Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing

The article, New Jersey UUs Bring Faithful Witness to Struggle for Marriage Equality, is currently featured on the home page of the UUA website. It acknowledges the work of UUs across our state, with the strong support of UU clergy and organized by the UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey, for marriage equality. UUCWC’s Rev. Charles Stephens, a longtime advocate for marriage euqality, was a steady presence during this period.

The legislation that would have brought marriage equality to New Jersey was defeated in the Senate on January 7. But the struggle for marriage equality is not over, with advocates vowing to take the issue to the courts.

UULMNJ Director Julia Hamilton said after the Senate defeat, “It is not easy, this road to justice. But then again, “easy” is not what we were promised. In fact, we were not promised anything. We are the ones who have made promises, a covenant with one another that we will not give up, that we will be here for as long as it takes. It is a commitment that I do not take lightly, and every time we have the chance to stand on the side of love, every time we show up and make good on that covenant, we move one step closer to the beloved community that we are building together, right here and now. Today was one of those steps—not the last one, but an important one.” (Her full statement is posted on the Standing on the Side of Love blog.)