Virginia pastor
stands up for gays

A church pastor and his governing council in Arlington, Va., are fed up with that state's antigay laws and attempts to ban same-sex marriage. So in a move that surprised even the most die-hard progressives at Clarendon Presbyterian Church, there will no longer be any weddings performed at all, TheWashington Post reports. Straight couples can have their unions blessed at the church in a "celebration ceremony," but they must be officially married by a justice of the peace at a courthouse. In addition, Pastor David Ensign will renounce his state authority to marry couples. "What we're saying is that in the commonwealth of Virginia, the laws that govern marriage are unjust and unequal," Ensign, who has served as the church's pastor since 2003, told the newspaper. The Virginia general assembly is gearing up to debate an amendment to its constitution defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The measure cleared the legislative body during the last session and will have to be approved again before heading to voters in 2006 or 2007. Opponents of Ensign's stance said it will have little impact. "I think it's a shame that this clergyman would seek to undermine traditional marriage, which is the foundation of American society," Republican state senator Nick Rerras, one of the amendment's sponsors, told the Post. "It's a terrible message to send to our youth." However, Harry Knox, director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay advocacy organization, told the newspaper, "It is certainly a powerful witness on his part to take the personal risks that are involved in doing that, both in his denomination and within his local congregation," Knox said. "I applaud him for that." (Advocate.com)