YOUNG HOOSIERS FIGHT TO KEEP TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE; MOCKED FOR THEIR STAND, THEY WON'T BACK DOWN
"The media claims we don't exist. Freedom Indiana claims there are none of us left. But as young Hoosiers, we are here today." Shane Weist
(Indianapolis, IN)—"The media claims we don't exist. Freedom Indiana claims there are none of us left. But as young Hoosiers, we are here today." (Photo via LSN)Those were the words of Shane Weist, 33, who along with a group of more than 100 other young adults, held a press conference Tuesday in which they sought to prove that—despite media reports to the contrary—not every young person in America backs legally-sanctioned same-sex "marriage."
Weist and his companions make up Young Hoosiers for Marriage, an Indiana-based group fighting for passage of HJR-3, an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
Also at issue in Indiana are so-called "civil unions," which give many of the legal benefits of marriage without the name or federal recognition.
The House passed a version of the marriage amendment that stripped a provision banning civil unions, but the Senate must now debate whether to add the provision back in. A vote on the issue was expected late Thursday. If the two houses can come to an agreement on wording, the final version will appear on the general election ballot in November for approval by voters.
Weist told reporters that Young Hoosiers for Marriage support the amendment as it was originally conceived. He urged the Senate to add the language banning civil unions back in the bill.
"The Senate should restore the second sentence because without it, marriage remains vulnerable to redefinition and will more likely face prolonged litigation in court," Weist explained.
"We are committed to rebuilding culture to ensure that children are not intentionally deprived of a mother and a father," he added.
The Young Hoosiers' public debut was met with mockery and derision by homosexual activists, who quickly launched a competing Facebook page called "Young Hoosiers 4 Marriage" serving up personal attacks on Weist and his allies, whom they dubbed "Stepford Kidz."
While the Young Hoosiers for Marriage are currently focused on getting the marriage amendment passed, they believe that is just the first battle in a larger war for the future of the culture. After the vote, they plan to expand their activism from the State House to Indiana's college campuses and church youth groups, giving talks on the importance of traditional marriage and participating in debates with supporters of same-sex "marriage.
Cramer told LifeSiteNews that since Tuesday's press conference, their group—which includes the 100+ young people at the press conference, plus "around another 100 who couldn't make it because they worked or had class"—has received many more requests from other young people in Indiana wanting to join. Most of them are in their early 20s, juniors and seniors in college.
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