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Battling Resolution 99 (a discriminatory constitutional amendment) has fallen on my plate nearly by default.  The resolution has passed the vote in the Senate and it's now awaiting the vote by the lower chamber (House of Representatives). Governor Acevedo Vila has vowed to sign it if it passes the legislature. The vote has not been scheduled, but it is expected to happen late Feb or early Mar.

 

I'm currently contacting Senators and Representatives in the US to put pressure on the legislature in PR to reconsider their "Yes" vote. Even if it passes we have two more opportunities at fighting it: the Facilitative Law (which provides the funds to bring it to an electorate vote), and the referendum itself. My congressional contacts are important until the Facilitative Law. After that the leading hope is to convince the Puerto Rican electorate to vote against it. If it passes, the only hope left would be to bring it to the courts as an unconstitutional law.

 

This law seeks to add language to the Puerto Rican Constitution that would elevate marriage between a man and a woman to a constitutional level.  Because  I strongly believe that marriage is a sacred institution, I don't believe that governments should be involved in how marriage is defined.  Marriage should be defined by religious institutions without the intervention of the government save for safeguarding the legal rights of of those that enter into a civil union.

 

• Churches marry people into a holy union;

• Governments create legal business/civil unions;

• Churches cannot be forced to marry any couple that they consider unfit to enter in such a holy union;

• Governments protect the legal rights of anyone entering into a business/civil union;

• Governments protect the rights and wishes of those that can't make decisions on their own.  Such protection is provide but is not limited to underage children and the mentally/physically incapacitated; and

• The constitution of a State should only include language that provides rights and privileges to its residents/citizens, and should never include language that limits rights and privileges to any of its members while taking them from other members.

Please consider supporting me in fighting Resolution 99

 

Sincerely,

 

Estefan