MADISON, WI – On the weekend before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in the ACLU case challenging Wisconsin's marriage ban, congregations and faith communities from across Wisconsin are showing their support for marriage equality. On that Saturday and Sunday, Wisconsinites will join together in prayer and celebration for the eight brave plaintiff couples who will travel to Chicago on Wednesday to fight for the freedom to marry.
On August 5th, volunteer attorneys filed an amicus brief from numerous religious organizations, congregations, and individual faith leaders from Indiana and Wisconsin in support of the cases for freedom to marry in those states. Over eight pages of signers affirmed that “Eliminating discrimination in civil marriage will not impinge upon religious doctrine or practice. All religions would remain free – as they are today with nineteen states and the District of Columbia permitting same-sex couples to marry – to define religious marriage any way they choose.”
“Our stand on marriage equality is deeply religious. A cornerstone of our faith is the belief that every person has inherent dignity and worth. This belief compelled us to work for the abolition of slavery, for women’s suffrage, and now for marriage equality,” said Rev. Roger Bertschausen, Senior Minister of the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Appleton. “We believe lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender couples have every bit as much inherent dignity and worth as straight couples. We believe that partnerships between two people are blessings to the couple, to their family and friends, and to their community—regardless of the couple’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Participating Congregations:
- Bethel-Bethany United Church of Christ, Milwaukee
- Congregation Shalom, Fox Point
- Cross Lutheran Church, Milwaukee
- First Congregational Church, Madison
- Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Appleton
- Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church, Stevens Point
- James Reeb UU Congregation, Madison
- Madison Mennonite Church, Madison
- Memorial United Church of Christ, Fitchburg
- Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ, Madison
- St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Kenosha
- An updated list is available at: wiunites.org/congregations
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Wisconsin Unites for Marriage is a statewide public education campaign with one simple goal:
Win the freedom to marry for all loving couples in our state.
