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Written by Lisa Neff, Staff writer
Jan 27, 2012
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is part of the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry group. – Photo: Courtesy
A bipartisan group of 80 mayors launched a drive to promote marriage equality on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C.
The announcement of the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry group at the Capital Hilton Hotel coincided with the U.S. Conference of Mayors' 80th winter meeting.
The broad-based Freedom to Marry coalition of mayors is chaired by Jerry Sanders of San Diego, Thomas Menino of Boston, Michael Bloomberg of New York City, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles and Annise Parker of Houston.
"Everyone here believes in the vital importance of marriage to our constituents, to our communities, and to our country," said Parker, who is openly gay. "Together, we will work to ensure that our cities have what they need to thrive – and in order to keep our cities competitive in business and welcoming in culture, we will work hard to win the freedom to marry everywhere and end federal marriage discrimination once and for all."
Coalition members in-clude mayors from small towns, suburbs and major cities, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former chief of staff to Barack Obama and senior advisor to Bill Clinton.
Wisconsin members include Tom Barrett of Milwaukee, Paul Soglin of Madison and Mel Nieuwenhuis of Delavan.
Villaraigosa, who is the president of the mayors' conference, said, "If we truly believe in family values, we should value all families. Denying gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry weakens society by hurting our communities, neighbors, and families."
The coalition is part of the broader Freedom to Marry campaign, which is:
- Encouraging citizens to sign a pledge promoting marriage equality.
- Lobbying President Barack Obama to back marriage equality.
- Backing court challenges to anti-gay marriage laws.
- Seeking congressional repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.
- Pursuing legislative reform in the states.
"Many Americans who for decades opposed the freedom to marry for same-sex couples are rethinking their position, and hearts and minds are changing," said Freedom to Marry campaign director Marc Solomon. "We are proud – and thankful – for the leadership these mayors from across the country are showing in support of this cause."
Already this year, committees have heard testimony on marriage equality bills in New Jersey and Washington. And legislation has been introduced in Maryland.
In Washington, majorities in the House and Senate support marriage equality, as does the governor.
In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie has threatened a veto and urged a referendum.
In the state
Wisconsin members of the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry group include Tom Barrett of Milwaukee, Paul Soglin of Madison and Mel Nieuwenhuis of Delavan.
Freedom to Marry encourages citizens to prompt their municipal chiefs to join the campaign by calling their city halls.
