University of Wisconsin – La Crosse

Student association

TITLE:  No to the Amendment Resolution

AUTHOR(S):  Lilia Williams, Ryan “Bill” Paulsen

SPONSOR(S): AJ Clauss, Bill Schultz, Jeanine Putnam

BODY:

WHEREAS, the Wisconsin legislature is in the process of adding an amendment to the state constitution that would only recognized marriage by “one man and one woman” and would invalidate “a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals,” and

WHEREAS, this change is completely superfluous because in the history of Wisconsin “a husband and a wife” has never been interpreted as anything other than “one man and one woman,” and

WHEREAS, the proposed amendment goes too far, the language “a legal status substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals” allows this amendment to invalidate domestic partnerships and civil unions, and

WHEREAS, the proposed amendment unnecessarily, yet inherently, sends the message that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and families are second-class, and not worthy of recognition and the same protections and benefits afforded to heterosexual families, and

WHEREAS, the proposed amendment, will directly affect the LGBTQ members of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse community by increasing cultural hostility and

WHEREAS, the proposed constitutional amendment would eliminate the current domestic partnership benefits currently received by many students, faculty, and staff, and

WHEREAS, Wisconsin was the first state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1982, and

WHEREAS, student representatives from across the state have opposed this proposed constitutional amendment through United Council of UW Students,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that UW-L Student Association recognizes that the proposed constitutional amendment to ban marriage for same-sex couples, domestic partnership, and civil unions affects their constituents adversely,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that UW-L Student Association opposes the proposed constitutional amendment,

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, upon passage, UW-L Student Association sends this resolution to Chancellor, Faculty Senate, and your state representative and senator.