Mary Cheney to lead fundraiser against Indiana gay marriage ban

Mary Cheney, one of former Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughters, is coming to Indianapolis to headline a fundraiser Dec. 11 for the Freedom Indiana coalition against Indiana’s proposed same-sex marriage ban.

The Republican, who is a lesbian, has become more vocal on the marriage issue in recent weeks after a public squabble with her sister, Liz Cheney, over the latter’s opposition to same-sex marriage. Liz Cheney is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Wyoming in the Republican primary next year.

Indeed, Mary Cheney’s invitation for the Freedom Indiana event already is getting national political attention from Politico and other outlets.

In an email sent to Freedom Indiana supporters this afternoon, Mary Cheney wrote that when it came to the proposed amendment, called House Joint Resolution 6: “No one should be denied the fundamental liberties we all deserve.”

“That’s why when I heard about HJR-6 — the proposed constitutional amendment that would permanently ban all protections for same-sex couples and their families — I knew I had to join the powerful bipartisan movement that’s working to stop this anti-freedom amendment,” Cheney wrote.

Next month’s evening reception will be at the Crowne Plaza hotel at Union Station in Downtown Indianapolis. Tickets range from $100 for individuals to $5,000 for event chairs, with $30 tickets offered for “young professionals” under 30.

The proposed amendment faces its second and final round of review early next year in the General Assembly. It then could go to a statewide vote in November 2014.

Besides elevating the existing ban on same-sex marriage to the constitution, it also would forestall a law allowing civil unions.

While Freedom Indiana tries to defeat HJR6, social-conservative groups are mobilizing support for it, arguing that the amendment is needed to protect Indiana’s long-standing definition of marriage from court interference.

One amendment supporter criticized Cheney’s role.

“If (amendment opponents) really thought Hoosiers wanted to unravel marriage and ignore the unique roles that a man and woman provide, they wouldn’t need high dollar fundraisers or be working so hard to prevent the people of Indiana from voting on marriage,” Micah Clark of the American Family Association of Indiana wrote in an email.

“Instead, they routinely offer elitists’ opinions and solicit outside money. The future of marriage should be placed in the hands of individual voters across the state, not a handful of political celebrities, university presidents or corporate CEOs.”

Cheney wrote in the invitation that the amendment touched not only on politics, but also on family.

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect my wife Heather and our two children,” Cheney said. “And then I think about the thousands of same-sex couples and their families in Indiana who would be directly impacted by HJR-6. I’m committed to standing together and working across party lines to keep this amendment out of Indiana’s constitution.”

Freedom Indiana has been lining up opposition among Indiana employers, universities and political leaders. Indiana University Health announced its opposition to the amendment earlier today.

Call Star reporter Jon Murray at (317) 444-2752. Follow him on Twitter: @IndyJonMurray.