Equality PA Responds to Gay Marriage 'Child' Comment

In a lawsuit filed against the Montgomery County Register of Wills, Pennsylvania state attorneys compared same-sex couples to children, saying that marriages between committed gay couples are invalid, like marriages between 12 year olds.

In response to these comments, Ted Martin, executive director of Equality Pennsylvania, the state's leading advocacy organization for gay and transgender people, released the following statement:

"Although the Governor's position on marriage for same-sex couples is increasingly out-of-touch with the majority of Pennsylvanians, we understand that he must defend the laws of the state.

However, if there is one thing we can all agree on, it's that all people deserve to be treated with respect. The statements made by the attorneys do not simply defend the laws of the state; they deny loving, committed same-sex couples the dignity they deserve.

We're talking about couples who have been together for decades, who have built families together, who have given back to communities across Pennsylvania. We're not talking about children."