Click on the Image to Hear More from Minnesota for Marriage
People supporting Minnesota’s marriage restriction constitutional amendment generally have been less visible and less vocal in the Twin Cities during this summer’s campaign. While the orange “vote no” signs are easy to spot in most metro neighborhoods, “vote yes” signs are few and far between.
But that doesn’t mean those supporting the amendment lack numbers, conviction or reasons for their support.
“It’s not an equality issue,” said Colleen Simpson outside of a “vote yes” booth at the Minnesota State Fair. To Simpson marriage is about procreation, which to her means it should be off limits to same-sex couples.
“Every civilization that has had, that has been successful in this world from humanity, from the start of humanity on has been one half of humanity coming together with the other half of humanity in the sake of procreation and raising children in the best possible environment.”
The amendment battle which is theoretically a non-partisan one, was a heavily partisan in the Minnesota legislature with most Democrats opposing it and most Republicans supporting it. At the same time Republicans were putting the marriage restriction constitutional amendment on the ballot, they proposed cutting back government programs arguing that they interfered with personal liberty and the ability to do business.
As a supporter of the marriage restriction amendment, Simpson sees government intervention into marriage a necessity. “I think it is a government issue. Because government wants to protect the ground on the foundation of our civilization. So that we can have the strongest civilization that we can.”
And while the numbers of people lining up outside the “vote no” booth at the State Fair easily exceed those around the “vote yes” booth just a block away, Simpson dismisses them as “a lot more activist kind.”
