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MARRIAGE DIGEST: Pelosi makes history with ‘gay marriage’ stance; N.J. citizens oppose marriage redefinition; …

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WASHINGTON (BP)–Democrat Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is set to make history next year by becoming the first female House speaker, but she’ll also become the highest ranking political leader in American history publicly to support “gay marriage.”

Her San Francisco district is known for its large homosexual population, and in early 2004 its mayor made headlines when he ordered the city to grant same-sex couples marriage licenses. Eventually, 4,000 were issued, although they were later deemed null and void by the state’s Supreme Court.

In March of 2004, Pelosi was asked by FOX News’ Neil Cavuto, “Can same-sex couples marry?”

“Yes,” Pelosi replied.

Moments later Cavuto asked, “So what the mayor of San Francisco is doing, you would approve of it?”

“Yes,” she replied.

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On the same show, Pelosi said a federal marriage amendment would “enshrine discrimination in the Constitution” against homosexuals.

“I don’t think they should be discriminated [against] in the Constitution,” she said. “And my goal is to defeat that resolution.”

In recent months Pelosi has tried to distance herself from the more liberal views of her district.

At least two Democrats in the Senate — Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin — also support “gay marriage.”

In 2004 Vice President Dick Cheney said he opposed a federal marriage amendment, although he did not state his personal position on “gay marriage.” He said the issue should be left to the states; conservatives responded by saying judges were forcing their will on the states and that an amendment was the only remedy.

MUSGRAVE SURVIVES — Republicans had a bad day nationwide on Nov. 7, but Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, a Colorado Republican and a strong supporter of natural, traditional marriage, survived. Musgrave was the primary sponsor in the House of the Marriage Protection Amendment, and she was targeted by homosexual activists at the ballot in both 2004 and 2006.

With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Musgrave led Democrat Angie Paccione, 46-43 percent.

NEW JERSEY VOTERS OPPOSES ‘GAY MARRIAGE’ — Homosexual activists apparently have work to do if they want to convince New Jersey voters “gay marriage” should be legalized.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released Nov. 8, 50 percent of New Jersey voters would oppose allowing homosexual couples to “marry,” while 41 percent would support it. In addition, a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released Nov. 2 showed that 54 percent of New Jersey adults favor amending the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Thirty-eight percent oppose it.

The polls come days after the New Jersey Supreme Court issued a decision Oct. 25 ordering the state legislature either to legalize “gay marriage” or Vermont-style civil unions. It gave legislators 180 days to act.

In the Quinnipiac poll, voters favored civil unions over “gay marriage” by a margin of 51-28 percent. The Rutgers-Eagleton poll had adults supporting civil unions by a margin of 40-29 percent, with another 16 percent voluntarily saying the legislature should just ignore the court’s order.

“The voters of New Jersey are sending a clear message to the legislature — ‘no’ to gay marriage,” Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a news release.

The New Jersey ruling likely assisted in helping conservatives pass constitutional marriage amendments in seven states on Election Day.

The Quinnipiac poll of 1,181 New Jersey voters was conducted Oct. 30-Nov. 5; the Rutgers-Eagleton poll of 695 adults took place Oct. 29-31.

BLACKS OPPOSE ‘GAY MARRIAGE’ — Two-thirds of black people oppose “gay marriage,” according to an AP-AOL Black Voices poll of 900 black adults released in late October. Blacks were critical to the passage of constitutional marriage amendments in seven states on Election Day. In Tennessee, according to exit polls, 86 percent of black voters supported a marriage amendment there — surpassing even the 80 percent approval statewide. In Virginia, 56 percent of blacks backed a marriage amendment, and in Arizona, 61 percent of blacks voted for it, according to exit polls.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM TAKES A HIT IN CANADA — Americans who think “gay marriage” wouldn’t have a far-reaching impact on religious freedom may want to take a look north at Canada. In late October, 68 postal workers in a Vancouver, British Columbia, postal facility refused to distribute booklets condemning homosexuality, walking out on the job for roughly 15 minutes. Among other things, the booklets labeled homosexuality “ungodly,” “unhealthy” and “unnatural,” Canadian Television reported.

“It’s a 28-page booklet I would characterize as nothing but a 28-page diatribe against members of the homosexual community,” Ken Mooney, president of the Vancouver chapter of the postal workers union, told the network.

“It’s hate literature and nothing else. It never should have been accepted for delivery by Canada Post,” he said.

The matter was handled internally, and the mail eventually was delivered. A Canada Post spokesperson said the employees were told they would have been participating in an illegal work stoppage if they had continued, Canadian Television said reported. The network did not identity the source of the booklet.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said Americans should watch what happens across the border with interest.

“There are government employees who, by law, cannot censor mail,” Perkins wrote in his Washington Update e-mail. “… If Americans think this same censorship will not travel south, think again. Under the guise of discrimination, our country may soon resemble our northern neighbors where relativism — not freedom — comes first.”
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For more information about the national debate over “gay marriage,” visit http://www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage [3]