During a midday ceremony at City Hall, the mayor and half the city council of Madison, Wis., denounced the state's new ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday by adding a strongly worded statement to their oath of office. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and 20 city council members elected April 3 raised their right hands and vowed to uphold the state and federal constitutions and the city charter .
But then Cieslewicz and 10 council members signed a statement saying they took the oath under protest because the ban, approved by 59% of voters in November, ''besmirches our constitution.'' They vowed to work to minimize the ban's impact and overturn it in the future.
''I cannot in good conscience take office without noting my strong opposition to the recent amendment that so blatantly discriminates against my fellow Wisconsinites who are gay or lesbian,'' Cieslewicz said to applause after being sworn in to a second four-year term.
Gay rights groups have said they believe Madison is the first city to allow elected and appointed officials to add a statement to their oath to protest a same-sex marriage ban. The optional statement drew criticism not only from conservatives who oppose same-sex marriage but scholars and others who said it was inappropriate to tinker with the oath of office.
Cieslewicz said he respected the statewide vote that added two sentences to the constitution declaring that marriage is between one man and one woman and that the state cannot recognize other relationships. But he said the same process would one day be used to reverse the amendment and ''give all of us exactly the same right to marry, raise a family, and be full members of our communities.'' The mayor is heterosexual and married. (Ryan J. Foley, AP)
