Arizona Continues The Fight For Relationship Recognition

On election day, Arizona was one of the three states that had anti-gay marriage legislation passed.

Since the election there has been a lot of grassroots movements and new organizations that have sprouted up to fight for LGBT rights.

One of these groups is Arizona Civil Partnerships.

The group was started by Gino Meriano and Philip Cotton. Their goal is to create Civil Partnerships in Arizona. Civil Partnerships would enable same-sex couples to obtain legal recognition of their relationship. Couples who form an Arizona Civil Partnership have a new legal status, that of ‘civil partner’.

The rights associated with this partnership would be equal to marriage rights enjoyed by straight couples.

The first step is to get the necessary 230,047 signatures for the measure to appear on the ballot in 2010. Meriano is helping to fund the project during this initial phase. So what makes them think they can do this after a big loss? Meriano feels he has taken the religious argument out since their is a provision that bar these partnership ceremonies from being held during any religious ceremony.

Unfortunately Cathy Herod, head of the Center for Arizona Policy and Yes for Marriage, feels differently.

In a recent Associated Press interview Herrod had this to say,

(My) group will oppose this plan to create what “marriage counterfeits.”

“Marriage – and the benefits of marriage – should be reserved for one man and one woman,”

They are even making sure to keep the word divorce out of the measure. Instead if a relationship ended it would be dissolved.

When this was first being discussed back in December many of the LGBT organizations in Arizona agreed that now is not the time to be putting an initiative on the ballot for relationship recognition. In this year’s loss the Yes side raised $7.7 million while the No side raised only $746,000. It is estimated that a winning campaign would take at least $3.5 million. The economy along with our state legislature moving farther to the right and a new Republican Governor, it sure sounds like an uphill battle.

On the other had, November 4th was a big wake up day for LGBT people. Maybe more people are willing to answer the call. The real question is what will Arizonans have to fight while trying to get this passed? I would imagine an attack on gay adoption is on the horizon if Cathy Herod and her people have their way. Is there enough money to win one measure and defeat another? Will the LGBT community really ever get to introduce possitive initiatives or will we always just be on the defensive?

For more information on how you can help visit Arizona Civil Partnerships.

Lezzymom has two kids and a wonderful partner. Her political commentary has appeared on C-Span and CSPAN.org. Visit her Lezzymom blog for more of her insights.