Panel discussion on marriage attracts protestors
A panel discussion supporting traditional marriage between one man and one woman drew protestors from the local LGBT community. Our John Wagner has the story.
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POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- While the landscape of marriage in America continues to shift, many questions remain to how it's changing families--and the national dialogue. With gay marriage legal in New York, opponents are trying to keep the debate moving.
"I asked myself will I be able to go into a place like the Bardavon Theater with a thousand people and say mothers and fathers matter for kids," said Elizabeth Marquardt, Director at the Center for Marriage and Families, "or will that be considered, you know, discriminatory speech?"
Protestors from the LGBT community showed up, but stayed peaceful while Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Bruderhof church leaders, and social scientists took their turns arguing that traditional marriage is the bedrock of a stable society.
"But I remain quite open to the concerns that gay and lesbian parents have," said Marquardt. "For having legal and social recognition for their families and just simple protections that I know are easy for me as a heterosexual married mom to take for granted. But sometimes I think there are other public policy changes that could better address their concerns."
"They're here to talk about marriage and the sanctity of marriage; we are in agreement with that. We believe that marriage is important, it strengthens our families," said protestor Ilene Cutler.
But all that agreement faded when discussing how marriage should be defined.
"God created it and it's a natural thing, and men can not change what God has established," said traditional marriage supporter, Joan Trapnell. "People can not redefine God's order."
"Love, how can love be wrong, I just don't understand that," said protestor Ted Hayes.
"What about us being married possibly affects anyone else's marriage? It's a bogus argument," said Lance Ringel, president of the LGBT community center in Kingston.
Gay marriage is not yet recognized by the federal government and remains illegal in forty-four states.
"Having the right to marry, whether you exercise it or not, is actually a form of full citizenship in this society," said Ringel.
"This is a very heartfelt, emotional issue for everybody on both sides," said Marquardt. "The fact that people were able to come together and have a conversation that can be hard to have is a good sign."