"Arizona Together" Campaign Rally

Arizona Together supporters, contributors & volunteers assembled in living rooms & conference rooms yesterday for an official coalition rally of 'NO' on Protect Marriage Arizona - the ballot initiative that is an attack on domestic partnerships & puts unmarried couples straight & same sex in jeopardy of losing employee benefits. Hosting multiple fundraisers threaded together via the Internet was the most fitting approach for the campaign fundraiser since support is widespread across the state. The web cast is archived online at the Arizona Together website. It was packed with useful information from the coalition leadership & was conducted on the threshold of the official signature filing of Protect Marriage Arizona with the Secretary of State's Office.

"A Night of 100 Parties" assembled people from all walks of life in house parties large & small in every major market - Phoenix, Tucson & Flagstaff - as well as cities & towns across rural Arizona like Yuma & Overgaard. Connected via a web cast, hundreds gathered for an enthusiastic' call to action' from Arizona Together campaign chair, Kyrsten Sinema & Treasurer Steve May.

Steve May opened the cast by commenting that this was the night that some thought would not be necessary because the opposition wouldn't gather enough signatures to file the initiative, "They gathered over 200,000 signatures in 6 weeks! Two-thirds of every dollar that they've raised over the past year & one-half has gone to Nathan Sproul (professional petition gatherers)," commented May.

Kyrsten Sinema touched on the negative impact on unmarried straight & same sex couples should this initiative pass, "Individuals that work for local governments could lose their health benefits," referencing a similar Ohio initiative where domestic partnerships were no longer recognized.

According to Arizona Together, Protect Marriage Arizona is an anti-domestic partner initiative because it disintegrates domestic partner benefits jeopardizing the lives of children, families & seniors throughout the state. If the amendment passes, Arizonans will lose health insurance benefits, hospital visitation rights, decision-making powers & inheritance rights. Protect Marriage Arizona will not change state law in regards to gay marriage, as same-sex marriage is already against Az. law. Under the guise of "protecting marriage," Protect Marriage Arizona could also impact unmarried women seeking protection from an estranged partner canceling their right to file domestic violence charges or to secure a restraining order.

About Arizona Together:

Arizona Together, a political campaign committee made up of individuals & organizations, is the initiative striving to protect the rights of unmarried couples in Arizona. The goal of Arizona Together is to defeat the "Protect Marriage Arizona" amendment, a proposed ballot measure & anti-domestic partner benefits initiative for the 2006 Arizona General Election. Visit http://www.aztogether.org for more information.