From the ashes of disappointment following the California Prop 8 results in November, new hopes arise this Easter season with a string of court and legislative victories. Starting with the unexpected court mandate of marriage equality in Iowa, legislative victories in New England have gained momentum with the latest news that the New Hampshire governor will sign a marriage equality bill once the legislature works out minor details. New York and New Jersey may soon follow.
Despite the “sky is falling” predictions of many conservatives, the Massachusetts experience proves the opposite. May 17th will be the 5th anniversary of the first same-sex marriages in Massachusetts. The occasion will be a time of celebration and reflection. Michael Cole in the HRC Back Story blog provides a brief retrospective, including video of early celebrations, on the historic Massachusetts day five years ago.
From the standpoint of Christian denominational support for GLBT equality, the national convention of the ELCA in Mpls this summer will be the next battlefield. Early procedural skirmishes suggest that chances are good that the ELCA will join the Episcopal church and the UCC as mainline denominations that support gay clergy ordination and marriage equality.
