LANSING — As the Tuesday Supreme Court hearings neared, anti-gay activists vehemently opposed to marriage equality were ramping up in preparation for any ruling which would allow same-sex marriage to become the law of the land.
As the noon hour rolled out Monday afternoon, Darwin Jiles Jr., the ethnic vice chair of the Michigan Republican Party, called a small gathering of 16 anti-gay activists to order for a prayer vigil against marriage. Jiles, who has been convicted of several violent gun crimes according to reporter Chad Selweski, said during the rally that acknowledging and legalizing marriage for same-sex couples would violate the "Christian" values on which the country was founded.
Jiles and supporters opined that such a move would violate the Constitution and their right to vote. Their concerns are part of a massive push back against same-sex marriage, one which long-time activist James Toy told Between The Lines is not unexpected.
"That decision will also bring about a backlash, and I'm sure we'll try to counter it as best we can," he said.
"The danger will continue to be present," he continued. "It is certainly conceivable in more 'conservative' communities and neighborhoods that that danger may well increase. That's my guess, that's not my prediction."
One of those examples of backlash was already underway. Only hours after the U.S. Supreme Court finished hearing oral arguments on marriage, the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Republican Sen. Rick Jones of Grand Ledge, held hearings at the Capitol on legislation to protect so-called religious freedoms. The hearing took testimony on SB 0004, the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act," which would allow people to deny service to others based on "sincerely held religious beliefs." Similar legislation has been the subject of national debate and outrage when taken up in places like Indiana and Arkansas. In fact, Arkansas's governor vetoed similar legislation. Indiana's Republican Gov. Mike Pence, however, signed the legislation into law. But following days of backlash from business leaders and the nation, he demanded the state legislature amend the new law to prohibit its use in defense of discrimination against LGBT people. Gov. Rick Snyder has told lawmakers he will veto MiRFRA if it is passed without amending the state's civil rights act to include the LGBT community.
Indeed, in the wake of previous high profile marriage battles in the U.S., there have been spikes in reported violence against the LGBT community.
And while none of the opponents of marriage equality are calling for violence, national advocates have adopted the rhetoric of "resistance." James Dobson has said a favorable ruling could lead to "civil war," reports Brian Tashman of Right Wing Watch in a piece published last week on RawStory.com.
And others are calling for supporters to ignore the ruling, he reported.
"Mat Staver, chairman of the conservative legal advocacy group Liberty Counsel, has likened a potential pro-equality Supreme Court ruling to the infamous Dred Scott decision and urged people to defy such a ruling just as they would 'if the government forced you turn over a Jew in Nazi Germany,'" Tashman reported. "Staver, who has warned about the prospect of 'forced homosexuality' and repeatedly compared gays to terrorists, insists that the Supreme Court could spark a new Civil Rights Movement, this time to oppose gay rights."
Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan and a sitting state representative from Midland, has also encouraged supporters to ignore the ruling if it is adverse to marriage opponents.
This all comes as a Gallup poll released just before the Supreme Court hearings found nearly 2 million Americans are living in a same-sex relationship — about 780,000 of whom are married, the LA Times reported.
While anti-gay activists are preparing for a conflict, faith leaders are preparing for marriage equality. As Jiles and his group prayed at the Capitol building, over 60 clergy met at Edgewood United Church of Christ in East Lansing to prepare for a positive ruling from the Supreme Court.
"A number of couples within this community have been together 20 or 30 years without any sort of recognition," said Rev. Michael Cooper. "In some instances this will be a very standard wedding without any differences. In other cases, there are a number of things we have to deal with that you don't normally run into. For instance, in a homosexual marriage, one person may be transgender. There's a number of situations that are special in this community and we want to honor those special circumstances in the best way and the most faithful way possible."
On Monday night, supporters of marriage equality rallied at the Capitol, in the same place anti-gay activists rallied only hours earlier. About 125 people were in attendance for the candlelight vigil. There LGBT movement leaders reminded supporters that marriage was a step towards equality but much work remained to be done.
"And I hope, in between all this celebration — and there's going to be a lot to celebrate about — we also keep in mind we need to channel some of the energy we have towards marriage equality towards other things that need to be done on behalf of the LGBT community," Jay Kaplan, staff attorney at the ACLU of Michigan LGBT Project, told the rally attendees. "We need civil rights protections and we need to lift up all members of our community to make sure they're treated fairly, in particular our transgender community. So there's more work to be done."
