The United Church of Christ (UCC) has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of California to have the recently approved Proposition 8 overturned.
The brief was filed by the national office of the United Church of Christ, along with the 2 UCC conferences in California, the Episcopal Bishop of California, the Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles, the Progressive Jewish Alliance, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry California, and the California Council of Churches.
In his statement, the Rev. John Thomas, President and General Minister of the United Church of Christ commented:
"The United Church of Christ is honored to join other religious bodies in this challenge to Proposition 8. In 2005 our church's General Synod called for the extension of marriage rights to all couples. We believe our communities are strengthened and our religious freedoms protected by providing equality in marriage, rather than by erecting barriers to marriage."
The UCC statement also goes on to note make a very clear statement about how the United Church of Christ views the legal matter of marriage. When so many who supported Prop 8 (and at least a few folks on DKos) insist that marriage is religious, the United Church of Christ takes a decidedly different view that legal marriage must be maintained as an option for all couples, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, and not controlled by any religious body. Marriage, like other legal matters, is about equal protection under the law.
"California's constitutional right of equal protection is sacrosanct," the legal challenge reads in its introduction. "Not even the electorate can take it away selectively – at least not without a two-thirds vote of the legislature or a constitutional convention. This writ petition seeks to enforce that basic principle."
The UCC has a long history of supporting equal protection under the law for all people. It's efforts here, along with the other religious bodies involved, make very plain that rights are not to be subject to a vote, and that equal protection under the law, which includes marriage rights, is vital.
Some of the language from the original 2005 Equal Marriage Resolution, with my emphasis added:
THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the Twenty-fifth General Synod of the United Church of Christ affirms equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender and declares that the government should not interfere with couples regardless of gender who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities and commitment of legally recognized marriage;
LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Twenty-fifth General Synod of the United Church of Christ affirms equal access to the basic rights, institutional protections and quality of life conferred by the recognition of marriage;
LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Twenty-fifth General Synod calls for an end to rhetoric that fuels hostility, misunderstanding, fear and hatred expressed toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons;
LET IT BE FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Twenty-fifth General Synod urges the congregations and individuals of the United Church of Christ to prayerfully consider and support local, state and national legislation to grant equal marriage rights to couples regardless of gender, and to work against legislation, including constitutional amendments, which denies civil marriage rights to couples based on gender.
Note well that it says civil marriage, not civil union. :-)