New York, NY, July 18, 2006 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today praised members of the House of Representatives who voted against a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.  The House vote fell short of the supermajority needed to approve the amendment.  The Senate had rejected its version of this amendment last month.

ADL issued the following statement:

At a time when our nation faces daunting challenges at home and abroad, the House should not be taking action to discriminate against a specific group of Americans – and that is exactly what this proposed amendment does.  It is anathema to American principles of democracy to target an entire class of people for social, economic and civil discrimination.

We are pleased that the House has joined the Senate in rejecting this discriminatory constitutional amendment. Constitutional amendments should be used to protect and expand rights, not to restrict or deny freedoms.

ADL previously had written to Members of Congress urging them to reject any constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.  In a series of letters to Republican and Democratic congressional leaders, the League has noted that the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Romer v. Evans made clear that the singling out of any group for discriminatory treatment was against American constitutional tradition.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.