GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE January 30, 2009

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Church's clergy won't sign state licenses

by Bill Grulich

Cleveland-The members of Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ voted overwhelmingly at their January 25 annual meeting to stop allowing clergy to sign State of Ohio marriage licenses for wedding ceremonies performed at the church.

Currently in Ohio, and in 47 other states, marriage is only permitted between a man and a woman. This denies samegender couples the rights, privileges, duties and obligations of marriage granted to male-and-female couples. Pilgrim believes in the separation of church and

state.

Until the legal, civil right to marry is afforded to all couples irrespective of gender configuration, Pilgrim members believe that signing marriage licenses for one segment of the population and not for all people is unjust and discriminatory.

Pride dates

Continued from page 1

of Stonewall Columbus which sponsors the Pride events there.

"We're going to place a positive spin on the fact that Ohio will be celebrating Pride in both cities on the same weekend," Saporito said.

Traditionally, Columbus draws some people from Cleveland, but not a very large number. A bigger concern is people in smaller communities like Mansfield, Lima, Sandusky and Toledo, who must choose between the two festivals and parades.

"The diversity within Cleveland's LGBT community mirrors the diverse events being held in Cleveland and statewide that same day," reads the Cleveland Pride announcement of the date. "By working together instead of competing

The pastors of Pilgrim, Rev. John Tamilio, III, Rev. Tricia L. Gilbert and Rev. Patrick S.J. Nicolino, brought the resolution before the congregation's annual meeting for a vote, with the unanimous support of the Church Council.

"In conscience, we may no longer stay silent, for it is silence that empowers prejudice, discrimination, and injustice," Senior Pastor Tamilio said of their actions.

Tamilio reminded the congregation, "As Martin Niemoeller wrote, 'In Germany, they came first for the Communists. And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew; And then... they came for me. And by that time there was no one left to speak up.'" Tamilio said of the vote, "I'm pleased

with these other organizations, we can ensure a good time and healthy attendance at all of the events on June 20."

This year's theme for Cleveland Pride will be "Equality," according to the release.

Last year's festival suffered from heavy rain in the late afternoon, but Cleveland Pride's insurance coverage put the organization back in the black, financially.

Even participants whose booths had to close prematurely were impressed by the numbers at last year's festival, like Steve Brown of Shoparooni in Cleveland's Waterloo Arts District.

At the time the rainstorm hit, he had just recouped the cost of his booth, but even without further sales on that day, he

with the vote and know this issue is being discussed throughout the United Church of Christ and other mainline religions. We hope to inaugurate a grassroots effort that will include the ecumenical community and secular organizations with the goal of instituting national change."

Commitment ceremonies will be available for all couples-heterosexual or homosexual-that are interested in a ceremony at Pilgrim. Couples who qualify may obtain State of Ohio marriage licenses separately from civil authorities, such as a justice of the peace, if they wish.

Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ is located at 2592 West 14th Street in Cleveland, and can be accessed through the web at www.pilgrimalive.org or by phone 216-861-7388.

Bill Grulich is a member of Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ.

received numerous calls in the following weeks from people who had seen the booth at the festival.

The other Pride festivals last year also had their problems with rain, pretty much across the board.

Columbus is not the only Pride event changing its date. To avoid competition with a near neighbor, Dayton Pride is moving their entire celebration to the first week in June.

Normally, their festival is on the first weekend and the Pride dinner is on the third weekend. Now, the dinner will be on Wednesday, June 3, with the festival on Saturday, June 6.

Cincinnati's two-day musical Pride festival will be on the second weekend, June 13 and 14.

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