February 17, 2007
NORTHAMPTON - At first glance, it looks like a photograph of a very large family gathering. Once legislators read the accompanying letter, however, they might be able to imagine this caption: "By the authority vested in me by the commonwealth of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you legally married."
The folks crowded into the shot taken at First Churches last month are some of the same-sex couples who have been married at the church and their children.
The Rev. Peter Ives arranged the photo-shoot as part of his church's campaign to lobby legislators to vote against putting a proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage on the ballot next year. The amendment, which would define marriage as a pact between one man and one woman, has generated controversy, debate and even a lawsuit.
Last year, the Legislature voted twice to recess instead of dealing with the proposal.
As a result, a group called VoteOnMarriage .org sued lawmakers for $5 million, saying that they had abdicated their responsibility to put the matter before the public. The Arizona-based organization subsequently dropped the suit.
More:
http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2007/02/church-campaigns-for-gay-marriages.html