LAKE COUNTY — Now that gay marriage is deemed legal in the state of California, Lake County couples are lining up to get licenses, which should be available by June 17.
According to county clerk Pam Cochrane, the office has received “half a dozen inquiries.”
“That”s not a lot, but I anticipate many in the future. We”ll be ready. We”re doing whatever we can to implement it as soon as we get the final approval ? the court will determine if and when counties can begin issuing same-gender marriage licenses,” Cochrane said.
She said the county clerk”s office currently supplies gay couples with legal domestic partnership forms, but does not track how many are issued per year.
The new forms will be in the mail soon from the Secretary of State”s office.
“They won”t say bride and groom anymore. It will be a blank generic form that can be used whether male or female,” Cochrane said.
Of the 30 religious denominations in the county, most with several churches, equaling a total of about 80 denominational and non-denominational churches in the county, only a handful do or plan to offer gay marriage ceremonies.
One pastor at the Church of Christ said the “answer is in Roman”s chapter 1,” in the Bible as to why the church does not allow gay marriage.
Pastor Yeshelle Sparks of the Heart of the Savior Sanctuary said that chapter as well as references in Corinthians and other places in the Bible state that it is a sin to be gay.
“It is not biblical. And it”s not that we don”t love gay people ? we don”t agree with the lifestyle. I have gay friends, but they know I don”t agree with how they live,” Sparks said.
She said furthermore, most Christians believe that “if we just allow them to sit there in churches without telling them, their blood is on our hands, because we didn”t warn them.”
“We don”t hate anybody, but we have an obligation to God to go by his word. I have to stay true to that or I”m not staying true to God,” Sparks said.
Bonnie Graas and partner Sal L”Hommedieu, both non-denominational reverends from Kelseyville, have not conducted any gay marriage ceremonies, but are willing to.
“Any two consenting adults have the right to get married ? I think gay people have the right to marry just like anyone else, so I have no problem doing that [officiating at a gay marriage],” Graas said.
Some churches in the county go against church law to condone gay marriage and relationships.
“I”m happy to do that,” Reverend Doctor Rick Schlosser of the Clearlake United Methodist Church said. “Because I think it”s an issue of fairness and compassion ? a basic human right that everyone should have.”
He said the church is committing “Ecclesiastical civil disobedience,” by condoning gay relationships.
He has married approximately 25 gay couples in Sacramento, but has not yet married a couple in Lake County.
Reverend Ruth Canady at the same church said, “I never have done a gay marriage ceremony, but I probably would do it. I feel that gay marriage should be part of our society. I don”t think that we should discriminate against people on the basis of race or gender.”
Reverend Patricia Haller of Unity Church in Lower Lake said, “The association of Unity churches honors all walks of life, all beliefs, all religions that honor a loving God. Because of our belief and with the new California state law, Unity is very definitely open to performing the marriage ceremonies for any loving couple.”
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com.
