New Help in South Carolina Battle

The following is a press release from UU Spartanburg reprinted in it's entirety

The congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg has voted to take a public stand against the proposed South Carolina constitutional amendment (XVII) on marriage. We as Unitarian-Universalists affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people. We affirm justice, equity, and compassion in all human relations. In accordance with these principles, we oppose any public efforts to limit or diminish civil rights, justice, and equity for South Carolinians.

The By-Laws of the church were changed last year to allow the church to take a public stand on an issue. The By-Law change requires a quorum of church members with 95% of those present voting “yes” for any resolution to be adopted. This is the first time that the UU Church of Spartanburg has taken a public stand on an issue affecting our community and state.

The approved congregational resolution opposes the proposed SC Constitutional amendment concerning marriage, civil unions and marital benefits because it expands discrimination against our fellow citizens and will adversely impact on the health, finances and welfare of individuals, children, and families in South Carolina.

The full church resolution can be seen on the church website: www.uucs.org.

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was among the first religious organizations in the United States to adopt an affirmative position on the recognition of the rights and responsibilities of members who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. The UUA has officially opposed discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual and transgender people since 1970, and the organization has called for full, legal marriage equality for same-sex couples since 1996.

filed under South Carolina and under Faith Watch

DumbAmendment.com

A while back I blogged that my friend Asha Leong has headed to South Carolina to fight the mean spirited and divisive ballot measure in that state.

Asha and all the good folks in South Carolina fighting the family discrimination amendment have an uphill fight, for sure, but they are well on their way. The South Carolina Equality Coalition has launched a brilliant website www.dumbamendment.com. It features a brilliant flash cartoon. Take a moment and watch this video, and I'm sure you'll agree it's as good as, if not better than any online outreach our national organizations have come up with to fight the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Asha Leong to Fight SC Ballot Measure

Advocate and organizer Asha Leong is now in South Carolina to work with the South Carolina Equality Coalition. Asha will be coordinating their effort to defeat a mean-spirited and divisive ballot measure that would amend the state constitution to deny same sex couples any form of legal recognition, rights, or protections available to all other South Carolinians.

Asha left a position as a Senior Outreach Associate for the Southern Regional Office of Lambda Legal to join this effort. Prior to joining Lambda Legal, Leong developed an HIV prevention program for gay men in Charlottesville, Virginia, created a citywide LGBT coalition and helped develop the National Day of Silence Project. Upon graduating from the University of Virginia in 1999 she moved to Atlanta to work with the city’s LGBTQ youth as a Program Manager for YouthPride. Leong founded the Ad Hoc Committee for Racial Justice to help challenge racism within our own LGBT community and was awarded the Community Service Award in the fall of 2000 by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for this work.

As a former resident of Greenville SC, and a graduate of Furman University, I am thrilled to see Asha join this effort. I've know she is going to be a valuable addition to the team. I'm thrilled to see that the Coalition has a plan for defeating the state constitutional amendment, and look forward to hearing more about their work. Check out the South Carolina Equality Coalition Website to find out more.