This past weekend I had the joy and honor of officiating the wedding of two gay men from Australia Central Park and was attended by their respective families. The wedding was organized by I Do New York event planners. It was truly a moving, love-filled ceremony. I am a Unitarian Universalist minister and over the last decade I have officiated numerous “union ceremonies” and now at last in the state of New York
I have believed in same-sex marriage for a long time. I believe in same-sex committed relationships because I have seen it done. I believe in same-sex marriage because I believe all people in a committed love relationship deserve the same benefits those of us who are heterosexual have enjoyed. I believe that where love is—we have a relationship that must be affirmed and supported. Where love is, I believe fair and loving human beings have a responsibility to affirm and support it. In the last analysis we are all more human than otherwise. Where love is—is a good place to be and that includes the wedding ceremony of a same-sex couple.
In the past weeks Maryland Washington New Jersey
As this issue is likely to remain in the foreground in the coming presidential election, I want to recommend a book just published: Gay Marriage, Real Life: Ten Stories of Love and Family by Michelle Bates Deakin. It is an insightful look at this important topic.
Through the personal stories of ten couples, some of whom are married legally, and some who have held ceremonies without civil recognition, you will gain a deeper understanding of the human side to this struggle. In a review, Library Journal writes, "This aptly named book has a simple message: gay marriage for many people is not a theoretical issue but a real-life one. The ten stories included here take the issue out of the hands of politicians and invite the reader into the homes of real people.
Jim Covington, M.Div., M.A., LMFT
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