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Last Updated: Aug 28, 2009

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The Faithful Divide Over Wedding Vows Jun 5, 2009

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A Profile of Michigan's 2004 Battle Over Marriage Equality

WASHINGTON, DC’ÄìA new report entitled, "The Faithful Divide Over Wedding Vows" by Sally Steenland and Jonathan Duffy breaks down the 2004 Michigan battle over same-sex marriage, called Proposal 2. The report comes the day after the New Hampshire legislative voted in favor of same-sex marriage, making it the sixth state to support marriage equality for LGBT Americans. Rev. Gene Robinson, the Episcopal Bishop for New Hampshire, who worked on behalf of the bill, participated in a press call releasing the Michigan report. Bishop Robinson emphasized the importance of faith voices speaking out on behalf of marriage equality, and he noted the importance of religious involvement in Wednesday’Äôs legislative victory.

The report looks at religious activity on both sides of a ballot initiative in Michigan called Proposal 2. The report found that opponents of marriage equality heavily relied upon religious arguments during the campaign, while LGBT advocates used more secular arguments of civil rights. Opponents won with 59 percent of the vote. One of the results was the loss of existing health care benefits for same-sex partners in civil unions.

A review of the battle over Proposal 2, the alliances it shaped, and the efforts and tactics involved not only provides insights into the ballot-initiative process, but, more importantly, may help illuminate similar campaigns in the future. The report points out a number of lessons learned from the Proposal 2 fight:

It is important for LGBT advocates and progressive faith leaders to work together, even before a ballot initiative campaign begins. It is far easier to plug into existing alliances than create them from scratch when a campaign is starting.
It is important to embed faith voices and messages within LGBT campaigns because they can break the antigay religious monopoly that claims to be the sole voice of morality on these issues.

Advocates should not write off certain religious communities as impossible to win or overlook any ’Äúunlikely’Äù allies, be it the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church, or African-American churches. While some communities may have official pronouncements against same-sex marriage and campaign against it, almost always there are members within that community who by conscience have different views.
LGBT faith advocates and supporters must work within their denominations for full support of LGBT rights, including marriage equality and same-sex adoption.

The message of LGBT rights should be framed in a mainstream way so that all citizens feel connected to the issue. In addition, non-LGBT organizations, such as civil and human rights and faith groups, should be sought as campaign allies.
It is important to have a robust on-the-ground organization and an effective media campaign, especially in larger states where much of the battle is fought over the airwaves.

It is crucial to quickly rebut inaccurate arguments and misleading statements from antiequality forces.

LGBT faith advocates should learn from and find strength in the current atmosphere in America surrounding marriage equality. From the recent court decision in Iowa to the historic legislation in Vermont, faithful individuals have been active in advancing marriage equality.

Sally Steenland, co-author of the Michigan report, said, ’ÄúThe findings of this report are highly relevant for future battles on marriage and family equality because these are deeply moral issues. Faith voices have much to contribute to the debate, and authentic religious-secular partnerships are essential to achieving human and civil rights for LGBT Americans.’Äù

© This Week In Texas


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