of equal rights to all Americans," Hawkins added.
Clinton has opposed same-sex marriages since her husband signed the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages. Clinton announced this week that she supported civil unions rather than same-sex marriages. Hawkins said that civil unions were an inadequate substitute.
"It saddens me that politicians like Bush and Clinton feel the need to attack the rights of individuals to affirm their life commitment to one another. Our political leaders should be helping to build families, not tear them apart. The provision of full legal rights for all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation is long overdue in our country," noted Hawkins.
The Green Party has a long tradition of promoting full civil rights to gays and lesbians. Jason West, the Green Party Mayor of New Paltz, helped launch the nationwide movement for marriage equality when he began performing marriage ceremonies for gay and lesbian countries. Shortly thereafter, the State Attorney General issued an opinion denying the constitutional right of same-sex couples to marry.
Hawkins described the court's rationale as bizarre. "The majority opinion was homophobic. It ruled in favor of denying a basic human right to same-sex couples because 'they do not become parents as a result of accident or impulse'; apparently the judges think it is better when children are born because a condom breaks or a couple has sex when they are drunk. They also argued that same-sex couples are more likely to have 'unstable homes' and are more likely to have casual sex. These judges are out of touch with modern life. No one - straight or gay - equates a one time sexual encounter as the equivalent of marriage. Marriage instead is about individuals who want formal, legal recognition to their decision to make a lifelong commitment to live together as a family.
The Empire State Pride Agenda, a civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, identifies 1,138 rights and responsibilities from the federal government and another 700 rights and responsibilities from New York government that are bestowed on partners in civil marriage. These rights and responsibilities include health insurance coverage, medical decision-making authority for a spouse, inheritance rights, divorce, child adoption, immunity from having to testify against a spouse in court, pensions, and Workers Compensation death benefits.
As Chief Judge Judith Kaye noted, "It is uniquely the function of the Judicial Branch to safeguard individual liberties guaranteed by the New York State Constitution, and to order redress for their violation. The Court's duty to protect constitutional rights is an imperative of the separation of powers, not its enemy. I am confident that future generations will look back on today's decision as an unfortunate misstep."
