From: UfmccHq@aol.com Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 16:31:03 EDT Subject: IMMEDIATE RELEASE: GAY WEDDING DEMONSTRATION MOVED TO LINCOLN MEMORIAL NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Maaza Mengiste Communications Director, UFMCC (310) 360-8640, Ext. 226 mmengiste@ufmcchq.com http://www.ufmcc.com GAY WEDDING DEMONSTRATION TO TAKE PLACE AT LINCOLN MEMORIAL WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA- April 7, 2000 -- The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is very proud to announce that due to the overwhelming response to "The Wedding: Now More Than Ever", a public demonstration and non-sectarian blessing in celebration of same-sex marriage, the location for "The Wedding" has been changed to the stunning Lincoln Memorial. "The Wedding: Now More Than Ever" will be one of the major highlights of the Millennium March on Washington, which will be held April 29 - 30, 2000 in Washington, DC. The March will be the fourth national GLBT civil rights march to promote equal rights for all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. The March will also be one of the first human rights marches of the new millennium. Rev. Troy D. Perry conducted "The Wedding" for 2600 couples at the 1993 March on Washington. That event currently stands as the largest same-sex wedding demonstration and celebration in history. This year, almost 800 couples from 41 states, including Canada and Puerto Rico, have pre-registered for "The Wedding", a record high with numbers escalating every day. On-site registration is also available. "The Wedding: Now More Than Ever" will take place on Saturday, April 29 at 10:45 a.m. For a $25 registration fee, couples’ names will be registered in a permanent historical archive of "The Wedding: Now More Than Ever" and a limited edition, personalized certificate of participation suitable for framing will be prepared. There is no charge for those who wish to participate without registering for the archive and certificate. To register for The Wedding online, go to http:/ /www.ufmcc.com. Speakers at "The Wedding" will include The Rev. Jimmy Creech, a former ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. One of the GLBT community’s staunchest allies, he was stripped of his ordination credentials in 1999, following his second church trial for charges stemming from Creech’s blessing of a same-gender holy union ceremony. Rev. Creech will attend with his wife, Chris Weedy, and their daughter. Rabbi Jane Litman of San Francisco will be speaking on the recent announcement by the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the rabbinical arm of Reform Judaism, that their members are free to officiate at same-sex unions. Tony, an Australian citizen, and Richard, an American, will share their story about their difficulties with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services. They are seeking Permanent Residency for Tony and are struggling with the immigration laws that deny gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. Also at "The Wedding" will be winners of the search for two same-sex couples who have been together the longest: Rev. Ralph Lasher and Harry Gibson, a gay couple from of Houston, Texas (45 years); and Flo Gibbons and Bobby Sherwin, a lesbian couple from Venice, Florida and Toronto, Canada (42 years). The Lesbian and Gay Bands Of America (L.G.B.A.), the national musical organization comprised of concert and marching bands from cities across America, will supply the romantic and inspirational music before and during the ceremony and demonstration. L.G.B.A. formed in 1982 and has grown from seven independent bands to 22 bands dedicated to making political statements through music. Rev. Troy D. Perry states, "It will be an honor for members of the gay community and their allies to stand before the Lincoln Memorial, this great American symbol of freedom, and demand equal rights for LGBT persons. There is no better place this could happen. God is continually working on our behalf and we are seeing results." He adds, "I look forward to seeing all of you at the Millennium March on Washington, April 29-30, 2000 in Washington, DC as we stand together to demand from our government all our civil rights. I look forward to standing at the beautiful Lincoln Memorial and seeing my brothers and sisters united in a common cause. Please join me in this historic moment. Together, we can make things happen." For more information on the March on Washington for Equality, visit our web site at www.ufmcc.com.