A Note from Evan Wolfson

Dear friends —

Freedom to Marry Week, February 11-17, is fast approaching — and now's the time to figure out how you are going to be part of this year's 10th anniversary constellation of actions and events around the country. Check our website for resources, and ways you can use the week to reach out to people and help move them on marriage.

And make no mistake: the more we talk with people and explain why marriage matters, the more they are moving. Consider two recent examples from the non-gay press:

The Hartford Courant, a newspaper that endorsed George W. Bush in 2004, published an editorial honing in on what our progress has made the new line of engagement among the open-minded — marriage rather than civil union. Picking up on our case for ending discrimination in marriage, not simply repackaging it with other or lesser status:

“Mark Twain famously illustrated the difference between the right word and the almost right word by using as an example the difference between 'lightning' and 'lightning bug.'... It is folly to deny couples who embark on a permanent commitment the right to legitimate recognition. What's in a word? For those who want to marry and can't, plenty.”

Hats off to our friends at Love Makes A Family in Connecticut for moving opinion-leaders past civil union to marriage, with their strong and clear stand.

The Los Angeles Times believes Gov. Schwarzenegger can change his mind, think anew. Gay or non-gay, if we are to move people like him, we need to be out there, making the case individually and together, with patience and persistence. Freedom to Marry Week is a great time to add your voice — and then, of course, every week needs to be Freedom to Marry Week, until we've won all Americans the freedom to marry nationwide.

— Evan Wolfson

Follow developments in the movement for marriage equality on our website, and in future issues of Freedom to Marry's bi-monthly E-Update.

Reports from the Front

11 States Introducing Marriage Legislation In 2007

State organizations, pro-marriage legislators, and allies are hard at work across the country fighting in state legislatures to end couples' exclusion from marriage . A record-setting 11 states are introducing marriage legislation in their 2007 sessions: California, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Washington. The legislation would eliminate the different-sex restriction on marriage, and two governors so far have already promised to sign the bills into law: Jon Corzine of New Jersey and Eliot Spitzer of New York.

Religious Communities Show Support For Shared Values of Equality

Because we all share the same values of love, commitment, inclusion, justice, and compassion, religious communities continue to join us in the fight for marriage equality. Just last week under the leadership of Equality Maryland, 245 Maryland clergy from eleven denominations gathered at the state capitol in Annapolis to show opposition for an anti-gay constitutional amendment and give support for full civil marriage rights for same-sex couples.

To kick off Freedom to Marry Week, another religious community, Maranatha: Riversiders for LGBT Concerns, located in New York, is sponsoring a forum to discuss why marriage equality is so important to the religious community. Guest panelists include leading marriage equality figures Monique George (Empire State Pride Agenda), Cathy Marino-Thomas (Marriage Equality NY), Tom Henning (Maranatha Riversider), and Reverend Kiyana Horton (In the Life Ministries of Bronx, NY and Saku Healing Arts Center). For more information, visit the Freedom to Marry website and join us for this great event.

Freedom to Marry Week Mini-Grants Help Local Groups Engage Communities

This year, in honor of the 10th Annual Observance of Freedom to Marry Week, Program Director Roey Thorpe created a short-term mini-grant program to support the efforts local groups to make the case for marriage equality. So far the mini-grant program has been a smashing success, supporting events, actions and resources to engage the public in the growing national conversation about ending the exclusion of same sex couples from marriage.

So far 12 gay and non-gay groups from Ferndale, Michigan, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, have been approved for targeted, limited funds to support creative programs highlighting Freedom to Marry Week. Here are the recipients of this year's mini-grants and what they plan to do:

Affirmations, Ferndale, MI: Banners and materials for a variety of pro-marriage events
Atticus Circle, Austin, TX: Marriage counter action, press conference, celebration
Equal Rights WA, Seattle, WA: 5,000 marriage equality coasters in LGBT bars and clubs to drive people to website and activities
Equality Maryland, Annapolis and throughout MD: Create durable pro-marriage equality signs for various events
Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY: Hold a campus film night on why marriage equality is so important
Joplin Lesbian and Gay Center, Joplin, MO: Community forum on marriage equality
Marriage Equality RI, Providence, RI: Rally for marriage equality at Rhode Island State House
Marriage Equality USA, San Francisco, CA: Story quilt supplies and programs
Oklahomans for Equality, Tulsa, OK: Marriage counter action and reception
Southern Colorado Equality Alliance, Pueblo, CO: Marriage counter action and rally
Spectrum, Marin County, CA: Marriage counter action plus celebration
Wyoming Equality, Laramie, WY: Event to raise awareness and money about a bill that would refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states

Roey Thorpe says, "What's a 'marriage counter action'? It's when gay and lesbian couples go to the counter at the clerk's offce to apply for a marriage license. If and when turned away, they use the opportunity to explain how being denied the freedom to marry hurts them and their families."

Freedom to Marry Welcomes New Steering Committee Member

Rev. Dr. Ignacio Castuera currently serves at Trinity United Methodist Church in Pomona, California, and also as the first National Chaplain for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Previously, he spent over 11 years at Hollywood United Methodist, transforming the church into a center of the growing movement aimed at creating a positive religious response to the AIDS pandemic.

As with many non-gay allies in our movement for marriage equality, Rev. Castuera recognizes that he too has a stake in this struggle for equality. He has worked both personally and professionally to end discrimination on many fronts. By bringing his leadership to Freedom to Marry, he continues a lifetime of advocacy for equal rights for all. Beyond his professional duties, Ignacio is the proud father of three daughters and one son, ranging in age from 11 to 32, and loves to read, sing, and play tennis.

Read more about Reverend Castuera HERE.

The Latest News

For the latest news, opinions, and polls, including these articles, check out our website.

Freedom to Marry Week events are pouring in!
Freedom to Marry
January 31, 2007
Keep checking back for the latest information on Freedom to Marry Week events in your area and around the country!

Are Prez. hopefuls ‘in it’ for gays?
New York Blade
January 26, 2007
A Blade analysis of how LGBT issues, particularly marriage equality, are shaping the 2008 race for both Republicans and Democrats.

CA gov. ready to support marriage bill?
The Bay Area Reporter
January 25, 2007
The chatter began earlier this month with actor Tom Arnold, a motorcycle-riding buddy of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, telling reporters at the governor's inaugural that his friend was ready to back marriage equality.

EDITORIAL: ‘Legal strangers’ just want equal treatment under the law
The Gazette
January 24, 2007
Forty percent of marriages in our state are performed by a clerk of the court or a judge, yet religion is the most widely cited reason for these misguided attempts. No clergy could be forced to perform a same-sex marriage any more than they could be forced to perform an interfaith wedding. Marriage licenses from the state neither require nor carry with them any kind of religious blessing. America's greatness is in our freedom of religion, not in one religious doctrine dictating the laws for all citizens.