One of the United States’ largest academic unions – the National Education Association, which represents teachers, higher education faculty, and other education professionals – was all set to encourage its 2.8 million members to support gay marriage and civil unions in all 50 states. But two days after a NEA delegate leaked language of the resolution to the American Family Association (yes, that American Family Association), the NEA changed the language of the original bill. Now the org’s officials are claiming they didn’t change their support of gay marriage because of the AFA’s threat of protests but rather decided not to take a stance on the issue.
Instead of asking delegates to endorse homosexual marriage and civil unions across the board, the substitute asks convention delegates to endorse homosexual domestic partnerships, civil unions and marriage in states that already “legally recognize” the relationships.
Massachusetts is currently the only state that legally recognizes same sex marriage. Connecticut and Vermont have legalized civil unions. Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, California and the District of Columbia offer homosexual couples some form of spousal-like benefits. […]
Andy Linebaugh, a spokesman for the NEA, told Cybercast News Service that “leadership of the NEA has no interest in advancing a position on same-sex marriage.”
When asked about the substitute amendment, Linebaugh first stated that he had “no idea what you’re referring to.” But when he was read the language of the substitute and asked whether it would come up for a vote at the NEA convention, Linebaugh said he believed it would, “but it has to go through the process” first of being debated.
Linebaugh said the decision to change the amendment was not a result of any protest by conservatives.
The revised amendment will be debated and voted on during the NEA’s annual convention in Orlando June 29 to July 6. Which means by July 7, the AFA will be celebrating another victory.
NEA Weakens Resolution Supporting Homosexual Marriage [CNS News]
Anji
Society fears what they don’t understand. We should have the same rights as heterosexuals, yet we don’t.
It’s not fair to us at all. At first they feared African-Americans, they feared what powerful minds we have. Now, they fear that if we have those rights, they will have to abide by those laws. If they do agree to recognizing civil unions, domestic partnerships, etc., they will have some loop hole to go around to discriminate still against us. They do it all the time with work, renting, medical insurance, etc.