Hundreds in Oshkosh rally to oppose amendment banning gay marriage Pearl Stopa, 6, holds up a sign she made at the Grand Opera House Square in Oshkosh, during a protest rally against the proposed state consitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman. (AP Photo/Laura May) News-Chronicle OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) - Hundreds of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and others gathered Sunday for a rally to oppose a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages and civil unions. "We need support for our family as much as ay other family," said Becky Bauer, who along with Mary Jean Shimelz want the same support and benefits for themselves and their 18-month old daughter, Olivia, as any other married couple. "I can't leave her my inheritance because we're not married." The rally was sponsored by Queers on the Water, a local support group for gays and lesbians. The issue of gay marriages has become a hot issue as states such as Wisconsin, California, Ohio and Oklahoma push to outlaw it. Communities like San Francisco and states like Massachusetts and New York have been fighting legal battles over issuing marriage certificates to gay and lesbian couples. State Sen. Carol Roessler, R-Oshkosh, and state Rep. Carol Owens, R-town of Nekimi, drew criticism for their cosponsorship of a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union of a man and a woman only. The bill has received approval during one legislative session and must be approved during a second session before it goes to a statewide referendum. If it's approved, it would become a part of the state constitution. There were also protesters opposing gay marriage. Teno Groppi said he and other Christians decided to protest the rally and to affirm their faith in the Bible's teachings. "We think homosexual marriage is not a good direction for society to go," Groppi said. "Follow the Bible: it's God's word and it gives us the morals and rules to live by."