You don’t have to look very far to see who could be hurt by the amendment that will be on your ballot Nov. 7. Do you have a niece or cousin, maybe a parent or grandparent, a co-worker, a neighbor, or a friend who’s not legally married? Gay marriage is already illegal in Wisconsin, and the definition of “husband and wife” has stood up to numerous court challenges in the last 30 years.

But the amendment that double bans gay marriage also says that any “legal status substantially similar to marriage” shall not be recognized, for “any unmarried individual.”

What does that mean? No one knows. Not even the Department of Justice, who was responsible for writing the information that will be in your polling place on Nov. 7, knows what this means. The official explanation is that it “would be left to further legislative or judicial determination.”

Now think of your family member, friend, co-worker and ask yourself if it’s reasonable that their legal rights should be left to “further legislative or judicial determination.” Should they have to fight in court for health-care decision making rights, inheritance rights or to have their wills recognized?

Amendment proponents continue to try and say that this is a scare tactic (while they themselves try to tell people that polygamy and people living in wedded bliss with animals are next on the agenda), but we need only look at other states to see what’s already happened.

Visit www.BeFairVoteNo.com to read about the people who’ve lost their health insurance and who’ve lost domestic abuse protections, and see how this could hurt Wisconsin citizens. Then join with three former governors of Wisconsin, 19 past presidents of the Wisconsin Bar Association, the Wisconsin Medical Society, the UW Regents, numerous religious organizations and clergy and the Wisconsin Coalition of Aging Groups who believe that that Constitution is about protecting rights, not taking them away. Vote “No” on Nov. 7.