marriageclergyFaith leaders from several faith traditions gathered at the Capitol in St. Paul on Thursday afternoon to speak out in support of marriage rights for gays and lesbians in Minnesota.

“As a pastor within a denomination that has been marrying same gender couples for forty years, I am saddened that my congregants must travel north to Canada or south to Iowa in order to be legally married,” said the Rev. Robyn Provis of All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church in Minneapolis. “What that means is that their marriages are recognized four hours north and three hours south but here in Minnesota their marriages are legally invisible.”

Provis was one of a half dozen faith leaders speaking out in support of marriage equality efforts in the state. The press conference at the Capitol was organized by the LGBT advocacy group OutFront Minnesota.

“What this event reminds us is that many people of faith support full legal equality for GLBT individuals, and same-gender couples, not despite their religious beliefs, but because of them,” said OutFront Minnesota Executive Director Amy Johnson.

“The main reasons for denying marriage rights to same-sex couples are religious,” said Pastor Doug Donley of University Baptist Church, which is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches in the USA. “By codifying such a religious belief into law, we are violating our own state and federal constitution. The fair and the just thing to do would be to offer marriage rights to all people. Why not join the other states and stand up for freedom, justice, mercy and compassion?”

He added, “By the way, those are all things that Jesus actually addressed.”

The Reverend Victoria Safford of White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church said her church stopped signing any marriage documents until gays and lesbians have the right to marry in Minnesota. “That day is coming. The laws of Minnesota are not meant to exclude some citizens while granting privilege to others,” she said. “The law exists to protect and fiercely guard the rights, equality and freedom of all of us.

Rabbi Jared H. Saks of Temple Israel said that, for religious Jews who favor same-sex marriage, it’s an issue of justice.

“Deuteronomy teaches us Tzedek, tzedek tirdof, Justice, justice shall you pursue. In giving the world the concept of justice, Torah gave the world equality: fair treatment of the poor, the orphan, the widow and the stranger,” he said. “Torah commands us not to oppress the stranger, because we were strangers in the land of Egypt. We know the heart of the stranger. We are Israel and we know what it is to be labeled as different.”

Rev Sarah Campbell of the Mayflower Church, a member of the United Church of Christ said she has married both same-sex and opposite-sex couples for many years and sees no difference in the level of commitment between the two.

“It deeply saddens me that some of the couples I have married are forced to endure additional life pressures — as if there are not enough pressures on families already — because they are denied civil rights,” she said. “The strength of their marriages, despite such additional stresses like additional insurance expenses of all kinds, is humbling and awe inspiring to me.”

She added, “I will fight for equal marriage rights for these couples. Of course I will!”

Mandy Carter of the National Black Justice Coalition spoke at the press conference in support of the clergy.

“Are marriage rights for same-sex couples the next hurdle in our ongoing movement for civil rights? Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists of the National Black Justice Coalition think so, and we are actively seeking to achieve this next level of equality.”

Carter choked back tears as she read a powerful statement by Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who was a Freedom Rider during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. “I have fought too hard, and too long, against discrimination based on race and color to not stand up against discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

Also speaking on Thursday were the Rev. Anita Hill of St. Paul Reformation Lutheran Church and the Rev. Dr. Lowell O. Erdahl, Bishop Emeritus of the Saint Paul Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Monica Meyer, public policy director for OutFront said in a statement, “Recent polls suggest that support continues to grow for these couples and their families, as people learn more about the discrimination that same-gender couples face,” she said. “Today’s powerful statements by Minnesota clergy in favor of marriage equality will help move Minnesota toward an eventual end to discrimination in marriage and support for full civil marriage equality.”