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4/28/2006

Illinois Family Institute Challenges Homosexual Group Not to Block Statewide Vote on Marriage Protection Referendum
Since homosexual activist Rick Garcia claims the polls are on his side, why would he block a popular vote on marriage in Illinois?

GLEN ELLYN, Ill., April 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- Illinois Family Institute Executive Director Peter LaBarbera today challenged homosexual activist Rick Garcia not to try to stop the Protect Marriage Illinois (PMI) referendum from getting on the ballot, saying, "Since Garcia claims the polls are on his side, why would he block a popular vote?"

Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn reported that Garcia's group, Equality Illinois, "is planning to challenge" the PMI petition. Garcia was responding to news that Protect Marriage Illinois will be submitting the required number of signatures (283,111) by May 8 to get a question on the November ballot. The referendum asks voters whether to call on the General Assembly to pass a constitutional amendment declaring "a marriage between a man and a woman is the only legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State."

Garcia said, "I'm anticipating three to four months of outrageous, disgusting anti-gay rhetoric and harassment"--to which LaBarbera responded: "What he calls 'harassment' most other Illinois citizens say is a healthy debate. What is Garcia afraid of? This is democracy in action."

Across the country, all 19 states that have attempted pro-marriage referenda have passed them, by an average vote of over 70 percent.

LaBarbera noted the irony of Garcia's "harassment" claim, "since the most menacing people we've encountered are Rick's friends at the 'Gay Liberation Network,' who have engaged in repeated physical and verbal threats against IFI and pro-marriage advocates."

Garcia continues to tout a 2005 poll--commissioned by his own group--claiming that 67 percent of Illinois voters oppose amending Illinois' Constitution to protect marriage. Various news outlets including the State Journal Register have reported on the poll without mentioning that it is commissioned by and for a homosexual group.

PMI Project Director David Smith said, "If Garcia really believes that 67 percent of Illinois voters don't want a Marriage Protection amendment, he should help us circulate our petition in these final days so that the entire state of Illinois can have the opportunity to vote on this important question."

IFI is a non-partisan, non-profit public policy group devoted to "protecting marriage, family and the sanctity of life in the Land of Lincoln."