Oak Kitten
11-19-2007, 09:27 AM
About civil unions - and why they are NOT the same thing as civil marriage. On previous threads I have posted my assertion that it is just a matter of semantics. We had a meeting at my UU Church the other night with representatives from Equality Maryland, which lobbies for legislation to end discrimination against b/g/l/t people. They told us that states like Massachusetts that have civil union laws still don't accord the same rights to gay couples as to heterosexuals. In fact, there are some 400+ rights from which gay couples are excluded at the state level, and more than 1,000 at the federal level, thanks to the "Defense of Marriage Act."
A new bill is going to be introduced into the Maryland State Legislature in the upcoming session called, "The Religious Freedom and Marriage Protection Act." At first glance, the bill's title gives the impression that this is another right-wing retrenchment initiative. In fact, most of the bill's language up front addresses the issue/concern of various religious denominations that they will not be compelled by the state to perform same-sex marriages if that violates their teachings. This is an important point that has to be addressed. But the beauty of this bill is that it also establishes Civil Marriage in the state of Maryland, which means that state will issue the same marriage licenses for gay couples as it does for hetero couples, and will vest clergy with authority to perform Civil Marriages if they choose to do so. Gay couples will be on an equal footing with straight couples, at least at the state level.
Now I am not delusional enough to think this is going to pass this time around, but from what I have been told (I have not actually seen a copy of the legislation yet, it has not been formally promulgated) this is definitely a step in the right direction. The Unitarian Congregations in Maryland and my congregation in Annapolis, the state capital, will be actively supporting this legislation.
Oak
A new bill is going to be introduced into the Maryland State Legislature in the upcoming session called, "The Religious Freedom and Marriage Protection Act." At first glance, the bill's title gives the impression that this is another right-wing retrenchment initiative. In fact, most of the bill's language up front addresses the issue/concern of various religious denominations that they will not be compelled by the state to perform same-sex marriages if that violates their teachings. This is an important point that has to be addressed. But the beauty of this bill is that it also establishes Civil Marriage in the state of Maryland, which means that state will issue the same marriage licenses for gay couples as it does for hetero couples, and will vest clergy with authority to perform Civil Marriages if they choose to do so. Gay couples will be on an equal footing with straight couples, at least at the state level.
Now I am not delusional enough to think this is going to pass this time around, but from what I have been told (I have not actually seen a copy of the legislation yet, it has not been formally promulgated) this is definitely a step in the right direction. The Unitarian Congregations in Maryland and my congregation in Annapolis, the state capital, will be actively supporting this legislation.
Oak