Posted on 02/12/2005 6:17:34 AM PST by Libloather
Hundreds of gays, lesbians to marry today
By ALLAN TURNER
Houston Chronicle
Feb. 12, 2005, 1:06AM
Wedding bells will ring this afternoon for Mike and Vince, Michelle and Kelly, Dennis and Bruce and hundreds of other Houston gays and lesbians who will tie the knot in what may be Texas' largest same-sex wedding — a wedding that, although the state rejects its validity, participants insist will strengthen their relationships and provide a beacon to future generations.
Between 100 and 200 couples are expected for the mass wedding ceremony at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, 2025 W. 11th St., which ministers to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. The wedding and related activities — including a possible mass application for marriage licenses at the Harris County Courthouse — will be part of the national Freedom to Marry Day campaign to gain for gays and lesbians the rights granted married heterosexuals.
"This is going to be a real celebration of same-sex couples," said the Rev. Chris Chiles of Community Gospel Church, coordinator of the pre-Valentine's Day ceremony. "We know that we're not only making a commitment publicly, and asking God's blessing of the union, but that we are making a statement which is going to be changing the face of the country."
The 1:30 p.m. ceremony, which will involve clergy from a number of churches — most from Houston but including one from Livingston — flies in the face of national opposition to same-sex marriages. Only Massachusetts sanctions such marriages, although Vermont allows civil unions and California provides for domestic partnerships that ensure many rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples.
Nationally, President Bush has called for a constitutional amendment stipulating marriages are unions between a man and a woman.
Same-sex marriages have drawn staunch opposition from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Southern Baptist Convention and other denominations and faiths. And although the unions are not recognized as marriages by government, some denominations, including Unitarian Universalists, as well as some Episcopal churches, offer same-sex blessing ceremonies. Reform Judaism also is open to same-sex blessings and unions.
Texas is one of 38 states with "Defense of Marriage" laws banning recognition of same-sex marriages. And state Rep. Warren Chisum, House sponsor of Texas' 2003 defense of marriage act, said he will push this year for a popular vote on a constitutional amendment essentially barring gay and lesbian marriages.
"The fact of the matter," said Chisum, R-Pampa, "is that marriage — one man, one woman — is the basic, bottom-line structure of the family."
Gays and lesbians already can adopt children and gain many of the rights of married heterosexuals through legal contracts, he said.
"I don't think (gaining legal rights) is their real purpose," Chisum said. "Their real purpose is to dilute the family, to attack the family ... to weaken the definition of marriage so that they're seen as normal and traditional. In my humble opinion, they are not."
Chisum asserted that a primary purpose of marriage is procreation.
"Look in the book of Genesis," he said. "The first commandment God gave was to go forth and bear children."
Similar views were voiced last July by Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who then was president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"Marriage, as properly understood, is more than a lifestyle choice," he said. " ... A same-sex union is not equivalent to marriage. It is not based on the natural complementarity of male and female; it cannot cooperate with God to create new life; it cannot be a true conjugal union."
"That's just a cover-up for bigotry," Chiles rejoined. "If that were the actual case, the state wouldn't recognize marriages of couples over 50, men with vasectomies would have to be checked to make sure they're in working order before they could get marriage licenses. It's ludicrous. It is not about procreation; it's about a loving commitment to another person."
The Rev. Carolyn Mobley, associate pastor at Resurrection Metropolitan, said gay and lesbian couples share family values.
"Most of us grew up in traditional families," she said. "We share their values, care for loved ones, protection of children, rearing them in the fear of God, to be law-abiding — all of those are family values. ... Giving gay and lesbian couples the same rights in a union — that would not dilute Mom and Dad's marriage, make it any less binding or strong. We so value it that we want to share it."
Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, suggested conservative leaders cynically have embraced opposition to same-sex marriages as a "wedge issue" to advance a larger agenda.
"This is the new abortion. They've about whipped the abortion horse to death, but this is the new hot-button issue," he said. "If I were on their side, I'd be dancing every day."
Nonetheless, he contended, older Americans are the most fervent opponents of gay and lesbian marriage.
"In 20 years, this will be a nonissue, and conservative leaders recognize this," Foreman said. "They are diligently exploiting a closing window of opportunity."
Several who plan to exchange vows today said they hope their action will reassure young gays and lesbians that long-term committed same-sex relationships are possible. Smaller ceremonies will occur throughout the country, according to national Freedom to Marry spokesman Harry Knox.
Participants today will include Michelle Dean and Kelly Gilbert. The local teachers have been together nine years and were united by a Vermont civil union ceremony five years ago, and rear Dean's three children, ages 9, 11, and 16, from a previous heterosexual marriage.
"Cheapening the institution of marriage? Traditional couples have done that on their own," said Dean, 35. "The divorce rate is extremely high. We're not looking to cheapen marriage, but to be recognized. There have been many couples together for long periods of time in a committed monogamous relationship, and they deserve the same rights.
"As far as the relationships not being the same — no, they are not the same, but they are equal and should be given the same recognition."
Dean noted that when one of her children recently underwent surgery, Gilbert was not allowed to visit him immediately after the operation because she wasn't a relative.
"I've seen it too many times — a partner not being able to get into a hospital room because the family objects," Chiles said. "And death really does strange things to people. There was one couple where the parents were staying with the partner. 'We know this is your home, these are your belongings,' they told him. And not five minutes after their son died, they were pilfering through things (their son) owned."
While today's same-sex weddings will be sanctioned by a Christian church, some of those exchanging rings and vows expressed frustration with denominations that staunchly oppose same-sex unions.
Dennis Milam, who will renew vows Saturday with Bruce Aleksander, his partner of 30 years, blamed Christian fundamentalism for a host of ills.
"The United States is totally out of step with the rest of the Western world," he asserted. "It's fallen behind. ... The strong fundamentalist movement, in my personal view, is responsible for many problems. It's rooted in the American South, spreading through black and white. It has a belief in magic, superstition, literalism, dogma and delusions."
"It's a shame we're living through this period," said Mike Underhill, director of program ministries at Bering Memorial United Methodist Church, who will renew vows with his partner of 14 years, Vince Benabese.
"Go back 150 years and you'll find good Christians arguing on behalf of slavery, offering all sorts of biblical justifications. Go back a few years, and churches, including the Southern Baptists, argued against ordaining women," Underhill said. "Not just time changes, but people change. I honestly believe God is doing something new here."
Bering Memorial's senior pastor, the Rev. Marilyn Meeker-Williams, suggested religious opposition stems from "lack of respect for human differences."
Meeker-Williams will attend Saturday's mass wedding, but United Methodist policy bars her from actively participating.
At her urging, Bering Memorial's governing board in 1998 suspended all weddings in the Montrose-area church until the denomination's ban on same-sex weddings is lifted.
"Some minds and hearts are not open to the great diversity of humankind — diversity created by God," she said. "God is all loving and merciful and cares a great deal for justice.
"I have trouble understanding this discrimination that causes so much hurt and pain for people who are gay and lesbian."
Get a room...
Sodomites on parade.
Gays and lesbians already can adopt children
............................................................
For some reason I read that as chickens.
I think I have been staring at this screen for too long.
I miss Houston, but this is one day I'm very glad not to be there. I don't want to be anywhere near such a display of hedonism and self-centeredness. YECCHHH!!
Cultural Filth.
Those are not marriages--marriage is between a man and a woman. Just because someone says it is so, does not make it so--be they man, woman, congressman, court justice...
The RMCC sounds more like a mental health (or unhealthy) organization than a church. I wonder if they have ever cured anyone.
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them doggies movin' Rawhide!
Don't try to understand 'em,
Just rope and throw and grab 'em,
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
Boy my heart's calculatin'
My true love will be waitin', be waiting at the end of my ride.
Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em out,
Move 'em on, head 'em out Rawhide!
Set 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide.
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Rawhide!
Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Though the streams are swollen
Keep them dogies rollin'
Rawhide!
Rain and wind and weather
Hell-bent for leather
Wishin' my gal was by my side.
All the things I'm missin',
Good vittles, love, and kissin',
Are waiting at the end of my ride
CHORUS
Move 'em on, head 'em up
Head 'em up, move 'em on
Move 'em on, head 'em up
Rawhide
Count 'em out, ride 'em in,
Ride 'em in, count 'em out,
Count 'em out, ride 'em in
Rawhide!
Keep movin', movin', movin'
Though they're disapprovin'
Keep them dogies movin'
Rawhide!
Don't try to understand 'em
Just rope, throw, and brand 'em
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
My hearts calculatin'
My true love will be waitin',
Be waitin' at the end of my ride.
Rawhide!
Rawhide!
These "church" names always have the words metropolitan and community in them.
Is this an actual denomination founded to bring the real church down by embracing the sin of homosexuality? Do they actually have Bibles in these "churches"? Are they connected to each other (pardon the use of that phrase)?
Next week's headline: Hundreds of gays, lesbians to divorce today.
I wonder if they will get this much publicity when the "marriages" break up, then the sparks will really fly.
There is an old line from a movie, maybe it was Urban Cowboy?? (or Midnight Cowboy).
It goes something like this... "All they have are steers and queers and I haven't seen anyone with horns yet".
hope they honeymoon in NYC
Didn't know Houston had public bathrooms big enough for this
I guess this represents the wave of the future in the land that has become the vine of Sodom and of Gomorrah.These weddings are no more valid than Ward churchills Indian ancestry.And committed for the same purpose I suppose.
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
HOUSTON??? Uh-oh! This is getting too close to home! Actually, this means that more pressure will be applied to the congress critters and state reps to pass the propper legislation to control the issue or be voted out of office next election.
If you want on/off the ping list see my profile page.
Officer and a Gentleman... Ben Vereen to Richard Gere when RG says hes from Texas.
They are not legal.
Pathetic and ill-informed group comes to mind.
Bump and ping.
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