The following news post came through Focus on the Families “CitizenLink” daily e-mail updates. The real agenda of the Religious Right becomes so much clear as time goes by.
What this article makes very clear is that the intent of Religious Right organizations, such as The American Family Association of Michigan (AFAM), who initiated the lawsuit against Michigan State, is not the “protection of marriage,” but the denigration of same-gender relationships and the perpetuation of discrimination against gay people. In addition, the consequences of this kind of attitude also impact non-married couples – as in those who might otherwise be under “common-law” marriages.
My hunch is that if the Michigan public where allowed to vote on a referendum to allow state and private agencies to grant same-gender or domestic-partner insurance benefits, hospital visitation rights, etc., that it would pass, despite what AFAM wants to believe. The public may have voted to define “marriage” as being between one man and one woman, but that is not the same thing as denying any type of equality under the law to same-gender partners or relationships. The Religious Right knows this, so they have to be as diligent, demanding and harsh as they can be in order to keep the perception of the issue among the people as they want it to be.
It’s called fairness and compassion. The Religious Right is not about that, however, but they simply want to denigrate and stamp out homosexuality under the misguided belief that if the public returns to believing that homosexuality is a horrible sickness and a danger to society that people will stop being homosexual. Of course, some truly believe that if society accommodates homosexuality, but will destroy the society.
Here is the article:

Family Group Sues University Over Domestic-Partner Benefits
July 10, 2006
from staff reports
Suit claims Michigan State University’s policy violates marriage-protection amendment.
The American Family Association of Michigan (AFAM) filed suit against Michigan State University (MSU) last week after the school began offering health-insurance benefits to partners of gay employees. AFAM charges that it violates an amendment to the state’s constitution protecting marriage.
Gary Glenn, president of AFAM, said the benefit scheme is an attempt to create an alternate universe to marriage.

“The long-term strategy is to have legal recognition established under some other term, some other name, other than ‘marriage,’ ” he said.”Michigan State’s eligibility criteria for this benefits offering clearly attempts to mimic the legal definition of marriage found in Michigan law.”
In 2004, the state passed a marriage amendment prohibiting recognition of same-sex relationships. Glenn said the MSU policy stands in defiance of that amendment. Other Michigan schools that provide benefits to gay couples include the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Northern Michigan, Wayne State, Saginaw Valley and Oakland University.
Patrick Gillen, a Thomas More Law Center attorney who is representing AFAM, said all the universities must follow the will of the people.
“Our goal is to secure judicial decision and precedent that, when the people in Michigan said, ‘We’re not going to recognize same-sex marriages,’ they meant that,” he said. “State universities can’t turn around and recognize same-sex marriages by just calling them ‘domestic partnerships’ or ‘civil unions’ or anything else.”