“We” were those gathered outside to  voice our opposition to the meeting taking place within. “Their” purpose was to change Minnesota’s constitution to state that marriage is only to be allowed between one man and one woman; an agenda clearly designed as a slap in the face to any gay persons who would dare to aspire to equal treatment under the law with straight married couples. Later most inside signed a pledge to push this agenda in their churches in order to have it made the law of the land in Minnesota.

The “outsiders” consider ourselves Christians and want the world to know that not all Christians agree with what would be the consequences of such a constitutional change in our state: continued discrimination and deepened bigotry toward gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons.

There is a wide divide between us and those gathered in the church, who are mostly pastors and priests. They believe that persons in the GBLT community are so by choice and are sinners, proof of which is in the Bible. St. Paul, one of their sources, was a neat guy, but he had some weird ideas, too: women should cover their heads and never try to teach a man, for instance.

Protesters gathered in Eden Prairie this morning believe there is no such thing as choice about one’s sexuality; that we are all humans and as such children of God. We invoke Jesus’ more powerful imperative: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Beyond that, the outsiders say, we are all citizens, all Americans with a Constitution that grants every one of us life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. . . . except GBLT’s it seems. If Minnesota passes a ban on same sex marriage this fundamental right will be not only violated, but condoned and affirmed as gospel, we believe.

We listen as speakers, including a couple who are members of Rainbow Parents, a lawyer, a Catholic priest and a retired Lutheran bishop and other clergy, outline why it is un-Christian and un-American to deny GLBT persons the right to marry anyone of their choice. Finally, we hear a former Viking player, a huge hulk of a guy, tell of the anguish he suffered believing as he did when he was young that he was a sinner because of who he discovered he was, a gay man. Then he sang in his rich, beautiful voice, “Jesus loves me this I know ‘cause the Bible tells me so.”

We begin to leave just as the sun comes up and starts to warm our numb feet and hands, and our hearts, too. It feels good to have stood with one another for what we believe is a matter of justice, a matter of love. At St. Joan’s we sing this song:

and

Jo Welch-Youngren worked with Harvey Egan in the early days of St. Joan of Arc. At that time she, Cy and Joan Speltz, Nancy Anderson, Darlene Arbuckle, Ferry Deslauriers, and John McGowan made up the staff. We all pitched in and did everything that needed doing and had a ball every day. Jo’s first husband, Jack Welch, was buried from St. Joan’s in 1980. Later she married Dave Youngren, moved to New Mexico, then returned to her roots. Now she and Dave sit on the left side center at the 9:00 o’clock Mass on Sundays and love every minute of it. Jo can be reached at joandave@ties2.net.

When?  When will the "we's" and "they's" of the world begin to welcome each other as brothers and sisters? I wonder. When will we as a people learn to love one another and in so doing begin to walk with God? When?

9 year NFL veteran Esera Tuaolo spoke and sang for the protest crowd.