Connecticut (V) Congresswoman Rosa L. Delauro

Today I continue with Congresswoman Rosa L. Delauro, Democrat, representative of Connecticut's 3rd Congressional District:

Dear Congresswoman Delauro,

I write seeking support for a Marriage Equality Amendment that would recognize the right of same-sex couples to marry throughout the United States. Though recent events in Iowa and Vermont have moved the cause of marriage equality forward in important ways, discriminatory forces around the country have effectively blocked or rolled back progress for millions of Americans. Such a focused assault on citizens' rights demands a robust response, thus I and others propose that the federal constitution be amended to read: "The right to marry shall not be abridged or denied by the United States or any state on account of sex or sexual orientation."

As a member of Congress since 1981, you have been a long-term champion of civil rights in the House, consistently earning high marks from the ACLU, the NAACP, and the Human Rights Campaign. Moreover, as a devout Catholic who has thought and spoken with sensitivity and erudition about the complexity of reconciling faith and political engagement, you well understand the destructive ways in which the politicization of religion has distorted the discourse on this issue. In a speech delivered to the Pew Forum in 2006, you reaffirmed President Kennedy's declaration of principle: "I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant, nor Jewish where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches, or any other ecclesiastical source." This is the philosophy that should guide the expression of faith in our national politics, and the reason why the morality of marriage equality should be assessed first and foremost as a question of legal doctrine and civil rights, unclouded by the religious views of any particular confessional group.

Sponsorship of a Marriage Equality Amendment would be in keeping with the record of articulate, thoughtful, and courageous leadership that you have established in your more than two decades of service. I hope that you will see the wisdom of this campaign and lend it your voice. In any case, I thank you for your attention on this matter and extend my best wishes.

Sincerely,

Andrew Meyer