Social Action Committee News

There are literally hundreds of rights, benefits, and protections that accompany civil marriage in the United States. Because they are so automatic, many people take these rights for granted. For same-sex couples, however—who are prohibited from civil marriage—the absence of these rights often creates devastating problems.

It is impossible to conduct any debate on the issue of marriage without a consideration of the impact of religion on the institution. Some of the most heated arguments around marriage have come from within communities of faith. Rabbi Michael Namath, of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, recently spoke out against the Federal Marriage Ammendment (March 2004). He stated…“It is a privilege to stand here today on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, on behalf of clergy and people of faith across America, and from my own religious conviction as a rabbi, to express our strong opposition to the dangerous and discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment.” (see www.rac.org for full text and press release)

The Reform Jewish Movement is deeply troubled by President Bush’s decision to endorse a Constitutional Amendment that would ban states from extending the legal protections of civil marriage to gay and lesbian couples. Jewish values and American history require us to speak out against this egregious proposal to enshrine discrimination against a specific group of citizens and intolerance of specific religious beliefs into our nation’s most sacred document.

Sources: GLSEN, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC)

Social Action: Visit these links for further reading on the rights of gays and lesbians to marry and for timely social action against the Federal Marriage Amendment.
www.glsen.org; www.rac.org; www.prideagenda.org