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Summarized by Kent Larsen
ACLU Says LDS Church Has Right To Fight Same-Sex Marriage
Deseret News 17Feb00 N1
By Jeffrey P. Haney: Deseret News staff writer
OREM, UTAH -- The Utah ACLU's Steve Clark and BYU Law Professor Lynn
Wardle spoke together at Utah Valley Community College on Wednesday,
agreeing on one important point; in spite of claims to the contrary
by local California politicians, the LDS Church has every right to
campaign for Proposition 22, also known as the Knight Initiative.
However, the two couldn't be farther apart when it comes to the
proposition itself.
"Gays and lesbians exist in our society, and they are parts of our
families," Clark told the audience, "My view of marriage is a context
. . . in which humans can understand their power and potential. If
that's the definition, then we should be willing to open it up to
anyone willing to undertake those vows."
But Wardle says that the traditional definition of marriage is the
bedrock of society, "We value marriage because marriage is a unique
institution," he said. "I ask, where is the evidence that (same-sex
marriages) contribute to society?" Wardle claims that same-sex
marriages don't provide a good environment for raising children, "The
consequences are dangerous for society as a whole," he said.
Clark pointed out that Wardle's arguments were identical to those
used to fight interracial marriages. Clark, who is gay, says that gay
parents don't teach homosexuality to their children, "You can't teach
sexuality," he said. "I didn't just wake up one day and decide this
would be a fun thing to do."
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