Equal Marriage Is A Civil Right
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California
September 9, 2005: Pastoral letter to California from the Rev. William Sinkford California UUs "Stand on the Side of Love" in support of Freedom to Marry activitiesOn Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, across California, more than 65 Unitarian Universalist congregations worshipped, sang, and focused their lobbying efforts toward a common goal - telling the state legislature and the Governor of California that they stand on the side of love and seek equal marriage for all loving couples. Read more about their activities and see photos of their efforts as you visit the links below. Additional Information:
Media Coverage:
Struggle for Equal Marriage Receives Blow from Supreme Court, But Final Decision Lies AheadBackground: On February 10, 2004, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom asked County Clerk Nancy Alfaro to "determine what changes should be made to the forms and documents used to apply for and issue marriage licenses in order to provide marriage licenses on a non-discriminatory basis, without regard to gender or sexual orientation." On Feburary 13, 2004, Newsom began performing marriages at City Hall for same sex couples, marrying nearly 100 couples that day. A group known as the Campaign for California Families immediately went to court to try and block Newsom and city officials from issuing licenses, but the Court refused to issue a stay, and the marriages continued, with nearly 4,000 performed in February and March. Mayor Newsom, who said that he did not accept that same sex marriages were against state law, asked, "Where is the fundamental decency to extend the same privileges and rights the rest of us are afforded? What is the fundamental right to perpetuate a policy of separate but unequal that people seem to suggest is a compromise?" Assemblyman Mark Leno, who shared officiating duties at City Hall with the city assessor and four of her deputies, formally introduced legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage throughout California. "It is a tandem challenge," said Leno, a Democrat from San Francisco. "One will be heard in a judicial setting, and the other in a legislative setting." UUs Celebrate Joellynn K. Monahan, a UU seminarian studying at the Pacific School of Religion, recalled, Saturday was the best Valentine's Day I ever had: I was at City Hall in San Francisco! Two UCC colleagues and I robed and spent the day blessing and congratulating couples while they waited in line. We prayed with some families, heard and witnessed many stories, offered support as folks managed the many emotions which came up on such an occasion, and celebrated with all. Though some were together two or five years, most couples we spoke with have been together between 10 and 36 years! People of all sexual orientations were honking horns and cheering "congratulations" as they drove by on busy Van Ness Avenue...a couple of people went and bought hundreds of roses to hand out to the waiting couples, others brought food, someone brought a wedding cake and fancy napkins and was handing out pieces to the couples and their guests! The whole town was celebrating with the LGBT community! "As we spent time with folks, many people wanted to know 'Who are you robed women?' It was a tremendous joy to share that I am a Unitarian Universalist seminarian, and that we celebrate the unions/marriages/partnerships of all people, ordain LGBT folks, and that our faith tells us that we can celebrate love in all its beautiful forms. What a privilege and joy it was to be there!" Court Ruling Ends Marriages The justices separately decided with a 5-2 vote to nullify the 3,995 marriages peformed between February 12 and March 11, when the court halted the weddings. Following the ruling, UUA President William G. Sinkford issued a statement which said, in part, "In light of the California Supreme Court's ruling, I wish to offer my support to the thousands of brave couples who were married in San Francisco earlier this year. We honor their efforts to gain the freedom to legally care for their partners, a freedom that I believe to be a fundamental civil right. These couples bear witness to the enduring personal and social significance of marriage. I call upon people of faith to continue to uphold and honor this vital institution, while working to ensure equal access to all loving and committed couples who wish to enter into it."] A second and critically important issue, on whether state laws may restrict marriages to opposite-sex couples only, is working its way through the courts and is expected to be ruled on in the next year. Media Coverage
(all links below are for external sites, some may require a username/password
others may archive articles after a period of time):
Testimony and public statements by UUs supporting same sex marriage in California
For further information on same sex marriage in California
Archival Coverage from the UUA: Additional Resources:
Archival Coverage from the UUA:
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Unitarian Universalist Association
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Rev. John Robinson, minister at UUSF; Kathleen Quenneville, UUs 4 Marriage
Equality and member of UUSF; Don Willams, UUs 4 Marriage Equality and member
of UUSF -- Interviewed by Gimmy Park Li, public affairs director, KNBR radio
