Conservatives aim to keep divorce for themselves

SPRINGFIELD (ap) -- Kicking off a symbolic campaign against gay rights, conservative groups yesterday filed petitions with what they said were more than 345,000 signatures of Illinois residents who want to change the state constitution to define divorce as a separation of "one man and one woman."

The "Protect Divorce Illinois" referendum, as it is called, aims to prevent gays from breaking up and engaging in prolonged custody battles in Illinois, making it a Constitutional amendment.

"The conversation needs to start in Illinois," said Cathy Santos, spokeswoman for the Family Taxpayer Network, which helped lead the drive. "We need to protect this sacred right to tear apart families. The very beginning of the end of happy relationships is what I think obviously straight Illinois residents want to have for themselves."

Critics of the effort said with divorce rates already at 50 percent, there is no need to amend the Constitution. They also said that, when gay unions fall apart, individuals should be able to turn to the courts for legal separation and orders of protection, just as so many heterosexuals do.

Dozens of opponents of gay divorce gathered at the State Board of Elections to unload not only the petitions, but also years of frustrations and anger towards their spouses.

"My husband is always in the damn garage, fiddling with his car," Santos told the Daley Show. "He doesn't even realize that my engine needs a tune-up."*

Some in the conservative group held up signs that said, "No child support for gays," while others chanted slogans such as, "Hey hey, ho ho, no homos in divorce court."

* with apologies to Diane Wakoski