Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry Meets at UUA Headquarters

John Buehrens, former UUA president, speaks at RCFM press conference

Foreground, from left: Rev. John Buehrens, Bishop Thomas Shaw, Rabbi Devon Lerner

Bishop Thomas Shaw addresses the media at RCFM press conference

Media crowd into Eliot Hall at 25 Beacon St. for RCFM press conference.

As part of the UUA’s ongoing support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, our headquarters at 25 Beacon St. was the scene of a day of activities sponsored by the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry on Thursday, February 5th, 2004. Representatives from the Episcopal, Jewish, Congregational, and Unitarian Universalist faith communities attended a prayer breakfast in the morning followed by a press conference. Later, the assembled clergy received training in lobbying techniques before walking next door to the Massachusetts State House to inform their elected officials of their support for same-sex marriage and their opposition to a proposed amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution that would prohibit same-sex marriage in the Commonwealth.

At the beginning of the prayer breakfast, the Rev. David Hubner from the UUA welcomed clergy to UUA headquarters. “I hope you all know that you’re on friendly ground here,” said Hubner. Referring to the Selma Memorial on the wall of Eliot Hall, Hubner recalled the sacrifices of men an women in the civil rights struggle of the recent past and said that achieving legal equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people is the civil rights challenge of the 21st century.

Hubner was followed by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Shaw, Episcopal bishop for the diocese of Massachusetts. After offering a prayer and asking for a moment of meditative silence, Shaw thanked the RCFM for inviting him to speak at the prayer breakfast. He said he had been praying over the issue of same-sex marriage for more than 30 years, “inviting the wisdom of the Spirit into my prayers,” and fully supported extending the privileges and benefits of civil marriage to same-sex couples. “The only God I know from Scripture,” Shaw said, “is a God of justice.”

Shaw proceeded to tell the story of Michael and Fred, two men in a committed relationship who have adopted four young boys with various disabilities and are raising them in a loving family. “These children could very easily have been ‘throw-away kids,’” said Shaw, “but with the love from Michael and Fred, they aren’t throw-away kids anymore. I want these two men to have every single right they deserve, every single right that any heterosexual married couple has.” Shaw closed his remarks by saying that he knew that the men and women in the audience knew dozens or hundreds of stories like that of Michael and Fred, and he encouraged the clergy to tell these stories as they continue their efforts in support of equal rights for all.

Rabbi Devon Lerner, co-chairwoman of the RCFM, then presented an update of the Coalition’s work. Lerner was followed by Massachusetts State Rep. Byron Rushing (D-Boston) who provided a legislative update and tips on how to lobby elected officials on this issue. Rushing noted how rapidly the political landscape has changed since the landmark Supreme Judicial Court ruling in the Goodridge case last November. There are legislators working on a law to change the gender references in the current statutes governing marriage, said Rushing, but if someone were to ask him what will happen at the February 11th Constitutional Convention at the State House, “Simple answer: I don’t know.”

Rushing offered to the clergy four points to make with elected officials during the lobbying session:

• Emphasize the difference between civil marriage and religious marriage
• Emphasize that freedom to marry is a civil rights issue: “This civil right is access to the civil institution of marriage.”
• Tell the legislator stories from your congregations
• Tell the legislator your theology

The final speaker at the prayer breakfast was Karen Loewy, an attorney with the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) , the organization that brought the Goodridge lawsuit on behalf of the seven plaintiff couples. Loewy provided an update of the legal situation and noted that the day of the Goodridge decision, Nov. 18, 2003, and the day of the SJC’s advisory opinion, February 4, 2004, are landmark dates in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “The SJC said ‘marriage,’ and they meant ‘marriage,’” said Loewy, “not civil unions.”

Press Conference

The RCFM press conference attracted reporters, camera-people, and photographers from six Boston-area television stations, local newspapers, and photo wire-services. Speaking at the press conference were the following religious leaders:

• The Rev. Maureen Reddington-Wilde and Rabbi Devon Lerner, co-chairwomen of the RCFM
• The Rt. Rev. Thomas Shaw, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
• The Rev. John Buehrens, First Parish in Needham (UU) and immediate past president of the UUA (with a statement from UUA president the Rev. William Sinkford)
• Charles Martel, Catholic lay leader
• Rabbi Jordan Millstein, Temple Emanuel of Worcester
• Rev. Rebecca Brown, First Church in Ipswich, United Church of Christ
• Rev. Irv Cummings, Old Cambridge Baptist Church

Lobbying at the Massachusetts State House

After the press conference, representatives from RCFM and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force provided training and tips for the ministers before they ventured next door to the Massachusetts State House to lobby their hometown representatives to vote against a possible amendment at the Constitutional Convention scheduled for February 11th. The unexpected sight of a swarm of clergy lobbyists (most in robes and collars) raised some eyebrows on Beacon Hill, but the event was deemed a resounding success by the participants.

Among the UU lobbyists was the Rev. Myke Johnson, associate minister of First Parish Brewster, a congregation of more than 600 members. Known as “the Conscience of Cape Cod,” the activist congregation has long been committed to high visibility justice work. The Freedom to Marry debate is particularly close to home, as two of the Goodridge plaintiffs are long-time First Parish members. “When I visited the legislators, they knew immediately who I was. They told me about the letters they had received from my congregation,” Johnson noted. “The visits and letters reinforced each other, and I had more power to speak because I was connected to a sizable constituency.”

Reflecting on her first experience as a lobbyist, Johnson was glad that she had made the two-hour trip to Boston from her home on Cape Cod. When asked why she felt that this was important work for a minister, she responded, “Every Sunday we say, ‘Love is the doctrine of this church.’ Our vision is to bring the energy of love to the work of justice.”

The Rev. Hank Peirce of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford serves a small suburban congregation that is growing rapidly. During his tenure, Peirce has made a point of frequently communicating with his state representative and senator. He noted, “It’s important for liberal folks to realize that we have power, and that we shouldn’t be afraid to use it.” The Medford congregation recently sponsored a postcard writing Sunday. Pre-addressed cards were included in every order of service, along with sample notes supporting same-sex marriage. The parishioners were given time to write their own notes on the cards and then the cards were collected and mailed from the church.

Peirce’s experience on Beacon Hill reaffirmed his commitment to congregational justice work. He reflected, “The thing I kept hearing from the legislative aids was how much our phone calls and letters matter.” Peirce was pleasantly surprised to see how many of his colleagues turned out to lobby the State House. He concluded, “We have a prophetic message of good news that not only should, but must, be expressed to our larger communities.”

Unitarian Universalist Association
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