Source: Star Bulletin
http://starbulletin.com/2008/05/17/features/onfaith.html
On Thursday, the California Supreme Court overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage.
I couldn't be more delighted. I've been marrying same-sex couples without benefit of legal documents for more than 30 years. I'm looking forward to the day when I can do it with marriage license in hand.
The California court held that the ban on same-sex marriage violated equal protection and that no compelling interest by the state was served by the separation of same sex versus opposite sex status.
Hawaii's situation is somewhat different, but the basic issues of fairness and equality are the same.
California Unitarian Universalist churches have been deeply involved in getting the initiative overturned. That struggle was led by a UU minister, the Rev. Lindi Ramsden, and the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, California. Ramsden said, "Loving, same-sex couples can now be treated with equal dignity and respect when we marry them in our congregations. Those same-sex couples who have been married religiously, but undocumented legally, will now be able to get legally married."
In the decision of the court, it is clear that the work of the religious community made a big difference. While no clergy person, nor faith organization, will ever be forced to marry a couple that does not fit their religious requirements, today's ruling means that no longer will faith communities who do offer the religious rites of marriage to same-sex couples be required to treat them differently.
Over 400 religious organizations, congregations and clergy from a wide range of faith traditions, signed the interfaith amicus brief in support of the marriage case before the California Supreme Court, voicing their deeply held commitment to end the prohibition against marriage for same-sex couples. The Unitarian Universalist Association, the Union for Reform Judaism, the United Church of Christ and Soka Gakkai International-USA (Buddhist) were among the signatories that demonstrated their support for human dignity and religious freedom.