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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday morning, June 10, 2003

Canadian Court Affirms Gay Marriage Rights
Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto Challenge Brings Historic Victory
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Rev. Troy Perry: "My partner and I intend to fly to Canada to be
legally married under Canadian law -- then we'll return to the U.S.
 to carry on the fight for justice and equality in the United States."
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Los Angeles, CA -- In a court decision based on a challenge by Metropolitan
Community Church of Toronto, Canada has become the latest nation to affirm
equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians.

An Ontario appeals court today unanimously set aside the heterosexual-only
definition of marriage and ordered the Toronto city clerk to immediately
issue
marriage licenses to several gay couples who had applied for them. "The
existing common law definition of marriage violates the couple's equality
rights on
the basis of sexual orientation under (constitutional law)," read the 61-page
decision.

The court ruling ordered the legal definition of marriage be changed to "the
voluntary union for life of two persons to the exclusion of all others" and
ruled that any delay in implementation would be a denial of constitutional
rights.

Friday's court challenge was brought by two Toronto couples b Anne and
Elaine
Vautour and Kevin Bourassa and Joe Varnell -- who had sued the government of
Ontario for not accepting their marriages as legally valid. Both couples wed
during a joint service at Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto in January
2001. They had used an old Canadian law of reading banns -- formally asking
the
congregation if anyone objected to the couple's marriage for three
consecutive Sundays -- in order to get city-issued marriage licenses. But
when
the
couples tried to have their unions registered with the province, the minister
of
consumer affairs refused.

"Today, I salute the Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes and the members of MCC Toronto who
challenged the Canadian law and won this victory," said Rev. Troy D. Perry,
human rights activist and Founder and Moderator of Metropolitan Community
Churches. "Dr. Hawkes has a long and distinguished record on behalf of social
justice and human rights. History will long honor him, along with
Metropolitan
Community Church of Toronto, as the driving force behind this landmark
decision,"
Perry added.

For more than three decades, the predominantly gay Metropolitan Community
Churches have worked to achieve equality under the marriage laws for gays and
lesbians. Each year, MCC churches in 22 countries perform more than 6000
same-sex
weddings. "These same-sex weddings are blessed in the sight of God but not
recognized by the civil authorities in most countries around the world,"
Perry
noted

"One of the great desires of my life is to be legally wed to my partner of 18
years, Phillip Ray De Blieck, before I die," Perry said "We intend to fly to
Canada in the near future to be legally married under Canadian law -- then we
will return to the United States to carry on the fight for justice and
equality in the U.S." The marriage ceremony will be performed by Rev. Dr.
Brent
Hawkes at a date to be announced later.

According to Perry, "Today I encourage gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
(GLBT) people around the globe to take heart in this decision. In my own
country, I am renewing my call for GLBT couples to continue public
demonstrations
every Valentine's Day by applying for marriage licenses at marriage bureaus,
city halls, and court houses across the United States."

Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) is a Christian denomination with almost
300 congregations and 46,000 members and adherents in 22 countries. MCC
churches offer positive, affirming ministry to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and
transgender persons, along with their friends and families. Additional
information
on MCC churches can be found at <A
HREF="www.MCCchurch.org">www.MCCchurch.org</A>.

(END)

For Additional Information, Contact:
Jim Birkitt
MCC Communications Director
or
Roman Cardenas
MCC Associate Communications Director

8704 Santa Monica Boulevard, Second Floor
West Hollywood, CA  90069
Tel. (310) 360-8640, Ext. 226 or 228
E-Mail: info@MCCchurch.org
Website: <A HREF="www.MCCchurch.org">www.MCCchurch.org</A>