MAPE to oppose marriage amendment to Minnesota Constitution

The measure will be on the ballot in the 2012 elections. On Friday, the MAPE Board of Directors unanimously voted to oppose the 2010 constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. The vote formalizes MAPE’s long standing support of equal rights for the LGBT community.

“We were supportive of domestic partner benefits in 2001 because of our union’s belief in fairness and equality for all. We remain committed to making sure that all of our members, their families or any Minnesotan is not subjected to discrimination,” said Jim Monroe, executive director of MAPE. “The Republican-led legislature should focus on creating jobs and turning the state’s economy around, rather than championing discrimination against their fellow Minnesotans.”

MAPE

has 13,000 members who work in public service for the state of Minnesota. The union joins other labor organizations, including the Minnesota AFL-CIO, in opposing the proposed amendment.