Obama player joins Ohio same-sex marriage effort

CLEVELAND (AP) — A key player in President Barack Obama's re-election campaign in Ohio has joined the effort to overturn the state's 2004 ban on same-sex marriage.

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer (http://bit.ly/XJriGb ) reports that Greg Schulz has joined the executive committee of FreedomOhio, a group seeking a reversal of the ban.

Schulz previously served as state director of Obama for America in Ohio.

He told the newspaper a petition drive that began last year could place a constitutional amendment on the ballot later this year or in 2014. The measure seeks to overturn the 2004 constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage. It was supported by 62 percent of Ohio voters at the time.

The FreedomOhio amendment would not require churches and other religious institutions to perform or recognize a marriage.

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Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com