Ministers: D.C. likely to approve marriage ban

[Khephra]

Ministers: D.C. likely to approve marriage ban
MCC pastor to lead panel opposing ballot initiative

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Friday, November 26, 2004


The Rev. James Wilson, assistant pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church in Northwest D.C., said he and the members of his mostly African-American congregation support the concept of civil rights for all city residents, including gays.

But when it comes to the issue of marriage, Wilson said, members of the New Bethel Baptist Church view things from a perspective of church teachings rather than civil rights.

“We would not be in favor of gay marriage,” he said.

Gay activists familiar with D.C.’s majority African-American electorate say Wilson’s comment points to a dramatic paradox in the voting trends of large numbers of city residents: while they are among the country’s most liberal voters on economic issues, they have the potential for being among the most conservative on social issues such as gay marriage.

This assessment has led some gay activists to believe that a proposed ballot initiative by Ward 4 resident Lisa L. Greene to ban same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia has a chance of passing, just as similar measures passed in 11 states in the Nov. 2 election.

http://www.washblade.com/2004/11-26/news/localnews/ministers.cfm

[BamaLefty]

1. Isn't DC very liberal?

This is somewhat surprising...

[Mari333]

2. How quickly some people forgot the struggles of the civil rights

movement, and what it meant to be ostracized and forced into second class citizenship. sad...............

[fortyfeetunder]

3. ..especially the ministers...

who allegedly are supposed be the directors of love, justice, and tolerance in their congregations.

[VegasWolf]

4. What, DC is against marriage? n/t

[Laughing Mirror]

5. I don't believe it. ... I don't want to believe it

I can't believe this would happen in my hometown, and I would hope that everybody would do everything they can to keep this from becoming a reality. What is happening to my home? DC was the most progressive city in America as far as gay rights were concerned when I was growing up, and now look what's happening.

A bill legalizing "same-sex marriage" (the term used then) and giving full adoption rights to gay parents was being kicked around the DC city council as early as 1975. Expanding gay rights seemed to me to be a fairly uncontroversial topic at the time in DC. I just assumed that the same-sex marriage bill would be passed quietly and would soon go into effect. If you would have asked me 30 years ago, How about a bill banning same-sex marriage in DC, I would have thought you'd gone mad.

Will we ever be once again as advanced as we were 30 years ago? I wonder.

[Stand and Fight]

6. The Implications are Grave and Far-Reaching for All of Us

All of this discrimination in our country. Grave implications. All of this has profoundly far reaching and grave implications. Once they start in on one thing -- it is only a matter of time before they begin to assault other civil rights. So, even those who are not gay should be concerned. I live in Oklahoma -- one of the 11 foul states -- and my wife and I discussed this. At first, she'd been in favor of the ban in the state, but I explained to her the fact that this is discrimination written into law. I also made it clear that if they can ban same-sex marriages, how long is it before my wife and I are outlaws because we're of different races and already married? At the juncture she got the point of what I was saying about the wrongs of "lawful" discrimination and voted with me against the measure. Sadly enough, the damnable thing passed, and the writing is on the wall if this trend continues. Most unfortunate that a liberal stronghold would be this blind, this bigoted. Very, very saddening.

[BronxBoy]

7. Given the multitude

of problems facing the Black community, couldn't these ministers find something more constructive to do such as speaking out against the massive disenfranchisement efforts directed against minority communities in this past election season.

[robcon]

8. Gay marriage isn't a civil rights struggle

Marriage is a state-sanctioned religious ceremony. Civil unions for all seem to me to achieve what we need, and is acceptable to a majority, IMO.

[struggle4progress]

9. Get the state out of marriage. Get the churches out of contract law.

States should have laws governing civil unions, but no laws governing marriage. Churches should marry folk, but the marriages should have no secular status.

[starroute]

10. If marriage is a religious institution, the state has no place in it

It makes every sense to cut the Gordion knot and separate the religious sacrament of marriage from the legal and economic rights pertaining to civil union.

There's no other clean way to settle the matter.