Legal alliance
forms to combat antigay amendment in Wisconsin

Attorneys Against the Ban, a Wisconsin-based alliance of attorneys determined to combat a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would prohibit civil unions, officially announced its launch Wednesday. In its first week, AATB rallied the support of more than 100 Wisconsin attorneys, and members are confident more attorneys will be joining their cause. "As a lawyer and guardian of the law and our constitution, I am outraged that this amendment would use the constitution to remove rights and to discriminate against citizens," said Carol Skinner, an attorney in Hudson. "The ban's prohibition of any 'legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals' is so broad, it is frightening," said Betsy Abramson, a Madison attorney. "I think that a lot of people don't realize that, legally, this ban is about more than just gay marriage. It could also affect civil unions and legal arrangements between all unmarried couples." Amy Scarr, another Madison attorney, said, "In Ohio, batterers used an amendment similar to the one proposed in Wisconsin to undo domestic violence protections sought by their girlfriends. These men said that allowing ex-girlfriends to get restraining orders against them violated the amendment's prohibition against any legal status like marriage. We do not want this to happen in Wisconsin." (The Advocate)