April, 2001 - Helene Faasen (left) and Anne-Marie Thus are instructed how to sign their wedding certificate during the world’s first gay marriage in the Amsterdam town. — Reuters photo

(CNSNews.com) - With the Federal Marriage Amendment front and center in the U.S. Senate this week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois has urged senators of that state to vote against the “dangerous action” of limiting marriage to one man and one woman through a change in the U.S. Constitution.

“The amendment itself has the potential to write discrimination into our Constitution for the first time in history,” said Edwin Yohnka, spokesman for the ACLU of Illinois.

Yohnka also described the Federal Marriage Amendemnt as “harmful to children who live in a same-sex household.”

But neither Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) nor Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) had seen the letter as of Monday afternoon and representatives said both senators had made up their minds long before the ACLU attempted to intervene.

“Senator Fitzgerald supports the Federal Marriage Amendment,” said Laura Miller, a spokeswoman for Fitzgerald. “He’s been consistent on his position for quite awhile.

“Sen. Fitzgerald has always believed that it benefits children and society to legally define marriage as between one man and one woman,” Miller added.

While Durbin opposes homosexual marriage, his spokeswoman said that the issue does not rise to the level of a constitutional amendment.

“Senator Durbin is opposed and will vote against the Federal Marriage Amendment,” said spokeswoman Angela Benander. “At this point, to amend the Constitution is unnecessary and premature.”

Fitzgerald is one of 18 cosponsors of the joint resolution that was introduced by Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) calling for a constitutional amendment defining marriage.

The letter written to both senators alleges that the amendment seeks to compare marriages between homosexuals to marriages between interracial couples.

The letter explains: “States have used marriage laws in the past to enshrine discriminatory ‘tradition,’ but our Constitution was not altered to define marriage as these traditions were overturned.”

The national ACLU’s website describes the Federal Marriage Amendment as a “mean-spirited proposal” and encourages Americans to work against the amendment.