Quotes on DOMA

There have been some amazing statements made about the so-called Defense of Marriage Act that just passed the NM Senate yesterday. I don't think any commentary is needed. It's easy to tell the fair-minded folks who support equality for all our citizens from the hypocrits out for political gain at the expense of justice, isn't it?

*******Sen. Phil Griego, D-San Jose, invoked the memory of his brother Billy Griego, who died of AIDS complications in 1987.

"My brother and his partner, Jim, were a great couple," Sen. Griego said. "They involved themselves in the community, they helped the family. They went to church with the family and took Holy Communion. At family gatherings we always expected them to be there, because they were a couple.

"When Billy was dying, Jim was there to change him, to bathe him, to feed him. He died in Jim's arms. Nobody on this floor can tell me that relationship was immoral or illegal," Griego said. "I would rather have seen Billy and Jim raise 10 kids than some heterosexual couples."

*******Senate Majority Floor Leader Michael Sanchez said Griego's speech brought tears to his eyes.

*******Sen. John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe, referring to the brevity of the bill, said, "This is only four lines. Four lines of fear, four lines of hate, four lines of mistrust, four lines of dissension, four lines of segregation, four lines of telling a group of people, 'You're different than us.' "

"We all know this bill is designed to hurt people and nothing else," Grubesic said. "I don't want to be a party to hurting people and telling them 'You're beneath us.' "

*******Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe, said she initially had intended to support SB 597, but changed her mind partly because, she said, the true purpose of the measure was political.

"It's to put us on record for election time," she said. "It's not about morals or family values; it's about election time. Are we relegating Scripture to stature? With a bill like this, that's what we're trying to do."

*******Sen. Mark Boitano, R-Albuquerque, said the bill doesn't discriminate against gays. "There are many wonderful relationships in our society," he said. But he said, "It's relatively easy when you view marriage as a union of complimentary opposites; one having convex parts, one having concave parts."

*******"You can't marry your sister," Sharer said. "You can't marry your own mom. Is that discrimination? Is that the Dark Ages because we can't do that? I don't think so."

Above quotes from The New Mexican.

*******"What we are talking about, while it sounds simple on the surface, is in reality a very pointed and negative attempt at telling one group of our citizens that there are certain rights, certain opportunities that are closed to you," said Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque.

*******Sharer said his bill aims to provide the best the state can for its children. "Ninety percent of the men in prison today don't have a dad," he said. "Obviously, they have a father, but they don't have a dad. And that's where I'm coming from, how can we help those guys have a dad?"

*******Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell, denied the bill would discriminate against anyone. "This has nothing to do with any kind of unlawful discrimination or anything else," he said. "None of the people I know who are advocating this legislation have anything but good will in their hearts."

*******During Senate floor debate, Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana, explained her decision. She in the past has said she opposes gay marriage and signed Sharer's bill. She voted against the bill on the floor.

A Roman Catholic who helps serve Mass, Garcia said, "the God that I pray to, our maker, he loves everybody; he's not one to say you can't love this person because he's gay or you can't love that person because he's a Native American."

Garcia said that not everyone in her district would be happy with her vote. "I'll get a big scolding when I get home; I'll get a big scolding probably from the clergy and probably from the church that I belong to," she said. "I don't know if they will allow me to continue serving Mass on Sunday, perhaps not, we'll see. But you know what, I have to stick with my convictions of loving everybody regardless of who they are."

The last set of quotes are from the Albuquerque Journal.

Click to the continuation page for a listing of who voted yes, voted no and who didn't have the guts to show up to vote on this bill.

Here is the Senate's 25-12 vote Wednesday approving a measure (SB 597) to define marriage as a contract between a man and a woman.

Voting yes, in favor of the measure, were 17 Republicans and eight Democrats. Voting against the bill were no Republicans and 12 Democrats. Not voting or excused were one Republican and four Democrats.

REPUBLICANS VOTING YES
    Rod Adair (Roswell)
    Vernon Asbill (Carlsbad)
    Mark Boitano (Albuquerque)
    Joseph Carraro (Albuquerque)
    Kent Cravens (Albuquerque)
    Dianna Duran (Tularosa)
    Clint Harden (Clovis)
    Stuart Ingle (Portales)
    Gay Kernan (Hobbs)
    Steve Komadina (Corrales)
    Carroll Leavell (Jal)
    Steven Neville (Aztec)
    William Payne (Albuquerque)
    Leonard Lee Rawson (Las Cruces)
    John Ryan (Albuquerque)
    William Sharer (Farmington)
    H. Diane Snyder (Albuquerque)

DEMOCRATS VOTING YES
    Carlos Cisneros (Questa)
    Joseph Fidel (Grants)
    Tim Jennings (Roswell)
    Richard Martinez (Espanola)
    Mary Kay Papen (Las Cruces)
    Lidio Rainaldi (Gallup)
    Bernadette Sanchez (Albuquerque)
    James Taylor (Albuquerque)

DEMOCRATS VOTING NO
    Dede Feldman (Albuquerque)
    Mary Jane Garcia (Doña Ana)
    Phil Griego (San Jose)
    John Grubesic (Santa Fe)
    Linda Lopez (Albuquerque)
    Cisco McSorley (Albuquerque)
    Gerald Ortiz y Pino (Albuquerque)
    John Pinto (Tohatchi)
    Shannon Robinson (Albuquerque)
    Nancy Rodriguez (Santa Fe)
    Michael Sanchez (Belen)
    Leonard Tsosie (Crownpoint)

DEMOCRATS NOT VOTING
    Ben Altamirano (Silver City)
    Pete Campos (Las Vegas)
    Cynthia Nava (Las Cruces)
    John Arthur Smith (Deming)

REPUBLICANS NOT VOTING
    Sue Wilson Beffort (Sandia Park)