OutFront Minnesota Skype Video Recorded in Northfield Regarding Marriage Amendment to MN Constitution to be Voted Upon in 2012 Election

I'm interested in how the political and legal debate develops around the issue of same-sex marriage. I had the opportunity to record a Skype conversation with OutFront Minnesota's legal director, Phil Duran, about the marriage amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that will be voted on by Minnesota citizens (along with voting on the various political races) during the 2012 election.

(To watch the video, click on the image with the arrow in the middle. If you can't view Flash videos, click here to watch it directly on YouTube.)

For a little background, this is from a 05/23/2011 news post on the Minnesotans United for All Families website:

An antigay marriage ballot measure approved over the weekend by Minnesota state lawmakers is already setting the stage for a deeply divisive campaign of national importance.
On Saturday, the Minnesota house voted 70 to 62 in favor of the bill, which allows voters in 2012 to decide whether to adopt a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. The vote came after hours of debate and days of impassioned Capitol rallies on both sides of the debate.

Minnesotans United for All Families is the name of a coalition of organizations, which includes OutFront Minnesota, that are against the amendment.

The issue brings up questions about whether there should be something called Civil Union. Whether same-sex and hetero couples should all be grouped into Civil Unions rather than calling the state-sanctioned title marriage. Also, if there is such a thing as Civil Union, is that inherently unequal to marriage? Will the amendment be supported by the more libertarian wing of the republican electorate, since it appears to impinge on private ideals of freedom? Will this hurt the fragile Minnesota economy by scaring off potential employers, employees and those looking to start a business in Minnesota? Does this help anyone or is it just a flexing of religious/political muscle to impress a base constituancy?

At www.alwaysfamilycenter.com, Minnesota Family Law lawyer and mediator blogs about Family Law topics and resources to help people that are dealing with family conflict or facing divorce, parenting time, child support and related issues. Mr. Arnold is trained and experienced in mediation and collaborative divorce and enjoys offering these great alternatives to clients.