News Release: Federal Judge's Decision is Wrong -Same-sex Felons Should Not be Treated as Married Couple

American Family Association of Pennsylvania

http://www.afaofpa.org

 

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  August 2, 2007

CONTACT:  Diane Gramley  1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355

 

Federal Judge’s Decision is Wrong – Same-sex Felons Should Not be Treated as Married Couple, Pro-Family Group Says

 

(Philadelphia) – U.S. District Judge  Marvin Katz is wrong, a statewide pro-family group said in response to Tuesday’s decision to allow two convicted male homosexual felons to continue living together as a couple.  The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA) noted that this is a step toward equating same-sex relationships to marriage and called on the U.S. Probation Office to appeal the decision.

“Dealing 100 grams of methamphetamine, serving time and being released with the label of convicted felon doesn’t matter anymore.  U.S. Probation office rules are tossed out the door by the decision of one activist judge.  This is yet another attempt to undermine marriage and put same-sex couples in the same category as married spouses,” Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA said today in response to the ruling.

U.S. Probation Office policy forbids felons on probation from associating with other felons unless they are blood relatives or spouses during the five years of supervised release.  Obviously Daniel Mangini and Steven Roberts are not blood relatives, thus Judge Katz interprets their 18 years of living together as marriage and the creation of a family.  This is a dangerous decision.

“As pro-family leaders have warned the Fourteenth Amendment and Due Process Clause will be used to force America to recognize same-sex relationships as marriage.  Judge Katz writing in his decision said that ‘The Due Process Clause [of the Constitution] protects highly personal relationships of deep attachment and commitment.’  This is extremely troubling and opens the potential for the legalization of bigamy, polygamy, group marriage and every imaginable personal relationship of deep attachment.  It is impossible to predict where this decision will lead,” noted Gramley.

Again, the AFA of PA calls on the U.S. Probation Office to appeal this outrageous decision.

# # #