"This is Exactly Why We Need the Constitutional Amendment"

Contact: Jason Adkins, 651-227-8777, Chuck Darrell, 612-275-9141

MEDIA ADVISORY, June 27, 2011 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Minnesota for Marriage Coalition, a broad-based group of community and faith leaders and organizations supporting next year's vote to preserve the definition of marriage as only one man and one woman in Minnesota's constitution, reacted today to the narrow vote by the Legislature in the State of New York to legalize gay marriage in the Empire State.

"This is exactly why we need the constitutional amendment to protect marriage in Minnesota," said Jason Adkins of the Minnesota Catholic Conference and a member of the Minnesota for Marriage Coalition. "Marriage between one man and one woman has served mankind for all of recorded history as the building block of civilization and the best institution for children. Now marriage has been radically redefined in New York and gay marriage imposed without a vote of the people. Placing one-man, one-woman marriage in Minnesota's Constitution ensures that only voters will ever be able to decide the meaning of marriage, not politicians."

"Those who opposed placing the amendment before the voters said it was unnecessary, but the activities in New York show differently," added Chuck Darrell, Director of Communications of the Minnesota Family Council. "In fact, State Senator John Marty boasted that the Minnesota state legislature would force same-sex marriage on the people this year - just like in New York - without a vote of the people. Instead, our legislature wisely decided to let the people decide the issue of marriage - not politicians."

"We look forward to a healthy debate on the amendment and, unlike politicians in New York, trust the people of Minnesota to make the right decision on marriage in our state," concluded Adkins.