 "Photo: Craig Bland")
Supporters of the proposed Texas constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage rallied at the intersection of Research Boulevard and Loop 360 Friday, waving signs at cars driving through the busy intersection.
About 20 people stood at the intersection nearby the Arboretum for an hour to rally support for Proposition 2. The proposed amendment would define marriage as being between one man and one woman. There has been disagreement as to what the exact effects of the proposition's language will be, which opponents call vague.
Some of the proposition's supporters, such as Texas House District 50 Republican candidate Don Zimmerman, believe the issue is quite clear.
Zimmerman also disagreed with opponents who claim the amendment discriminates against same-sex couples by excluding them from the institution of marriage.
"Every same-sex couple that adopts children discriminates against mothers or fathers by definition," he said.
He criticized opponents of the proposal for conflating his efforts with those of the Ku Klux Klan, who will be holding a rally of their own at City Hall on Saturday. The Klan claims to support family values.
Brian McAuliffe, chairman of the Austin Town Hall Conservatives, fears that gay marriage would lead to wider acceptance of the gay community.
"We believe gay marriage is dangerous," he said. "If marriage is legitimized for gays, then we would have to recognize them in every aspect of life. They pretty much try to recruit people."
McAuliffe said he was concerned about low voter turnout during an off-year election, but said 80 to 90 percent of Texans believe in traditional marriage defined as between a man and a woman, according to the group's surveys.
Robert Morrow, a self-proclaimed grass-roots conservative activist, said that the issue has an important economic aspect.
"Homosexuals do nothing to create and raise our next generation, yet they demand special rights, benefits and privileges of marriage," he said. "This is extremely greedy. It's a huge economic power grab."
There were no counter-protesters, but several passersby yelled comments through their car windows; others asked for Prop. 2 bumper stickers, said McAuliffe.
At the University, student groups such as Campus Alliance Against Inequality have held rallies and campouts protesting Prop. 2.
Several children and teenagers were present at the rally with their parents. Cari Lloyd came from Georgetown with her 14-year-old son. She said most of the rallies have been in opposition to Prop. 2 because supporters of the amendment are too busy with their homes and communities to voice their beliefs.
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