By Ray Vahey and Richard Taylor
To witness the ACLU honor the Fair Wisconsin Campaign
led by Action Wisconsin and Center Advocates is a joy to us. Both groups
are leading the battle to preserve the Constitution as a Living Document & Protector
of the Rights of all citizens. We are proud to be members of
the ACLU and Fair Wisconsin.
Richard and I met and fell in love in 1956. For nearly
50 years, we have yearned for a marriage or union recognized in America. We
know a little about Discrimination. During World War II, when
Richard was 17, he convinced a reluctant Father to allow him to join
the Navy. He was assigned to a Naval Tanker on convoy duty in
the North Atlantic, then to the Mediterranean during Operation Torch & from
there to the Pacific. His tanker fueled a Cruiser while it bombarded
Mount Suribache on Iwo Jima & then they went on to Okinawa, where
they came under Kamakazi attack. Richard voluntarily put himself
into harms way to protect his country and the rights of all Americans
of that day, and all of the generations that followed. Now there
is an attempt to separate Richard from society & take away his
right to Equality under the Law.
The amendment to Ban Civil Unions and Marriage in Wisconsin
would doom not only our dreams & make us second-class citizens,
it would jeopardize the existing rights of straight and gay couples
and their children across the state. Thousands of Wisconsin LGBT
Youth & millions across the nation are just beginning to build
their lives as we did. They will not accept being shunned or
victimized, and Canada is not far away. Neither Wisconsin, nor
America can afford that Brain Drain.
Our opponents say the amendment will protect us from
Activist Judges. It was Passive Judges who enabled the Nazis to enact
the Nuremberg Laws. We need Fearless, Fair & Active Judges
like those who gave us Brown v Board of Education, and ended the farce
of Separate but Equal.
Civil Rights were achieved by the sacrifices of the prominent
and the anonymous of their day. We draw our inspiration, courage
and conviction that Wisconsin will do what is Fair from Thurgood Marshall,
Martin Luther & Coretta Scott King, Medger Evers, Rosa Parks, Marian
Anderson, Paul Robeson, Eleanor Roosevelt & earlier from the days
of Slavery – Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglas.
Our chains are not visible, but they are real! We must
break them – and we will! We cannot resurrect those Great
Americans, but we are strengthened even more now, because tonight we
are surrounded by you, their successors.
We need to inform the citizens. We need to convince the
doubters. We need to motivate the disinterested. We need
to inspire each other. We need to remind Wisconsin voters of
their proud, independent, progressive heritage to Vote NO on the amendment & show
the country and the world that we choose Light over Darkness.
Abraham Lincoln urged the nation to listen to their better
angels. Today,
you are those better angels. Just like Uncle Sam – We
need You. Please take the opportunity tonight to sign our petition & Last
but certainly not least – Please Contribute Your Money or Volunteer
Your Time to Fair Wisconsin. If you prefer, you can contact them
at fairwisconsin.com.
On behalf of Fair Wisconsin’s thousands of dedicated
volunteers, superb staff and excellent leadership, thank you from the
bottom of our hearts for this great honor.
In less than eight months, Wisconsin voters will decide whether discrimination
should become a permanent part of our state's constitution. This
November, we will be asked whether the constitution should be amended
to prohibit civil unions and equal marriage rights for lesbian and gay
couples. The language of the amendment is so broad that it even threatens
domestic partnership benefits and other legal protections for unmarried
couples.
Fair Wisconsin is the statewide campaign to defeat the
civil unions and marriage ban. It was created as a project of Action
Wisconsin--the statewide advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
people--and Center Advocates--the equal rights arm of the Milwaukee LGBT
Community Center.
Fair Wisconsin is working with many gay and non-gay
organizations across the state, including social justice, faith, and
business groups. Fair Wisconsin's goal is to make sure Wisconsin
voters have the information they need to cast a vote for fairness-and
against the civil unions and marriage ban-this November.
The ACLU
of WI is proud to honor Fair Wisconsin’s work, to date and their
efforts to stop the Discrimination Amendment in 2006.
