A group of Catholics on Wednesday
gathered outside St. Mary's Cathedral in Portland to speak out
against a proposed ballot initiative similar to Arizona's recently
vetoed SB1062.
Oregon Family Council, the Christian
conservative group that spearheaded the 2004 campaign that led to
passage of the state's constitutional amendment limiting marriage to
heterosexual unions, is pursuing a referendum which would allow
individuals and businesses to refuse participating in or supporting
same-sex unions, including marriages, civil unions or domestic
partnerships.
Members of Catholic
Oregonians for Marriage Equality attended Ash Wednesday Mass at
the cathedral adorned in violet, the liturgical color for the season
of Lent, and marriage equality buttons.
“Poll after poll show Catholics
support marriage equality even more than the general public does, and
our faith calls on us to treat others as one would hope to be
treated,” said the group's Jackie Yerby. “We love our church,
and our faith tells us that nobody should be singled out for unfair
treatment because of who they are, which is why we're particularly
concerned about this discrimination measure. Freedom means freedom
for everyone.”
According to The
Los Angeles Times, Portland Archbishop Alexander K. Sample
informed his staff last month that the Archdiocese of Portland and
the Baker Diocese would join the coalition of groups working to
derail a campaign to repeal the state's marriage ban.
“[I]t is my intention to commit the
energies of the Church to help defeat this initiative and to uphold
the uniqueness and sanctity of marriage between one man and one
woman,” Sample wrote.
However, voters may not get a chance to
decide the issue. After Oregon's attorney general announced last
month that she would not defend the state's ban on same-sex marriage
in court, Oregon United for Marriage suspended its campaign to put
the issue on the November ballot.
(Related: Oregon
gay marriage group suspends ballot campaign.)