By Mike Gabbard*
Don't look for traditional marriage supporters popping champagne bottles and dancing in the streets. At least not yet.
Sure, the long, overdue passage of a constitutional amendment reserving marriage for opposite-sex couples by the 1997
Legislature is a great victory for pro-family advocates, but the battle is definitely not over.
My respected opponent, attorney Dan Foley, who represents the three homosexual couples in the Baehr vs. Miike case,
reminded me of that the other day at the Capitol just before the joint conferees signed their committee reports. Before entering
the conference, we smiled, shook hands and gave each other a "it ain't over till it's over" nod.
That night on the news, our sound bites were almost identical: The constitutional amendment controversy during 1998 will
generate an expensive media campaign by both sides, and it will be a divisive battle.
It's important to remember who started this divisiveness, not only in our community but all over the world. Legalizing "gay
marriage" is an attack by homosexual activists and their supporters on the moral foundations of this country. They are
committed to redefining marriage and family in order to achieve their ultimate goal--societal acceptance of homosexuality on
an equal basis as heterosexuality.
Paula Ettlebrick, policy director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, writes that "being queer means pushing the
parameters of sex, sexuality and family, and in the process, transforming the very fabric of society . . . . We must keep our
eyes on the goals of providing true alternatives to marriage and of radically reordering society's views of reality."
Locally, Carol Greenhouse of the Marriage Project-Hawai`i recently wrote, "the acceptance of gay marriage would be the
quickest, easiest route to the real goal, the acceptance of gays."
So, this isn't simply a "live and let live--why can't we all get along?" situation. Legally sanctioning so-called "homosexual
marriage" is a blatant attempt to normalize homosexual behavior, to change the hearts and minds of the American people so
that we will not just tolerate by accept homosexuality as normal and natural.
Those who are pushing for legalizing homosexual "marriages" are the aggressors in this battle. We are simply trying to defend
those crucial institutions that are the backbone of all cultures--marriage and the family.
Make no mistake. The war against marriage and the family will not end soon. We have won this battle, but homosexual
activists and their supporters are not going to give up. They will continue to fight. They will challenge the amendment. They will
spread propaganda through the media that this is a civil rights issue, when in fact it is not.
They will call us homophobes, hatemongers and bigots. They will do everything within their power to confuse the public into
thinking that gays are a persecuted, oppressed minority worthy of special legal protection.
We bear no ill-will against those who identify themselves as homosexuals. In fact, based on the testimonies of thousands of
"ex-gay" men and women who have successfully left the homosexual lifestyle, we sincerely extend a message of hope and love
to those who are presently addicted to this tragic behavior.
Many church groups, legislators and individuals have worked hard to make this amendment protecting marriage a reality. It is
now up to the people to finish the job by voting "yes" on the constitutional amendment in next year's election.
We will do everything we can to prevent divisiveness in our community during the months ahead. But one thing we won't do is
back down. There is too much at stake.
*Mike Gabbard is chairman of the Alliance for Traditional Marriage in Hawaii.