Senate Republicans will this week introduce onto the Senate floor what is in an election year a perfect storm. Scheduled for a debate on Monday, July 12, is the federal marriage amendment (FMA) – a proposed amendment to our sacred US Constitution banning same-sex marriage.

Stop groaning and listen: The fact is that this initiative is not expected to pass – the proposal needs 67 votes, and Democrats are expected to either try to hold together their 34 votes against the amendment to keep it from passing, or to attempt to prevent the amendment’s from even coming to the floor for a vote.

But we’d rather not take that chance. Either way, the debate is coming and the Republicans want to have this debate, which is the perfect issue for the Republicans in this election year – far safer ground than issues like national security and the economy. And when it comes to key Senate seats, like that of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, it’s also the perfect storm – Daschle and many other key Democrats, including John Kerry and the man of the hour, John Edwards, oppose the amendment, which makes them a target for conservatives, but also oppose marriage equality, which weakens them in the eyes of politically-active GLBT voters, 70 percent of whom consistently vote Democrat.

Nevertheless, while a marriage debate may be the perfect storm for Republicans to toss out onto the Senate floor, we say, fine. Bring on the debate – just because the Republicans are using it as political leverage in an election year, doesn’t mean it isn’t an issue worthy of debate, and the sooner the better. This isn’t just any old issue, after all, this is a test case for our country to either allow or deny equality in the most basic, fundamental and human way. This issue cuts to the foundation of our relationships, our families and who we are – and it makes or breaks our nation’s claims to equality and liberty for all. For this reason, activists and writers from both sides of the fence, from Andrew Sullivan to Dan Savage (both of whom are interviewed in our feature starting on page 39), say that marriage equality is the most important issue right now.

As it happens, GLBT activist organizations such as the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign also think it’s a fine time to look at marriage equality. And hats off to them – rather than attempting to tread a fine political line by giving unqualified endorsements to Democrats on every issue, national activists are holding the likes of Kerry, Edwards and others who won’t take a stand in favor of full marriage equality accountable. At the same time, they’re maintaining the political pragmatism necessary to effect positive change in an election year. The NGLTF’s Matt Forman and HRC’s Cheryl Jacques have been able to distance themselves from the political fray – something our national GLBT leaders haven’t always been so good at – and they’re refusing to shrink from a Republican-inspired debate on the issue of marriage, saying, bring it on! (We’re paraphrasing here.) Similarly, The Center and Center Board Chair Richard Valdez have released uncompromising statements urging local politicians to take a stand on marriage in order to educate voters about this issue – in the hopes that the more we know, the more we’re against an amendment to our Constitution. Let’s hope so anyway.

So where do our local politicos come in?

As The Center’s Valdez can tell you, it’s not easy finding out where everyone stands on the issue of marriage – nationally and locally this issue gets a whole lot of unreturned phone calls. On page 14 of this issue, we provide a brief outline of The Center’s efforts to gauge our politicians’ views on the proposed amendment to the Constitution banning marriage, as well as an overview on where the politicians we’ve contacted stand. Noticeably, County Supervisor (and mayoral candidate) Ron Roberts has this week said on the record that he opposes the amendment, while stopping short of supporting marriage; while Mayor Dick Murphy is one who doesn’t return phone calls on this issue, and remained silent after repeated calls to his office this week. US Reps Susan Davis and Bob Filner are against the amendment, but US Reps Randy Cunningham and Duncan Hunter are for it. Congressman Darrell Issa has so far avoided making a public comment on the issue, so he’s a good one to get in touch with. Find out how to contact your representatives by visiting this editorial at www.gaylesbiantimes.com. Other city councilmembers who have come out against the amendment include Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins and councilmembers Michael Zucchet and Donna Frye.

Don’t sleep through this one – wake up and contact our representatives to let them know how you feel about rewriting our Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.