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Supporters of Utah's marriage amendment are trying to cast the amendment's opponents as gay-loving carpetbaggers.

In a televised debate Tuesday night and again on Wednesday, co-founders of the Yes on 3 Coalition claimed - without proof - that the Don't Amend Alliance will collect nearly $1 million from donors outside Utah who support a larger campaign to legalize gay marriage.

"It's just a prediction," said Tiani Coleman, one of three leaders of the coalition and Salt Lake County Republican chairwoman. "They can get their money from wherever they want to. But it seems that those who have the greatest interest in defeating this amendment aren't really the citizens of Utah."

Coleman points to the Alliance's Web site, which lists "partners," including the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Organization for Women's Utah chapter. Other partners include local Unitarian churches and Common Cause, an open-government advocate.

The amendment is written in two parts. The first sentence defines marriage. A second clause prohibits recognition of any other "domestic union."

Worried about the legal fallout of the second paragraph, three attorney general candidates, including incumbent Republican Mark Shurtleff, oppose the amendment. Although she now says she likely will vote for the amendment, Gov. Olene Walker has expressed concerns about the language.

And Don't Amend Director Scott McCoy said his political issues committee probably would disband if the amendment were reduced to just the first sentence. "If part one were on the ballot, we wouldn't be fighting a campaign like this," he said.

Alliance media consultant Josh Ewing said supporters of the amendment are resorting to scare tactics. As of Wednesday, Ewing said, the Alliance had collected about $619,000. Of that, 87 percent of the donations came from Utahns. The rest, about $80,000, came from outside sources, including $50,000 from Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights organization.

But Coleman, who declined to disclose her group's financing before the Oct. 26 deadline, insists her group simply is condensing the amendment debate down to one salient issue - gay marriage.

"The biggest issue is whether people support traditional marriage as we know it, or whether they are going to vote in favor of gay marriage," she said.