Thursday, May 15, 2008

Gay Marriage in California!

I am sure most of you have heard the good news about the California Supreme Court ruling in favor of in favor of the marriage lawsuit jointly brought by Rev. Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), and his spouse, Phillip Ray De Blieck, along with MCC friend and LGBT activist Robin Tyler, and her partner, Diane Olson. (Read story here)

This is from the letter issued by Nancy Wilson, the current moderator of the MCC,
Equality for all people, including marriage equality, has been an integral part of Troy's passion and ministry for almost 40 years. It's worth remembering that in 1969, as the Stonewall Rebellion took place in New York City, Troy was already organizing the LGBT community in Southern California, had already established Metropolitan Community Churches -- and had performed what Time Magazine has credited as the first public same-sex wedding in the United States. All before Stonewall -- amazing!

And in January of 1970, Troy made history again when he filed the first-ever lawsuit in the United States seeking legal recognition of same-gender marriages. The court dismissed the case before it ever came to trial, but it accomplished something profound: It birthed the marriage equality movement, and with it, four decades of debate, activism, struggle, prayer and persistence.

May a new generation of activists rise up and continue Troy's example of changing our world and working for an end to discrimination and injustice -- until our brothers and sisters in Jamaica no longer are attacked and killed solely for their sexual orientation and gender variance, until LGBT people in Pakistan no longer face the threat of death if found to be lesbian or gay, until LGBT people in Moldova can freely march in the streets without being targets of mob violence, until LGBT people no longer are smeared and ridiculed by the tabloid press in Nigeria, until our brothers and sisters no longer experience rejection from churches and communities of faith, until teens and young adults no longer take their own lives because they believe God hates them.
And in celebration, I put on the new apron (or as Rufus calls it a "Put it On!") created by Auntie Doris for her mum.
(hat tip to John Holm for giving me the good news)

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13 Comments:

At 3:27 PM , Blogger Joe G. said...

Congrats to all those same-sex couples that want marriage.

And time to move back to CA so we can get married and then divorced. I can't wait!

Love the apron, too, my little hausfrau!

 
At 3:46 PM , Blogger Jacob said...

Yay California!!! Iowa's Supreme Court Decision is next!!! Hopefully they surprise me and the country, pleasantly!

 
At 4:23 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hurra till Kalifornien!

Now it's just the rest of the world left..

 
At 5:23 PM , Blogger CrackerLilo said...

I've never even been west of the Mississippi, and I'm STOKED!

Two down, 48 to go...

 
At 5:44 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

He looks good in the apron don't you think Joe G? Very fitting ;)

Glad to see that the USA is starting to catch up with the UK ;)

 
At 5:51 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At 5:53 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

While this is definitely good news for the people of California and progress towards equal rights in the United States, there's still a ballot measure coming this November in California which would ban gay marriage if passed: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-anti16-2008may16,0,7598579.story

 
At 7:59 AM , Blogger Peterson Toscano said...

joe g, I could not imagine anyone better to divorce than you. :-p

 
At 8:02 AM , Blogger paul said...

Ditto Andy...the will of the courts is not necessarily the will of the voter...but meanwhile, we dance.

Peterson,

I hate to be a wet blanket, but that color is all wrong for you.
paul

 
At 8:16 AM , Blogger Peterson Toscano said...

Paul! Click on the photo and see that the apron matches my eyes. :-p

 
At 8:57 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

ooo I hadn't noticed the scary eye-thing!! A perfect match indeed!!

 
At 9:46 AM , Blogger paul said...

eeek. That pretty smile was so deceiving. don't go anywhere near Salem Massachusetts, I'd hate to see you bbq'd, what with you being a vegetarian and all.

 
At 12:03 AM , Blogger Pomoprophet said...

This has made me very happy. But i'm very nervous about the upcoming ballot measure in November.

 

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