Same-sex marriage ban finds support Blacks' unity splintering

03 Mar 04 12:00 AM EST

Supporters of a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage picked up another ally Tuesday as the position of the Legislative Black Caucus appeared to be splintering over the divisive issue.

African-American state Rep. Sharon Beasley-Teague (D-Red Oak), who represents parts of Fulton, Clayton and Fayette counties, said she has decided to support the proposed amendment "after a lot of praying and reading the Bible."

"I'm voting for it," she said during an interview. "My constituents say that if I don't vote for it, I'm denying them the opportunity to vote on it."

Beasley-Teague is the second black member of the state House of Representatives in recent days to voice her support of Senate Resolution 595, and those votes could help ensure passage once the measure comes back to the House floor. If the House passes the resolution, it would be put on the November ballot and become part of the Georgia Constitution if approved by voters.

The measure already has passed the Senate by the necessary two-thirds ratio, but failed last week in its first House appearance with 117 of the needed 120 votes. Beasley-Teague, who had an excused absence, and 11 other House members did not vote, and they have been lobbied heavily by both sides.

Members of the Black Caucus joined with liberal white Democrats to beat back the measure on the first House vote. Black lawmakers went 30-1 against the ban, with Rep. Henry Howard (D-Augusta) the only exception. A solid showing by the caucus is viewed as key to defeating the measure.

Both Republicans and black House leaders say pro-amendment votes by lawmakers like Beasley-Teague and state Rep. LaNett Stanley-Turner (D-Atlanta) a day earlier could doom any attempt to block the resolution when it is reconsidered by the full House.

Beasley-Teague said she does not accept the argument by some black lawmakers that gay marriage rises to the level of a civil rights issue. And she said she does not believe a constitutional same-sex marriage ban is discriminatory.

"This will not keep them from doing what they want to do as far as voting, as far as going to school or as far as where they eat," she said. "I'm black because that's the way I was born, and I can't change it. I don't know what made them gay. I just know the kind of person that I am is based on the family values given to me by my parents."

State Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta) said he will attempt to persuade Beasley-Teague and Stanley-Turner to change their minds. Brooks contends the Republican-authored amendment is a ploy to increase conservative voter turnout this November and help elect Republican candidates.

"I told her [Beasley-Teague] she could be voting to turn the House over to the Republican Party," said Brooks, who presides over the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials.

Republicans say they proposed the constitutional amendment because a current same-sex ban in state law can be overturned by "activist" judges. They cite a recent move by a Massachusetts court to permit gay marriages as well as a decision by the mayor of San Francisco to permit gay marriage ceremonies in that city.

House Republicans said Beasley-Teague's backing is one more indication that support for the resolution is growing.

"The initiative has enough votes to pass if it's called to the floor," said House Republican leader Glenn Richardson (R-Dallas). "Let's put it out here and decide and let the people of Georgia decide."

The amendment is now back in the House Rules Committee, and it was unclear Tuesday when it might again come up for a final floor vote.

House Speaker Terry Coleman (D-Eastman) said the chamber must now concentrate on passing House-sponsored bills before the 33rd legislative day, which occurs next week. Bill must pass one chamber of the Legislature by Day 33 of the 40-day session to have a chance at final passage.

"We took it up earlier because it was a hot political issue," Coleman said Tuesday. "Now it will be after the 33rd day."

That would put another House vote off until late next week at the earliest.

State Sen. Ed Harbison (D-Columbus), who chairs the 49-member Black Caucus, said he will try to convince Beasley-Teague to vote against the proposal.

"The fact we've been able to hold together so long in this instance has been remarkable," he said. "We'll continue to try to stay together, but it will test us, I'm sure."

Posted by on March 4, 2004 at 02:36 AM