Same-Sex Marriage Bill in Youth & Family Committee

A three-fold outrage

Earlier this month, openly homosexual State Representative Greg Harris (D-Chicago) introduced a bill to legalize homosexual “marriage” (HB 178). Adding to this outrage is House Speaker Michael Madigan’s (D-Chicago) creation of a new committee — the Youth and Family Committee — which will be chaired by none other than Rep. Harris.

The current co-sponsors of this legislation are: Rep. Deborah Mell (D- Chicago), Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), Rep. Constance A. Howard (D-Chicago), Rep. Harry Osterman (D-Chicago), and John A. Fritchey (D-Chicago).

TAKE ACTION — Step 1: Speak up! Contact your State Representative today and ask him/her to vote ‘NO’  on the same-sex “marriage” bill or any other legislation designed to subsidize and legitimize homosexual relationships. The government has no business sanctioning and institutionalizing relationships like domestic partnerships or civil unions that undermine the public good and traditional Judeo-Christian morality.

Respectfully tell your lawmaker that Illinois’ government should not officially recognize immoral, unhealthy, and volitional homosexual behavior.  Know that your calls and emails are very important; legislators take seriously the number of emails, faxes and calls they receive.

TAKE ACTION Step 2: Contact Speaker Madigan’s office:

a.) Let Speaker Madigan know that his appointment of an openly homosexual man to the Youth and Family Committee is a slap in the face of every Illinois citizen who believes that the institutions of marriage and family have been defined by God and are not open to revisions.

b.) Insist that Speaker Madigan be fair and that he call the real marriage amendment — HJRCA 2 — which has been been introduced and reintroduced without even a hearing for 6 years now! This legislation is and has been sponsored by David Reis (R-Olney).

Let me also remind you that 30 states have given voters a choice on whether to protect marriage as one man and one woman — and 30 states have passed amendments upholding natural marriage — even in liberal California. Just whose agenda are these lawmakers promoting?

Background

In appointing Rep. Harris — an outspoken and proud homosexual activist — to the Youth and Family Committee, Speaker Madigan has demonstrated his utter contempt for traditional values.

A serious concern is not merely personal identity, but whether public officials will use their authority to promote the belief that homosexuality and biblical marriage are morally equivalent. Government should not impose contested views about sexuality and identity on children and families, especially while dismissing the convictions of many parents.

Religious Freedom?

Finally, to add further insult, the same-sex “marriage” bill is misleadingly titled the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act.” This bill will not protect our individual religious freedom to object to homosexuality as public policy. In fact, Georgetown University lesbian law professor Chai Feldblum states that when same-sex marriage is legalized, conservative people of faith will lose religious rights.

If the General Assembly yields to homosexual activists and enacts this same-sex “marriage” bill, parental rights and fundamental First Amendment speech and religious rights will be eroded.

There have been numerous civil rights violations in Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, Sweden, and Canada ranging from the denial of parents’ rights to remove their children from explicit homosexual instruction to the denial of a pastor’s speech rights to the denial of private business owners’ right to run their business as they see fit.

Due to special gay “rights” legislation like HB 178, we are facing a showdown: Gay Rights vs. Religious Freedom.

We cannot have both — so which will it be?