Statement by the Rev. William G. Sinkford
President, Unitarian Universalist Association

In response to the August 12, 2004 decision by the California Supreme Court voiding marriage licenses issued in San Francisco earlier this year

August 12, 2004
Boston, MA

Our nation is now fully engaged in the struggle for Marriage Equality, a struggle that will likely be part of our public life for years to come. Although the road ahead may be a long one, I have complete faith that it will ultimately lead to justice for same-sex couples.

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.

I applaud the California Senate Judiciary Committee’s passage of a resolution opposing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would deny marriage to same-sex couples. When I see that people of conscience refuse to allow the Constitution to become an agent of discrimination, I am hopeful that Marriage Equality will one day become a reality, both in California and across the nation.

Rev. William G. Sinkford

Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon St. | Boston, MA 02108 | 617-742-2100