NASHVILLE, TN - Tennessee voters should be aware that Sen. Barack Obama is promoting his intention to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act if he becomes President of the United States.

In political advertisements bought by his campaign during the Texas and Ohio primaries, Obama writes in the first-person a letter to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender) Communities asking for their votes and support based on his goal: “As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws.”

Senator Obama continues in his solicitation of votes from the LBGT Community: “Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) - a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether.”

Signed into law in 1996 by President Bill Clinton, the Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage as “a legal union between one man and one woman for purposes of all federal laws, and provides that states need not recognize a marriage from another state if it is between persons of the same sex.”

In November of 2006, almost 1.5 million Tennesseans voted (81.3%) to amend the Tennessee Constitution to define marriage as being a relationship involving one man and one woman. More than 81 percent of voters approved the amendment, which stated:

“The relationship of one man and one woman shall be the only legally recognized marital contract in this state. Any policy or law or judicial interpretation, purporting to define marriage as anything other than the historical institution and legal contract between one man and one woman, is contrary to the public policy of this state and shall be void and unenforceable in Tennessee.”

“Tennessee voters will have choices in November to decide who will represent their values in Washington,” remarked Robin Smith, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman. “All voters in this state can be firm in knowing that Republicans will stand for equality while honoring the basic foundation of our great state and nation, the family.”

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Media Resources:

An image of Obama’s ad can be viewed courtesy of WesComer.com at this link: http://wescomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/obama_lgbt_1.jpg

The text of Obama’s letter to the gay community can be seen at www.wescomer.com.

For more information about the Defense of Marriage Act, see DOMA Watch at www.domawatch.org. The site also has a Tennessee-specific page at http://www.domawatch.org/stateissues/tennessee/index.html.

The Tennessee Eagle Forum also has additional information regarding the Tennessee amendment at http://www.tneagleforum.org/marriage.cfm