Gay Unions Shed Light on Gender in Marriage

New York Times
HEALTH | June 10, 2008
Well: Gay Unions Shed Light on Gender in Marriage

A growing body of evidence shows that same-sex couples have a great deal to teach everyone else about marriage and relationships

Convention passes canons banning same-gender marriages, blessings

By Mary Frances Schjonberg, June 10, 2008

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Diocese Albany, meeting June 6 in its 140th annual convention, passed new canons prohibiting same-gender blessings and ordaining and licensing only those clergy who are married to a member of the opposite sex or "celibate and abstinent."

In his address to the convention meeting at Camp of the Woods in Speculator, New York, Albany Bishop William Love said the canons "are consistent with past and current diocesan policy and are not in violation or contradiction" with the Episcopal Church's canons.

The new canons "are not intended to be divisive, although some have come to see them that way," he said. "But rather, they are intended to provide clarity, in a time where there is great confusion within the Episcopal Church as well as the Anglican Communion concerning marriage and sexual relations outside of the confines of marriage between a man and women."

He noted that the canons "apply to everyone, regardless of one’s sexual orientation. There is one standard concerning sexual relations by which we are all called to live. While recognizing that many heterosexual couples have chosen to engage in sexual relations outside of marriage, the Church will not bless such unions."

Love also placed the need to pass the canons in the light of recent executive order issued by the governor of New York state, ordering state agencies to recognize the legality of same-gender marriages of couples coming from other states and Canada where such marriages are legal.

In his address, Love disagreed with those who say that God created some people to be oriented towards people of the same gender "and therefore it is in accordance with His will that they live out their gift of sexuality in a same-sex relationship."

"To the best of my knowledge, there is no scientific study that proves that people are born homosexual," he said. "There is no genetic link that has been discovered. In regard to God creating people homosexual in orientation, Matthew 19 makes a strong case against such an argument. Jesus said, 'Haven’t you read, that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?" So they are no longer two but one.'"

The canon on blessing same-gender marriages also notes that "properties owned, controlled, managed, or operated by this Diocese, or any Parish of the Diocese, or any legal entity established by the Diocese or a parish of the Diocese, shall not be the site for any service, public or private, for the Celebration or Blessing of a Marriage or any other union except those between one man and one woman."

The new canons, as proposed, and all other proposed convention resolutions, are available here.

Some Press Coverage of Gene & Mark's Happy Day

The Advocate
The Bishop's Bittersweet Day

Associated Press (on the Advocate website)
Robinson Joins With Partner in Civil Union in New Hampshire

Concord Monitor
Bishop, longtime partner tie knot

Episcopal News Service
Bishop enters into civil union with partner

Turning away from Jesus

The June 2008 issue of Harper's Magazine contains on excellent article on gay rights and the war for the Episcopal Church by Garret Keizer.

Visit your local newsstand or subscribe online to read the article.

Five years of equality celebrated in Ontario

Martha McCarthy, lead counsel on the landmark case, reflects in The Globe and Mail on the five years since the legalization of gay marriage in Ontario, Canada.

Five years ago today, I put on a white suit and my good luck shoes and went to the office of the Ontario Court of Appeal to pick up a judgment.

The case was Halpern et al v. the Attorney-General of Canada et al. The result: “The Clerk is directed to immediately begin issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples.” Within hours, our clients Michael Leshner and Mike Stark were married in a Toronto courthouse. I could barely stand up during the ceremony; I was so emotional, my co-counsel, Joanna Radbord, had to hold me up.

...
Many are surprised by how different they feel, both as a couple and in their lives generally. Our 12-year-old client Robbie Kemper perhaps said it best when he took to the microphone the day of the decision and declared, “Now nobody can say I don't have a real family.”

The wedding stories are poignant and astonishing. I continue to be awed. I don't want to leave the impression that discrimination has been eradicated, but things are just a little different. You can feel it in our cities. Not just on Church Street or Ste-Catherine, although you can feel it there, too. Yes, the pace of progress is slow, but today, on the fifth anniversary of Halpern, let's just celebrate that it worked. The Charter is not just some academic document.

Martha McCarthy was lead counsel in Halpern et al v. the Attorney-General of Canada et al. She is the winner of the Ontario Bar Association 2007 Award of Excellence in Family Law and a campaigner for gay equality rights.

Read more here.

Most This Amazing Day (video fix)

A few readers reported problems with the Google Video widget in Sunday's article about Gene & Mark's civil union. The video has been reposted using Blogger's own video widget. Click here to view the article and embedded video.

Guidelines on same sex marriage in Diocese of California

Episcopal Cafe reports on the newly released guidelines for clergy in the Diocese of California.

Pastoral Letter Regarding Same-sex Marriage
June 9, 2008

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I welcome the ruling of the California Supreme Court affirming the fundamental right of all people to marry. I am writing to you now to recommend a path to use this decision to strengthen our support of our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered sisters and brothers, and our continued witness to God’s inclusive love.

Clergy and lay leaders in the diocese have been working for the rights of LGBT people and for their full inclusion in our Church for more than forty years. Today, we continue to walk a journey that includes:

Bringing the witness of our LGBT sisters and brothers to this summer’s Lambeth Conference,
Combating a ballot initiative this November that will attempt to take away the rights recently recognized by the California Supreme Court,
Providing leadership at next summer's General Convention to bring our marriage practices and theology in line with our fundamental baptismal theology.
For far too long the onus has fallen on marginalized people to bear the burden of inequalities that exist within the Church, and the decision by our state’s Supreme Court has given us the opportunity to level the playing field.

To that end, the Diocese of California seeks to provide, by advocacy and example, a way forward for The Episcopal Church so that the marriage of same-sex couples will be a part of our official marriage rites, without distinction. Although The Episcopal Church does not have canonical rites for same-sex marriage, it is our goal that all couples be treated equally by the Church, as they are equally loved by God.

I therefore provide you with the following pastoral guidelines:

I urge you to encourage all couples, regardless of orientation, to follow the pattern of first being married in a secular service and then being blessed in the Episcopal Church. I will publicly urge all couples to follow this pattern. For now, the three rites approved for trial use under the pastoral direction of the bishop, adopted by resolution at the 2007 Diocesan Convention (see appendix below), should be commended to all couples (again, regardless of orientation) to bless secular marriages.
All marriages should be performed by someone in one of the secular categories set forth in California Family Code, section 400 (see appendix), noting that any person in the state of California can be deputized to perform civil marriages. The proper sphere for Episcopal clergy is the blessing portion of the marriage.

The understanding of The Episcopal Church currently is that blessings are an extension of the pastoral office of the bishop. I ask that you continue to inform me of all same-sex blessings.

Couples who have been married under the auspices of the California Supreme Court ruling must have the same pre-marriage counseling as that required of any couple seeking marriage or blessing of marriage in The Episcopal Church. This should be understood as an offering of the Church’s support for marriage.

I urge Episcopalians, clergy and lay, to volunteer as Deputy Marriage Commissioners. There are over 4,000 civil same-sex marriages planned in a short period of time in the city of San Francisco alone and the city is asking for help in meeting demand. I intend to volunteer for this at my earliest opportunity. This would be one sign of affirmation for the Supreme Court ruling from our diocese. By city requirement, clergy will not be allowed to wear collars when presiding at secular marriages. (For more information about how to be deputized, see the attached appendix.)

All people receiving blessings of civil marriages in the Diocese of California are free to use the same degree of publicity (e.g., newspaper notices).

These are interim measures as the Diocese of California and The Episcopal Church continue our journey in the context of this prophetic opportunity provided by the California Supreme Court’s ruling. I have already initiated a process to arrive at a more studied, permanent answer for Episcopal clergy presiding at same-sex marriages in this diocese. That process includes the formation of a panel of diocesan clergy to make recommendations about how to move toward equality of marriage rites for all people. These recommendations will be discussed across the diocese resulting in an official diocesan policy.

In the coming days, I will publicly state my opposition to the initiative to overturn the Supreme Court ruling. The Diocese of California will publish advertising around June 17 celebrating the Supreme Court ruling and inviting same-sex couples to our churches for pre-marital counseling and nourishment in communities of faith.

As always, I welcome your wisdom, your insights and your input on these matters, and I continue in my commitment to work for a Church that sees all of God’s children through the same eyes that God does.

Peace,
The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus
Bishop
Diocese of California

Read more here at the Diocesan website.

Heterosexism in Contemporary World Religion: Problem and Prospect

A review copy of this book--recently published by Pilgrim Press--was received by the Integrity office last week. Nine authors discuss homosexuality and heterosexism in the context of their faith traditions: Judaism, Islam, Roman Catholicism, Protestant Christianity, African American Christianity, Taoism & Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Click here to purchase your own copy thru Integrity's Amazon portal!

Most This Amazing Day

On 7 June 2008, the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop of New Hampshire, and his partner of 20 years, Mark Andrew, had a civil union and church blessing. The service took place at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Concord, NH. The Rev. Susan Russell, President of Integrity, preached. Afterward, a reception and dinner took place at Canterbury Shaker Village. During the reception, Susan gave a 5-minute video interview about the blessed event...

..and here's a photo of the above referenced shoes (pictured with the preacher's red boots!)

The Anglican Communion and Homosexuality

This resource for listening and dialogue, edited by Philip Groves, has now been released for sale to the USA and Canada. Copies can be preordered from Amazon’s UK site.

All bishops attending the Lambeth Conference will receive a copy of this book.

Integrity USA facilitated a number of contributions to the book.

Integrity InfoLetter | June 2008

The June 2008 edition of the Integrity InfoLetter is now available online.

Here are the headlines...

Full Inclusion For All The Baptized In All The Sacraments
On the Canterbury Trail
A Purse For The Pilgrimage
Becoming An Inclusion Activist
Public Office Open For Business
Bruce Colburn Joins Staff
Hearts on Fire
Y’all Come to MSOV!
Financial Update
Regional Roundups

A paper copy was mailed today to all individuals and organizations on the Integrity USA mailing list.

Weekly Witness:

June 5, 2008

FROM THE PRESIDENT:

.We

The Weekly Witness took last week off, as I was traveling to the Diocese of Olympia for an opportunity to see the good work being done by Integrity in Seattle and also to talk about our hopes and expectations for the upcoming Lambeth Conference.

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It was a great trip and there is much to rejoice about in the good work being done in that "corner of the kingdom" -- but I want to point to the Integrity volunteers and sponsorship of Lambert House -- a center for LGBT youth -- as a particular highlight. How wonderful to see the powerful impact the work and witness of these faithful volunteers has on young people -- many who are hearing for the very first time that there are "church people" who not only sing "Just As I Am" but believe it!

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We are coming to the end of our Canterbury Campaign -- it is not too late to donate here ... and if you're in the Boston area it would be great to have you come join us on Sunday for one of our last campaign events!

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Elsewhere, there was good news/bad new in California as the Supreme Court denied requests for a "stay" on their landmark marriage equality ruling, clearing the way for same-sex marriages to begin on June 17th. (That's the good news.)

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The bad news was that the proposition hoping to ban marriage equality and write discrimination into the constitution of the state of California qualified for the November ballot. Information on supporting the efforts to keep that from happening can be found at Equality for All -- the umbrella coalition working to keep marriage equal in California.

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As this is Pride Season, I'm hoping those who have Integrity and/or Diocesan presences in their local Pride celebrations will forward photos and accounts that we can share in this space in the weeks to come. LA Pride is this weekend and I know the Diocese of Los Angeles will once again have an outward-and-visible (and FABULOUS!) sign of God's inclusive love in their witness along Santa Monica Boulvard. Let's share the joy ... and the pride!

..

Finally, Integrity commends the Presiding Bishop's call for a "Day of Prayer"for Lambeth Conference.

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Until next week ...

California Marriage Equality Moves Forward

From today's Los Angeles Times:

California Supreme Court refuses to delay gay marriage until after November election

SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Supreme Court today rejected a petition to delay its historic same-sex marriage decision, deciding 4-3 that gay people may marry later this month.The court's decision clears the way for same-sex couples to wed starting on June 17, the date California cities and counties will begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.

Read the rest here

Letters to Lambeth

Please join in Letters to Lambeth a web based way for Anglicans around the world to tell their faith story as part of the Communion's Listening Process.

From the Windsor Report forward we have heard calls for what is called "The Listening Process," a process is intended to invoke a deep, Communion-wide attentiveness to the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

Moving the listening process forward requires opening the process to participation by individual Anglicans around the world. To this end, we invite you to tell this faith story through the Letters to Lambeth website. Now we have a web based way for LGBT people, their allies, friends and families to tell these faith stories. Through Letters to Lambeth, you can tell your unique and important story of how your life and faith have been enriched by being LGBT or by having LGBT people in your family, as a friend, or in your church.

Each author can choose to send either:

• a public letter which will be posted at the Letters to Lambeth website
  and may be read aloud during an evening program of the Lambeth Fringe
  Festival during the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury England; or
• A private letter which will be sent directly to the Director of the
  Listening Program at the Anglican Communion.

Either a public or private letter may be signed with a "pen name" to protect the safety of the author.

Those who can safely do so may send a photograph me at
editor@letterstolambeth.org and I will include the photo with their letter. This photo could be of themselves or of their neighborhood or town or of a scene that helps explain their faith story.

We will also accept photographs of artwork, poetry, a selection from a play, audio or video for use in Letters to Lambeth. These contributions might be especially useful in the Lambeth Fringe Festival event we are developing to help tell the stories of LGBT Anglicans around the world.

Please help circulate this invitation so we can reach out and include as many people as possible in the Letters to Lambeth Listening Process.

Thanks for your consideration and assistance.

Thomas Jackson
Oasis California President

California decision puts pressure on Anglican Communion

By: George Conger.

EPISCOPAL Churches in California will begin offering gay weddings next month. On May 22, one of Los Angeles’ largest Episcopal parishes --- All Saints Church, Pasadena, announced that in light of the California Supreme Court’s decision to strike down laws barring gay marriage, it “will treat all couples presenting themselves for the rite of marriage equally.”

While Los Angeles Bishop Jon Bruno (pictured) last week welcomed the May 15 court decision, he has yet to ban rites of gay marriage, and is reported to be forming a task force to study the issue.

While a referendum that would seek to ban gay marriage is expected to be placed before California voters in November, the court ruling takes effect on June 16, permitting the civil licensing and registration of same-sex marriages.

The clergy of All Saints have been performing rites for the blessing of same-sex unions for several years. Following the court ruling, the parish vestry voted to add gay marriage to its liturgical menu. Parish rector, the Rev Ed Bacon said the decision to go ahead with gay marriage was consistent with the church’s “identity as a peace and justice church.”

“It also aligns us with the Scriptures’ mandate to make God’s love tangible by ‘doing justice and loving mercy’ (Micah 6:8) and with the canons of our Episcopal Church that forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation,” he said, and demonstrated the congregation’s “stirring courage to move beyond lip service about embodying God’s inclusive love to actually committing our faith community to the practice of marriage equality.”

Read the rest here -- including clarification on Bishop Bruno's "policy" on blessings in the Diocese of Los Angeles