On Tuesday October 9th at 11:45pm, Spokane faith leaders will be gathering to speak in support of approving Referendum 74, which will extend the freedom to marry to committed gay and lesbian couples. This gathering will be held at the Spokane Convention Center Plaza, on Spokane Falls Boulevard. The event will feature the Reverend Happy Watkins as a keynote speaker.
“We are doing this event because as people of conscience we must show Spokane that many members of the Faith Community support the freedom to marry,” says Reverend Rodkey.
This gathering is prompted, in part, by meeting a in Spokane this week in opposition to the freedom to marry. If passed, Referendum 74 will increase religious liberty by allowing ministers and churches that choose to perform marriages for all committed couples, including same-sex couples, to do so.
The gathering will feature faith leaders from multiple backgrounds, denominations and traditions including: Reverend Andy CastroLang from Westminster United Church of Christ, Reverend Paul Rodkey from Bethany Presbyterian, Reverend Todd Eklof from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane and Reverend Happy Watkins from New Hope Baptist. The four keynote speakers will be joined by many other area clergy members and people of faith in support of the freedom to marry.
“We plan to have a very peaceful, yet powerful, gathering to reflect on and profess the connection of our deepest values to allowing committed, loving couples the freedom to marry which in turn calls us to unite and approve referendum 74,” states Reverend Eklof.
Approve R-74 Spokane is a group of individuals and progressive organizations working for the passage of R-74 on November 6.