Myths and Facts about Marriage Equality
As we continue to work for equal rights for same-sex couples — a cause that suffered a setback in California with the passage of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage — here are some facts to combat fictions in wide circulation about what marriage equality looked like in California in the months that it was in effect.
MYTH #1: Churches in California will be forced to perform same-sex marriages, even if they don’t want to.
FACT: No church will ever have to perform any marriage it disapproves of. That’s protected in the First Amendment of the US Constitution and will never change.
MYTH #2: County clerks can pick and choose which marriages they officiate.
FACT: Unlike religious leaders, county clerks are civic officials who are required to administer the law without discriminating. A civil marriage isn’t a religious ceremony — it’s a legal contract. County clerks need to perform their official government duties.
MYTH #3: The Supreme Court shouldn’t have done this!
FACT: The state Constitution requires equality under the law for all Californian, and the justices on the Court had an obligation to stand up for that principle. Throughout American history, courts have stood up for those who couldn’t defend their rights any other way. Those decisions were often unpopular, but now we look back on them proudly.
MYTH #4: This is bad for marriage.
FACT: This is great for marriage! When two people love each other and want to make a lifelong commitment to care for and be responsible for each other, they should be able to get married. Starting today, marriage will be stronger, not weaker. Stopping some people from getting married doesn’t help anyone’s marriage — it only hurts those who are discriminated against and their families.
As the fight for marriage equality continues, no doubt we’ll see more misrepresentations and half-truths from anti-gay organizations. We’ll be working with our allies to be sure the truth is told.
