People of Faith Speak Out!
Voices for Marriage Equality
Communities of faith have a rich history of supporting social justice in its many forms. The same championing of equality continues now as many people of faith stand up for the civil right of lesbian and gay couples to marry. The 2000 Census reported lesbian and gay couples living in nearly every county in the United States. Yet, no matter how deeply in love, no matter how long they have been together, no matter how committed they are to their relationship or their children, they are denied access to civil marriage in every state. You can help change that.
What is at stake is not the right to a religious marriage ceremony, which is governed by communities of faith, but rather the right to a civil marriage — conferred by the government — which provides more than one thousand legal protections for families. These protections include medical decision making, custody of children, family medical leave and survivor’s rights and inheritance rights.
A handful of countries such as Belgium, Canada, Spain and The Netherlands already allow same-sex couples to marry. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the U.S. to grant marriage rights to same-sex couples; Lambda Legal has been working to ensure that same-sex couples who have been legally married in Massachusetts and then move to another state continue to be recognized as married. Lambda Legal also currently has lawsuits on behalf of lesbian and gay couples seeking the right to marry in a number of other states. Vermont and Connecticut allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, which provide all the rights associated with marriage in the state, but are generally not recognized in other states without current civil union laws. The only way to treat lesbian and gay couples equally is to give them the rights that come with marriage as well as the word, itself, which is recognized and respected throughout the country.
Individual clergy, faith leaders and entire congregations from American Baptists to the United Church of Christ are stepping forward, making public declarations of support and reaching out across denominations. To help build this support, this guide provides suggestions for action. Making public statements of support for marriage equality will not only educate your community about the importance of this civil rights issue and further welcome lesbian and gay couples who are members of your congregation — it will build community.
