UFI News Release
For Immediate Release: December 4, 2003
Contact: Sharon Slater, (480) 507-2664, sslater@unitedfamilies.org
United Families International Launches Defend Marriage Campaign
MESA , AZ – United Families International (UFI), a non-denominational public charity devoted to maintaining and strengthening the family as the fundamental unit of society, has launched the Defend Marriage Campaign to support efforts to approve a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to the union of a man and a woman.
In support of traditional marriage, Cong. Marilyn Musgrave's Federal Marriage Amendment bill (HR 56), is rapidly gaining support in the U.S. House of Representatives. Richard Wilkins, chairman of the UFI petition drive, said that successful amendment processes require about 18 months. “The pending legislation does everything we need it to do to protect marriage,” Wilkins said.
UFI is directing people to its website – www.unitedfamilies.org – to sign “The National Petition to Defend Marriage.” This petition states that famili es have been the foundation of all successful societies throughout history and that marriage between a man and a woman has always been essential to protect and promote strong families. By signing the petition, citizens will encourage Congress to defend marriage by passing a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to the union of a man and a woman. The amendment would then require ratification from three-fourths of the states to become part of the constitution.
Several nations, including Canada , the United Kingdom , Scotland , and the Netherlands , among others, have already moved toward legalization of same-sex marriage. Recently, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the limitation of marriage licenses to unions between a man and a woman does not “bear a real and substantial relation” to any cognizable public interest, nor does the refusal to license homosexual unions “serve a legitimate public purpose.” Sharon Slater, UFI president, said, “Expanding the definition of marriage to include same-sex partners would inevitably undermine the institution of marriage and thereby weaken the family.”
Utilizing social science research in support of traditional marriage, United Families International is proactively mobilizing citizens throughout the United States to work in support of ultimate state ratification of a federal marriage amendment.
Social science research indicates that families with a married father and mother in the home are more successful, healthier and safer. Children of intact, traditional families do better academically and are less likely to fall victim to physical abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, and depression. Heterosexual marriages last far longer on average than homosexual relationships (18 months), creating greater stability in the home for adults and children.
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