WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Tuesday, the D.C. Council approved a first reading of a bill that would allow same-sex "marriage" in the District of Columbia.
The measure was passed in an 11-2 vote and must be approved in a second vote within two weeks before the bill can be sent to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty for his signature. Fenty has already expressed his support and promised to sign.
Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America, said, "With this decision, the D.C. Council has taken away from the citizens the opportunity to vote on an issue that not only affects the homosexual community but families and charities.
"The D.C. Council is giving inordinate power to one special interest group in a way that will harm others, particularly those with moral beliefs, children, and the poor. Homosexual activists have notoriously used same-sex 'marriage' or civil union status to seek out people with moral and religious beliefs to sue and punish, and to indoctrinate children through schools to 'admire' and experiment with homosexuality.
"The D.C. Council is putting the poor at greater risk by creating an impossible situation for charities. Some of the most successful charities are those driven by moral values. Yet the Council's calloused insensitivity to moral beliefs will hamper religious charities' ability to help the poor by requiring them to deny that marriage can be anything other than between one man and one woman in order to work with the city.
"Unlike civil rights based on skin color, ethnicity, sex or religious beliefs, homosexuality is based on changeable behavior that produces detrimental effects on individuals and society, most notably, health issues. A medically-accurate, compassionate and moral approach encourages people to engage in and support healthy behavior, not punish those who do."
Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.
