Right wing, gays line up on the same side

WASHINGTON — An unusual marriage of convenience is joining a gay-rights group with a right-wing organization for an ad campaign against a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman.

And they are making the Salt Lake area one of their initial targets. The ad ran in today's Deseret Morning News.

"Our polling shows that Utah and the West are areas where a conservative message against a constitutional amendment can resonate," said Wendy Stackleberg, political director of the Human Rights Campaign, which describes itself as the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization.

Possibly more significant is that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, lives in Utah — and has said he is considering pushing a federal marriage amendment.

"We would hope to dissuade him," Stackleberg said.

The Human Rights Campaign is joined for the advertising campaign by the right-wing Citizen Outreach.

That group is led by Chuck Muth, who has led the American Conservative Union and worked for a variety of GOP groups. Muth was a campaign worker for Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, and made headlines by claiming Cannon failed to pay his full, promised salary.

The Human Rights Campaign opposes a marriage amendment because the organization favors marriage for gays. Citizen Outreach opposes an amendment because it dislikes tinkering with the Constitution.

"Marriage has traditionally been and should remain a state, not federal, issue," Muth said in a statement.

Cheryl Jacques, Human Rights Campaign president, said, "This ad campaign will show that people of all political stripes see this amendment for what it is: a divisive and reckless use of our Constitution."

The groups said they are beginning radio and newspaper ads in Salt Lake City and 11 other cities nationally this week — ads that focus not so much on the view of gay groups but instead quote well-known conservatives.

"Think it's conservative to amend the Constitution to ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples? Plenty of conservatives across America don't. They believe that even if you oppose gay marriage, you don't amend the Constitution to deal with every social issue," a transcript of the radio ad provided by the groups said.

It then quotes such conservatives as former Sen. Al Simpson, R-Wyo., columnist George Will and former Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., in opposition to the amendment.