NEW YORK — President Bush's efforts to adopt a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage are prompting gay civil rights activists to organize protests and other attention-grabbing events in New York City this summer during the Republican convention.
Groups long opposed to the Bush administration's policies -- on Iraq, women's rights, energy and the environment, and a host of other issues -- have been planning for months to make a stand in New York during the four-day convention that starts Aug. 30. Gay civil rights groups are now expected to make a similarly sizeable showing, raising money and awareness opposing Bush.
"This is an issue that has really swept the country from coast to coast and is dominating public discussion about civil rights," Kevin Cathcart of Lambda Legal told the Associated Press. "I don't see that quieting down."
Bush publicly backed a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriages after the high court in Massachusetts ruled it is unconstitutional to prevent gay couples from marrying, and as several cities nationwide began issuing thousands of marriage licenses to gay couples.
We're definitely going to use the convention as an opportunity to get our message across, and as an opportunity to convey what this election means to gay families," said John Marble, a spokesman for the National Stonewall Democrats, a gay political group.
Gay rights groups say the push for a constitutional ban on gay marriage is not only drawing activists to New York, but inspiring young gay Americans to get involved in politics.
"We see a lot of previously apathetic gay Americans really taking notice of what's going on and wanting to get involved," Marble said.
"People who I thought never in a million years would have gotten into politics are asking, 'What can I do?'"
Sen. John Kerry, likely the Democratic presidential nominee, says he opposes gay marriages, but is also against a federal constitutional amendment to ban them. Kerry says he supports civil unions and rejects legislation that could be used to eliminate equal protections for gays.
John Marble of the Stonewall Democrats said, "Bush's support of the Federal Marriage Amendment has moved a lot of people who weren't political to want to defeat both Bush and the amendment."
Gay Group Go Anti Bush
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