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Green Party Endorses SB 935 To Support Marriage Equality

Attention: News Editor
For Immediate Release

Contact:
Hillary Kane, 267-971-3559
Skip Mendler, 570-251-3637


Green Party urges passage of SB 935 legalizing same-sex marriage
Leaders outraged over Sen. Eichelberger's comments that society "allows" gays and lesbians to exist

GREEN PARTY OF PENNSYLVANIA
http://www.gpofpa.org

This week, the Green Party of Pennsylvania spoke out in support of Senate Bill 935 which would make same-sex marriage legal in Pennsylvania. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17).

"Legalizing same-sex marriage is an important step toward achieving equality for all Pennsylvanians," said GPPA Chair Hillary Kane. "The Green Party has always supported same-sex marriage."

Earlier this summer, Sen. Leach debated State Senator John Eichelberger (R-30) on WHYY's Radio Times. During the interview, Eichelberger said that society "allows" gay people to exist, and implied that this was enough. Any guarantee of rights for gays and lesbians would be "special privileges" in Eichelberger's view. Eichelberger is sponsoring a bill to change the Pennsylvania constitution so that it specifically bans marriage equality.

"If gays and lesbians had not been singled out for the 'special treatments' of discrimination and violent attacks in the past, they wouldn't need this kind of legislation now. But they have, and they do," said Skip Mendler, Chair, Wayne County Green Party.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office lists 1,138 federal laws that pertain to married couples. The rights and responsibilities outlined in those laws currently do not apply to same-sex couples in Pennsylvania, effectively denying these rights on the basis on sexual orientation. These rights include:

Ability to obtain Social Security survivor benefits
Ability to provide citizenship to a spouse through marriage
Ability to have one's marriage recognized equally in all 50 states

It's not just the Green Party speaking out. "Senator Leach is attempting to provide a solution to Pennsylvania's intrusive law that interferes with our individual rights, and I applaud him for recognizing the importance of these issues," said Marakay Rogers, Pennsylvania coordinator of Outright Libertarians and 2008 Libertarian Attorney General candidate.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania, (http://www.gpofpa.org), is an independent political party founded on the four pillars of grassroots democracy, social justice, ecological wisdom and nonviolence.

Lavender Greens Caucus:
http://www.lavendergreens.us/

Green Party Platform Statement on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity:
http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/socjustice.html#999082

October 11 – National March for Marriage Equality
http://nationalequalitymarch.com/

U.S. Government Accountability Office report listing the many laws that discriminate based on marital status
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04353r.pdf

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