CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
This Valentine's Day, the Unitarian Universalist Association would like to propose marriage -- equality, that is.
For the second consecutive year, the liberal religious denomination has declared Valentine's Day National Standing on the Side of Love Day, reimagining it "as a day of love and acceptance for all people," says Dan Furmansky, campaign manager for the UUA's Standing on the Side of Love effort, which focuses on LGBT rights, immigrant rights, and religious freedom and diversity.
Unitarian congregations and allies around the nation are holding rallies and other events for marriage equality and other LGBT rights in connection with the campaign, most of them today or over the past weekend, with some scheduled for later this month. The total is about 150, up from about 100 last year, according to Furmansky, who spoke to The Advocate shortly before he was to take the stage this afternoon at a rally just outside the state capitol building in Annapolis, Md., sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, Equality Maryland, and the Human Rights Campaign. Marriage equality advocates spent Monday meeting with state legislators, who are considering a bill that would allow gay couples to marry, and lobbying will continue throughout the week.
Marriage equality legislation is also pending in Rhode Island; there, the historic First Unitarian Church of Providence, which dates to 1728, is today announcing the congregation's endorsement of the bill and calling on state legislators to pass it and Gov. Lincoln Chafee to sign it. (Chafee has said he will do so if it reaches his desk.) Sunday in South Kingstown, R.I., the local Unitarian church hosted an interfaith service in support of marriage equality.
Unitarians and other gay-supportive religious groups had an interfaith service today in Richmond, Va., after which Jeanne Pupke, senior minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond, applied with her female partner for a marriage license; several other same-sex couples did so as well. Although Virginia does not have marriage equality, Pupke noted that a few years ago, the Richmond city clerk began storing applications from gay couples, saying they needed to be saved because of their historic significance.
"The truth is that everyone there knows these laws will change, must change," Pupke said in an e-mail. "While we lobby and demonstrate, protest and witness throughout the year, the Valentine's Day witness is a day in which we signal over and again, we are determined to achieve justice for the next generation, and we will not go away."
In New Mexico, Standing on the Side of Love, Marriage Equality USA, and GetEqual held a marriage equality rally today in Albuquerque. Rallies were also scheduled in Boston, Nebraska, Florida, and other locations. Among other events, several Unitarian congregations are taping messages for the It Gets Better Campaign, aimed at preventing suicide among LGBT teens, and more than 20 churches in the denomination are screening the film version of The Laramie Project to raise awareness of LGBT issues and funds for gay groups.
Numerous churches, Furmansky notes, devoted this week's Sunday services to pro-LGBT messages. At the Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel in Ellisville, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis, Sunday's annual youth-led service was a reenactment of the Stonewall riots.
Also on Sunday, Standing on the Side of Love honored the Knoxville,
Tenn., church that was the scene of a tragedy gave rise to the campaign.
On July 27, 2008, Jim David Adkisson opened fire on the congregation at
the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, killing two and
wounding six. Adkisson, who had objected to the church's liberal views,
especially its pro-gay policies, pleaded guilty to two counts of
first-degree murder and six of attempted murder, and was sentenced to
life in prison without parole.
The church's minister, Chris Buice, said Sunday that Standing on the Side of Love, which began in response to the shootings, is designed to bring "the voice of the faith community to what have really been divisive and polarizing issues of our time," local television station WBIR reported.
In addition to its work for LGBT rights, Standing on the Side of Love seeks to promote "comprehensive, humane immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship" for those here illegally, Furmansky says, and also ends inequities in immigration law for same-sex couples. Because federal law does not recognize gay relationships, U.S. citizens cannot sponsor a same-sex partner for legal residency. Also, in addressing religious freedom and diversity, the campaign spends much time responding to anti-Muslim rhetoric. Around September 11 of last year, when a great deal of that rhetoric was being heard, many Unitarian congregations held events in support of Muslims, Furmansky notes. The campaign "weaves together the common thread of all justice issues," he says.
And on Valentine's Day it's sending a heartfelt message for LGBT equality. "The energy around this year has been tremendous," he says.
trudestress
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Germany makes it easier to change gender and name on legal documents
April 12 2024 6:06 PM
A youth's call to action on this Day of NO Silence
April 12 2024 5:00 PM
Democrats introduce resolution in support of LGBTQ+ youth
April 12 2024 4:35 PM
Colton Underwood is hoping to create a gay reality TV dating show
April 12 2024 4:28 PM
Idaho closes legislative session with a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ laws
April 12 2024 1:39 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedElevating pet care with TrueBlue’s all-natural ingredients
April 12 2024 1:39 PM
Watch Jimmy Kimmel's hilarious LGBTQ+ campaign video: 'You can't spell Biden without Bi'
April 12 2024 12:00 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedCreating erotic art and advocacy with adult entertainer Cody Silver (EXCLUSIVE)
April 12 2024 11:39 AM
How I navigated through religious trauma
April 12 2024 11:00 AM
Limited gender markers add hurdles for nonbinary people
April 12 2024 9:34 AM
Suspect in killing of Black trans man Righteous Torrence 'TK' Hill identified by police
April 12 2024 9:13 AM
Trending stories
Most Recent
Recommended Stories for You
Trudy Ring
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.