City Religious Leaders Celebrate with Same-Sex Couples
as Barriers to Legal Marriage Fall
Members
of the multiracial, multifaith DC Clergy United for Marriage Equality are
celebrating with same-sex couples who will soon be permitted to marry legally
in the nation's capital. Marriage license applications will be available
to same-sex couples on Wednesday morning.
"Love has won out over fear," said Rev. Dennis
Wiley, co-pastor at Covenant Baptist Church and a co-chair of DC Clergy United
for Marriage Equality. "Equality has won out over prejudice. Faith has
won out over despair."
"We rejoice with the loving couples who have worked so
hard and waited so long for this opportunity to seal their commitment," said
Rev. Christine Wiley, co-pastor at Covenant Baptist Church and also a co-chair
of DC Clergy United. "It's a great day for Washington."
DC Clergy United co-chair Rev. Robert Hardies, senior
pastor at All Souls Church, Unitarian, celebrated the historic role that clergy
leaders have played in the effort to bring legal marriage equality to the
District of Columbia.
"In Washington, D.C., nearly 200 clergy chose to stand
on the side of love," Hardies said. "We represent many faiths and many communities,
but we share a vision for our city. And today we share the joyful news
that many loving couples in our congregations will soon be getting married."
Members of DC Clergy United for Marriage played a
visible role in the marriage equality debate, holding press conferences,
testifying at D.C. Council hearings on marriage equality legislation, and
challenging anti-equality leaders who claimed to represent people of faith in
the District of Columbia.
In December, Mayor Adrian Fenty signed marriage
equality legislation that was passed overwhelmingly by the Council of the
District of Columbia. With the expiration of the congressional review
period to which all D.C. Council legislation is subject, same-sex couples will
be permitted to apply for marriage licenses beginning Wednesday morning, March
3; the first date for weddings will be March 9.
DC Clergy United for Marriage Equality released the
following statement:
God is love and love is for
everyone. In this spirit we have raised our voices in the struggle for the
right and freedom to marry. In this spirit we now rejoice with all the
couples in our communities and congregations who will soon be able to be
married.
We represent many
faiths, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. We represent religious
institutions in every ward in the District. We have worked together over many
years for peace and justice. We are grateful to have played our part in
bringing greater justice to the people of D.C. and the loving same-sex couples
in our congregations.
We congratulate the
activists who have worked diligently for many years to bring marriage equality
to D.C. We thank the councilmembers and mayor who supported equality and
who stood firm against threats and misinformation.
We encourage those who
expressed heartfelt disagreement on this issue to respect the decisions of our
elected officials and courts. We firmly support the unquestioned right of
every religious leader and congregation to decide whether or not to bless same-sex
marriages. And we ask that they respect the rights of those clergy and
congregations who will soon joyfully extend the blessing of marriage to loving
same-sex couples.
On Tuesday, DC City Council Member David Catania (I-At Large) introduced a bill, cosponsored by 9 of his 12 fellow members of the Council, that would allow same-sex couples to wed within the District. Earlier this year, Council Member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) successfully shepherded into law a requirement that DC recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions; the new proposal currently before the Council would permit any couples (residents or otherwise) to have their nuptials in the nation's capital.