A Christian Church AGAINST California's Proposition 8

Feb 16th and 17th: The Love is in Sacramento

 

Statewide, Feb. 12th or 13th, Freedom to Marry Day.

Rally at marriage license offices across California. For a detailed list of dates, times and locations, visit Marriage Equality USA online.

 

Sacramento, Feb. 16th, Love and Marriage Rally for Equality. 12-3pm. At the steps of the capitol. Wear WHITE.

Sacramento, Feb. 16th, Partners in Faith Marriage Equality Meet & Greet. 5-6:30pm. hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, CA and California Faith for Equality at the home (3058 17th Street, 95818) of Rev. Lindi Ramsden and Mary Heen Doherty. Call 916-708-3390 for directions or other information.

 

Sacramento, Feb. 17th, Marriage Lobby Day.

Participants will urge legislators to support SR 7 (Leno) and HR 5 (Ammiano), companion resolutions that would put the Legislature on record as opposing Proposition 8 as an invalid revision to the State Constitution. Each participant will receive lobbying training, advocacy materials, and be assigned to an experienced group leader. Register here.

Call for events!! If there are events in your area appropriate for folks interested in LGBT faith-rooted organizing, please email Kerry with details at  kerry@cafaithforequality.org  one month prior to the event. We will do our best to publicize them in our e-blasts.


Love and Marriage and Lobby Day!!

At the Equality California summit this weekend, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people and allies called for strong voices of faith to advocate for our equality. Earlier this week, Rev. Joseph Lowery delivered the benediction for the inauguration of President Obama, preaching that we should hold on to the "oneness of our family" and bring that power "wherever we seek your will." On February 16th and 17th, in the spirit and power of oneness, thousands of advocates for LGBT equality will gather in Sacramento for the Love and Marriage Rally for Equality and for Marriage Lobby Day.

As people of faith hurt and angered by Proposition 8, we will have an opportunity to be the strong voices of faith for which our LGBT community is calling.

On February 16th, join Julia Louis-Dryfus, Margaret Cho, George Takei - and many more! - to rally for love.

February 16th
12pm-3pm
Steps of the Capitol
Wear WHITE

That evening, join partners in faith from across the state for a Marriage Equality Meet & Greet hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, CA and California Faith for Equality at the home (3058 17th Street, 95818) of Rev. Lindi Ramsden and Mary Helen Doherty from 5pm-6:30pm.

Stay in Sacramento on February 17th for Marriage Lobby Day. Visit with legislators and tell your story as a person of faith who supports the freedom of religion and the freedom to marry. We will urge legislators to support SR 7 (Leno) and HR 5 (Ammiano), companion resolutions that would put the Legislature on record as opposing Proposition 8 as an invalid revision to the State Constitution. All participants will receive lobbying training, advocacy materials, and will be assigned to an experienced group leader.

There are three ways to participate:

  • As a clergyperson or faith leader: Register for Lobby Day online and send an email to Kerry at kerry@cafaithforequality.org. Organizers will make sure every clergy participant will have a voice in meetings with legislators.
  • As a faith community: If several members of your faith community plan to attend, each participant should register for Lobby Day online and appoint one person to send an email to Kerry at kerry@cafaithforequality.org with the name of your faith community, its location, the number of participants and their names. Organizers will make an effort for you to visit with legislators as a group.
  • As an individual: Register for Lobby Day online. You will be assigned a team to visit with legislators.  

If you have questions about Lobby Day, please contact Laurie McBride at lobbydayeqca@comcast.net.

"Help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance. And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will."

- Rev. Joseph Lowery, Inaugural Benediction, January 20th

February Calendar

Modesto, Jan. 29th, Prop 8 Debrief: Next Steps. 6:30pm. PRIDE Center at the Great Valley Center, 201 Needham Street in downtown Modesto.

Los Angeles, Jan. 31st, Lunar New Year Parade and Banquet. March with API Equality-LA and California Faith for Equality in the Chinatown Lunar New Year Golden Dragon Parade. Assemble at 1:00pm at Starbucks and walk together to the staging area. The banquet held at the Plum Tree Inn in Chinatown (913 N. Broadway) begins at 5:00pm and costs $15, plus drinks - API Equality-LA covers the rest. Please bring cash and pay at the door. Banquet RSVP is required and available online. Contact Kat with any questions: 323-860-7348 or kkhommarath@lagaycenter.org. If you have any questions the day of the parade, please call 626-975-7877.

Sacramento, Jan 31st. Living Lovingly: CA Council of Churches Marriage Equality Study Guide, Train the Trainers Workshop. 1pm-4:30pm. Pioneer Congregational Church, 2700 L Street, 95816. Sponsored by Equality Action Now, the CA Council of Churches and CA Faith for Equality. For more information, contact Mary Helen at mhdoherty@comcast.net or 916-708-3390. From the organizers:

We want to train a group to be co-trainers who will partner with members of Christian congregations in the "movable middle". In addition, we want to gather a list of volunteers willing to share their personal stories in a panel discussion format. With these resources we will reach out to faith-based organizations that are struggling with this issue in their congregations and offer to work with them to either go through the "Living Lovingly" curriculum, hold panel discussions, dinner conversations, etc. We DO NOT want to tell organizations what to do, rather we want to provide a set of tools that congregations can use if they are interested. Our goal is to work in partnership with people of faith throughout the Sacramento region to engage in open and honest conversations about marriage equality from a place of compassion, love, and grace.

California Faith for Equality educates, supports and mobilizes California's communities of faith to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in California and to safeguard religious freedom.