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With Minnesota voters being asked to vote on a Constitutional amendment that would marriage between one man and one woman. Richfield Patch is telling stories from a local perspective—both for and against the measure.On Election Day 2012, voters are charged with a very important task. Not only will they be casting their vote for local, state and national races for government office, but also in favor or opposition of a constitutional amendment regarding marriage in the state of Minnesota. If passed, the state's Constitution would be amended to state that marriage is only between one man and one woman, reflecting current state law. Voting "yes" on the ballot measure means you do support the changing of the Constitution. Voting "no" means you do not support the change. Patch asked readers to share why they …
On Election Day 2012, voters are charged with a very important task. Not only will they be casting their vote for local, state and national races for government office, but also in favor or opposition of a constitutional amendment regarding marriage in the state of Minnesota. If passed, the state's Constitution would be amended to state that marriage is only between one man and one woman, reflecting current state law. Voting "yes" on the ballot measure means you do support the changing of the Constitution. Voting "no" means you do not support the change. Patch asked readers to share why they …
According to a new poll commissioned by the Star-Tribune, support and opposition to the marriage amendment is essentially tied. The amendment would write a prohibition on legal recognition of same-sex marriages into the state constitution, reflecting current law. Of 800 likely Minnesota voters, 48 percent told the Minnesota Poll's questioners that they would be voting to pass the amendment and 47 percent said they opposed the measure; five percent said they were still undecided. The poll was conducted between Oct. 23 and Oct. 25, and respondents were reached using both cell phones and …
With less than a month to go before Minnesotans vote on a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman, Richfield Lutheran churches remain divided over the amendment, their support or opposition split firmly along denominational lines. While the city’s four Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) churches are—as a result of a vote taken by the larger ELCA Minneapolis synod last February—officially opposed to the amendment, churches that are part of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) are supporting it. In Richfield both Berea Lutheran Church…
Those vying for spots in the Minnesota House and Senate as Richfield representatives were asked for their views on the proposed marriage amendment during a candidate forum Sept. 29. And while all agreed the government should not be involved in legislating on moral or social issues such as marriage, views differed. And, well, some didn’t exactly answer the question. Senate District 50 Melissa Halvorson-Wiklund (D) Does not support. Wiklund said she felt it was inappropriate for state legislators to put the amendment on the ballot. Vern Wilcox (R) Does support. Wilcox said he didn’t see …
As previously reported by Richfield Patch, Richfield's John Gamoke appeared in the latest television ad from Minnesotans United for All Families, an organization opposing the proposed marriage amendment. The video is now online and can be seen above. To watch the video, click the "play" button above. Follow Richfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter
Richfield's John Gamoke will appear in the latest television ad from opponents of the anti-gay marriage amendment. In the ad, Gamoke says his marriage of 22 years is the most important thing in his life, and asks, “Who am I to deny that to anybody?," according to an Associated Press article run on Minnesota's CBSlocal.com and a handful of other news outlets. A spokeswoman for Minnesotans United for All Families reportedly said Gamoke is an actor, howerver, he's speaking about his real marriage. The new ad starts Thursday on Twin Cities and Duluth television stations, in tandem with another ad…
The Richfield Human Rights Commission took a stand against the proposed voter photo ID and anti-gay marriage constitutional amendments last week by unanimously passing resolutions opposing the measures. The mission of the commission is to support equality for all Richfield residents. And, not surprisingly, members adamantly believe the amendments deny people of equal rights. According to a commission press release, the proposed amendments discriminate against a certain class of people, not only denying equal rights, but also equal freedoms, opportunities, respect, dignity and legal protection…
As the last 100 days before Election Day wind down, groups opposing the Minnesota marriage amendment are gearing up. The amendment would write a ban on same-sex marriage into Minnesota's Constitution, reflecting a law currently on the books in the state and making it harder for future legislatures to legalize same-sex marriage. Thursday, the activist group Freedom To Marry launched the first of several television ads that will run in Minnesota over the next several weeks. It shows a Duluth couple walking through a forested park and sitting on a bench, reminiscing about their 59 years of …
For nearly eight years, Kathy Luebbe and Rev. Dr. Robyn Provis have been making a life together—and spoiling their miniature, black and white dog, Oreo. The couple moved to Richfield from different states—Robyn from Missouri and Kathy from Ohio—about six months after meeting online. Within six months of arriving, they found a home, secured jobs and tied the knot in Toronto, Canada. Robyn, a pastor at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis, said Kathy, a music teacher at Richfield Dual Language School, was the first to make a move. “I didn’t want to date within my church,” …
With an amendment that would define marriage between one man and one woman on the ballot this November, the firefight of what is right, wrong or acceptable when it comes to marriage has really amped up. Richfield Patch recently sat down with Richfield couple Kathy Luebbe and Rev. Dr. Robyn Provis to learn about their story, their journeys to being openly gay and their views on the amendment. As part of the clergy, Provis provided many insights into how she views homosexuality and gay marriage in relation to religion. *** Richfield Patch: Many of those who oppose gay marriage and also hold the…
More than 30,000 people have now joined a campaign on Change.org asking Richfield-based Best Buy to oppose the anti-gay marriage amendment on the ballot in Minnesota this November. The number has risen from 15,000 just one month ago. The campaign was started by a recent University of Minnesota Law School graduate, Andrew Korando, following Target Corporation's public statement against the amendment. General Mills followed suit in mid-June. Both companies statements essentially said the amendment would be bad for business and the state's economy. “Best Buy’s silence on this discriminatory …
More than 20,000 people have now joined a campaign on Change.org asking Richfield-based Best Buy to oppose the anti-gay marriage amendment on the ballot in Minnesota this November. The number has risen from 15,000 just two weeks ago. The campaign was started by a recent University of Minnesota Law school graduate, Andrew Korando, following Target Corporation's public statement against the amendment. Last Thursday, General Mills also spoke out against the measure. “Best Buy is increasingly alienating itself from other Minnesota-based companies that recognize the importance of fairness and …
The Rev. Tom Eklo of Richfield’s St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, after voicing his opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment that define marriage as between one man and one woman in Minnesota, went even further recently, saying he’d like to get out of the marriage business altogether. “I don’t think clergy should be doing marriages," he said. "We’re basically puppets of the state in that regard." According to Eklo the state is responsible for marrying individuals—and because marriage is thus a civil, rather than religious contract—religious organizations, of any denomination, should …
More than 15,000 people have joined a campaign on Change.org asking that Best Buy speak out against the anti-gay marriage amendment that will be on the ballot this November. The amendment would change the Minnesota Constitution to state marriage is only between one man and one woman. According to a press release, Andrew Korando, a recent University of Minnesota Law School graduate, started the campaign following Target Corporation's recent statement in opposition to the amendment. “Opposing this amendment is not simply the right thing to do, but as a local institution, it is also in Best Buy’…
Prior to the November 2012 general election, when Minnesotans will have the opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, three Catholic churches in Richfield recently affirmed that they will be following the lead of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul, urging members and others to vote yes on the anti-gay marriage amendment. While spokespeople for both St. Richard’s Catholic Church and Assumption Catholic Church referred inquiries about the issue directly to the office of the Archdiocese, Ann Garland, a business …
With Minnesota voters charged with voting for or against a Constitutional amendment that would define marriage between one man and one woman, President Obama's Minnesota campaign released a statement opposing the measure Monday, according to an MPR News article. "While the President does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the record is clear that the President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples," Kristen Sosanie, spokeswoman for the Obama for America—Minnesota campaign, said in the statement. "That's …
With the vote over a divisive 2012 ballot measure—one that would amend the Minnesota Constitution by explicitly defining marriage as a union between a man and woman—now less than a year away, civic groups, professional lobbying organizations and, yes, churches across the state are marshaling their members’ energies, hoping to sway Minnesota voters towards passage or defeat of the amendment. As efforts on both sides of the issue gain momentum and a variety of faith groups weigh in, the leaders of Richfield’s Southview Baptist Church reported that, despite the church’s strong feelings about the…
Although 14 months remain before Minnesota voters decide the fate of a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman, division over the issue of gay marriage has already taken root in many faith communities, including the United Methodist Church (UMC) community in Richfield. Division over what does or should constitute marriage are confronting the UMC’s clergy and parishioners in and around Richfield, and the divide is reflective of larger conflicts within the United Methodist Church in Minnesota. Richfield United Methodist Church Headed by the Rev. …
