Date: Fri, 12 Jul 96 14:55:45 EST
From: "Phil Attey" <phil.attey@mail.hrcusa.org>
Subject: House of Representatives Passes Anti-Marriage Bill

     ________________________________________________________
     
     NEWS from the
     Human Rights Campaign
     
     1101 14th Street NW
     Washington, DC 20005
     email:  communications@hrcusa.org
     WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
     ________________________________________________________
     
     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     Friday, July 12, 1996
                                     
            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES ANTI-MARRIAGE BILL 
     
     WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives hit a new low in gay- 
     bashing today when it passed an anti-marriage bill by a vote of 
     342-67.
     
          "The House committed an ugly, cowardly and unconstitutional act 
     by passing this bill, and history will remember it as such," said 
     Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign. "It 
     is nothing more than gratuitous election-year gay-bashing and the 
     Human Rights Campaign intends to hold every member of Congress 
     accountable for this vote." 
     
          The so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" would allow states to 
     ignore gay marriages performed in other states, and would create an 
     unprecedented federal definition of marriage to exclude gay unions 
     from all federal benefits should any state decide to legalize same-sex 
     marriage.
     
          The House began debate late last night and resumed consideration 
     of the measure this morning. Amendments offered by Rep. Barney Frank, 
     D-Mass, -- which would have preserved federal benefits in states that 
     might allow same-sex marriages in the future -- were defeated 103-311.
     
          Sens. James Jeffords, R-Vt., Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and 
     Edward Kennedy D-Mass, announced yesterday a plan to attach the 
     Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill to outlaw employment 
     discrimination based on sexual orientation, as an amendment to the 
     Defense of Marriage Act if it reaches the Senate floor.
     
          "A gay person can't get married in any of the 50 states today, 
     and that's not likely to change for at least another two years," Birch 
     said. "Yet gay people can be fired from their jobs in 41 states merely 
     because of their sexual orientation. Congress should quit wasting time 
     on legislation to outlaw an institution that doesn't exist and pass a 
     bill to end discrimination that does."
     
          Birch said the Human Rights Campaign will focus on passing the 
     ENDA amendment in the Senate and believes it has a solid chance of 
     passing. ENDA, reintroduced in June, 1995, currently has 30 co- 
     sponsors in the Senate and is supported by Govs. William Weld, 
     R-Mass., and Christine Todd Whitman, R - N.J.
     
          The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay 
     political organization, with members throughout the country. It 
     effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates 
     the public to ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, 
     honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.
     
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