The march toward gay rights goes on

Gov. Paterson of New York has announced he will put a same-sex marriage bill before the New York State Senate later in September. Paterson is attempting to lead his state to legal recognition of marriages between two same-sex people and thus join New York neighbor states, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

In Anchorage, the assembly passed a non-discrimination ordinance for the specific protection of gay people. Mayor Sullivan vetoed the measure and the assembly was one vote short of the needed votes to override the veto.

On Sept. 15 a group of Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced to the House the “Respect for Marriage Act,” that seeks to repeal the “Defense of Marriage Act.” That act was signed into law by then President Clinton in September, 1996. The act is commonly referred to as DOMA. The bill defines marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman and relieves states of the necessity of recognizing same-sex marriages that are performed and recognized in other states.

In July, 2009, the District of Columbia adopted an ordinance to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states where same-sex marriages are legal.

Over the summer major American denominations faced the issues of full-acceptance of gay people. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America approved ordination of gay people who are living in a committed same-sex relationship. They earlier had approved ordination of gay people who take a vow of celibacy.

The United Methodists rejected a measure that would have opened church membership to all Christians without regard to sexual orientation. In recent years the motto of the United Methodist Church has been “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.”

American Baptists, Episcopalians and Presbyterians continue to have significant denominational heart burn over what should be done with “the strangers in our midst.”

Meanwhile ministries that seek to change people’s sexual orientation from gay to not-gay are going out of business. They are politely announcing “mergers.” The real story is lack of money, lack of customers, lack of results.

The movement toward full acceptance and full legal rights for gay people has become powerful, even overwhelming. The items that I have reported are just a few of the stories that have come to my attention in the past month.

The tidal wave of support for equality is growing every day. In a few short years, gay people will serve openly in all branches of the U.S. military. Open discrimination in employment, including employment in public school education, will be past. Being gay will no longer be a barrier to being elected to public office. Gay people will be ordained and will have opportunity to serve as pastors in a growing number of churches in America.

Same-sex couples will be able legally to marry in all 50 states.

I am old enough that World War II is living history. The United States fought a war on two fronts, the Pacific Rim and Europe. When the U.S. forces gained control of the sea and the air in the Pacific, we did not know how the war would end, but we knew who the victor in the war would be. When the United States forces and other Allies successfully claimed the Normandy beaches in France, we did not know the particulars of the battles that were ahead, but we knew who the victors would be.

The struggle for full rights and acceptance of gay people has also been a struggle on two fronts. The first struggle has been in the legal world. We now look back and wonder how people of color and women could have been denied constitutional rights for so many years. In both cases the nation, pushed by supporters of equality, had to take specific acts to establish basic rights such as education and a vote in every election. The same thing is now true of our gay population. Gay people have never asked for special rights. They are asking for the same rights that are assumed by other American citizens. Specific actions are required to establish equal rights without regard to sexual orientation.

The struggle has effectively ended in the American Northeast. Action in New York is inevitable and the West Coast states are moving toward legal resolutions. There will be many surprises, as was Iowa. We do not know the specific battles that will take place, but we know the outcome.

The other front has been with the nation’s churches. I had hoped that churches would give leadership in the most public moral issue of our day. But they have not.

There have been very small groups in every religious tradition that have stepped forward with time and money. They have done a commendable job. However, the vast majority of religious people in America has either actively opposed equality for gay people or has been irresponsibly silent. The critical battle in religious communities has not taken place. There have been endless skirmishes, but the great showdown has not been engaged.

I suspect that most of the American religious people will continue to worry about whether they will go to heaven. The Jesus demand for justice will get lost in the shuffle.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.