IT'S TIME TO PROTECT MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania's House of Representatives has passed House Bill 1800, an important step toward ensuring that our Commonwealth's marriage statutes reflect the dignity and equality of all people. This bill updates Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to replace outdated language that once defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, language that was already overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, and formally removes the provision that declared same-sex marriages from other states void in Pennsylvania.
This is a moment worth celebrating! See how your representative voted here. We are grateful to every House member who voted in favor. If your representative was among them, please take a moment to send them a note of thanks. This really does make a difference! (Find your lawmakers and their contact information here.)
Now HB 1800 moves on to the Pennsylvania Senate. As Lutherans, we are called to love our neighbors and to stand for the dignity of every person made in God's image. Outdated statutes that single out LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians for exclusion have no place in the Commonwealth we are called to help build.
“ELCA social teaching supports human rights for all people, regardless of their sex (biological), gender, or sexuality. This stance is rooted in respect and welcome for all people as created in the image of God and evident in the ELCA’s longstanding commitment to protecting civil and human rights” (Faith, Sexism, and Justice: A Call to Action, 2019).
Tell your senators it's time to support marriage equality. Use our form below, which will take you to an editable message on the next page. Ask them to support HB 1800, which protects Pennsylvania's right to marriage equality.
Please include a personal note or a story. Even if your lawmakers have voted for similar legislation in the past (You can look it up here), ask them to keep working to find a legislative path forward for these protections.
Want to join fellow Lutherans working for protections for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians? Send us a note here and include FAIRNESS in the subject line. You can also join our In God's Image Network Facebook Page for up-to-date notices and resource sharing!
Thank you for your advocacy!
