Same-Sex Marriage

by Patricia Beattie Jung

The contemporary debate about same sex marriage has created a wonderful opportunity for all Christians – whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or straight – to think about why we celebrate marriage. Only when we are clear about what it is that Christian couples do when they marry can we address the question of whether the church should continue to bless only heterosexual partnerships. Ultimately all decisions about the form(s) marriage should take hinge decisively on foundational judgments about the purpose(s) of marriage. For Christians, such normative claims about the purpose(s) of marriage are deeply embedded in our faith convictions about God’s designs for and work in the world. So at bottom our question is really quite clear: from a Christian theological perspective, what is marriage for?

Reaching out to people of faith is seen as one of the most important aspects of repealing Proposition 8, and that was one of the topics addressed as Dignity USA, a group for LGBT Catholics, held its biennial convention in San Francisco last weekend.

By Bart Coyle, Dignity/Sarasota

Moving to Florida eight years ago was supposed to be the beginning of the retirement phase of my partner’s and my life. That didn’t happen. Right from the “get go” my partner got involved with and became president of the GLBT Bowling League, the Chairman of Sarasota Pride Fest and a board member of the ALSO Out Youth program. I became a part-time volunteer at Bethesda House, a food bank for Persons Living with AIDS. I was one of the founders of Dignity/Sarasota and subsequently the President of the Board for the first four years. I later became Dignity’s representative to the Gulf Coast Affirming Interfaith Network (GAIN). GAIN conducts two interfaith services every year: World AIDS Day and a service that opens Sarasota’s Pride Fest season. I never understood retired people who say they have less time now than they did when they were working, I fully understand that now.

Today, as the U.S. bishops begin their meeting in Baltimore, we express our dismay regarding the bishops' use of significant resources - including $200,000 toward Proposition 8 in California - to block same-gender couples from access to the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage. We are opposed to ballot initiatives against same-gender marriage because this takes the dangerous path of putting the fundamental civil rights of a class of U.S. citizens up for a vote.