Meet in the Middle: Clergy Speaks at Gay Marriage Rally

President of the CA chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (founded by MLK) - Reverend Eric Lee.

"We continue that fight today until marriage equality is a right for all people."

There are people of all faiths here today standing together against Prop 8.  There are 15 religipu leaders onstage behind Rev Lee, a self proclaimed straight man fighting for gay righta.

"No faith or religious belief has the right to forcibly impose its beliefs on the citizens of this state - it's wrong and it needs to stop."

"Marriage Equality should never be framed within a religious context - it is a civil right because the state issues the license."

"Of all these Christian marriages that occur, 50% end in divorce.  When a couple divorces, is it the church that makes the decision, or the state?"

"The state enforces the civil rights of divorce - therefore they should enforce the civil rights of marriage."

He gets "emails like you would not believe", but he replies calmly with logical arguments.

About the relation of the gay rights moement with the civil rights movement:

"Today I walked 15 miles.  It reminded me of a march called Bloody Sunday, marching from Selma to Montgomery - 51 miles.  The pain that is in my feet, my knees, in my back, is nothing compared to the pain of the discrimination and injustice that you are going through now.  So I'll walk 15 miles, and another 15 miles, and another 15 miles, until we have marriage equality.  They have it wrong - you cannot deny rights a group of people have to another people and clal it just."

"It darn near killed me today - I'm gonna lead the march next time."  :::laughter:::

"On that journey today, when I was tired, I couldn't give up - what I could do was put one foot in front of another, and each step brought me closer.  Until at one point I saw the finish line... we keep putting one foot in front of the other until we reach marriage equality.  Thank you and God Bless.":