Campaign for Human Dignity.George Matousek, a northern Michigan fish farmer, wants to make Michigan the next battleground over civil rights for lesbians and gay men. Matousek spearheads a campaign to put an anti-gay initiative on the November 1994 state ballot. Modeled after a 1992 Colorado referendum, the effort would amend the Michigan Constitution, making it impossible for people to claim "protected status based on homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual orientation." "If we give homos special privileges," Matousek explains, "we'll soon have to give extra rights to overeaters, or alcoholics, or drug addicts, or anyone with a bad habit bad habit Unhealthy habit Clinical medicine A patterned behavior regarded as detrimental to physical or mental health, which is often linked to a lack of self-control. Cf Good habit. ." Though circumspect cir·cum·spect adj. Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent. [Middle English, from Latin circumspectus, past participle of circumspicere, to take heed : about his financial support, Matousek expects help from organizations that backed the Colorado for Family Values Colorado for Family Values was an organization based in the U.S. state of Colorado that was most notable for the drafting and promoting of Amendment 2 in 1992, which was the subject of the United States Supreme Court case Romer v. Evans. initiative. Meanwhile, a coalition of groups is forming to combat Matousek's plan - including the Michigan Campaign for Human Dignity, the National Organization for Women, the American Friends Service Committee The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) affiliated organization which works for social justice, peace and reconciliation, abolition of the death penalty, and human rights, and provides humanitarian relief. , the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), organization composed mainly of American blacks, but with many white members, whose goal is the end of racial discrimination and segregation. , the Coalition of Labor Union Women The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of trade union women affiliated with the AFL-CIO. CLUW has four goals:
"The more people understand that this is part of a century-long fight to define the nature of democracy, the more successful our efforts will be," says Campaign chair Shea Howell. "This isn't a gay issue. This attack - and the fight-back - will ultimately decide what kind of country we will be." For more information call the Michigan Campaign for Human Dignity at 313 399-7974. |
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