South Carolinians will decide what a lawful marriage is — when
they vote on the proposed amendment on the ballot on Nov. 7.
The amendment, however, clearly violates the state’s constitutional
rule of a single-subject ballot vote. Fulton County, Ga., Superior
Court Judge Constance C. Russell on May 16 declared Georgia’s
ban on same-gender marriage to be unconstitutional because it violated
the same rule that S.C. plans too.
There are approximately 250,000 gay or lesbian residents of S.C.,
a conservative estimate of six percent of our state’s total
population. One of three lesbian couples and one of five gay male
couples raise children.
Gays and lesbian couples and their children live in every county
in S.C., including virtually every race, color and religious background.
S.C. ranks fourth in the nation for same-gender couples raising children
and third for African-American same-gender couples raising children.
If the legislature re-writes the amendment to appear on the ballot
this November, South Carolinians will be forced to decide whether
a tax-contributing component of our population will become second-class
citizens. I am a lesbian and a contributor to the tax base of Greenville
County. Did you know that by the very virtue of marriage between
heterosexuals, there are well over 1,000 rights and benefits accorded
to them by law? None of those will ever be available to gays and
lesbians if this amendment passes.
I urge all of you to truly understand the impact this amendment has
on families in S.C. should it pass. This is not a religious issue,
but equal rights under the law.
— Alix Pengue
Greenville, S.C.
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