Home Feature More groups join demonstration against Prop 8 leaders at U of St. Thomas

More groups join demonstration against Prop 8 leaders at U of St. Thomas

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While the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis brings in a pair of leaders in the Prop 8 movement to rescind marriage rights for California’s same-sex couples, more LGBT and allied groups have signed on to hold a demonstration outside a lecture by the duo on Saturday morning.

Archbishop John Neinstedt has invited Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage and Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, an author of Prop 8, to talk against same-sex marriage on Saturday.

Currently, eight groups will demonstrate for equality including: All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church, the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities, Dignity Twin Cities, The Institute for Welcoming Resources of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, OutFront Minnesota, and Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual.

From a press release by OutFront Minnesota:

Rebecca Voelkel, Program Director of The Institute for Welcoming Resources of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force said, “I call on leaders of NOM to tell the truth—the truth is, marriage will be a stronger institution when everyone has the right to marry the person they love.”

“Along with Maggie Gallagher and Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, instigators of California’s Proposition 8, are coming to the University of Saint Thomas to bring their campaign of discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people to Minnesota,” said OutFront Minnesota Executive Director Amy Johnson. “Fair-minded Minnesotans who agree that all families should be protected under law are speaking out.”

Michael Bayly, Executive Coordinator of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities said, “We ask Archbishop Nienstedt to join us in speaking out against discrimination of any kind. Polls show that Catholics in the pew support equality of GLBT people more than any other Christian tradition. Historic Catholic teachings value both faith and reason. We value human rights, but our Catholic officials ignore these values when it comes to the lives of GLBT people. It is time for Catholic officials to support justice and fairness for all people.”

The demonstration will be held in front of the University of St. Thomas on Saturday, April 17th, at 9:15 a.m. at Cretin and Summit Avenue.