The Federal Anti-Marriage Amendment, being proposed today by the Alliance for Marriage, is nothing more than a cold-hearted attempt to make the U.S. Constitution explicitly anti-lesbian and gay rights. And Congress should not give it the time of day.

If Congress considers any change to the Constitution, rather than a divisive and destructive amendment that would deny certain people an equal right to marry, why not pass one that will actually do some good? Women and men of this country would be much better served by an Equal Rights Amendment to guarantee equality of rights under the law, regardless of sex.

At a time when women are astronauts and truck drivers, surgeons and CEOs, it's sometimes hard to remember that the U.S. Constitution still doesn't guarantee women the same rights as men. Yet, women are paid less on the job and charged more for everything from dry cleaning to insurance. The value of women's unpaid work for their families is not fully taken into account in divorce settlements, pension benefits or Social Security. When women turn to the courts to right these wrongs, they are at a distinct disadvantage in the absence of constitutional equality. Just this term, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld discrimination in federal immigration law based on the most blatant of sex-role stereotyping about the roles of women and men as parents.

Lesbians and gays are at even greater political, cultural and legal disadvantage. A so-called Defense of Marriage Act passed by Congress already prevents the economic and legal benefits of marriage for same-sex couples. Congress refuses to incorporate sexual orientation in legislation aimed at preventing hate crimes. Lesbians and gays face discrimination, harassment and even violence at school and in the workplace. The proposed Federal Anti-Marriage Amendment would only serve to further disenfranchise the lesbian and gay community and should be renamed the Sexual Orientation Discrimination Amendment.

Congress would do well to uphold the true purpose of the U.S. Constitution by refusing to adopt an amendment that would move us further way from equality for all, and instead working toward passage of an Equal Rights Amendment.

• Sign up to receive these press releases by email.