In 1999 The Freedom to Marry Coalition's top priority is defeating the DOMA bill currently pending in the Massachusetts legislature. We will use this opportunity to educate all people about the importance of family in all our lives and to dispel the myths which have prevented a rational discussion of the marriage issue in previous years. But in order to defeat DOMA in the legislature and educate the public, we'll need your help. Legal marriage is a civil contract established through a license issued by state governments in the United States of America. Legal marriage, more commonly referred to as civil marriage, is a contract between two individuals and the state, which is recognized socially, legally and politically at all levels of society.
Civil marriage has no impact on a religious organization's autonomy.
It is therefore important to differentiate between civil marriage and religious marriage. We will use the term married to refer to persons who have entered into a legally recognized civil marriage. No clergy member of faith tradition can be forced to perform or recognize a civil marriage. However the refusal of a clergy member or faith tradition to perform or recognize a marriage has no impact on the ability of a couple to enjoy the legal rights of their civil marriage. They also have other related publications .