Do you believe how much things are changing?
A majority of the United States Senates—including two Republicans—now supports marriage equality. Two of those Senators are our own Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Six months ago, maybe less, who would have thought either of them, especially the relatively cautious Warner—who must face the electorate in 2014—would now be clear in their support.
And Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators are lamenting that the battle to stop it is lost. None of them that I can see has changed his or her opinion—but they do think it is inevitable.
Of course, many of us have been saying this for some time, believing in Dr. King’s arc of history that bends toward justice.
Nonetheless, the inevitable probably will take some time.
Right now, attention is on the United States Supreme Court. Two weeks ago, I joined thousands in Washington, in a great display of passion and commitment for marriage equality as two cases were about to be argued in that august marble hall of justice. Despite our passion, the court is unlikely to make any sweeping judgments.
The day began early—at 6:15 clergy were due at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, near the United States Supreme Court, to check in and find our assigned seats. Of course, it also gave us an opportunity to greet friends and make new ones. And we shared in a magnificent interfaith service. The music, testimonies, prayers, all of it was inspiring, giving us focus and encouragement to take the next step.
The procession from the church to the court started out somewhat organized—many of us singing, “This Little Light of Mine,” with the usual confusion among knots of people not singing the same verse at the same time, but still sounding pretty good!—but as we came closer to the court, we became a bit ragtag, in part because there were already thousands of people there.
Some had been there for 24 hours or more, waiting in line to get tickets to get into to watch the actual arguments. Most had come that morning—I had seen a lot of them on my way to the church a couple of hours earlier.
It was energizing and inspirational to feel all the energy, and to realize that our side was clearly a match for the other side. Sure, there were plenty of anti-equality folks, but they were pretty easily drowned out by our much larger numbers and, I think, enthusiasm and passion.
It is that enthusiasm and passion that got folks home in Virginia to do some witnessing, too—from Alexandria in the liberal north to Floyd in the conservative southwest, with Charlottesville, Roanoke, Staunton, Richmond, and Norfolk in between. What is exciting to me is that we had five communities engage in Valentine’s Day marriage equality witnessing, and six weeks later seven communities stood to be counted in response to the action in Washington.
This may feel like a smaller tide—I am not convinced a majority of Virginians yet support marriage equality (the most recent polls show it is a tie between the two views)—but it is a tide nonetheless.
I find it particularly heartening that folks staked the claim of justice in Floyd and Staunton. There were just nine brave souls in Floyd, but how alive they were! You can watch a short video clip (from our Facebook page) HERE, as well as footage from Staunton and elsewhere. This will not be stopped.
Still, we have a long road ahead. Amending the Virginia constitution is not easy. The General Assembly has to vote twice—in meetings separated by an election—for exactly the same resolution in order to put the question on the ballot. That means the earliest a vote of the people could happen is 2016. Then the voters have to approve it.
Over the next few weeks and months, you will read much more here about our plans at POFEV to build on this wave to carry the cause—and not just marriage equality, but protection for all Virginia’s families whether it is employment, adoption and foster care, immigration—to victory. We will be working with Equality Virginia, of course, and the Alliance for Progressive Values, PFLAG, various religious bodies and communities, unions, business groups, university faculties and administration as well as student groups, Virginia Organizing, S.O.N.G., Virginia New Majority, and many others.
We know we can’t do it alone, but the voices and activism of faithful people are needed if equality is to become reality.
You can help in many ways. Here are a few:
* Speak up, of course.
* Contribute funds to help us pay full-time staff (watch for that announcement soon) by using our PayPal option at POFEV web (or mail us your check at POFEV, PO Box 4919, Richmond, VA 23220).
* Talk to your pastor or priest or rabbi or imam to let them know where you stand, and ask them to take a stand in favor of equality, too.
* Write a letter to the editor.
* Make an announcement in your congregation and ask others to join you for a meeting to talk about working together for equality.
* Contact me at 804/519-3196 if you’d like me or someone else from POFEV come to speak to the meeting, or at worship or other event in your community.
We can do this, my friend. It is inevitable, yes—but the inevitable could benefit from a push.
If nine folks can stand up in public in Floyd, what is stopping the rest of us?
Following Floyd
by Rev. Dr. Robin H. Gorsline, POFEV President
Do you believe how much things are changing?
A majority of the United States Senates—including two Republicans—now supports marriage equality. Two of those Senators are our own Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Six months ago, maybe less, who would have thought either of them, especially the relatively cautious Warner—who must face the electorate in 2014—would now be clear in their support.
And Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators are lamenting that the battle to stop it is lost. None of them that I can see has changed his or her opinion—but they do think it is inevitable.
Of course, many of us have been saying this for some time, believing in Dr. King’s arc of history that bends toward justice.
Nonetheless, the inevitable probably will take some time.
Right now, attention is on the United States Supreme Court. Two weeks ago, I joined thousands in Washington, in a great display of passion and commitment for marriage equality as two cases were about to be argued in that august marble hall of justice. Despite our passion, the court is unlikely to make any sweeping judgments.
The day began early—at 6:15 clergy were due at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, near the United States Supreme Court, to check in and find our assigned seats. Of course, it also gave us an opportunity to greet friends and make new ones. And we shared in a magnificent interfaith service. The music, testimonies, prayers, all of it was inspiring, giving us focus and encouragement to take the next step.
The procession from the church (pictured left) to the court started out somewhat organized—many of us singing, “This Little Light of Mine,” with the usual confusion among knots of people not singing the same verse at the same time, but still sounding pretty good!—but as we came closer to the court, we became a bit ragtag, in part because there were already thousands of people there.
Some had been there for 24 hours or more, waiting in line to get tickets to get into to watch the actual arguments. Most had come that morning—I had seen a lot of them on my way to the church a couple of hours earlier.
It was energizing and inspirational to feel all the energy, and to realize that our side was clearly a match for the other side. Sure, there were plenty of anti-equality folks, but they were pretty easily drowned out by our much larger numbers and, I think, enthusiasm and passion.
It is that enthusiasm and passion that got folks home in Virginia to do some witnessing, too—from Alexandria in the liberal north to Floyd in the conservative southwest, with Charlottesville, Roanoke, Staunton, Richmond, and Norfolk in between. What is exciting to me is that we had five communities engage in Valentine’s Day marriage equality witnessing, and six weeks later seven communities stood to be counted in response to the action in Washington.
Continue reading . . . . .
No one knows how the Supreme Court will rule in the two cases involving questions of state and federal laws that limit marriage and legal benefits that flow from marriage to couples consisting of a woman and a man. 
For that reason alone, it is important that supporters of equality take the opportunity now to celebrate this reality and to draw attention to the cause. Hence the POFEV campaign, “Tie a Knot for Love,” events on March 25 and 26 in Virginia, and the national United for Marriage: Light the Way to Justice events in Washington, D.C. March 26-27. 
Second, consider going to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, March 26 for an early morning interfaith prayer service at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation and/or to the vigil at the U.S. Supreme Court Building at mid-morning. Information about all these events is