BUSH DECLARES WAR ON US - Crossing this line in the sand will provoke civil disobedience across country, says National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

December 16, 2003 - President Bush told Diane Sawyer in an interview that aired this evening that he would support a Constitutional amendment (known as the Federal Marriage Amendment or FMA) that denies same-sex couples the right to equal marriage.

PRESIDENT BUSH: "If necessary, I will support a constitutional amendment which would honor marriage between a man and a woman, codify that, and will - the position of this administration is that whatever legal arrangements people want to make, they're allowed to make, so long as it's embraced by the state or [?] start at the state level. Let me tell you, the court I thought overreached its bounds as a court. It did the job of the legislature. It was a very activist court in making the decision it made. As you know, I'm a person who believes in judicial restraint, as opposed to judicial activism that takes the place of the Legislative Branch." [Click Here] to see remainder of transcript.]

"To support a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would blatantly discriminate against a group of Americans is unconscionable," said Matt Foreman, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director. "We consider this a declaration of war on gay America. We cannot and will not be silent in the face of this attempt to enshrine our community with second class citizenship in this nation's most sacred document. The President is clearly pandering to the political and religious extremists that are his base. We did not ask for this fight, but if the President wants one, he will have one. And that fight will involve civil disobedience across this country."