UULMCA

Marriage Equality

California Supreme Court to Hear Freedom to Marry
UULM-CA and the Supreme Court
Discrimination Proposition Gearing Up for 2008
Download 2007 Amicus Brief
Religious Coalition files with California Supreme Court
Host a Cottage Conversation

Marriage Equality Page Features:
Marriage Equality Pledge Form
California Legislation
California Courts
Federal Legislation
History of Marriage
Views and Ideas
More Organizations
Worship Resources
Banners to Download
Marriage Equality Photo Album- and more...

UUs continue to be on the forefront of faith communities championing freedom to marry in California. UULM-CA took the lead on the interfaith amicus brief, a document prepared for the court, supporting same-sex marriage cases (see links below).

Tuesday, March 4th the California Supreme Court heard oral arguments on this historic case. The hearing has been archived, both video and audio- only, and you can watch it (or just listen) on the Supreme Court website.

A decision from the high court is expected in early June (90 days after the hearing).

Churches weigh in on same-sex marriage
San Francisco Chronicle, 2/18/08
by Bob Egelko

State Supreme Court takes up same-sex marriage
San Francisco Chronicle, 3/3/2008
by Bob Egelko

UULM and the Supreme Court on Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
By Eric Alan Isaacson, Co-author of Interfaith Amicus Brief, and UU from First UU Church, San Diego

Amicus Brief supporting same-sex marriage
"Amici believe that same-sex couples should be afforded the same fundamental rights as different-sex couples to participate in the State-sanctioned institution of marriage."

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Propositions 98 and 99

UULM and the Supreme Court on Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
By Eric Alan Isaacson, Co-author of Interfaith Amicus Brief, Attorney and UU from First UU Church, San Diego

Thanks to an interfaith effort led by the UULM and California Faith for Equality, religious voices calling for marriage equality are forcefully represented in the pending Marriage Cases, in which the California Supreme Court heard arguments on March 4.

Read complete article

This Spring, as the California Supreme Court prepares to consider the state-wide right for freedom to mary, well-funded organizations are paying people to collect signatures to put a discriminatory anti-marriage equality constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2008.

You can learn more about this pressing issue and how to get involved at the UULM Action Network.

A Valentine Viewpoint
by Rick Marshall and Paul Boisvert

At the occasion of Valentine’s Day, we take time to celebrate that “special someone” who has brought joy into our life. Many of us are also blessed to have long-term, committed relationships that bestow the additional happiness of family -- the joys of sharing and caring, hoping and dreaming, loving and protecting.

Ours is a somewhat different love story. Read the story.

(Paul Boisvert and Rick Marshall live in the Central Coast and are active leaders with UULM's statewide Freedom to Marry Steering Committee.)

"Amici believe that same-sex couples should be afforded the same fundamental rights as different-sex couples to participate in the State-sanctioned institution of marriage."

Press Release, September 26, 2007

Host Marriage Equality "Cottage Conversations” based on a powerful 25 minute video and a follow-up conversation guide. Invite friends, neighbors and colleagues who may not yet have thought through how marriage discrimination hurts. How many “Cottage Conversations” could members of your congregation sponsor? We hope to get 1000 going across the state.

Request a packet with a video plus discussion materials

Help us identify Californian's who support marriage equality.
Download the Marriage Equality pledge form .

AB 43 - the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act

AB 43 - Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act has passed both the House and the Senate of the State of California!

It now needs Governor Schwarzenegger's signature to become law, and make California the first state in the Union to enact marriage equality through legislative action.

Are you registered as a domestic partner? The laws affecting domestic partnerships took effect as of January 1 st, 2005. Learn who can register as domestic partners, how to register, how to dissolve a partnership, and what rights, benefits, protections and responsibilities will be provided to registered domestic partners in California. Domestic partners registration form. There is good news concerning the positive fiscal impact of this legislation (known as AB205) on the Californian economy, and the national economy if California’s move toward justice were able to bend federal policies toward similar freedoms and protections.

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2007 Interfaith Amicus Brief for Marriage Equality

The California Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether it is a violation of the California Constitution to deny same sex couples access to civil marriage.

In the original 2005 case of Woo v Lockyer , marriage equality was upheld. That decision was appealed. In 2006 it was heard in the appellate court. An extensive interfaith amicus brief was submitted, but marriage equality was struck down by a 2 to 1 decision.

List of Signers on the 2006 Interfaith Amici Brief

The case has now been appealed to the California Supreme Court. On September 26, 2007 a new Interfaith Amicus Brief was filed.

Woo v Lockyer

March 14, 2005 California Court rules that denying access to marriage to same gender couples violates the CA state constitution.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer held that “no rational purpose exists for limiting marriage in this State to opposite-sex partners,” and that “the parade of horrible social ills envisioned by the opponents of same-sex marriage is not a necessary result from recognizing that there is a fundamental right to choose who one wants to marry.”

Powerful oral argument by the lead attorney that contains examples of the impact felt by couples denied access to marriage.

Full decision by Judge Kramer, a Republican who was appointed by former Governor Pete Wilson

Lockyer v. San Francisco

Lockyer v. San Francisco (424K PDF) decision declaring SF Mayor Newsom had overstepped his authority and voiding the marriages licenses issued in San Francisco.

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Federal Marriage Amendment

Flyer 1,138 Federal Rights and hundreds of states rights denied to same sex couples. Hand-out from Equality CA, listing some of the key rights and responsibilities that come with marriage that are not found with domestic partnerships. (727KB pdf)

The Road to Civil Marriage Equality in the U.S.
With special attention to California. Compiled by Greg McConigle, M. Div., April 2005 for the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, CA.

Sermon: The Bible and Same-Gender Marriage
by Mary A. Tolbert

Views and Ideas

Pulpit Editorial: United we Stand or Divided We Fall
by Stephanie Stolte
From the UU Fellowship of Stanislaus County in Modesto

This powerful statement was given as a pulpit editorial on October 16,
2005. It is a call to action to stop the ballot initiatives currently in
circulation that will amend the California state constitution to take away
existing domestic partner rights and responsibilities from same gender
couples, and prohibit civil marriage.

Real Audio: Evan Wolfson Debates Rev. Lou Sheldon
Audio link to the recent debate between Evan Wolfson, civil rights attorney, founder and Executive Director of Freedom to Marry and the Rev. Lou Sheldon, President of the Traditional Values Coalition, that took place on April 20^th at Stanford Law. Moderated by Angie Coiro. This was the first time the two of them debated face to face.

A beautifully written opinion in the New York case by Judge Doris Ling-Cohen, containing a compelling history lesson.

A Declaration of Religious Support for Equal Civil Marriage Rights (40KPDF)

Evan Wolfson’s September 30, 2004 speech:
“Marriage Equality and Some Lessons for the Scary Work of Winning”

History of Marriage Letter (224K PDF) to Senator Walsh of Massachusetts
by Stephen Schloesser, S. J., Assistant History Professor, Boston College

"Freedom to Marry": a Gay Marriage Documentary

"When newly-elected San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom allowed same-sex couples to marry in February 2004, he created a political firestorm that has yet to be extinguished. Luckily for gay couples everywhere, Laurie York and Carmen Goodyear were on-scene with their video camera, and their friends, to document this historic moment in gay and lesbian history." —Review from 2004 Southwest Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

Note: one of the couples featured in this video is Don Williams and David Jones of the First Unitarian Universalist Society in San Francisco

UUA Resources: news coverage, resolutions, etc.

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California Faith for Equality
www.cafaithforequality.org

Marriage Equality USA-California
www.marriageequality.org

Equality California
www.eqca.org

California Religious Coalition for Equality
www.religiouscoalition-wa.org

Let California Ring
www.kintera.org/site/c.mvI0IhN0JwE/b.2821427/k.BE69/HOME.htm

America Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
http://www.aclu.org

Unitarian Universalist Washington Office for Advocacy
www.uua.org/uuawo/new/

Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry:
www.rcfm.org

Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies
www.iglss.org

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network--High School Curriculum on Civil Marriage
www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/educator/library/record/1411.html

Starr King School for the Ministry
www.sksm.org

The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry
www.clgs.org/

National Center for Lesbian Rights
www.nclrights.org

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
www.thetaskforce.org

Human Rights Campaign
www.hrc.org

Atticus Circle
www.atticuscircle.org

PFLAG
www.pflag.org

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