Quarterly Meeting Interest Group: Marriage Equality Initiatives

Marriage Equality Initiatives:
How are Friends Led?

North Pacific Yearly Meeting has long supported marriage equality for same-sex couples. In 2012 the WA State legislature passed and Governor Gregoire signed marriage equality legislation. Signatures are being gathered now for an initiative to overturn this legislation. The initiative likely will be on the ballot in November 2012.

Are Friends led to participate in campaigns to oppose this initiative?

What support would Friends with such leadings like?

Is there anything the Friends Committee for WA Public Policy, our faith-based lobby group, might do to participate in campaigns to uphold marriage equality or to support individual Friends with strong leadings about this topic?


Above is the description for an interest group I will lead at our upcoming quarterly meeting. I hope the interest group will offer Friends of all orientations who feel strongly that marriage equality is important a place to connect and discern together about upcoming campaigns.

In the Seattle area even the Catholic church is discouraging people from gathering signatures at morning worship. Campaigns locally in support of marriage equality are likely to be big and well-funded. However, opposition is likely to come from part of the faith community, particularly a number of large megachurches and some ethnic congregations of various sizes. How might Friends speak as people of faith to others’ different faith perspectives?

Perhaps much of the campaigns for and against will go on via talk radio and social media. Friends willing to pay attention in those "spaces" might make a difference wherever they are. How are Friends led?

Possible actions:

• Moral support for each other, especially if Friends from a small community are led to work on the issue among their neighbors / in their community.

• Posting on our website our longstanding position and links to organizations that are working on the initiative along with a summary of FCWPP discernment.

• Interest Groups at Annual Session and Fall Quarterly Meeting

• ????

How are Friends led? If you are interested in this topic but cannot come to Quarterly Meeting, please leave a comment to ask for more information.