Anti-civil unions bill dead

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(Posted 3-13-01)

According to Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus co-chair Paul Thompson, an anti-civil unions bill introduced in the Oklahoma legislature this year by Bethany representative Bill Graves "really is sincerely dead". The bill, HB1147, would have banned civil unions or any other ceremony or "relationship between persons of the same gender which is not a legal marriage but gives the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as a marriage recognized in this state." The bill would have amended Oklahoma's "Defense of Marriage Act", which already outlaws same-sex marriage in Oklahoma and refuses to legally recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, to include civil unions. According to Thompson, Graves' intention was to prevent Oklahoma churches from being used for "holy union" ceremonies, relied on by many in the GLBT community as a means of achieving the spiritual state of marriage in the absence of the legal blessing of the secular state.

The bill was one of many anti-GLBT bills perennially introduced by Graves which are, invariably, quietly killed in committee thanks to behind the scenes work by groups such as OGLPC and the lobbying group, Progressive Alliance. Progressive Alliance's lobbying effort at the State Capitol is coordinated by openly-Gay professional lobbyist, Keith Smith.

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