Advocates on both sides of Indiana’s same sex marriage debate are preparing for a fight after the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings Wednesday clear the way for the states to decide the marriage question.
The Indiana General Assembly is expected to vote next session on a constitutional amendment referred to as HJR6 that bans same sex marriage.
If the amendment passes, it becomes a ballot referendum for the November 2014 general election. As groups on both sides of the marriage question gear up for the debate, American Family Association of Indiana Director Micah Clark says Hoosiers need to think about what marriage is.
“We believe marriage is the uniting of a man and a woman – that’s the public purpose and attaching both men and women to their children,” Clark said. “And throughout history, governments have recognized that marriage is not just any love; it’s a special kind of bond between a man and a woman.”
Jean Capler is the president of FairTalk, an Indiana marriage equality organization. She says the Supreme Court’s rulings change the climate in favor of same-sex marriage.
“Even the legislators who have voted in favor of HJR6 in the past seem to be losing their enthusiasm for it,” Capler said. “Whether that will translate into a ‘no’ vote or not, we have to wait and see.”
Capler says if the amendment does reach the ballot, she believes voters will reject it. Clark says despite some national shifts, Hoosiers will still support traditional marriage.
