<p><span class=Apple-style-span style=font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; ><div class=MsoNormal><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><img width=144 height=124 align=right alt= src=/dignityu/sites/default/files/images/d-seattle.gif />DignityUSA the foremost organization for gay lesbian bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Catholics along with our families friends straight allies and other supportive people of faith and Dignity/Seattle the local chapter are urging Washington Supreme Court Justices to uphold King County and Thurston County Court rulings last year which declared that denying same-sex couples the right to civil marriage violates the state Constitution.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >In the midst of the international debate on marriage equality DignityUSA affirms its commitment to work for full inclusion of same-sex couples in society and the end of unjust discrimination against our GLBT citizens. Same-gender marriage in no way is an attack on opposite-gender marriage. Society should affirm and support all loving families in the great diversity found in God's creation.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >In August of 2003 the board of directors of DignityUSA and our membership assembled for our biennial national convention adopted a resolution saying:</p><blockquote><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&quot;As Americans we remind our fellow citizens of a foundational principle of our form of government: all are created equal. Consistent with the pursuit of liberty and justice for all same-sex couples should have full and equal access to the rights and responsibilities bestowed by civil marriage.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&quot;As Catholics we remind our Church of a foundational conviction of our faith: God is love and all who abide in love abide in God and God abides in them. The love that brings and binds two people of the same or opposite sex together has a divine source. It is therefore sacramental in nature and should be celebrated as such by our Church.&quot;</p></blockquote><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >In celebration of the love and commitment of same-sex couples DignityUSA offered a special Blessing of Couples on the closing day of that 2003 biennial convention. Over 40 couples participated.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&quot;While we hope and work for the day when our unions will be recognized by society and blessed by our Church we choose to live out the message of love and inclusion that our faith teaches so we are celebrating the sanctity of our commitments now&quot; said Marianne Duddy then Executive Director of DignityUSA.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >DignityUSA is the only national Catholic organization that offers a multifaceted program of support for same-sex couples and blesses their commitments in chapters across the country. DignityUSA maintains a national couples registry to recognize and record these unions.</p><p align=right style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&mdash; Sam Sinnett&nbsp;<br />President DignityUSA</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><em>DignityUSA is the nation's foremost organization of gay lesbian bisexual and transgender Catholics their families friends and supporters. Founded in 1969 it is an independent nonprofit organization with members and chapters across the country.DignityUSA works for full inclusion of gay lesbian bisexual and transgender people in the life of the Church and Society.&nbsp;<a href=http://www.dignityusa.org/ style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51 0 102); text-decoration: underline; >www.dignityusa.org</a></em></p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><em>Dignity/Seattle has served GLBT Catholics and their supporters in Seattle and Western Washington since 1973.. It sponsors a liturgy on the second Sunday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at Ravenna United Methodist Church 5751-33rd Ave NE in Seattle.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=http://www.dignityseattle.org/ target=_blank style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; >http://www.dignityseattle.org/</a></em></p><div><span class=Apple-style-span style=font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 15px;><br /></span></div><p align=left style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&nbsp;</p></div></span></p>