The Marriage Equality Trifecta
The fight for marriage equality is heating up in California, Florida and Arizona, states that will see November ballot initiatives to amend their state constitutions to prohibit same-sex marriage. Here's a quick update on each state's grassroots campaign to oppose these dangerous and discriminatory initiatives (including a little help from Ellen DeGeneres!) and some insight into how Reform rabbis are helping out:
- Arizonans voted no on a similar measure in 2006, and now they're up against the same thing this year. Now, Vote No on Prop. 102 is seeking volunteers to help spread the word about this dangerous initiative and offering $5.00 yard signs that advertise opposition to the amendment. Reform Rabbis Helen. T Cohn and Thomas A. Louchheim joined an oppositional statement with other faith leaders, saying, "This amendment is morally, religiously, and financially divisive, and would be destructive to many Arizona families."
- Clergy of varied religions and denominations, including Rabbi Jack Romberg of Temple Israel in Tallahassee, came together to launch Florida Clergy for Fairness, a coalition of religious leaders opposed to Florida's Amendment 2. Sunshine State rabbis and cantors (and other clergy, if you're reading this!) are invited to join. And in other Florida news, Fairness for All Families has posted its list of the top 10 reasons Floridians should vote no on Amendment 2.
- In California, synagogues like Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood (where Rabbi Denise Eger was one of the first clergy to officiate a California same-sex wedding in May!) are joining in by participating in phone banking and engaging in interfaith work to actively oppose the initiative. Even Ellen DeGeneres has teamed up with the No on 8 campaign, Equality for All, to encourage voters to oppose the proposed constitutional amendment that would overturn the California Supreme Judicial Court's May ruling that the state's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.
The Union for Reform Judaism has long been a supporter of equality for same-sex couples. If you vote in California, Florida, or Arizona, I encourage you to learn more about the ballot initiative in your state and then, come Election Day, to vote in favor of fairness and equality.