(Columbia) Feb. 11, 2004 - Many people around South Carolina cannot legally marry the man or woman they love, including Kristi Deveau. She's been in a relationship with a woman for more than a year, "Nobody should tell me I can't marry her, nobody. I'm sorry. Whatever your beliefs are, that's not for you to decide. I'm not hurting anybody. She's not hurting anybody. We're a perfectly happy family."
State law prohibits the same-sex couple from marrying. They came to a town hall meeting Wednesday night at USC's Gambrell Auditorium to discuss a challenge to the state's ban on gay marriage. It's the first of a series of meetings planned for Marriage Equality Week.
Deveau says equality is what she wants, "I should have the same rights as anybody else and that's what I'm here for."
South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement organized the forum for Marriage Equality Week. It just happens to coincide with renewed efforts to discourage gay marriage.
South Carolina House members on Tuesday introduced bills that would prohibit the recognition in the Palmetto State of gay marriages performed elsewhere. The bills come a week after a Massachusetts court ruling that paves the way for gay marriages. The court ruled only full and equal marriage rights for gay couples would be constitutional.
The SC bills are sponsored by Greenville Republican Gloria Haskins and Florence Republican Marty Coates. The bills also seek to deny insurance benefits for same-sex partners. Lawmakers in 17 other states are considering similar bills.
Coates says, "I believe as it's evident today from thee support you see here from our collegues in the House that the position in the House of South Carolina Represenatives, that is strong, and we will attempt to strengthen the state's position on these critical issues."
South Carolina passed a law in 1996 that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. And, similar legislation was passed declaring gay marriages void in South Carolina. Haskins says the new bills help prevent another state's action from having any effect on South Carolina.
Last week almost 70 House members signed on to co-sponsor at least one of two bills opposed to gay marriages. Both bills say such marriages "in any other jurisdiction (have) no legal force or effect" in South Carolina.
Rep. Bill Cotty (R) Richland Co. explains the move on Tuesday by some Palmetto State lawmakers, "I think in South Carolina the vast majority of people still believe a marriage is only between a man and a woman. No other way."
Deveau and many others at the meeting say those representatives are out of touch with the majority of the state, "I've read other comments from the people who live in South Carolina and Columbia and they seem to be in favor of it."
Gay activists will try to register for marriage licenses in Richland County on Thursday. After that, they plan a "strolling wedding party" that will bring them down Main Street to the State House.
A new poll finds most Americans by a two-to-one margin don't want laws in their states that would legalize gay marriage. But, the National Annenberg Election Survey also finds that Americans generally aren't eager to see a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
The survey found that Americans oppose same-sex marriage laws by 60 percent to 31 percent. But, 49 percent of those surveyed opposed a constitutional amendment, while 42 percent supported it.
The first legally sanctioned same-sex weddings could take place as early as May 17th in Massachusetts. The earliest the proposed ban could reach the ballot is November 2006.
Reported by Catherine Reynolds
Posted 10:04pm by BrettWitt with AP
