South Carolinians will soon be asked to vote on a discriminatory and harmful proposal that discriminates against gays and lesbians by invalidating their relationships and denying them the protections of marriage. This initiative is known as Family Discrimination Amendment #1.

As civil libertarians who value equality and liberty, we ask you to talk to your friends, family and neighbors about why this amendment is wrong. The consequences for our fellow South Carolinians are real and include:

• Denying couples the right to make medical decisions
• Denying access to health care
• Denying survivor benefits and inheritances to the widowed partner
• Denying the right to advocate on behalf of a spouse regarding legal matters

Now is the time to stand up for what is right and say NO to writing discrimination into our state constitution. We must stand together to make clear that we believe a constitution should continue in its traditional role as a mechanism that expands rights, not limits them, as this amendment would do.

This November 7th, Vote NO on Amendment #1. For more information about the campaign to defeat Amendment 1, including opportunities to volunteer, donate or learn more go to http://www.scequality.org