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OPINIONS
Chuck Anziulewicz: State Democrats should support gay marriage
Though I'm not surprised a group of state legislators has again proposed an amendment that would erase gay couples from protection under West Virginia's state constitution, I find it both surprising and insulting that more than half of the sponsors of this amendment are Democrats.
The West Virginia Democratic Party platform states: "Democrats continue to lead the fight to ensure no American suffers discrimination or deprivation of rights on the basis of race, gender, language, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, family status or other characteristics irrelevant to ability."
However, there are seven Democratic delegates who have turned their back on the party platform and have signed on to this measure. They are Harold Michael (Hardy County), Tim Miley (Harrison), Rick Moye (Raleigh), John Pino (Fayette), Brent Boggs (Braxton), Cliff Moore (McDowell) and William Stemple (Calhoun).
This "Marriage Protection Amendment" is deceptively named, because it would ban gay West Virginians from not only marrying but also from forming any other legally recognized contracts such as civil unions or domestic partnerships.
It is astonishing that seven Democratic delegates would throw their support behind such a divisive and mean-spirited measure. This kind of bigotry and shameless political posturing has no place in the Democratic Party that I belong to.
Chuck Anziulewicz is a resident of Spring Hill, W.Va.
