Opinion piece Approve Ref 71

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/10/29/referendum-71-get-past-hatred-and-support-families

Referendum 71 — Get past hatred and support families

BY THE REV. JANE NEWALL 
FOR THE YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC 

A vote to approve Referendum 71 is a vote to keep the domestic partnership law in place. This law provides legal protections for lesbian and gay couples and for heterosexual couples where one partner is age 62 or older. This law allows for older people to gain legal benefits without jeopardizing Social Security or other economic benefits that would be adversely affected by marriage.

Under the domestic partnership bill passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, registered couples are able to take unpaid leave to care for a critically ill loved one without being fired. Couples are able to cover a partner in family health insurance. It assures that pension and death benefits protect children if one parent dies. It allows for death benefits for the partners of gay and lesbian firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty.

Approving Referendum 71 ensures that important protections are not taken away from committed couples so that they are able to take care of each other, especially in times of crisis.

What truly confounds me is the hatred in the hearts of people who would gather signatures to overturn other people’s long-sought-after civil rights. Many gay and lesbian people feel we are treated like objects, an issue, an agenda, something to galvanize the far right, the scapegoats of the last decade. We are not an issue. We are people and we take this level of attack personally.

As a minister, I find it very troubling that the anti-gay movement uses religion to support discrimination. Some churches have been leading the hatred. Did these churches forget that Jesus came for all people? Did these churches forget that there are over 39 different types of families and living situations in the Bible, of which heterosexual marriage is just one? Perhaps they forgot that many of Jesus’ ancestors were in same-sex relationships? Do not use religion to justify your hatred. How can you love a God whom you have not seen when you hate your brothers and sisters whom you have seen?

I am thankful that the Washington Association of Churches approves of Referendum 71, as do a number of denominations.

Gay and lesbian people pay the same taxes; their families should be entitled to the same legal and financial protections, rights and responsibilities as any other family. Gay and lesbian couples have children. In Washington state, domestic partnerships are an important way for children of gay and lesbian couples to have the legal rights that children of married couples take for granted.

My partner, Debbie, and I have four children. We want to provide for and protect them, just like all parents do. We have had to spend a lot of money hiring attorneys to give our family the same legal protections that married couples have. With a domestic partnership, the expense of legal protection drops dramatically.

The far right seems to think that by not legally recognizing same-sex relationships, they do not exist. The truth is, legally recognized or not, love between two people is always a radical act. Love is always a blessing. Our relationships survive and it is our love for one another and our families that are our true strength.

When you vote to approve Referendum 71, you are supporting your neighbors, co-workers and vital members of your community.

Approving Referendum 71 will greatly benefit many families, both straight and gay, in Washington state, including mine. We must approve Referendum 71 to secure protections for all Washington families.

* The Rev. Jane Newall is founder of Yakima’s Rainbow Cathedral Metropolitan Community Church.

The Window is here

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/10/26/easy-does-it

 

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/10/26/easy-does-it

 

Halloween Dance

Halloween Dance has been canceled due to lack of DJ and other considerations.

Soory to disappoint.  We are working on other social events in the future.

Crop Walk

Yakima’s 21st Annual Crop Walk will be Sunday Oct 11 at 2:00 Pm starting at La Casa Hogar, 106 S 6th St.. This will be Rainbow Cathedral’s 3rd year participating in the 5k walk. Money raised will go to Church World Services and La Casa Hogar. Join us in walking or support those who are using the following link:

http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/TR/CropWalks/General?px=1015764&pg=personal&fr_id=4393

Sunday School

Sunday School is being offered the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. The Seasons of the Spirit, a progressive Christian Curriculum, is geared for children 5 to 10 years old. Please join us.

Approve Referendum 71

Referendum 71, a referendum on Washington States Domestic partnership Law, will be on the ballot this year. To support domestic partnerships, vote Approve on the ballot. Visit www.wafst.org for more information.
A fundraiser for Approve 71 will be held in Yakima Friday October Ninth at 7:30 PM in the main sanctuary of the Unitarian Church, 225 N 2nd St. It will be a fun evening with entertainment and guest speakers. Free to the public.

More info about the event:

Charlene Strong, Commissioner with the Washington State Human Rights Commission is scheduled to be the guest speaker at a special “Approve 71 Free Concert” to be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Yakima, 225 N. 2^nd Street, Yakima, Friday, October 9, 2009 at 7:30 p.m..  This event is in support of Referendum 71 (the expansion of domestic partnership rights under House Bill 5688).  Commissioner Strong’s story is both compelling and touching and has been the subject of a documentary entitled “for my wife” –.a universal story about love, dignity and fighting for what is right – something that anyone, gay or straight, can relate to.  Commissioner Strong testified to the State Legislature during debate of House Bill 5688, a Bill that subsequently passed during the 2009 legislative session with strong bi-partisan support including that of Senator Curtis King and Representative Norm Johnson, both Yakima Republicans.  Referendum 71 has been endorsed by more than 200 organizations around the state of Washington, including major employers like Boeing and Microsoft.  This event is FREE and will include musical performances by Yakima’s own Okemah Fruit Tramps, singer/keyboardist Rob Sherwood, and “west side” singer Kelly Wright.  Refreshments will be served during a short intermission and donations will be accepted to support the Campaign to Approve Referendum 7.  If you have any questions about this event, please call 509-901-0868 or email rgs1958@hotmail.com.  For more information on the campaign, please visit www.approvereferendum71.org

Rainbow Cathedral Retreat – Stained Glass window

Rainbow Cathedral is planning  a two part retreat in the fall to design at stained glass window for our church.  We are working with the Grunewald Guild, www.artfaith.com, to vision with us and help us design a piece of art that allows us to show who God created us to be in a way that other’s can experience that too.

Fall dates will be Sunday Sept 20 from 2:00 to 5:00 PM in Yakima and October 22-25 in Leavensworth.

If you are interested in helping underwrite the cost of the window, please email therevjane @ juno.com for more information of how you can help.  Donations of $200 or more will afford you to donate in memory or in honor of someone and have that pers0n’s name on a plaque on  the window.  We have space for two more donors as of Aug 21.

Sandwich Sunday

Join us at 12 noon Sunday Pct 4 to make Sandwiches for the homeless. Unity Church 401 S 8th Ave.

Pride Night Essencia

Friday August 21

 8:00 til midnight

Essencia Bakery

4 Nth 3rd St Yakima

16 and over

 

Essencia usually host Pride Night the 3rd Friday of the month.  This post is updated when we get confirmation of their next date.

It looks like Ref 71 will be on the Nov ballot in WA State

Here is some of the latest news sent out Friday July 31 by Washington Families Standing together.  Voters will be asked to accept the domestic partnership laws passed by the state this year.  To accept domestic partnerships, Voters will have to vote YES to APROVE Ref. 71.  We will be mobilizing in Yakima and announcing local meeting dates soon.  Email therevjane @ juno.com – no spaces, if you want local Yakima info.  Here is the general info, for more check out www.wafst.org

 

The Secretary of State’s office said Thursday it had completed a raw count of the voter signatures that were submitted by sponsors of Referendum 71. The initial number they announced was 137,689 – 14 percent more than the minimum needed to be placed on the November ballot. Several measures over recent years have qualified with a lower error rate, so whether Referendum 71 will qualify is still uncertain. Secretary of State staff began verifying the signatures today, a process that could take several weeks.  We will continue to have an observation team there every day.

  We need your help now to prepare for what may be ahead. November 3rd is only 90 days away so we can’t sit and wait for the signature verification process to be finished. We are moving forward with outreach across the state to voters, letting them know there are domestic partners and their families in every county of the state who will be hurt if this law and the more than 250 protections it provides are repealed.

 

We must communicate with voters to explain that referenda require an APPROVE vote in order to retain a law.  If Referendum 71 is on the ballot in November, we’ll be voting to APPROVE the domestic partnership law.  Those trying to repeal the law will be voting to reject it.

Decline to Sign Ref. 71

Hate-filled people are circulating petitions in Washington State to over turn Washington’s domestic partnership that provides legal protections for same-sex couples as well as seniors. The people gathering signatures are in serious need of prayer. If the love of God was in their hearts, they would not be able to put time and effort into signature signing and gathering for Ref. 71. If you know of people who have signed Ref 71, send us their names and we will pray for them.   It is time to out the bigots.

If you would like to support domestic partnerships in Washington, visit www.wafst.org – Washington Families Standing Together

Join Us for a Church Picnic

Friday July 24 from 5 PM until dusk.  Join us at Randle Park in t Yakima, the 48th Ave entrance down by the creek.  Bring some food to share, bug spray