On March 26, 2004, a member-initiated resolution (see below) was submitted to the American Sociological Association (ASA) Council regarding the U.S. President's proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. The Caucus of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Sociologists, the ASA Family Section, and the ASA Sexualities Section jointly sponsored a resolution, signed by more than 600 ASA members, that would make opposition to such a constitutional amendment the official position of the Association. This support exceeds the 3% of the voting membership required under the ASA bylaws to bring any member-initiated resolution to Council.

Council met by conference call on April 7, 2004, to consider this member resolution, and voiced unanimous, strong support for this resolution. Council also voted unanimously to submit the resolution directly to the ASA membership on the 2004 annual election ballot. Council believes that the issue of the legality of same-sex marriage is of such importance that the full membership should have the opportunity to express itself. Furthermore, endorsement by the membership would give the resolution greater public weight.

Council also recognized that some might be opposed to amending the U.S. Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage but endorse other legislation to ban same-sex marriage. Anticipating this might be an issue in the future, Council also voted unanimously to place a separate opinion question on the ASA ballot. When ASA members receive their ballots in the mail, they should cast their votes first on the member resolution (whether the ASA should take a position against a constitutional amendment) and then offer their personal opinion on legislation that would ban same-sex marriage.

WHEREAS the American Sociological Association (ASA) comprises sociologists and kindred professionals who study, among other things, sex and gender, sexualities, families, children, religion, culture, and systems of inequality and their effects, and

WHEREAS the ASA is dedicated to advancing sociology as a scientific discipline and profession serving the public good, and

WHEREAS a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman intentionally discriminates against lesbians and gay men as well as their children and other dependents by denying access to the protections, benefits, and responsibilities extended automatically to married couples, and

WHEREAS we believe that the official justification for the proposed constitutional amendment is based on prejudice rather than empirical research, and

WHEREAS sociological research has repeatedly shown that systems of inequality are detrimental to the public good,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the American Sociological Association strongly opposes the proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

When members receive their ballots in the mail, they will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on the resolution through a poll (e.g., “Do you personally favor or oppose legislation that bans same sex marriage?”).