While Representative Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) believes that the freedom to marry should be restricted to one man and one woman at a time, she was willing to allow straights and everybody else to get civil unioned, though only straight folk could marry.
Since this is the one of the few known cases of Franson approving of a union, Bluestem concedes that it was progress of a sort, but she and the other civil union supporters lost the argument.
With marriage equality coming on August 1, the local Congregational church in Alexandria will likely begin to solemnize same-sex marriages. The Alexandria Echo Press reports in Contrary constituents: Some Alexandrians support gay marriage:
Political representatives in the Alexandria area say their constituents do not support the gay marriage bill that was signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton on Tuesday afternoon. Many, however, are celebrating the decision.
Within minutes of the bill passing in the Senate, Pastor Scott Keehn of Alexandria received a text message from a couple in his congregation asking him to perform their ceremony. He accepted.
“All this really does is expand the definition of marriage to include loving couples who had been excluded,” Keehn said. “It’s about granting civil and social rights.”
The church council will still have to approve same-sex weddings, but Keene believes that it will do so. The article notes:
. . .The First Congregational United Church of Christ has an “open and affirming” process, meaning it accommodates for all people to be able to worship.“I think this will be a good thing for the Alexandria community,” Keehn said. “Our government made the right choice in this matter.”
. . .Pastor Keehn is a member of the Inclusion Network (IN) in Alexandria, an organization that educates the community about differences and promotes the value of diversity. Steph Alexander will be speaking on the transgender experience at Foundation Hall in Alexandria on June 19. For more information, visit www.inclusionnetwork.org.
Photo: Rainbow wedding cake.
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