[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1237-E1238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   STATEMENTS BY KRISTEN GARNER, SHYLA BLAIR, AND SHELLY OUELLETTE, 
                      REGARDING SAME SEX MARRIAGE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 17, 1997

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of my colleagues I would 
like to have printed in the Record this statement by high school 
students from Proctor, VT, who were speaking at my recent town meeting 
on issues facing young people.

       Ms. Blair. Recently in December Hawaii ruled that the state 
     must recognize single-sex marriages. Judge Kevin Chang based 
     his ruling on the fact that there's no legal reason against 
     it. He also ruled on the theory that sexual orientation is 
     fixed at birth and denying them the right to marry is sexual 
     discrimination. Because of this ruling about 20 states have 
     passed laws restricting homosexual marriages. We intend to 
     prove that there is no legal argument against it and that 
     there are only moral arguments based on prejudice.
       Ms. Garner. Some people think of homosexuals as promiscuous 
     or abnormally sexually active, but that has nothing to do 
     with sexual preference. Homosexuals are very committed to 
     their partners. A 1992 study showed that 55.5 percent of all 
     gay men and 71.2 percent of lesbians are in a steady 
     relationship. There are between 1 million and 5 million 
     lesbian mothers and between 1 million and 3 million gay 
     fathers in the United States today. Although the majority of 
     children come from previous homosexual marriages, homosexuals 
     are still acting as active parents. Homosexuals who have not 
     been in a heterosexual relationship in which to have children 
     have many options. Adoption, foster parenting or artificial 
     insemination are also ways of becoming parents.
       Some people think that homosexuals will influence their 
     children to become homosexuals, but 35 different studies have 
     showed that the children of gay and lesbians are no more 
     likely to be homosexual than the children of homosexual 
     parents.
       Ms. Ouellette. Homosexuals have good reasons for wanting to 
     marry. They don't want to marry just to make people mad or 
     start an argument. Homosexuals want to marry for the same 
     reasons heterosexuals want to marry: Love, companionship, 
     shared interests, common goals, emotional and financial 
     security and to raise a family. If we deny homosexuals the 
     right to marry, they will not have the automatic right to 
     medical, legal or financial decisions on behalf of their 
     partner. They can be denied access to visit their partner in 
     the intensive care unit or other hospital departments.
       Homosexuals want to feel emotionally and financially safe 
     just like heterosexuals. Homosexuals can attain some benefits 
     of legal marriage when many homosexuals do not have the time 
     or money it takes to get legal aid. Until the United States 
     allows same sex couples to marry, homosexuals will not have 
     rights and benefits that heterosexuals have. By not letting 
     homosexuals marry, we are denying them rights every person 
     should have
       Ms. Garner. Prejudice is a common threat that people of 
     minorities and different opinions face every day. Homosexuals 
     are a large

[[Page E1238]]

     target. The way they live is constantly opposed by people 
     from every direction. The battle homosexuals fight today for 
     the right to marry is not unlike the battle fought nearly 40 
     years ago also for the right to marry. This was the case of 
     Loving versus Virginia, a black woman, Diana Jetter, and a 
     white man, Harvey Loving, because interracial marriage was 
     banned in the state of Virginia. They went to Washington, 
     D.C. and got married. Because of the law, when they returned 
     to the state they were arrested and sentenced to one year in 
     prison. This sentence was only suspended because they 
     promised not to return to the state for 25 years. In today's 
     society, most people would think this unheard of, two 
     consenting adults unable to marry because of a petty 
     difference? Maybe 40 years from now people will look back at 
     the prejudice we are bestowing on homosexuals and ask how 
     could we?
       It's not fair to sterotype that heterosexuals are immoral 
     because of their sexual preference, that they should be 
     denied access to plans or things that heterosexuals get just 
     because of their sexual preference.

     

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