Georgia (X) Congressman Jim Marshall

Today I continue with Congressman Jim Marshall, Democrat, representative of Georgia's 8th Congressional District:

Dear Congressman Marshall,

I write in protest of your opposition to marriage equality. In the last Congress you crossed party lines to co-sponsor a so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment" that would have banned same-sex marriage throughout the United States. This decision was exemplary of a larger pattern of antipathy to the interests of LGBT citizens. You have received failing ratings for each of the last three Congresses from the Human Rights Campaign.

Marriage to the consenting partner of one's choice is the single most socially significant act that a citizen may freely undertake, entailing 1,138 protections, benefits, and changes of legal status under federal law. For government to deny citizens the power to make this choice on the basis of gender is senseless and arbitrary discrimination. How can Congress, or any elected body, dictate whom a citizen may love? How can the exclusion of an entire class of people from one of society's most basic institutions be fair? There is no logical answer to these questions, Congressman, and therefore marriage equality is the great civil rights struggle of our generation.

Your efforts against the rights of fellow Americans place you on the wrong side of history. There is yet time to repair your legacy, however. I and others propose that the U.S. constitution be amended to defend all citizens from depredations like the so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment." The surest defense against such oppression would be a "Marriage Equality Amendment," which would 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."

I have set out to write every member of Congress seeking support for this reform. Perhaps on reflection you will recant your current views and join this good cause. In any case I thank you for your attention on this matter and hope this message finds you well.

Sincerely,

Andrew Meyer