Read the stories of other supporters below and consider submitting your own.
Connie Ryan Terrell, Executive Director of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, shares her story of why she, as an ally, works for marriage equal
ity.
I can't even explain how excited I am to have the Faithful Voices project and this website launched. It is a tangible sign that Faithful Voices has "arrived" and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa is well down the long road as a critical partner in creating marriage equality for all couples in our state, regardless of sexual orientation.
Two pieces of the marriage equality puzzle are clear to those of us working daily to demand equal access to the rights and responsibilities of marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Iowa. The first piece is that progressive faith communities and people of faith have to be very active and vocal in their support. There has to be a strong public voice of faith to balance the opponents whose only argument is based in their religious perspective, not equality or civil law. The balancing progressive voice of faith must be compelled to act and speak out as a result of their faith and sense of justice, but not demanding its particular religious view be written into the law. There is a difference.
Which brings me to the second piece of the puzzle --- telling our stories. Gay, lesbian, straight. Christian, Jewish, Unitarian, searching. Whatever your perspective and life experience, stories make it real. Stories connect people. Stories incite compassion and provoke a passion for justice. So here is my story.
I am told I'm a sixth generation "Disciple" from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. It is a small, mainline denomination that is as diverse as any other tradition. There are strong conservatives, especially in the South, and very progressive folks scattered throughout the country.
I am also a PK (preacher's kid); actually, I am a double PK as both my parents are ordained ministers. I grew up with all the privileges assigned by society to the children of clergy. However, I also grew up with a strong sense of responsibility and social justice influenced deeply by my parents and my many faithful mentors. All who not only told me about our collective responsibility to make a difference, but clearly modeled their convictions through their actions.
I am compelled to be part of this struggle by my very faith and a strong sense of what is right. It is not because I am gay and have been excluded. It is not because I have a close family member who is bi-sexual and watch their agony because they can't marry their same gender partner. It is simply a calling I feel to play a role in "righting" what is wrong in our society.
It is also for my many friends who are gay, lesbian and bisexual. I know their stories. As a friend, I share their pain. No one has the right to tell another person they are "less than". No one has the right to tell a family they are not "equal to". Not me, not conservative Christians, and certainly not our system of law.
And, I have said this before; I am also compelled to do this work to make our society better for my children and their children and for all the generations now and beyond. We must hold our civil laws and our lawmakers to a high standard of justice and fairness and our children must witness our determination to make their future better.
The time has come. As people of faith and goodwill, we must stand up and speak out. No significant changes in civil rights law have ever happened in our society without the strength of the progressive faith community leading the way. And marriage equality is certainly no exception.
Will you join me in this fight? As a person of faith, I urge you to raise your Faithful Voice in the public square and say, "Yes, to equality!"
- Connie
Share Your Story
We are collecting stories from Iowans of faith about marriage equality. Story telling has a sacred place in communities of faith and telling personal stories has been shown to be the most effective way to change hearts and minds for equality. In these traditions, stories submitted will be used to educate, inspire and help make marriage equality a reality in Iowa.
Please share your story with us and, if possible, upload a photo of yourself or your family. Due to space restrictions, not all stories will be posted to the website. Stories may be used in other Faithful Voices activities.
What do I write?
When writing your story, consider the following questions:
- How have I and my family been impacted by marriage inequality in Iowa? Concrete examples are encouraged.
- Why do/did I want to get married?
- What compels me to support marriage equality?
- What am I (or my faith community) doing to make marriage equality a reality?
Tip
You might find it easiest to write and edit your story in a document and then cut and paste it into the story box below.
Full contact information is required so we may, as needed, confirm stories with the submitter.
