wfn.org | Marriage Equality Week Sponsored By Metropolitan Community Churches

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

NEWS  RELEASE
 From Metropolitan Community Churches

For Immediate Release: October 12, 2003

Metropolitan Community Churches To
Observe Marriage Equality Week October 12-19

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"During the same week that many groups will work to deny a basic human 
right to gays and lesbians, thousands of faith communities will take public 
stands in support of equality for gay and lesbian couples," says Rev. Troy 
Perry.
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West Hollywood - Thousands of churches, temples and mosques across the 
United States will join hands with Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) to 
observe October 12-19 as "Marriage Equality Week," a week dedicated to the 
support of same-sex marriage. Metropolitan Community Churches, which 
performs more than 6000 same-sex weddings annually, is an international 
Christian denomination with more than 43,000 members in 22 countries.

Mid-October will be a time of national focus on the same-sex marriage debate.

Jerry Falwell, Dr. James Dobson, the Southern Baptist Convention and 
American Family Association along with 18 other conservative social and 
religious groups have announced plans to hold a mid-October "Marriage 
Protection Week" to promote "traditional families" by denying the right to 
marry to gay and lesbian couples.

"Metropolitan Community Churches' observance of "Marriage Equality Week" 
will provide a positive countervoice for all types of families, including 
gay and lesbian families," said Rev. Perry, a former delegate to the White 
House Conference on Hate Crimes and the first openly gay member of the Los 
Angeles Human Rights Commission.

"During the same week that many groups will work to deny a basic human 
right to gays and lesbians, thousands of faith communities will take public 
stands in support of equality in the marriage laws for gay couples."

"We are not seeking special treatment," Rev. Perry added. "We seek 
equality. We are asking that the marriage laws by applied equally to all 
couples, regardless of sexual orientation. That is the only gay agenda -- 
equality for everyone under the law."

Rev. Perry wed his partner of 18 years, Phillip Ray DeBlieck, in Toronto 
earlier this year after Ontario's historic legalization of same-sex 
marriage in June. In July, Perry announced a Five-Step Plan to legalize 
same-sex marriage in the U.S. that includes Valentine's Day demonstrations, 
partnering with other gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender activist 
groups and eventually, a legal case with other human rights groups. At the 
present time, Rev. Perry's marriage and the marriages of hundreds of others 
who were legally married in Canada, are not recognized in the U.S.

"These are weddings that are blessed in the sight of God, but still not 
recognized by most governments," Perry said. "To not recognize my marriage 
and the marriages of thousands of other same-sex couples, is discrimination 
- and we will not stand for that any longer."

To launch plans for Marriage Equality Week, MCC has unveiled a new section 
of its website at http://www.mccchurch.org specifically dedicated to the 
issue of same-sex marriage. The website includes a resource kit for use by 
local faith communities, ideas for local activists, a letter from MCC's 
founder Rev. Troy Perry, and links to other civil rights activist groups.

For more information on MCC activities for Marriage Equality Week visit 
http://www.MCCchurch.org.

-END-

For Additional Information, Contact:
Roman Cardenas, Associate Director of Communications
Metropolitan Community Churches
8704 Santa Monica Boulevard, 2nd Floor
West Hollywood, CA  90069
Tel. 310-360-8640, Ext. 228
Cell 310-625-4138
E-Mail: info@MCCchurch.org