To all Minnesota House of Representative and Senate Members supporting SF 1308: As residents of Minnesota and the United States of America, we are writing to ask you to support the cause of marriage equality and discontinue your support of the House and Senate passed bill, SF 1308, which will be voted on by the public in November of 2012. This bill aims to amend the state constitution to define marriage between one man and one woman. The passing of SF 1308 would be directly violating the very founding documents of this great country. The Declaration of Independence states that we are all created equal, endowed by our creator “with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. If the pursuit of happiness includes wishing to marry the person you love, a right which all heterosexuals are given without hesitation, shouldn’t all citizens of the United States possess this right? Furthermore, the 14th Amendment of the Constitution declares that no person can be denied “equal protection of the laws” and that all citizens were to be given “full and equal benefit of all laws”. Marriage is a civil institution which provides access to over one thousand benefits under federal law including authority to make medical decisions, inheritance rights, joint insurance policies, joint adoption, wrongful death benefits, and countless more. The equal protection provided by the 14th Amendment should require equal access to these civil benefits, regardless of the genders of those choosing to enter into a marriage. Many who oppose marriage equality claim that same sex marriages threaten traditional marriages, but how can something as simple as the love between two people who happen to be of the same gender be detrimental to another straight couples love? Same sex couples certainly do not need the government to confirm their love and commitment to one another, but without the state’s consent to marry a vital piece of the relationship is missing. We urge you to reverse your support for the proposed marriage amendment and place your political power and influence towards supporting marriage equality. Your support could lead to scores of Minnesotans being allowed to love freely and enjoy the countless legal benefits granted to married couples. We will continue to watch how you vote on this issue throughout the year and hope that you make the right decisions for your constituents. Thank you for your time and consideration and we hope to gain your support for marriage equality. Sincerely, The People for Gay Marriage Equality