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by Soulforce
Without freedom, no one really has a name. –Milton Acorda
When looking back on these early years of the 21st century, we will remember the handful of people who made decisions to act in conscious defiance of the status quo — to say out loud the names and needs of those who have been denied freedom and, in doing so, to break the yoke that denies them liberty.
President Barack Obama joined that handful on May 9, and I am grateful.
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by Soulforce
REPRINT: Press Release
LUTHERANS CONCERNED/NORTH AMERICA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2012
Contact: Phil Soucy, Director Communications
703-980-2038 communications@lcna.org
www.lcna.org
Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA Speaks Out In Opposition to Anti-gay Marriage Amendment
Today, Friday, in a sea of green voting cards which said “yes,” the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) spoke out in opposition to the proposed amendment to the state constitution that would deprive the right to a civil marriage to same-gender partners.
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by Soulforce
RELEASED: 17 February 2012 – 5:45pm
Just moments ago, the Maryland House of Delegates passed an historic marriage equality bill, bringing us one giant step closer to making Maryland the next state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed.
What makes this win so sweet is that it comes on the heels of three huge victories in the past two weeks: a court decision that ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional, as well as major progress for marriage equality in Washington and New Jersey.
This latest win was made possible through years of tireless efforts by equality advocates like you.
From here, all eyes turn to the state Senate, then to Governor Martin O’Malley, a remarkable champion who has driven the effort to get this law through.
But momentum is everything as this bill advances and we need to be out front and visible with the case for marriage equality in Maryland. Share the image below on Facebook to show you stand on the right side of history with Governor O’Malley.
Share the image on Facebook to show you stand on the right side of history with Gov. O’Malley.
It’s been a tough road filled with plenty of setbacks – and we’re not done yet. But our perseverance has led to this major breakthrough. Here’s how your passion for change helped get us here:
- Thanks to broad support from HRC’s more than one million members and supporters, we helped organize an impressive pro-marriage coalition including 1199 SEIU, the Baltimore Branch of the NAACP, Equality Maryland, the Maryland ACLU, Progressive Maryland and Marylanders for Marriage Equality.
- Support from activists and members enabled us to place five senior staff members at the helm of the campaign.
- Together, we generated 18,000 emails, 16,000 phone calls, and 15,000 postcards to Maryland lawmakers.
- We launched an unprecedented outreach campaign in the press, online, and in church communities to build support across Maryland.
- With your support, we successfully brought together clergy members of all faiths to boldly demonstrate support for marriage equality from across the state.
- On behalf of the coalition, HRC produced 15 web ads featuring prominent Marylanders like Governor O’Malley to keep the issue visible.
It’s clear that our nationwide campaign for equality is working, and – one day soon – loving, committed, same-sex couples will be able to marry – no matter which state they call home.
Share the image above on Facebook to show you stand with Governor O’Malley, Speaker Michael Busch, our legislative allies, and all fair-minded, pro-marriage Marylanders as this legislation makes its final rounds through the capitol.
The Maryland campaign continues and we won’t back down until marriage equality is legal in every state. But we are making incredible progress and we wouldn’t be here without you.
Proud and grateful,
Joe Solmonese
President
by Soulforce
REPRINT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 7, 2012
Michael Cole-Schwartz | michael.cole-schwartz@hrc.org | (202) 216-1553
Federal Appeals Court Agrees: California’s Proposition 8 Is Unconstitutional
Ninth Circuit Strikes Down Discriminatory Amendment
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization – today praised the historic decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirming the August 2010 conclusion of U.S. Chief Judge Vaughn Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown) that the amendment to the California Constitution barring marriage for same-sex couples, adopted in November 2008 as Proposition 8, violates the U.S. Constitution. In a 2-1 decision authored by Judge Reinhardt, the court agreed that Proposition 8’s only purpose in denying gay and lesbian Californians the freedom to marry was anti-gay animus, something the Constitution does not permit.
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by Soulforce
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit just announced a historic decision affirming the August 2010 conclusion of U.S. Chief Judge Vaughn Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown) that the amendment to the California Constitution barring marriage for same-sex couples, adopted in November 2008 as Proposition 8, violates the U.S. Constitution. In a 2-1 decision authored by Judge Reinhardt, the court agreed that Proposition 8’s only purpose in denying gay and lesbian Californians the freedom to marry was anti-gay animus, something the Constitution does not permit.
The proponents of Prop 8 are now likely to appeal this decision, either to be considered by a larger panel of the Ninth Circuit (referred to as an en banc rehearing) or for review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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by Guest Author
It all started with our wedding: the be-medaled uniforms on one side, the prochoice buttons on the other. Nope, nope, it started with the intervention, the dinner at which my friends planned to confront the self-delusional rationalization that I, the leftwing columnist, had contrived for accepting the proposal of a Marine. A Marine colonel, no less. Problem was, it turned out they liked him.
And he met my political litmus tests: He is prochoice, figures sexual orientation is irrelevant in battle, and actually gives thought to California’s unbridled ballot measures. Our marriage proceeded, and we’ve been playing house ever since, despite occasionally cancelling out each other’s votes.
Then, when Prop. 8 passed in 2008, my response was to staple a sign to our front gate: I DO Support the Freedom to Marry.
My husband came home, and the conversation went something like this:
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by Guest Author
This article is by Gil Caldwell, a retired United Methodist minister and member of Soulforce’s Advisory Board. He was active in the Massachusetts unit of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and participated in the civil-rights movement throughout the nation.
To: Persons, Religious Institutions and Organizations in California that are elated over the decision of Judge Walker vis-a-vis Proposition 8
As an African American retired Minister (United Methodist Church), I have been in occasional communication with persons and groups in California. This morning I read in the New York Times that “Gov. Arnold Scwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown filed motions on Friday calling for resumption of same-sex weddings in the state.” I was pleased to read that, and I believe that rather than being retired, if I were pastor of a Church I would lead my congregation in prayers this week-end, expressing hope for a positive response to the motions for resumption of same sex marriages filed by the California Governor and Attorney General.
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