Press Releases

Thursday, August 12, 2004

The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry Calls for Renewed Efforts toward Marriage Equality in the Light of California Supreme Court Decision

Introduction

This past Valentine's Day weekend, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom granted permission to the city to issue marriage licenses to same-gender couples. Nearly 4,000 lesbian and gay couples availed themselves of this joyous opportunity in the weeks that followed—until the courts brought this practice to a halt. Today, after weighing the legal issues involved in the Mayor's decision, the California Supreme Court ruled that the Mayor exceeded his authority in allowing those licenses to be issued and that those licenses for same-gender couples are null and void. The Court did not, however, rule on the constitutionality of discriminating against lesbian and gay couples, but only whether the Mayor had the authority to make that decision on his own; apparently, the Mayor does not. The Court did, however, indicate its willingness to hear arguments on the constitutionality issue, which could happen as early as next year.

Meanwhile, CLGS continues its work to provide sound scholarship and education for progressive religious leadership on this issue. Through the CLGS Marriage Project and a growing network of clergy and religious leaders, CLGS is providing the means to counter the religious bigotry infecting American public discourse on marriage equality.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jay Johnson, 510-849-8235 or Alvan Quamina, 510-849-8206

"By invalidating the marriage licenses of nearly 4,000 couples, the Court has dealt a serious blow to our struggle for civil rights," said Mary A. Tolbert, CLGS Executive Director and George H. Atkinson Professor of Biblical Studies at PSR. "We extend our deepest sympathy to those many loving couples whose legal commitments to each other were invalidated by the Supreme Court's action. We pledge our redoubled efforts to secure their rights to civil marriage in California and throughout the country," Tolbert said. Through strategic education programs and clergy mobilization efforts, CLGS seeks to strengthen and equip progressive religious leadership on this crucial issue.

CLGS was encouraged by the Court's apparent willingness to hear future arguments on the constitutionality of discriminating against lesbian and gay families and CLGS pledges its resources and support to the legal efforts currently underway to end such discrimination in California and elsewhere. Because marriage equality is a civil rights issue, many people of faith and religious communities support it as a matter of social justice. "Religious leaders have always been on the forefront of movements for equality and justice in this country," Tolbert noted. "Marriage equality for lesbian and gay couples should be no different and CLGS can help faith communities understand what's at stake in this struggle."

A number of faith traditions currently celebrate and bless same-gender committed relationships, including: both Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Christian denominations of the United Church of Christ, the Metropolitan Community Churches, some Disciples of Christ (Christian), some Episcopal churches, and some Baptist churches. The CLGS web-based Marriage Project, launched this past Valentine's Day (www.clgs.org/marriage/), is designed to assist religious communities in understanding the complex history of religious marriage and the important differences between religious and civil marriage.

The rhetoric from some religious organizations and institutions has contributed to the discrimination lesbian and gay families face in American society today. CLGS rejects such religiously based bigotry and is committed to fostering sound religious scholarship and empowering progressive religious leadership in this struggle for social justice. Strengthening families, protecting children and ensuring equal protection under the law are at the root of the struggle for marriage equality and deserve the full support of this nation's faith communities.

Full marriage equality must address not only state-by-state issues but also the need for access to over 1,000 federal benefits granted by civil marriage, including immigration rights and Social Security and pension benefits. Restricting marriage equality to state-based domestic partnership legislation will not solve the problem of access to federal benefits, as those legal arrangements are not portable from one state to the next. "Marriage protection" legislation recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives puts lesbian and gay families even further at risk.

Christian, Jewish, Islamic and many other faith communities are rooted in strong traditions of compassion and justice. CLGS calls on all religious communities throughout California and across the country to work on behalf of full economic and social justice for all people.

Members of the CLGS staff are available for media interviews on same-gender marriage and a variety of other topics related to sexuality and religion.

The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies at Pacific School of Religion works to advance the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people and to transform faith communities and the wider society by taking a leading role in shaping a new public discourse on religion and sexuality through education, research, community building, and advocacy. Visit the center's web site at www.clgs.org or call 510-849-8206.