Tell 'Em Andy Sent Ya

Yes, I know that Andrew Sullivan, in addition to being a conservative, is also gay, so he's not exactly impartial on the subject of gay marriage rights. But he's also a clear thinker (most of the time) and excellent writer, so I thought it was worth posting this:

TWO LEGISLATURES: We now have two state legislatures backing marriage rights for gay couples. Since the advent of marriages for gays in Massachusetts, public opinion has swung dramatically in favor of them. Why? The reality is that this is a sane, modest, conservative, practical reform - and when you actually see couples committing to one another and taking responsibility for each other, very few are dismayed. I'm waiting for the reaction from the theocon right. They have always framed their arguments around judicial tyranny. Now, they have democratically elected majorities and states' rights to fight against. In Massachusetts, the vote to abandon the constitutional amendment banning marriage was a whopping 157 to 39. What's their argument now?

I realize that some of those who voted against the amendment did so in order to wait for the possible ballot initiative in 2008, because they don't favor civil unions OR gay marriage, and so didn't want to support an amendment that would have created civil unions.

But by all accounts, at least 115 of those who voted down the amendment now (or always) supported equal marriage rights. If you know a legislator who voted down yesterday's amendment purely to keep civil unions off the table (in addition to banning gay marriage), let them know you disagree. You can mention that some conservatives disagree, too.