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Loading ...Pastors urge rejection of anti-gay Calif. amendment
10.20.2008 4:14pm EDT
(San Francisco, California) More than a dozen pastors Monday stood on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, where the fight for same-sex marriage in California began four years ago, to urge Californians to reject a ballot measure that would make gay marriage illegal.
They also announced that more than 2,200 faith leaders from across the country have signed an open letter to religious leaders calling for the recognition of same-sex marriage.Among those taking part in the event organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, were the Rev. Bishop Mark Holmerud of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the Rev. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director of the California Council of Churches; the Rev. Mary Susan Gast, Conference Minister of the Northern California Nevada Conference, United Church of Christ; the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Episcopal Bishop of California; and the Rev. Lindi Ramsden, Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry.
The presence of the high profile clergy was meant to dispel attempts by evangelical Christians, the Roman Catholic Church and Mormons that people of faith support the proposed amendment.
On Friday, a group of Mormons who support gay marriage delivered protest letters and bundles of carnations to church headquarters in Salt Lake City in an appeal to end the church’s support of the ballot initiative in California.
The group, called Sign for Something, disagrees with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ opposition to gay marriage and its efforts to boost Mormon involvement before the Nov. 4 election.
In 2004 Newsom began allowing marriage licenses to be issued to same-sex couples in San Francisco. The state took the mayor to court arguing he had overstepped his authority and the California Supreme Court agreed. As a result the more than 8,000 marriages that had been performed were declared void.
The ruling, however, did not directly address the issue of the constitutionality of the state ban on same-sex marriage and LGBT civil rights activists began a separate court action challenging the prohibition.
In May, the court court ruled that denying same-sex couples the right to wed violated the California constitution.
Conservative groups began collecting enough signatures for the ballot measure. Recent polling suggests voters are closely divided over the amendment.
Both sides in the ballot measure have collected millions of dollars to fund media campaigns.
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has bought $100,000 of television airtime to urge Californians to vote against the proposed amendment.
DeGeneres married her long time partner, actress Portia de Rossi, in August.
“Hi, I’m Ellen DeGeneres. I got to do something this year I never thought I’d ever be able to do: I got married. It was the happiest day of my life. There are people out there raising millions of dollars to try and take that right away from me,” DeGeneres says in the commercials to be aired throughout California..
“You’ve seen their ads on TV. They’re twisting the truth, and they’re trying to scare you. I believe in fairness. I believe in compassion. I believe in equality for all people. Proposition 8 does not. Please, please, vote no on Prop. 8,” she says in the spot.
Come on, people, let’s step it up! We are being outspent by our opponents. My husband and I just made a donation to the No On 8 campaign. This is going to be close, and we can’t afford to lose. Our present and future families depend on this. Please make a contribution now, while you’re thinking about it.
I am not even a California and from the east coast state of Maryland and I am more concerned about Prop 8 and its impact on the future likelihood of gay marriage in my state should it pass than some GLBT Californians are about it in their own state.
I predict it becoming substantially more difficult to gain one day gay marriage rights for Maryland should the huge and vastly influential state of California becomes encumbered with the passing into law of Proposition 8.
If everyone affected by this proposition would donate time and money and talk to all their family and friends about this, there is no way we could lose.
My husband and I have donated both money and time to the no on 8 campaign, but I think the most effective thing we did recently was to send out a personal email message to every person in our address book to let them know how we would be personally hurt by prop 8. We were touched that so many people responded with kind words and vowed to vote no on 8 and spread the word. A few even went to the No on 8 website and donated money on our behalf.
If all of us did the same, it would have a huge impact on the election.
I think its disgusting that this is even an issue..considering the MILLIONS being spent on this to TAKE AWAY RIGHTS..meanwhile, LA’s SKID ROW GROWS with more and more Homeless and mentally Ill….48+ million without health car, 2 WARS etc etc etc….this is Un-American,and Disgusts me to my core.
Imagine if there really was such thing as this so called man god. You know – that mean Arian God in the sky. OGM!!! He would be so PO’d with the religious zealots. These misguided freaks are wasting money on bigotry all while folks go to bed hungry. And let’s not forget the poor souls dying of AIDS in Africa. Wait a minute – the Arian God obviously doesn’t care or he with all his GREAT power would do something about it. I guess he is too busy with Mary J Blige and the rest of the entertainment freaks that believe their chosen ones.
Please… let us do this. We need to win for the sake of equality. any amount will do especially when added up. Come on now, a little sacrifice wont hurt anyone. it is such a shame when there are 1million LGBT in the state and only 30,000 had donated.
If we cant do this maybe we really dont deserve such equality. I am sorry but it is really frustrating and so sad.
I may not be from California, but I have many things to say.
There is nothing in any constitutional ammendment that gives the right of marriage. What there are in many state constitutions, is the definition of what marriage is. By defining marriage as “Man, woman only” it limits what marriage can be, it does not take away the right to marry. No one has the “Right” to be married.
If there was such a right, then while you’re on the street you could point to someone and tell them “You have to marry me; It’s my right as a U.S. citizen.”
Defining what marriage is wrong; No one can define love, why should marriage be any different?
Now that thats out of the way:
I’m just happy to see Pastors in favor of gay marriage! It’s nice to see some movement forward in a world that’s moving backwards.
Whoever wins; McCain, or Obama, we lose.
Amazing that a civil issue passed by the courts of CA. is being fought by the religious wingnuts. where is the outrage ! where is the separation of church and state in California?we in delaware are rooting for y’all and have donated many times to fight on !!when do we get a break from these assholes and who will stand up to them !!whenever any new law is passed for the gay community we are instantly challenged by the religious crazies-since when does the government allow the church to run my life -and i m an athiest !!!!!!!!
Hey, Where can I buy one of these hot callendars. As collectors’ items, they will probably appreciate better than my 401k.