Unity Fellowship Church

Bishop Zachary Jones spoke briefly before the Brooklyn Community Board 6 at the Park Slope Methodist Church at a Public Forum on Governor’s Program Bill #22R introduced by Governor Eliot Spitzer. They invited members of the public, elected officials, civic and faith-based organizations, and marriage activists to speak and give testimony.

The Bill would provide same-sex couples the same opportunity to enter into civil marriages as opposite-sex couples, and provides that no member of the clergy may be compelled to perform any marriage ceremony.

Bishop spoke from his heart as a father of an adopted son and how the law would affect him personally. He shared how the law impacts the many couples he counsels and marries, especially those with children and this law is most important for the protection of our children.

He spoke about how when rights are granted to some and not others, it creates a spiritual imbalance in society and as a society, the imbalance needs to be corrected. The law would correct it.

UFCNYC really showed up and out.

Many congregants from Unity Fellowship gave “testimony” at the forum. Deb McKeever shared how her domestic partner can get insurance through her job but what many people do not know is that she is taxed on it as income – in effect, paying for it.

Others who are federal, state or city workers talked about pensions at risk. Another shared fighting for hospital visitation rights granted easily to legally married spouses and how we are not considered “immediate family”. Also how much harder a Domestic Partnership is to get than a Marriage License.

The strongest voice was from the smallest body, a pre-teen son of lesbian moms. He shared how his family was diverse, but he was not different. He’s just an ordinary neighborhood kid with all the same feelings and experiences as the kids with heterosexual parents. With one difference, his moms don’t have the same legal rights.

His talk was well developed and presented beautifully with humor and skill. He quoted Thomas Jeffferson and compared the fight for rights of the LGBT community to those of slaves and women in the past. It was clear there was a seat on the committee waiting when this bright child grows up.

As I gathered outside with UFCNYC members I felt so proud to be there, to show up for my community, my church, and especially for myself and MY rights as a Lesbian.

Learn More at Marriage Equality NY