Weddings In Vermont! Legislature Says No to Governor Veto
Posted by Laura Calvo on 7th April 2009
Press Release – April 7th, 2009
Washington, DC – Today, the Stonewall Democrats issued the following statement in response to the enactment of marriage legislation by the Vermont General Assembly:
“Stonewall Democrats applauds the Vermont General Assembly for enacting legislation granting all Vermonters the freedom to marry. Stonewall Democrats placed hundreds of calls to the eleven Democrats who, just days ago, voted against the freedom to marry. We are pleased that Democratic Representatives Bob South and Jeff Young listened to their constituents, changed their votes, and put the values of pro-equality Democrats in practice.
We congratulate the Democratic Leadership for building consensus around this common-sense position. The freedom to marry is a position supported by the majority of statewide elected officials, the Vermont Democratic Party and leading state figures like Governor Howard Dean. Stonewall Democrats continues to build Democratic support for the freedom to marry in communities across the country. Our members do the hard work of electing pro-equality Democrats to public office, holding them accountable once in office and educating the Democratic Party on issues of equality. Because of the work of Stonewall Democrats across the country, we can expect to see even more victories like the one today in Vermont.”
- Jon Hoadley, Executive Director, Stonewall Democrats
Stonewall Democrats continue to build support for the freedom to marry in addition to working on broader pro-equality positions. In Wyoming, the organization worked with the newly-organizing Wyoming Stonewall Democrats earlier this year to help Democrats stop an anti-marriage ballot initiative introduced in the state legislature. In Massachusetts, the Bay State Stonewall Democrats played a key role in building Democratic support for marriage legislation enacted in 2004. And just this week in Iowa, two Stonewall Democrats – Kate and Trish Varnum – won a landmark decision by the Iowa Supreme Court (Varnum V. Brien) that recognized the rights of all Iowans to marry. Stonewall Democrats is continuing its work in Iowa by aiding statewide advocates like One Iowa to build support for the Democratic Leadership of the Iowa House and Senate who continue to stand against an onslaught of special-interest attacks from the far Right.
Over the weekend, Stonewall Democrats initiated a member campaign to build pressure on Vermont Democratic legislators to override the veto of Republican Governor Jim Douglas. Hundreds of members participated. The organization coupled this campaign with an action to build the crucial support needed to preserve the freedom to marry in Iowa. With the override of the veto of Governor Douglas, Stonewall Democrats will now use this campaign to organize the voices of pro-equality Democrats in support of the actions of Democratic leaders in Iowa and Vermont.
Tags: gay lesbian bisexual transgender, Marriage Equality
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bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people for decades.
back in March, was back at it again last night in a candidate forum. Kern also drew attention to herself this year when she was twice stopped by law enforcement trying to enter the Oklahoma capitol building armed with a gun.