July 1, 2008
Unitarians oppose anti-gay marriage ballot measures
by Tim Murphy
Religion News Service
Unitarian Universalists ended their annual General Assembly meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with a call to oppose ballot measures in Florida and California that would outlaw same-sex marriages.
Delegates also called for an end to what they called the "present day slavery" of undocumented immigrants.
"Our vision of justice is not limited to concern for one oppressed group," said the Rev. William Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, at a rally. "It's a vision of justice in which all American families are valued. We say that the Beloved Community must have room for all of us."
UUA members, who have historically been vocal advocates of progressive social justice causes, voted to oppose initiatives in Florida and California that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. California began allowing same-sex marriages on June 17.
Immigrant rights also took center stage during the five-day meeting that ended Sunday (June 29). The assembly voted to join the Alliance for Fair Food, which promotes "socially responsible" food purchasing, and endorsed the efforts of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a Florida-based advocacy group whose work focuses on improving the conditions of undocumented immigrant farmworkers.
The UUA held a "Community Witness Event" in Fort Lauderdale to raise awareness of the conditions facing predominantly immigrant farm workers. The event also focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.
"We claim our identity as border-crossers," Sinkford said. "We refuse to allow justice to be viewed as divisible. In this nation of religious, racial, sexual and ethnic pluralism, we know that our differences can be blessings, not curses."
In addition to the resolutions supporting immigrant and gay rights, the assembly passed resolutions advocating a higher minimum wage, alternative energy sources and a single-payer national health care system, as well as opposing military engagement with Iran.
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