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News Release
For Immediate Release: February 3, 2009
Contact: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355

State College Mayor Once Again Shows He Just Doesn’t Get it When it Comes to Traditional Marriage

(Harrisburg) -- Last March State College Mayor Bill Welch took part in a ceremony that, in the future, could be used to challenge Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act. He performed the same-sex commitment ceremony for four same-sex couples on Penn State’s main campus. During Monday night’s State College Borough Council meeting, the mayor stated his opposition to the Pennsylvania Defense of Marriage Ac, calling it dumb. According to the American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a statewide pro-family group, the mayor’s actions continue to show his disrespect for one man one woman marriage and even his disrespect for the majority of his constituents in State College.

“Penn State’s presence in State College has made for a much more liberal municipality than the surrounding area, but I believe the majority of residents there still believe in traditional one man one woman marriage,” noted Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA.

In November 2007 then Philadelphia Mayor John Street officiated at a same-sex commitment ceremony at City Hall. In March 2008 the State College Mayor did the same thing on Penn State’s campus. As noted by Steven Goldstein of Garden State Equality, every time an elected official officiates at a same-sex commitment ceremony they are one step closer to the legalization of same-sex marriage. Having an elected official make a public statement of distain for the Defense of Marriage Act is also an attempt to undermine its importance.

“Mayor Welch just doesn’t get it – deliberately creating a motherless or fatherless home, which is what he is advocating, is harmful to children. Through his policies, he should be working to strengthen families and further protect children, instead he has indicated he wants to do the opposite,” observed Gramley.

State College Borough may look into establishing a domestic partner registry soon, forcing taxpayers to pay for the benefits of unmarried couples . . . another bad idea.

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