Amicus Curiae Brief — Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colo. Civil Rights Comm'n, 138 S. Ct. 419 (2017) (No. 16-111)

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| FILED

No. 16-111

Supreme Court of th Hts SE

MASTERPIECE CAKESHOP, LTD., ef al.,

Petitioners,

COLORADO CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION, et al.,

Respondents.

_—

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO

THE COLORADO COURT OF APPEALS

BRIEF FOR AMICI CURIAE THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF

AMERICAN RABBIS; THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE OF

THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST; THE RECONSTRUCTIONIST

RABBINICAL ASSOCIATION; THE UNION FOR REFORM

JUDAISM; UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION;

COVENANT NETWORK OF PRESBYTERIANS; FRIENDS FOR

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER

CONCERNS; METHODIST FEDERATION FOR SOCIAL ACTION;

MORE LIGHT PRESBYTERIANS; MUSLIMS FOR PROGRESSIVE

VALUES; THE OPEN AND AFFIRMING COALITION OF THE

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST; RECONCILING MINISTRIES

NETWORK; RECONCILINGWORKS: LUTHERANS FOR FULL

PARTICIPATION; RELIGIOUS INSTITUTE, INC.; WOMEN OF

REFORM JUDAISM; AND NEARLY 1,300 INDIVIDUAL

FAITH LEADERS IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS

JEFFREY S. TRACHTMAN KRAMER LEVIN NAFTALIS

Counsel of Record & FRANKEL LLP

NORMAN C. SIMON 1177 Avenue of the Americas

JASON M. MOFF New York, New York 10036

KURT M. DENK (212) 715-9100

EviE SPANOS jtrachtman@kramerlevin.com

TIMUR TUSIRAY

Attorneys for Amici Curiae

—_ eee

2 Sees 2 Mena

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

ENE SIE FREs CE TEE TEM esi iinnnccasasenessecsiccccesi 11]

INTERESTS OF AMICI CURIAE........................ ]

INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF

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I. Consistent With Fundamental

Constitutional Values, A Wide Cross-

Section Of American Religious

Traditions Recognizes The Dignity Of

LGBT Persons And Their Relationships ...... )

A. The Premise Of Human Dignity

Can And Should Inform This

ne ie a Er nuide ivcus nasaein 9

B. The Inherent Dignity Of LGBT

Individuals Informs The Theology

Of Many Among Our Nation’s

Religious Community. ...........ccccsecssecceeees 12

C. A Vast Spectrum Of American Faith

Groups And Religious Observers Have

Long Affirmed Same-Sex Couples’

Relationships, Including By Supporting

If Not Solemnizing Their Marriages ...... 15

Il. Diverse Faith Groups And Religious

Observers Affirm LGBT Persons’ Place

Oe Mo stata lo ck cabde cee rodoommenadeesive 17

1

PAGE

Ill. Affirmance Will Not Undermine

Fundamental Rights Of Religious Belief

Be I Gccadiincabchdtvaraeapsnatsucvetoterscdssdeta 21

A. Affirmance Will Not Interfere With

The Exercise Of Core Freedoms To

Believe And Teach Religious Principles

Concerning Sexuality And Marriage,

Or To Set Parameters For Religiously

Sanctioned Marriage That May Differ

From Those Established Under

Bie s a TELE ite SS 22

B. Affirmance Will Not Impermissibly

Burden Petitioners’ Free Exercise

SII ioicon id cies bwaliSetisnbudiacsaGlanevesuclaishpavexeennation 25

APPENDIX A: STATEMENTS OF

INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE.................. la

ill

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

PAGE(S)

Cases

Brown v. Plata,

ee Do inc cons rensendensvenaaurndeess 10

Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.,

as i SE MIE cd cdiccacckovessdsccnsctsntsadicncs 3

Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc.

v. City of Hialeah,

ee as: IIIT cence venscacsivancctcsensnes 6, 30, 31

Duncan v. Kahanamoku,

ee Bs Se oo ccintactactvnccnccssatessenanesis 9

Emp’t Div., Dep’t of Human Res.

of Oregon v. Smith,

Cg OE ee eee passim

Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States,

er es EE CID ctitndcnndevecancssvanetears 9, 10, 34

Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran

Church & Sch. v. EEOC,

Se ES BE CEE evckntcnccavescaccnvcdeecds 5, 22, 32

Larson v. Valente,

RS I oe cpenincdvigv cur ens cusensustonnise 8

Lawrence v. Texas,

I ls IED <c.cccccnakscccndsniconcsussdeses 10, 11

Loving v. Virginia,

ne eo ooo bein pen duutendudtinboesenmuedin 23

Maynard v. Hill,

a Bee ID ois). <dancacsadcsscuesucsnnsceneeuce=s 8

iv

PAGE(S)

McDaniel v. Paty,

ost § | o. |. eres 25

Newman v. Piggie Park Enters., Inc.,

256 F. Supp. 941 (D.S.C. 1966) .....0....000..c0008- 33

Newman v. Piggie Park Enters., Inc.,

Se i I a in ncnacuinsntceveppenteneacccuvennsnta 32

Obergefell v. Hodges,

is I OD ois nstnscscccoccosscccsscns passim

Planned Parenthood of Southeastern

Pennsylvania v. Casey,

ee I oir vvcdcnecinsesscisnddesesavavcentas 10

Presbyterian Church in U.S. v. Mary Elizabeth

Blue Hull Memorial Presbyterian Church,

ee ee i Be I Sicikesecicnch «succresavadesetcavensses 25

Roper v. Simmons,

ee ee ID nos scrnnnn penaosueaweismnenseneuahn 10

Sherbert v. Verner,

Se ee i I sic cndeccienscnsipniscnvedaceasceannns 25

Skinner v. Railway Labor Executives’ Association,

ee na venanddededdanveouabnentenies 10

Torcaso v. Watkins,

ee ED oo ws cn nunctessinhvewesbinaiepiee 25

United States v. Ballard,

I nod cn ores niches ae nirenicaveensnendeee 25

United States v. Lee,

a on cicw hau conan buianetsanseyaniens 33

Wisconsin v. Yoder,

EE ee EEE eeeccanninrsseseensnastinesentasesceibe 27

PAGE(S)

Constitutional Provisions

U.S. Constitution, First Amendment......... passim

U.S. Constitution, Eighth Amendment.............. 10

Statutes

2008 Colo. Legis. Serv. Ch. 341 ..............sescscesees 24

CCHPEe TER FAS GE ROG on ccvscsccicccsccccecesesccesss 10, 34

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-601(1)

(Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act) ...... passim

Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993....... 20

Other Authorities

11th Churchwide Assembly, Evangelical

Lutheran Church in America, Human

Sexuality: Gift and Trust (Aug. 19, 2009),

http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20

Resource%20Repository/SexualitySS.pdf...... 16

Affirmation United Methodists for Lesbian,

Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer

Concerns, Affirmation Affirms Election

of First Gay Bishop (July 30, 2016),

http://www.umaffirm.org/site/current-

events/24-latest-news/140-affirmation-

affirms-election-of-first-gay-bishop.htm|...... 13

v1

PAGE(S)

Central Conference of American Rabbis,

Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on

Homosexuality and the Rabbinate of

the Central Conference of American

Rabbis Annual Convention (1990),

http://borngay.procon.org/sourcefiles/

CUA. FEORRGGGIUBIIET GE oicii ices scccsdccensorcescss 13

Central Conference of American Rabbis,

Resolution on State Religious Freedom

Restoration Acts (May 6, 2015)..................... 20

Colorado Springs Monthly Meeting Minute

(Dec. 8, 1991), Friends for Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer

Concerns, Collected Marriage Minutes,

http://flgbtqce.quaker.org/minutes.htm]......... 17

Betsy Cooper, et al., Beyond Same-sex

Marriage: Attitudes on LGBT

Nondiscrimination Laws and Religious

Exemptions from the 2015 American

Values Atlas, Public Religion Research

Institute (Feb. 18, 2016), https://www.prri.

org/research/poll-same-sex-gay-marriage-

lgbt-nondiscrimination-religious-liberty/...... 18

Daniel P. Cox, et al., Majority of Americans

Oppose Transgender Bathroom Restrictions,

Public Religion Research Institute

(Mar. 10, 2017), https://www.prri.org/

research/lgbt-transgender-bathroom-

discrimination-religious-liberty/................... 15

vil

PAGE(S)

Daniel P. Cox, et al., Most Americans

Oppose Restricting Rights for LGBT

People, Public Religion Research Institute

(Sept. 14, 2017), https://www.prri.org/

research/poll-wedding-vendors-refusing-

service-same-sex-couples-transgender-

a cecunsesineiodnatses 18, 19

The Deseret News, Interracial Marriage

Discouraged, June 17, 1978.................cceceeee 23

Alexis de Tocqueville, 2 Democracy in

America (1840) (J.P. Mayer ed. (1969),

George Lawrence trans. (1966), First

Harper Perennial Modern Classics (2006)).... 2

Elizabeth A. Eaton, Letter as Presiding

Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran

Church in America (June 30, 2015),

http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20

Resource%20Repository/Letter_on_

Supreme_Court_Decision.pdf?_ga=

1.178451175.279518488.1472961181............ 17

Robert P. Jones, Attitudes on Same-sex

Marriage by Religious Affiliation and

Denominational Family, Public Religion

Research Institute (Apr. 22, 2015),

http://www.prri.org/spotlight/attitudes-

on-same-sex-marriage-by-religious-

affiliation-and-denominational-family/.......... 7

vill

PAGE(S)

Robert P. Jones, Daniel Cox & Elizabeth

Cook, Public Religion Research Institute,

Generations at Odds: The Millennial

Generation and the Future of Gay and

Lesbian Rights (Aug. 29, 2011),

http://publicreligion.org/site/wp-

content/uploads/2011/09/PRRI-Report-

on-Millennials-Religion-Gay-and-Lesbian-

ISIE nis uc tivhstncedicistsuntebesasdanoenes

Journal of the 78th General Convention

of The Episcopal Church, Resolutions

2015-A036 (New York: General Convention

2015), http://www.episcopalarchives.org/

cgi-bin/acts/acts_resolution.pl?resolution=

Ad «sn cancebipendintnadsbaaaanabbnmadenieves

Journal of the 78th General Convention

of The Episcopal Church, Resolutions

2015-A054 (New York: General Convention

2015), http://www.episcopalarchives.org/

cgi-bin/acts/acts_resolution.pl?resolution=

SE i cnccncnsescodiaccsnetecesninepncetdandasnietes

Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism,

Conservative View on Intermarriage

(Mar. 7, 1995), http://www.mazorguide.

com/living/Denominations/conservative-

SD oi ticcccediecanssccckckanecscnénanteniss

Sierra Mannie, Simons Says: HB 1523

‘Is About Bigotry,’ Jackson Free Press

(July 6, 2016), http://www.jacksonfree

press.com/news/2016/jul/06/simons-

says-hb-1523-about-bigotry/ ....................c066

ix

PAGE(S)

Anthony Moujaes, UCC social justice

advocates keep watch on ‘religious

freedom’, United Church of Christ

(Apr. 12, 2016), http://www.ucc.org/

news_ucc_social_justice_advocates_

keep_watch_on_religious_freedom_

SE reccdettncinseveduneideumadaaenha ia cpibcidensa 20

Muslims for Progressive Values, Who We

Are, http://www.mpvusa.org/who-we-

are/, MPV Principles, http://www.mpv

usa.org/mpv-principles (last visited

Ss Ts SEE TTI sdc'xde ceiednesduapmnetdaabidabtenddaseese sede 12

New York Times, Lesbian Rabbi Is to Become

President of Reform Group (Mar. 15, 2015),

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/16/us/

lesbian-rabbi-is-to-become-president-of-

PN ii ciate 13

Open and Affirming Coalition United Church

of Christ: UCC Actions, Resolution: Calling

on United Church of Christ Congregations to

Declare Themselves Open and Affirming

(1985), http://www.ucccoalition.org/

about/history/ucc-actions/ ..................c0ceeeeeees 13

Michael J. Perry, Religion in Politics,

29 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 729 (1996)................... 8

Pew Research Center, America’s Changing

Religious Landscape (May 12, 2015),

http://www.pewforum.org/files/2015/05/

RLS-08-26-full-report.pdf ................ccccccceeeeees 7

PAGE(S)

Pew Research Center, Reports analyzing

and highlighting findings in the U.S.

Religious Landscape Survey, U.S. Public

Becoming Less Religious (Nov. 3 2015),

http://www.pewforum.org/files/2015/

11/201.11.03_RLS_II_full_report.pdf............. 7

Rabbinical Assembly, Press Release,

Conservative Movement Affirms Rights

of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming

People (June 2, 2016), http://www.rabbinical

assembly.org/story/conservative-movement-

affirms-rights-transgender-and-gender-

non-conforming-people .............cccccseeeeeeeeeeeees 12

Rabbinical Assembly, Resolution In Support

Of Equal Rights And Inclusion For Gay,

Lesbian, Bisexual, And Transgender

(GLBT) Persons (Apr. 6, 2011),

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/

story/resolution-support-equal-rights-

and-inclusion-gay-lesbian-bisexual-and-

ER EER REESE Bre a lp seme eno ee 11

Reconciling Works: Lutherans for Full

Participation, Georgia Clergy Unite

To Oppose Religious Refusal Bills

(Jan. 14, 2015), https://www.reconciling

works.org/georgia-clergy-unite-to-oppose-

III ioc cen eeuptchseedbetnenneten 20

Michael Rosen, Dignity: Its History and

SI ae IES ena eS eed eee 10

xl

PAGE(S)

Rt. Rev. Brian R. Seage, Statement as

Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of

Mississippi, HB 1523 Press Release

033116 — In Light of Senate Passage, The

Episcopal Church in Miss. (Mar. 31, 2016),

http://www.dioms.org/dfc/newsdetail_

IED ccansadsdunkiddidwedauninananipendenitniadonasevens 19

Pamela A. Smoot, Race Relations, How Do

Baptists Treat Their Brothers and Sisters?,

History Speaks, To Hard Questions

Baptists Ask (2009), http://www.baptist

history.org/smootracerelations.pdf ................ 8

Union for Reform Judaism: Resolutions,

Gay and Lesbian Jews (1989),

http://www.urj.org/what-we-believe/

resolutions/gay-and-lesbian-jews.................. 13

United States Conference Of Catholic Bishops,

Compendium — Catechism Of The Catholic

SE I cintcvscusepainacsodepensiiegsctsushinbuoren 23

INTERESTS OF AMICI CURIAE'

Amici curiae (“Amici”) comprise a broad range of

religious stakeholders (including approximately 1,300

individual clergy and faith leaders) who represent

traditions rooted in centuries of American history and

who affirm religious liberty, human dignity, and

equal rights.2, Amici come from faiths that have

addressed social and religious questions affecting

lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (“LGBT”)

people and their families in different ways over time.

But Amici unite in believing it is both morally wrong

and not constitutionally required to permit blanket

discrimination in the public marketplace for goods

and services based on the personal religious beliefs of

merchants with respect to same-sex couples’ rights

and relationships. Amici believe that, to the

contrary, public accommodation laws should be

applied on the basis of religiously neutral principles

of equal protection under the law.

INTRODUCTION AND

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

Over a century and a half ago, Alexis de

Tocqueville reflected on religion’s central role in the

birth of the English colonies in America and its

“peculiar power” in the cultural life of the United

States. He simultaneously identified a necessary

1 _ All parties have consented to the filing of this amicus

curiae brief. No counsel for a party authored this brief in whole

or in part, and no person or entity besides undersigned Amici

and their counsel made a monetary contribution intended to

fund the preparation or submission of this brief.

2 Appendix A states the interests of each of the

institutional Amici and lists all individual Amici.

2

corollary at the heart of religious freedom: “In

America religion has, if one may put it so, defined its

own limits. There the structure of religious life has

remained entirely distinct from the political

organization. It has therefore been easy to change

ancient laws without shaking the foundations of

ancient beliefs.”

Tocqueville may have been overly sanguine about

the ease of change, but his basic premise remains

strikingly relevant in the face of attempts in this case

to posit a false dichotomy between “LGBT consumers

[and] . . . people of faith.” Pet. Br. at 41.4 The

dichotomy is false, among other reasons, because our

legal system distinguishes between the ironclad

protections provided to religion in its own sphere and

the different balances that society strikes in laws

regulating interactions in the public marketplace.

Amici favoring reversal seek to blur this crucial

distinction built into our constitutional system, but

the values they purport to espouse do not require this

3 Alexis de Tocqueville, 2 Democracy in America 432

(1840) (J.P. Mayer ed. (1969), George Lawrence trans. (1966),

First Harper Perennial Modern Classics (2006)) (paragraph

break omitted).

4 See also, e.g., Brief of Amicus Curiae of the Becket Fund

for Religious Liberty in Support of Petitioners (“Becket Br.”) at |

(evincing concern affirmance would affect “conscience rights of

... religious people”); Brief of Christian Legal Society, et al., as

Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioners (“CLS Br.”) at 1 (arguing

that “{nJow that the Court has protected the liberty of same-sex

couples, it is equally important to protect the religious liberty of

. deeply religious Americans ... [who] cannot in good

conscience assist with same-sex weddings.”); Brief of North

Carolina Values Coalition and the Family Research Council as

Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioners at 17 (arguing that “[wle

dare not sacrifice priceless American freedoms through ...

government efforts to broaden LGBT rights.”).

3

divisive result. The undersigned Amici also

represent “[rJeligious voices [that] have shaped views

of sexual morality for centuries,”® “do not see their

lives as segmented into ‘secular’ and ‘religious’

compartments,”® and believe, like Petitioners, “that

marriage has a ‘spiritual significance,’ . . . to the point

of being ‘sacred.” Pet. Br. at 21 (quoting Turner v.

Safley, 482 U.S. 78, 96 (1987), and Obergefeli v.

Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584, 2594 (2015)). Amici further

affirm the “premise ... that religion is a very central

element of personal identity,” and that, “for believers,

‘free exercise is essential in preserving their own

dignity,” as Justice Kennedy observed in Burwell v.

Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 2751 (2014).’

But it is precisely their understanding of human

dignity as both a religious value and a feature of this

Court’s equal rights jurisprudence that leads Amici to

view this dispute first and foremost as a

discrimination case, not a religious liberty case.

Personal religious views are entitled to the utmost

respect, but do not provide a license to disregard

neutral civil rights laws that do not directly and

substantially burden actual religious exercise.

The posited dichotomy between LGBT rights and

people of faith is false for a further reason: Within

the diverse panorama of American religious thought,

a large and growing portion of the religious

community welcomes, accepts, and celebrates LGBT

individuals and families and rejects the idea that

they should be subject to discrimination in public

5 NCVC Br. at 27.

6 Brief of Amici Curiae C12 Group, et al., in Support of

Petitioners at 1.

7 CLS Br. at 7-8 (citing Hobby Lobby, 134 S. Ct. at 2785

(Kennedy, J., concurring)).

4

accommodations based on differing religious views

that reject their dignity and equality. As Amici will

show, views embracing LGBT equality are widely

shared by Mainline and Evangelical Protestants,

members of the Religious Society of Friends

(Quakers), Jews of the Reconstructionist, Reform,

and Conservative movements, as well as many

individual Mormons, Muslims, Orthodox Jews, and

Roman Catholics. Consistent with these views, many

leaders among longstanding pillars of the faith

community — including Episcopalians, ‘utherans,

Methodists, Presbyterians, and Unitarians, as well as

the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the

United Church of Christ — have objected to claims for

broad religious exemption from antidiscrimination

law. Any suggestion that “religion” or “people of

faith” as a whole reject LGBT equality is false and,

frankly, insulting to millions of Americans of faith.

Amici accordingly urge the Court to reject

Petitioners’ plea for a First Amendment-premised

exemption from the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act

(“CADA”). Petitioner Jack Phillips has every right to

his religious beliefs concerning marriage and to

lawfully act on those beliefs in his personal and

religious life. But once he held himself out as a baker

marketing wedding cakes to the general public, he

became subject to public accommodation laws like

CADA. If he refused to bake a cake for an interracial

couple on the ground that his religion taught him

that marriages can properly exist only between

persons of the same race, we respectfully submit that

few would give this objection much credence. The

dignitary injury to an interracial couple turned away

from his shop would be obvious and palpable — and

hardly remedied by the offer to sell them cookies or

birthday cakes. So, too, for Respondents Charlie

5

Craig and David Mullins, for whom Phillips refused

to bake a wedding cake because of equivalent

religious objections based on their status as a same-

sex couple.®

Amici reject the argument that enforcement of

Colorado’s civil rights laws constitutes a threat to

religious freedom. To the contrary, evenhanded civil

rights enforcement that declines to give special status

to any one set of religious views is consistent with the

respect for pluralism, fundamental to First Amend-

ment history and jurisprudence, that is the essence of

religious liberty. Affirmance here will not impinge

upon religious doctrine or practice, and religions and

religious people will remain free to determine what

and who satisfies the requisites for practice of their

faith. See Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran

Church & Sch. v. EEOC, 565 U.S. 171, 195 (2012)

(recognizing that certain matters are “strictly

ecclesiastical” and therefore “the church’s alone”

(citation omitted)). This includes defining marriage

within the faith and preserving marriage practices

consistent with those tenets. See Obergefell v.

Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584, 2607 (2015) (affirming right

of religions to define marriage according to principles

of their faith).

Nor will affirmance undercut religious entities’ or

individuals’ core First Amendment freedoms to speak

and practice what they believe. Focusing here on

8 As Respondent Colorado Civil Rights Commission

(“CCRC”) has noted, Phillips told Craig and Mullins that “he

would sell the couple” other baked goods, including “birthday

cakes, shower cakes, ... cookies and brownies,” but further

said, “I just don’t make cakes for same sex weddings.” Brief for

Respondent Colorado Civil Rights Commission at 11 (citing

JA152).

6

Phillips’s purported Free Exercise claim,’ the

commercial conduct regulated by CADA relates only

tangentially, if at all, to actual religious exercise, and

this Court “ha[s] consistently held that the right of

free exercise does not relieve an individual of the

obligation to comply with a valid and neutral law of

general applicability on the ground that the law

proscribes (or prescribes) conduct that his religion

prescribes (or proscribes).”. Empt Div., Dept of

Human Res. of Oregon v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872, 879

(1990) (quotation and citation omitted), overturned on

other grounds by legislative action (Nov. 16, 1993).

The neutral civil rights enforcement in this case does

not target or discriminate against Phillips’s religious

beliefs, like the laws struck down in Church of the

Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah, 508 U.S.

520 (1993) — indeed, it has nothing to do with his

religious beliefs and would apply in exactly the same

way if he refused to sell wedding cakes to same-sex

couples for non-religious reasons. Finally, there is no

limiting principle for the religious exemption Phillips

seeks — as demonstrated by the broader claims of

religious amici favoring reversal, recognizing his

claim would open the door to wholesale evisceration

of civil rights enforcement in the name of religious

“freedom.”

Amici submit that the best way to ensure that all

people retain the First Amendment right to speak,

preach, pray, and practice their religious beliefs with

respect to gender and sexual orientation is by keeping

the State neutral with respect to such beliefs.

9 With respect to Phillips’ free speech and “hybrid” rights

claims, Amici adopt the arguments contained in the brief

submitted on behalf of Respondents Craig and Mullins (“ACLU

Br.”) at 13, 15-50, 55-57.

7

Affirmance in this case will not constitute an attack

on religion or signal a judicial imprimatur on

changing social mores. Rather, affirmance will

recognize that the religious pluralism woven into the

fabric of American law, culture, and society embraces

creative tension, while confirming that all, regardless

of faith, are entitled to equal protection under the

law.

ARGUMENT

America’s religious landscape is vast and diverse. !°

Religious adherents differ on contentious issues,

including intra-denominationally,!! and_ religious

10 Recent data confirms that significant majorities of

Americans believe in God (89%) and have some formal religious

affiliation (76.5%). Pew Research Center, Reports analyzing

and highlighting findings in the U.S. Religious Landscape

Survey, U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious 3 (Nov. 3 2015),

http://www.pewforum.org/files/2015/11/201.11.03_RLS_IT_full_

report.pdf; see also Pew Research Center, America’s Changing

Religious Landscape 4 (May 12, 2015), http://www.pew

forum.org/files/2015/05/RLS-08-26-full-report.pdf. This includes

Americans who are of various Christian denominations, and

Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and others. Jd. In Colorado,

26% of Pew survey respondents identified as being from the

Evangelical Protestant tradition, 15% from Mainline Protestant

traditions, and 16% from the Catholic tradition, with lesser

percentages identifying with a number of other traditions. Jd. at

145.

11 _ Views on marriage rights for same-sex couples are a case

in point. “[A]s opinions... shifted in the general population, so

[did] those of [the] faithful.... A decade ago, the most

supportive religious groups were white mainline Protestants

and Catholics, with 36 percent and 35 percent support,

respectively. [By 2015], major religious groups reside[d] on both

sides of this issue and within many key groups — such as

Catholics — support among rank and file members [came to be]

at odds with official church opposition.” Robert P. Jones,

8

bodies have evolved and disagreed over time on

various civil rights and social issues.!* In view of

that history and the wide range of modern religious

thought on LGBT persons’ dignity and place in civic

life, it would be wrong to permit particular “religious”

or “morally convicted” views on sexual orientation

and marriage to give rise to broad exemptions from

neutral antidiscrimination laws, like CADA, that

apply to everyone. Civil marriage has long been

recognized as a secular institution, Maynard v. Hill,

125 U.S. 190, 210 (1888), and _ longstanding

jurisprudence likewise makes clear that religious

favoritism by government is impermissible, Larson v.

Valente, 456 U.S. 228, 244 (1982) (“The clearest

command of the Establishment Clause is that one

religious denomination cannot be officially preferred

over another.”). Particular religious perspectives on

marriage must not, on the ostensible ground of

“accommodating” religious exercise, be permitted to

recast nonreligious marketplace conduct to deny a

protected class access to everyday incidents of civil

marriage — like wedding cakes — otherwise available

to all. Religious liberty means that all voices may

Attitudes on Same-sex Marriage by Religious Affiliation and

Denominational Family, Public Religion Research Institute

(Apr. 22, 2016), http://www.prri.org/spotlight/attitudes-on-same-

sex-marriage-by-religious-affiliation-and-denominational-family/.

12 For example, the American Baptist Church revised its

earlier belief in church and social segregation by race. Pamela

A. Smoot, Race Relations, How Do Baptists Treat Their Brothers

and Sisters?, Baptist History and Heritage Society: History

Speaks (2009), http://www.baptisthistory.org/smootracerelations.

pdf. A prominent law and religion scholar also has noted that

religions’ shifting views on usury, the dissolubility of marriage,

and slavery reveal “the displacement of a principle or principles

that had been taken as dispositive.” Michael J. Perry, Religion

in Politics, 29 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 729, 772 n.94 (1996).

9

contribute to our national conversation about LGBT

equality. But particular religious perspectives may

not be accorded special privileges or permitted to

undermine the protections afforded by neutral,

generally applicable statutes and regulations.

I. Consistent With Fundamental Constitutional

Values, A Wide Cross-Section Of American

Religious Traditions Recognizes The Dignity

Of LGBT Persons And Their Relationships

Undersigned Amici respectfully submit that the

starting point for any discussion of the treatment of

LGBT persons — as a matter of religious doctrine or

civil law — must be the fundamental dignity that such

persons share with all other members of the human

family. Amici do not thereby argue that their

religious views should be accorded any more weight

under civil law than those of amici supporting

Petitioners. They simply note that this Court’s

constitutional jurisprudence shares this common

touchstone with Amici’s religious teachings.

A. The Premise Of Human Dignity Can And

Should Inform This Court’s Analysis

Justices of this Court began invoking the concept of

human dignity in connection with the movement for

racial justice in the post-World War II era. In

Duncan v. Kahanamoku, 327 U.S. 304 (1946), Justice

Murphy decried racism as having “no place whatever

in our civilization” and as “render|ing] impotent the

ideal of the dignity of the human personality.” Id. at

334 (Murphy, J., concurring). And Heart of Atlanta

Motel, Inc. v. United States, 379 U.S. 241, 250 (1964),

affirmed the premise that denying persons equal

access to a public accommodation constitutes nothing

less than a “deprivation of personal dignity” (internal

10

quotation marks and citation omitted). Justice

Goldberg further emphasized in concurrence that

“(t]he primary purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

... [wa]s the vindication of human dignity.” Jd. at

291 (Goldberg, J., concurring) (emphasis added).

These observations did not occur in an historical

vacuum. As Harvard political philosopher Michael

Rosen has observed, human dignity’s “intrinsic value”

has “played a very important role in the founding

documents of modern human rights discourse.”!%

Consistent with this historical footing, successive

decisions by this Court have been informed at least in

part by a jurisprudence of human dignity. Skinner v.

Railway Labor Executives’ Association, 489 U.S. 602

(1989), acknowledged “[t]he interests in human

dignity” relevant to a Fourth Amendment claim

pertaining to employee privacy rights. Jd. at 644

(internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v.

Casey, 505 U.S. 833 (1992), observed that this Court’s

precedent respects “the most intimate and personal

choices a person may make in a lifetime, choices

central to [the] personal dignity and autonomy”

equally central to liberty. Jd. at 851. Eighth

Amendment decisions also confirm that’ the

Constitution rests upon “broad provisions to secure

individual freedom and preserve human dignity,”

Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551, 578 (2005), and thus

have held that providing prisoners inadequate

medical care “is incompatible with the concept of

human dignity and has no place in civilized society,”

Brown v. Plata, 563 U.S. 493, 511 (2011). Lawrence

v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003), acknowledged “that

13 Michael Rosen, Dignity: Its History and Meaning 61

(2012).

11

adults [who] may choose to enter upon [a same-sex

intimate] relationship ... retain their dignity as free

persons,” id. at 567, and in confirming same-sex

couples’ right to marry, Obergefell, 135 S. Ct. at 2584,

affirmed that fundamental liberties “extend to certain

personal choices central to individual dignity and

autonomy,” and that “[t]here is dignity in the bond

between two men or two women who seek to marry

and in their autonomy to make such profound

choices.” Jd. at 2597, 2599.

Human dignity serves as a point of connection

between the crux of this dispute — namely, prohibited

discrimination by a business open to the public — and

religious perspectives on LGBT persons and same-sex

unions shared by Amici. Professor Rosen’s

aforementioned study notes that “[d]ignity’ appears

frequently in faith-based ethical discourse,” citing the

work of recent Roman Catholic popes and prominent

Protestant theologians while confirming, all the

same, that human dignity is “not the rhetorical

property of any single religion.”'* Indeed, the

Rabbinical Assembly, representing the rabbis of

Conservative Judaism, endorsed LGBT equal rights

in a resolution opening with the words “Great is

human dignity, since it overrides a negative precept

of the Torah.”!5 Rabbi Julie Schonfeld noted in

connection with a June 2016 resolution by the same

group affirming the rights of transgender and gender

non-conforming persons that the “rabbinic tradition

\4 Rosen, supra note 13, at 3.

16 Rabbinical Assembly, Resolution In Support Of Equal

Rights And Inclusion For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, And

Transgender (GLBT) Persons (Apr. 6, 2011) (citing Sanhedrin

19b), https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/resolution-support-

equal-rights-and-inclusion-gay-lesbian-bisexual-and-transgender-

gibt.

12

emphasizes the importance of kvod habriyot, human

dignity.”'® Similar principles inform Islam, as well.'’

Fundamental dignity thus is not just the starting

point for any legal or cultural debate about

discrimination against same-sex couples in the public

marketplace; it is also the core principle shaping

views on LGBT equality of a substantial portion of

the American religious community.

B. The Inherent Dignity Of LGBT Individuals

Informs The Theology Of Many Among

Our Nation’s Religious Community

Religious Americans increasingly affirm that the

dignity of LGBT persons logically and theologically

follows from the premise that all persons have

inherent dignity. Some traditions reflect this

evolution in approving LGBT persons for ministry,'*

16 The Rabbinical Assembly, Press Release, Conservative

Movement Affirms Rights of Transgender and Gender Non-

Conforming People (June 2, 2016), http://www.rabbinicalassembly.

org/story/conservative-movement-affirms-rights-transgender-and-

gender-non-conforming-people.

17 On the basis of the Quranic teaching that “God enjoins

justice, kindness and generosity toward one’s fellow humankind”

(Quran 16:90), Muslims for Progressive Values advocates for “a

future where Islam is understood as a source of dignity, justice,

compassion and love for all humanity and the world,” and

“affirm(s] the equal worth of all human beings, regardless of

race, sex, gender, gender identification, ethnicity, nationality,

creed, sexual orientation, or ability.” Muslims for Progressive

Values, Who We Are, http://www.mpvusa.org/who-we-are/, MPV

Principles, http://www.mpvusa.org/mpv-principles (last visited

Oct. 17, 2017).

18 See Brief of Amici Curiae President of the House of

Deputies of the Episcopal Church, et al., Supporting Petitioners,

Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct 2584 (2015) (“Obergefell

Religious Amici Brief’), notes 17-18 and accompanying text

(describing emergence in various U.S. faith traditions, beginning

13

selecting prominent leaders,’® or in extending

religious blessing and rites to same-sex unions, as

further described below.

Such practices show that religious respect for

LGBT persons — including by “traditional” religions —

is deep, but not new. It was over thirty years ago

that the United Church of Christ, with nearly one

million members today, adopted a_ policy of

membership nondiscrimination regarding sexual

orientation.2° In 1989, the 45th General Assembly for

the Union of Reform Judaism, representing 1.3

million Reform Jews, resolved to “urge [its] member

congregations to welcome gay and lesbian Jews to

membership, as singles, couples, and families.”?!

in late 1970s, of policies and norms governing lesbians and gays

in ministry).

19 For example, the Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto was elected as

the United Methodist Church’s first openly lesbian bishop in

July 2016. Affirmation United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns, Affirmation Affirms

Election of First Gay Bishop (July 30, 2016), http://www.umaffirm.

org/site/current-events/24-latest-news/140-affirmation-affirms-

election-of-first-gay-bishop.html. In March 2015, Rabbi Denise

L. Eger became the first openly LGBT president of Reform

Judaism’s Central Conference of American Rabbis. Lesbian

Rabbi Is to Become President of Reform Group, New York Times

(Mar. 15, 2015), https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/16/us/lesbian-

rabbi-is-to-become-president-of-reform-group.html.

20 Open and Affirming Coalition United Church of Christ:

UCC Actions, Resolution; Calling on United Church of Christ

Congregations to Declare Themselves Open and Affirming

(1985), http://www.ucccoalition.org/about/history/ucc-actions/

(scroll and follow hyperlink for year 1985).

21 Union for Reform Judaism: Resolutions, Gay and

Lesbian Jews (1989), http://www.urj.org/what-we-believe/

resolutions/gay-and-lesbian-jews. Cf. Central Conference of

American Rabbis, Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on

Homosexuality and the Rabbinate of the Central Conference of

14

Many other faiths similarly embrace a theological

belief in the fundamental human dignity of LGBT

Americans. The Episcopal Church, the Evangelical

Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian

Church (U.S.A.), Reconstructionist Judaism, the

Unitarian Universalist Church, the United Methodist

Church, and myriad others adhere to this basic

tenet.22

Religious individuals, too, have demonstrated an

increasingly positive view of LGBT Americans. Four

years before this Court’s Obergefell decision, a Public

Religion Research Institute study found that a

majority of Americans from most major religious

groups had positive moral and theological views of

gay and lesbian people, including 62% of Roman

Catholics, 63% of white Mainline Protestants, and 69%

of non-Christian, religiously affiliated Americans.”

Today, post-Obergefell, same-sex couples’ civil right to

marry “garners majority support among most

religious groups,” registering the support of

“frloughly two-thirds of white mainline Protestants

(66%) and Catholics (68%), and more than eight in

ten (84%) religiously unaffiliated Americans and

members of non-Christian religious traditions

American Rabbis Annual Convention, 262 (1990),

http://borngay.procon.org/sourcefiles/CCAR_ Homosexuality.pdf

(“all Jews are religiously equal regardless of their sexual

orientation”).

22 See Obergefell Religious Amici Brief, notes 8-13 and

accompanying text.

23° Robert P. Jones, Daniel Cox & Elizabeth Cook, Public

Religion Research Institute, Generations at Odds: The

Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian

Rights, 18-20 (Aug. 29, 2011), http://publicreligion.org/site/wp-

content/uploads/2011/09/PRRI-Report-on-Millennials-Religion-

Gay-and-Lesbian-Issues-Survey.pdf.

15

(86%).”24 Such data undermines Petitioners’ broad

contention that neutral] anti _iscrimination legislation

like CADA that protects “LGBT consumers”

endangers the rights of “people of faith.” See Pet. Br.

at 41. Such data suggests that most people of faith

see no conflict between religion and LGBT civil

rights.

C. A Vast Spectrum Of American Faith

Groups And Religious Observers Have

Long Affirmed Same-Sex Couples’

Relationships, Including By Supporting If

Not Solemnizing Their Marriages

Petitioners and certain amici supporting them

suggest that this Court’s Obergefell decision has

undermined traditional religious views of marriage.?®

But in point of fact, many mainstream religious

groups and individuals have long affirmed same-sex

couples’ relationships, their right to civil marriage,

and/or their fitness to enter into religious unions.”6

24 Daniel P. Cox, et al., Majority of Americans Oppose

Transgender Bathroom Restrictions, Public Religion Research

Institute (Mar. 10, 2017), https://www.prri.org/research/lgbt-

transgender-bathroom-discrimination-religious-liberty/.

25 —s See, e.g., Pet. Br. at 36 (arguing that despite Obergefell’s

assurance that freedoms associated with “open and searching

debate” about marriage would endure, the CCRC “undermined

Phillips’s freedom” in that respect “[b]y playing favorites on the

issue of same-sex marriage” (quoting Obergefell, 135 S. Ct. at

2607)); Brief of Amicus Curiae of Concerned Women For

America in Support of Petitioners and Urging Reversal at 22

(discussing Obergefell and arguing that “[t]he animus against

Christians who hold a traditionally Biblical view of marriage

continues to grow under the current political and cultural

pressures we have discussed”).

26 — Recognizing that civil and religious marriage necessarily

are two different things, many religions — including those

16

For example, a number of years ago the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America described

the manner in which same-sex unions are, and are

expected to be, like different-sex unions in several

constitutive dimensions: “[T]he neighbor and

community are best served when same-gender

relationships are lived out with lifelong and

monogamous commitments that are held to the same

rigorous standards, sexual! ethics, and status as

heterosexual marriage. [We] surround such couples

and their lifelong commitments with prayer to live in

ways that glorify God.”27 And more than twenty-five

years ago, Quakers in Colorado ~ the state featured

in this dispute — recognized a “particular need to offer

loving support to those people who share same-sex

relationships” and determined that because “all

people are equal in the sight of God and

committed relationships are founded on a spiritual

bondedness and unity among ourselves and with

God,” it was consistent with the Society of Friends’

“beliefs and testimonies to practice a single standard

as outlined in [their] Faith and Practice for joining

committed relationships under the care of the

represented by Amici here — supported equal civil marriage

rights for same-sex couples well before this Court’s Obergefell

decision, regardless of their religious practices. See Obergefell

Religious Amici Brief, notes 26-38 and accompanying text. Also

prior to Obergefell, majorities of religious individuals from

different communities — including from faiths like Roman

Catholicism that teach marriage should be reserved to different-

sex couples — in many instances favored civil marriage rights for

same-sex couples. See id., notes 41-44 and accompanying text.

27 = See, _e.g., 11th Churchwide Assembly, Evangelical

Lutheran Church in America, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust

at 20 (Aug. 19, 2009), http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource

%20Repository/SexualitySS. pdf.

17

Meeting.”2® These are not isolated examples;

numerous other mainstream American faith

communities came to offer some form of religious

recognition of same-sex unions before Obergefell — in

some cases, decades before. ?9

ll. Diverse Faith Groups And Religious Observers

Affirm LGBT Persons’ Place In Civic Life

Endorsement of LGBT persons’ and married

couples’ dignity extends beyond religious profession

to advocacy for equal treatment in civil society.

28 See Colorado Springs Monthly Meeting Minute (Dec. 8,

1991), Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and

Queer Concerns, Collected Marriage Minutes, http://flgbtac.

quaker.org/minutes.html (last visited Oct. 12, 2017).

29 See Obergefeli Religious Amici Brief, notes 21-25 and

accompanying text (discussing developments in the Episcopal

Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), Unitarian Universalist

Association, and the United Church of Christ, and within

Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Judaism in the

United States). Following Obergefell, the Episcopal Church

amended its canon law to recognize marriage between two

persons, and authorized marriage ceremonies that refer to “the

couple” or “spouses” as well as “husband” or “wife.” Journal of

the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church,

Resolutions 2015-A036 & 2015-A054, at 778-83 (New York:

General Convention 2015), http://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-

bin/acts/acts_resolution.pl?resolution=2015-A036, http://www.

episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/acts/acts_resolution.pl?resolution=

2015-A054. The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran

Church of America afforded individual clergy and congregations

the freedom to determine whether to solemnize same-sex

marriages and to what degree such marriages are recognized.

Letter of Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (June 30, 2015),

http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Lette

r_on_Supreme_Court_Decision.pdf?_ga=1.178451175.279518488

.1472961181.

18

Traditions that run the gamut of American

religious expression oppose allowing small business

owners to deny service to gay or lesbian customers on

religious grounds. This includes roughly two-thirds

or more among Unitarian Universalists (83%), Jewish

Americans (72%), Hispanic Catholics (68%),

Buddhists (68%), black Protestants (67%), Orthodox

Christians (66%), Muslims (65%), and Hindus (64%),

together with 71% of religiously unaffiliated

Americans who oppose religiously based service

refusals of gay or lesbian people. Majority opposition

also exists among Hispanic Protestants (58%), white

Catholics (58%), and white mainline Protestants

(56%), and opposition is roughly split among

Jehovah’s Witnesses (50%) and other non-white

Protestants (48%).3° Similar views apply in the

wedding vendor context. With the exception of white

Protestants, a majority of whom “believe wedding-

based businesses should be allowed to refuse serving

same-sex couples,” the belief “that such businesses

should have to serve same-sex couples” is shared by

significant majorities of Hispanic Catholics (73%),

non-Christian religious groups (64%), black

Protestants (56%), and white Catholics (55%), as well

as religiously unaffiliated Americans (65%).*!

30 Betsy Cooper, et al., Beyond Same-sex Marriage:

Attitudes on LGBT Nondiscrimination Laws and Religious

Exemptions from the 2015 American Values Atlas, Public

Religion Research Institute (Feb. 18, 2016), https://www.prri.

org/research/poll-same-sex-gay-marriage-lgbt-nondiscrimination-

religious-liberty/.

31 = Daniel P. Cox, et al., Most Americans Oppose Restricting

Rights for LGBT People, Public Religion Research Institute

(Sept. 14, 2017), https://www.prri.org/research/poll-wedding-ven

dors-refusing-service-same-sex-couples-transgender- military-ban/.

19

This broad religious support for LGBT

nondiscrimination notably exceeds, within some of

these subgroups, even the significant aggregate

national majority (56%) who “oppose allowing small

business owners in their state to refuse services or

goods to gay and lesbian people if doing so violates

their religious beliefs.”°2 To be sure, polling data

should never determine the scope of individual

liberties. But such evidence does illustrate, contrary

to the suggestion of some amici that LGBT equality

broadly threatens mainstream religion, an emerging

consensus among people of divergent faith beliefs

that enforcing principles of antidiscrimination in the

civic arena is compatible with — or at least does not

endanger — their religious sensibilities and practices.

Indeed, some leaders from unquestionably

“traditional” religious groups deem the embrace of

civil nondiscrimination to be required by foundational

religious tenets. To cite a few examples, the Bishop

of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi opposed state

legislation seen as privileging certain religious views

with respect to LGBT rights, including same-sex

couples’ marriage rights, declaring that the

“baptismal covenant requires that each of us will

respect the dignity of every human being.”*5 Rabbi

Jeremy Simons perceived the same law as being “not

about religion ... [but] about bigotry,” citing the

command appearing dozens of times in the Bible that

“fyjou shall not oppress the stranger, for you were

32d.

33 Statement by the Rt. Rev. Brian R. Seage, Bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, HB 1523 Press Release 033116

— In Light of Senate Passage, The Episcopal Church in Miss.

(Mar. 31, 2016), http://www.dioms.org/dfc/newsdetail_2/3178220.

20

strangers in the land of Egypt.”*4 Religious leader-

ship and advocacy groups have also, over the course

of several years, explicitly opposed interpreting

constitutional doctrines or extending legislative

provisions protecting religious freedom to “enable

religious liberty claims to prevail in a way that would

permit discrimination against protected classes and

other minorities, including but not limited to the

LGBT community.”*

The preceding analysis makes abundantly clear

that a broad and growing swath of American religious

institutions and individuals embrace LGBT persons’

——— rr

34 Sierra Mannie, Simons Says: HB 1523 ‘Is About Bigotry,’

Jackson Free Press (July 6, 2016), http://www.jacksonfree

press.com/news/2016/jul/06/simons-says-hb-1523-about-bigotry/

(internal quotation marks omitted).

35 Central Conference of American Rabbis, Resolution on State

Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (May 6, 2015) (reaffirming

support for federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993

“under the rationale for which it was adopted, namely the

protection of religious liberty,” but opposing enactment of state

RFRA legislation “that would allow businesses and individuals

to claim religious exemptions to discriminate”); see also

Reconciling Works: Lutherans for Full Participation, Georgia

Clergy Unite To Oppose Religious Refusal Bills (Jan. 14, 2015),

https://www.reconcilingworks.org/georgia-clergy-unite-to-oppose-

religious-refusal-bills/ (describing letter by more than 60

religious leaders in Georgia “warning state lawmakers about the

dangerous potential for an increase in discrimination against

people of all backgrounds”); Anthony Moujaes, UCC social

justice advocates keep watch on feligious freedom’, United

Church of Christ (Apr. 12, 2016), http://www.ucc.org/news_

uce_social_justice_advocates_keep_watch_on_religious_freedom_

04122016 (noting UCC human rights advocates’ work in

opposing “almost 200 anti-LGBT bills . . . introduced in 34 states

since January [2016] ... that could be used [as] a means for

businesses” and others to engage in _ religion-based

discrimination against LGBT people ).

21

civil equality. This position, shared by Amici here, is

grounded in an abiding sense that the essential worth

and dignity of all people is not just a guidepost of

theological reflection, but also an ethical precept,

consistent with this Court’s own jurisprudence, that

should inform evenhanded application of civil law.

Certainly there remain contrary views amidst the

rich diversity of American religious thought and

practice. No one view speaks for “religion” — even if,

contrary to the Establishment Clause, it were

appropriate to give weight to religious views in

applying the Constitution’s secular promise of equal

protection. But certainly it is no longer possible, if it

ever were, to claim that neutral and generally

applicable antidiscrimination protections for LGBT

persons in the public marketplace, including with

respect to civil marriage rights, are in and of

themselves offensive to religion.

Ill. Affirmance Will Not Undermine Funda-

mental Rights Of Religious Belief And

Practice

Affirming the decision below upholding the

enforcement action under CADA will not undermine

Petitioners’ fundamental First Amendment freedom

to believe that marriage is “a sacred union between

one man and one woman, [that] represents the

relationship of Jesus Christ and His Church,” Pet. Br.

at 9 (citing JA157-58), and to express that belief in

private or public. Affirmance poses no threat to

religious liberty, either on the facts of this dispute or

in general. To the contrary, reversal would upend

longstanding Free Exercise jurisprudence by granting

Phillips the unilateral right to excuse himself from

generally applicable legal duties having little or

nothing to do with his actual religious exercise. Such

22

a carve-out would have no limiting principle and

could lead to widespread undermining of civil rights

enforcement.

A. Affirmance Will Not Interfere With The

Exercise Of Core Freedoms To Believe

And Teach Religious Principles Concern-

ing Sexuality And Marriage, Or To Set

Parameters For Religiously Sanctioned

Marriage That May Differ From Those

Established Under Civil Law

The statutory scheme that Petitioners challenge

poses no risk to core freedoms to hold, express, and

practice a religious (or nonreligious) understanding of

marriage that is limited to the union of one man and

one woman. However government defines civil

marriage or determines who has a constitutional

right to participate in it, existing constitutional

principles protect the autonomy of religious entities

(or others) to teach their own principles concerning

sexuality and marriage and to preserve practices

pertaining to it that comport with their respective

tenets. See Hosanna-Tabor, 565 U.S. at 195 (affirm-

ing principle that certain “matter[s are] ‘strictly

ecclesiastical,” meaning they are “the church’s alone”)

(citation omitted).

There accordingly is no basis for the concerns

expressed by certain religious amici supporting

Petitioners that “under the reasoning of the ourt

below, [a] state could even force an Orthodox rabbi to

preside at a wedding of two men, or of a Jew and a

non-Jew.”36 This Court made abundantly clear in

Obergefell “that religions, and those who adhere to

36s Brief of Amicus Curiae Agudath Israel of America in

Support of Petitioners at 3.

23

religious doctrines,” may continue to adhere to an

understanding of marriage as limited to different-sex

couples, and that “[t]he First Amendment ensures

that religious organizations and persons are given

proper protection” with respect to practices consistent

with that understanding.*’

It bears repeating that our Constitution’s

longstanding respect for religious autonomy has

permitted various religions to enforce religious sexual

norms or define religious marriage in ways that

would be unenforceable under civil law — e.g.,

prohibiting interfaith marriage, as Conservative

Judaism does;3® declining to recognize the union of

those civilly divorced and remarried, as Roman

Catholicism does;39 or discouraging interracial

marriage, as the Mormon Church did well after this

Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967),

that the Constitution requires states to allow

interracial civil marriages.*°

The existence and persistence of such differences

show why affirmance here will not burden

fundamental religious exercise rights pertaining to

37 The Court also made clear that “(t]he same is true of

those who oppose same-sex marriage for other reasons.”

Obergefell, 135 S. Ct. at 2607.

38 Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism, Conservative

View on Intermarriage (Mar. 7, 1995), http://www.mazorguide.

com/living/Denominations/conservative-intermarriage.htm.

38° «United ~=States Conference Of Catholic Bishops,

Compendium — Catechism Of The Catholic Church, { 349 (2006).

40 See Interracial Marriage Discouraged, The Deseret

News, June 17, 1978, at 4 (“Now, the brethren feel that it is not

the wisest thing to cross racial lines in dating and marrying.”

(quoting President Spencer W. Kimball in a 1965 address to

students at Brigham Young University)).

24

marriage. Post-Obergefell, religions and persons of

faith like Petitioners remain free to define religious

marriage as limited to the union of one man and one

woman and to withhold spiritual blessing from any

marriages, or bar those entering into them from

being congregants at all, just as they have been free

to do so on grounds of faith, race, prior marital status,

deviation from sexual norms, or any other characteristic

deemed religiously significant. Consistent with this

principle, CADA itself provides that a “([pjlace of

public accommodation’ shall not include a church,

synagogue, mosque, or other place that is principally

used for religious purposes.” Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-

601(1); see also 2008 Colo. Legis. Serv. Ch. 341 (S.B.

08~—200) (West) (including same provision in version

of law in effect during time relevant to this case).

Thus, faith groups have complete discretion with

respect to what marriages they will solemnize or

celebrate within their places of worship.

Nor is there any basis for various arguments

suggesting that Petitioners or others could somehow

be coerced into actually “participating” in religious

services they find offensive. Free Exercise guarantees

obviously bar the state from declaring, as certain

amici fovoring reversal suggest is possible, what

liturgy ur religious documents a clergymember must

include in a wedding ceremony.*! CADA in no way

41‘ Brief of Freedom X and Rabbi Dovid Breesman as Amici

Curiae in Support of Petitioners at 17. Other amici supporting

Petitioners argue — citing nothing — that “in the typical religious

wedding vendor case, the vendor is required by the State to

participate in, facilitate, and help celebrate the wedding

ceremony.” Becket Br. at 9. But this is merely loose rhetoric.

Bakers and other vendors are not literally required to

participate in religious ceremonies in obvious violation of their

Free Exercise rights, any more than a florist or caterer or linen

25

forces Petitioners to participate in religious rites —

merely to sell the same products te same-sex couples

that they sell in the stream of commerce to anyone

else who walks into their shop. Such enforcement of

an ordinary public accommodation provision comes

nowhere close to threatening core Free Exercise

rights. As this Court observed in Smith, “[t]he free

exercise of religion means, first and foremost, the

right to believe and profess whatever religious

doctrine one desires.” 494 U.S. at 877. CADA’s

enforcement against Petitioners’ business conduct is

thus distinct from what the “First Amendment

obviously excludes,” namely, “all ‘governmental

regulation of religious beliefs as such,” Jd. (quoting

Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U.S. 398, 402 (1963). Nor

does its enforcement “compel affirmation of religious

belief, see Torcaso v. Watkins, 367 U.S. 488 (1961),

punish the expression of religious doctrines [the

government] believes to be false, United States v.

Ballard, 322 U.S. 78, 86-88 (1944), impose special

disabilities on the basis of religious views or religious

status, see McDaniel v. Paty, 435 U.S. 618 (1978); . . .

or lend {government} power to one or the other side in

controversies over religious authority or dogma, see

Presbyterian Church v. Hull Church, 393 U.S. 440,

445, 452 (1969).” Smith, 494 U.S. at 877.

B. Affirmance Will Not Impermissibly Burden

Petitioners’ Free Exercise Rights

Notwithstanding the lack of any direct impact on

actual religious practice or observance, Petitioners

argue that they are constitutionally entitled to refuse

-- - —_—— —— — — <2

supply company is religiously coerced by having to furnish

services or materials on a non-discriminatory basis.

26

to sell wedding cakes to same-sex couples based, in

part, on an exceptionally broad and unprecedented

Free Exercise argument. This claim turns on

Phillips’s view that “marriage has_ inherently

religious significance” and that he “considers himself

‘an active participant’ in that sacred event’

“Irjegardiless of whether his clients plan an overtly

religious wedding.” Pet. Br. at 38 (emphasis added).

But the Free Exercise Clause has never been given

such a broad construction, and even certain religious

amici supporting Petitioners concede that “[rjeligious

exemptions that touch on the commercial sphere

must be carefully defined.”*2 Petitioners’ arguments

attempt no such careful definition and have no

limiting principle that would keep the exemption

from gutting civil rights enforcement. On its face,

CADA regulates only commercial activity, and does

so in a neutral way that applies to everyone and

without respect to anyone’s religious views.

Petitioners’ marketing of wedding cakes to the

general public is, undeniably, commercial activity

rendering the bakery a public accommodation under

state law. It would be hard to conceive of a setting

more appropriate for invocation of the rule that

religious convictions do not trump “the obligation to

comply with a valid and neutral law of general

applicability.” Smith, 494 U.S. at 879. The Free

Exercise claim fails here for several reasons.

First, Petitioners’ conduct in refusing to sell

wedding cakes to same-sex couples is not directly

related to actual religious ritual or observance.‘

42 ~=6CLS Br. at 11.

43 This Court has recognized that, while “a determination

of what is a ‘religious’ belief or practice entitled to constitutional

protection may present a most delicate question, the very

27

Petitioners describ a Phillips cake “as the iconic

centerpiece of [a] marriage celebration, announcl[ing}

through Phillips’s voice that a marriage has occurred

and should be celebrated.” Pet. Br. at 1-2. Amici

here—hundreds of whom have presided over

countless religious wedding ceremonies — respectfully

submit that apart from the fact that wedding cakes

are not religious icons, it is typically a wedding

officiant who proclaims “that a marriage has

occurred.” Jd. Phillips is not a wedding officiant,

ordained or otherwise, nor has he tied his business

craft to any recognizable religious ritual. While

certain amici supporting Petitioners claim that

Phillips “custom designs each cake to express and

reflect God’s design for marriage as a union of a man

and woman,”*4 Masterpiece Cakeshop does not

actually purport to market itself as a crafter of

religious baked goods or argue that its cakes

themselves express or reflect a religious viewpoint

about the nature of marriage. See ACLU Br. at 7

(noting that CCRC found Phillips’s bakery “did not

claim to be a business principally operated for

religious purposes” (citing JA 71, 72, 80, 81)).

Petitioners’ citation-laden discussion of the cultural

and historical significance of wedding cakes (Pet. Br.

at 6-8) fails to include a single reference to a religious

or theological authority, and contains no discussion of

religious understandings of marriage per se, let alone

concept of ordered liberty precludes allowing every person to

make his own standards on matters of conduct in which society

as a whole has important interests.” Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406

U.S. 205, 215-16 (1972).

44 Brief of Amici Curiae Ethics & Religious Liberty

Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention at 27 (citing

Pet. Br. at 5-8).

28

of cakes used to celebrate marriages, religious or

otherwise. See id. Thus, no matter how “elaborately

designed, intricately constructed, and _ typically

tiered” Phillips’s cakes may be, id. at 7, a Phillips

cake is a cake, not a chuppah, a communion wafer, or

a Quran — sacred objects intimately and unmistakably

associated with many Jewish, Christian, and Islamic

marriage rite celebrations. Nor, obviously, is a Phillips

cake a wedding, religious or otherwise. It is thus

quite a stretch for religious amici supporting

Petitioners to argue that this case “involves a right to

act on conscience in a_ ~vreligious context —in

connection with a wedding” or is about being forced

“to participate in specific rituals.”46 Indeed, neither

Phillips nor his cake would have actually

“participated” in a wedding at all; the cake Craig and

Mullins ultimately obtained from another Colorado

baker was served at a _ reception roughly two

thousand miles away from their actual wedding,

which occurred in Massachusetts. See Pet. Br. at 10

(citing JA175-76).

Finally, while Phillips may believe that weddings

carry religious meaning, he does not contend that he

inquires whether different-sex couples to whom he

readily sells wedding cakes conceive of their

impending union in religious terms that comport with

his own — or in religious terms at all. If the essence

of Phillips’s objection is being forced to “participate”

in any marriage other than one that is “a sacred

union” that “represents the relationship of Jesus

Christ and His Church,” Pet. Br. at 9 (citing JA157-

58), what about weddings of agnostics or atheists?

Jews or Muslims? All of these, apparently, may buy

45 ‘CLS Br. at 3 (emphasis added).

46 = Becket Br. at 4, 6-12.

29

a Masterpiece wedding cake even though their unions

surely fail to comport with Petitioners’ religious

vision. It is thus clear that Phillips’s refusal to serve

Craig and Mullins, while rooted in sincere religious

belief, is less about the religious content of their

wedding and more a function of who they are — a

same-sex couple.*’

Second, even assuming, arguendo, that Petitioners’

conduct at issue involved some limited degree of

cognizable religious expression, that fact alone does

not create an automatic exemption from compliance

with a _ neutral, generally applicable public

accommodation statute. As citizens, we are required

to comply with a wide range of neutral laws that may

be inconsistent with our religious convictions relating

to taxation, public health, economic regulation, the

selective service, and more. Smith, 494 U.S. at 878-

80 (summarizing cases). In Smith, this Court held

that even a genuine and sincere religious practice —

in that case, “ingest[ion of] peyote for sacramental

purposes at a ceremony of the Native American

Church,” 494 U.S. at 874 — could legally be prohibited

by an otherwise lawful statute regulating controlled

substances. The Court expressly rejected the gist of

Petitioners’ argument here — that “when otherwise

prohibitable conduct is accompanied by religious

convictions, not only the conviction but the conduct

47 This is made clear by Phillips’s conduct in other

instances. For example, he declines to sell Halloween-themed

baked goods — or baked goods with vulgar expressions — to

anyone because the form of expression itself violates his

religious beliefs. Pet. Br. at 9 (citing JA165). But he does not

decline to sell wedding cakes to people whose definition of

marriage violates his religious beliefs unless it is for the

marriage of a same-sex couple.

30

itself must be free from government regulation.” dd.

at 872.

As Petitioners concede, Smith will “insulate[]” a

“generally applicable law ... from strict-scrutiny

review.” Pet. Br. at 46; see also Smith, 494 U.S. at

885 (“The government’s ability to enforce generally

applicable prohibitions of socially harmful conduct,

like its ability to carry out other aspects of public

policy, cannot depend on measuring the effects of a

governmental action on a religious objector’s spiritual]

development.” (quotation and citation omitted)).

CADA’s application to Masterpiece Cakeshop, as to

all other businesses open to the public, is valid

whether or not it was necessary to achieve a

compelling interest. Jd.

Petitioners’ attempt to come within the ambit of

Lukumi rather than Smith on the ground that their

religious views are being unfairly singled out for

suppression is groundless. Lukumi struck down a

statute based on evidence that it was crafted to effect

“suppression of the central element of the Santeria

worship service” by defining “sacrifice’ ... [to]

exclude[] almost all killings of animals except for

religious sacrifice” but expressly exempted kosher

slaughter. 508 U.S. at 534-36. While amici

acknowledge and indeed embrace the need to protect

minority religious views from unfair government

suppression, that is not what is going on here. This

is not, like Lukumi, a case of “religious gerry-

mander[ing],” id. at 534-35, aimed at legally

burdening a particular faith or viewpoint. Rather,

CADA prohibits a business owner serving the general

public from discriminating against LGBT customers

regardless of the owner’s religious affiliation or

beliefs (or lack thereof), and whether or not religious

affiliation or belief is the reason for the

31

discrimination. The fact that CADA applies to

Petitioners’ conduct and not to the conduct of

someone whose religion does not tell them to violate a

public accommodation statute does not mean that

Petitioners’ beliefs are being “target[ed].” Pet. Br. at

15. Significantly, both Smith and Lukumi dealt with

prohibition of conduct that was itself undeniably

religious — particular sacred rituals of the Native

American Church and Santeria, respectively. Such

regulation of actual religious practice inherently gives

rise to constitutional concerns of a different character

than religiously neutral laws, like CADA, that

regulate only commercial conduct.

Third, the exemption for which Petitioners argue

admits of no coherent limiting principle and thus

would seriously undermine public accommodation

civil rights enforcement. If something as attenuated

from actual religious observance as a cake sold by a

bakery open to the public may trigger an exemption

from neutral enforcement of a public accommodation

law, surely florists, caterers, venue owners, and

invitation printers that object to being forced to

“participate” in the wedding of a same-sex couple will

assert their own right to a constitutional exemption.

Such claims could extend beyond weddings to provide

a pretext for discrimination by those providing

everyday commercial goods and services for bar

mitzvahs, confirmations, funerals, or any other event

with religious significance. This would indeed permit

“each conscience [to be] a law unto itself,” Smith, 494

U.S. at 890, yielding a slippery slope that affirmance

would altogether avoid.*8

48 For example, certain amici supporting Petitioners urge

that “the Free Exercise Clause extends to any conduct that could

constitute religiously prohibited substantial participation in a

32

Nor would such claims logically be limited to

discrimination against LGBT individuals. A baker

(or caterer or other vendor) who harbored a deep

religious conviction that celebrating a marriage

between people of different races would be

“sacrilegious” (Pet. Br. at 9) could use the precedent

of this case to argue for his own exemption. And if

private religious convictions were all one needed to be

exempted from the general application of civil rights

laws, those religiously opposed to the races mixing

could upend fifty years of precedent to reinstate

segregated lunch counters. See Newman v. Piggie

Park Enters., Inc., 390 U.S. 400, 402 n.5 (1968)

(deeming “patently frivolous” restaurant’s claimed

ceremony” — suggesting that a Free Exercise exemption could be

claimed even by “[t]he owner of a chartered bus service...

asked to transport guests to a same-sex wedding.” Brief of

Amicus Curiae of the National Jewish Commission on Law and

Public Affairs (““COLPA”) Filed on Behalf of Orthodox Jewish

Organizations in Support of Petitioners at 3 (emphasis added).

Other amici attempt to open the floodgate of claims by declaring

that “free exercise of religion by secular vocations in the

marketplace should be no less protected than sacred vocations in

the ministry.” Brief of Amici Curiae Ethics & Religious Liberty

Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, et al. at 7 —

essentially an argument to extend the “ministerial exception”

recognized in Hosanna-Tabor, 565 U.S. at 194-95, to exempt

from many forms of government regulation the conduct of lay

individuals having no official church role, based merely on the

subjective assertion that their commercial activities constitute

religiously inspired “vocations.” This would radically remake

Free Exercise law by expanding an exemption previously limited

to professionals with a direct role in conveying a religious

institution’s message and carrying out its mission. See id. at

191-92: see also id. at 198-99 (Alito, J., concurring) (observing

that in such analyses “courts should focus on the function

performed by persons who work for religious bodies” (emphasis

added)).

33

free exercise right to refuse service to African

American customers in violation of Civil Rights Act of

1964).

The Court should avoid such untoward results by

rejecting Petitioners’ claimed Free Exercise right to

exempt themselves from compliance with Colorado’s

civil rights law. Business owners like Phillips who

sell everyday goods to the general public and are

religiously offended by what purchasers might intend

to do with the products they sell are not entitled to

have the state eliminate their discomfort by

abridging the rights of others in the _ public

marketplace. See United States v. Lee, 455 U.S. 252,

261 (1982) (“[E]very person cannot be shielded from

all the burdens incident to exercising every aspect of

the right to practice religious beliefs. When followers

of a particular sect enter into commercial activity as a

matter of choice, the limits they accept on their own

conduct as a matter of conscience and faith are not to

be superimposed on the statutory schemes which are

binding on others in that activity.”)

Requiring equal treatment for same-sex couples

like Craig and Mullins will not harm the religious

liberty fundamental to this nation’s founding

identity, but will merely affirm their and other LGBT

persons fundamental dignity. Here, Phillips — a

business owner purportedly serving wedding cakes to

the general public — turned Craig and Mullins away,

concluding they were not entitled to buy his product

because their pending wedding was not and could not

be a “sacred union” according to Phillips’s religious

beliefs. That Craig and Mullins secured another cake

elsewhere for free may have saved them money but

has nothing to do with the dignity interest at stake in

this case; the issue is full participation in society, not

access to baked goods. See Newman v. Piggie Park

34

Enters., Inc., 256 F. Supp. 941 (D.S.C. 1966)

(rejecting arguments by business owner advancing

free exercise claim as defense in racial discrimination

suit that African American customers could eat

elsewhere), aff'd in relevant part and rev‘ in part on

other grounds, 377 F.2d 433 (4th Cir. 1967), affd and

modified on other grounds, 390 U.S. 400 (1968). As

Justice Goldberg observed in Heart of Atlanta Motel,

“(t]he primary purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

... [wa]s the vindication of human dignity and not

mere economics.” 379 U.S. at 291 (Goldberg, J.,

concurring) (emphasis added). Affirmance here

would be consistent with longstanding assumptions

underlying America’s promise of equal civil rights

and would comport with undersigned Amici’s belief —

as a matter of law, religious faith, and fundamental

decency — that LGBT persons should be treated with

equal dignity and respect in civil society.

35

CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons, Amici respectfully

submit that the Court should affirm the judgment of

the Colorado Court of Appeals.

Respectfully submitted,

JEFFREY S. TRACHTMAN

Counsel of Record

NORMAN C. SIMON

JASON M. MOFF

KURT M. DENK

EVIE SPANOS

TIMUR TUSIRAY

KRAMER LEVIN NAFTALIS

& FRANKEL LLP

1177 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

jtrachtman@kramerlevin.com

Counsel for Amici Curiae

October 30, 2017

APPENDIX

la

APPENDIX A:

STATEMENTS OF INTEREST

OF AMICI CURIAE

Amicus curiae The Central Conference of American

Rabbis, whose membership includes more than 2,000

Reform rabbis, opposes discrimination against all

individuals, including gays and lesbians, for the

stamp of the Divine is present in each and every

human being.

Amicus curiae The Rocky Mountain Conference of

the United Church of Christ is the conference of UCC

congregations in Colorado, as well as Utah and

Wyoming, who support and nurture one another in

local and wider ministry and mission. The United

Church of Christ is a Protestant denomination of

5,000 churches and nearly 900,000 members

throughout the United States that proclaims the

Gospel of Jesus Christ, celebrates diversity, honors

the gifts of all people, and seeks justice and peace for

everyone.

Amicus curiae The Reconstructionist Rabbinical

Association (“RRA”), established in 1974, is the

professional association of Reconstructionist rabbis.

Comprised of over 300 rabbis, the RRA represents the

rabbinic voice within the Reconstructionist movement.

Amicus curiae The Union for Reform Judaism,

whose 9(9 congregations across North America

include 1.5 million Reform Jews, is committed to

ensuring equality for all of God’s children, regardless

of sexual orientation.

Amicus curiae Unitarian Universalist Association

was founded in 1961 and has nurtured a heritage of

providing a strong voice for social justice and liberal

religion. Unitarian Universalism is a caring, open-

2a

minded faith community that traces its roots in

North America back to the Pilgrims and the Puritans.

Amicus curiae Covenant Network of Presbyterians,

a broad-based, national group of clergy and lay

leaders, seeks to support the mission and unity of the

Presbyterian Church (USA), articulate and act on the

church’s historic, progressive vision, work for a fully

inclusive church, and find ways to live out the

graciously hospitable gospel by living together with

all our fellow members in the Presbyterian Church

(USA).

Amicus curiae Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,

Transgender, and Queer Concerns (“FLGBTQC’) is a

faith community within the Religious Society of

Friends. FLGBTQC deeply honors, affirms, and

upholds that of God in all people.

Amicus curiae Methodist Federation for Social

Action mobilizes clergy and laity within The United

Methodist Church to take action on issues of peace,

poverty and people’s rights within the church, the

nation, and the world.

Amicus curiae More Light Presbyterians represents

lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the

life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church

(USA) and in society.

Amicus curiae Muslims for Progressive Values is

guided by the following ten principles, each of which

is rooted in Islam: collective identity, equatity,

separation of religious and state authorities, freedom

of speech, universal human rights, gender equality,

LGBTQ inclusion, critical analysis and interpretation,

compassion, and diversity.

Amicus curiae The Open and Affirming Coalition of

the United Church of Christ represents 1,200

3a

congregations in the UCC with nearly 250,000

members that, after a period of study, dialogue and

prayer, have adopted a covenant, of welcome to

lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians.

Open and Affirming churches’ support’ the

relationships of their LGBT members, recognize their

marriages, and advocate for their LGBT neighbors

when their rights or dignity are under attack.

Amicus curiae Reconciling Ministries Network

serves lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender United

Methodists and their allies to transform their world

into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love.

Reconciling Ministries Network envisions a vibrant

Wesleyan movement that is _ biblically and

theologically centered in the full inclusion of God’s

children.

Amicus curiae ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans For

Full Participation embodies, inspires, advocates and

organizes for the acceptance and full participation of

people of all sexual orientations and gender identities

within the Lutheran communion, its ecumenical and

global partners, and society at large.

Amicus curiae Religious Institute, Inc. is a multi-

faith organization whose thousands of supporters

include clergy and other religious leaders from more

than 50 faith traditions. The Religious Institute

partners with the leading mainstream and

progressive religious institutions in the United

States.

Amicus curiae Women of Reform Judaism

represents more than 40,000 women in nearly 400

women’s groups in North America and around the

world and comes to this issue rooted in a commitment

to speaking and _ acting forcefully against

discrimination.

4a

Amici curiae leaders of United States religious

communities spanning a rich diversity of American

faith traditions include: Imam Daayiee Abdullah,

Executive Director of MECCA Institute, Light of

Reform Mosque, Muslim — Sunni, Washington, DC;

Upasika Cleis Abeni, Director of Engagement, Many

Voices, TransBuddhists, Buddhist, Baltimore, MD;

Rabbi Joel N Abraham, Rabbi, Temple Sholom of

Scotch Plains, Jewish — Reform, Fanwood, NJ; Rabbi

Steven Abraham, Rabbi, Beth El Synagogue, Jewish

~— Conservative, Omaha, NE; The Rev. Michael

Adams, Rector, All Saints’ Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Austin, TX; Reverend Ron Adams,

Pastor, Madison Mennonite Church, Mennonite,

Fitchburg, WI; Dr. Michael Adee, Director, Global

Faith and Justice Project, Presbyterian Church USA,

Santa Fe, NM; Rabbi David Adelson, Dean, Hebrew

Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Jewish —

Reform, New York, NY; Rev. Dan Adolphson,

Moderator, Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance, Disciples of

Christ, Christian Church, Minneapolis, MN; Rev. Dr.

Tim Ahrens, Senior Minister, First Congregational,

United Church of Christ, Columbus, OH; Robert

Thomas, Episcopal Church, Seward, AK; Rev. Brian

Akers, Senior Minister/Spiritual Leader, Centers for

Spiritual Living, New Thought, Columbia, MD;

Reverend April Alford-Harkey, Reverend Deacon, St

Monica’s, Episcopal Church, Milford, CT; Rev. Marie

Alford-Harkey, President of Religious Institute,

Religious Institute, Metropolitan Community

Church, Bridgeport, CT; Rev. Charles Alger, Pastor,

Waiola United Church of Christ, United Church of

Christ, Lahaina, HI; Rev. Dr. Charles Alkula, Pastor,

Stevensville United Methodist Church, United

Methodist Church, Stevensville, MT; Reverend Carol

Allen, Spiritual Director, Presbytery of Chicago,

5a

Presbyterian Church USA, Chicago, IL; Rabbi Katy

Allen, Rabbi, Ma’yan Tikvah, Jewish — Other, Wayland,

MA; Rev. Tadd Allman-Morton, Pastor, Westhampton

Congregational United Church of Christ, United

Church of Christ, Montgomery, MA; Rabbi Renni

Altman, Associate Dean, HUC-JIR, NY Campus,

Jewish — Reform, Great Neck, NY; Rev. Dr. Eileen

Altman, Associate Pastor, First Congregational

Church of Palo Alto, United Church of Christ, Palo

Alto, CA; Rev. Dr. Israel Alvaran, Western Regional

Organizer, Reconciling Ministries Network, United

Methodist Church, San Francisco, CA; Sister

Gloriamarie Amalfitano, All Souls’ Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, San Diego, CA; Pastor Elyse

Ambrose, Associate Pastor, Church of the Village

(NYC), United Methodist Church, New York, NY;

Rev. Dr. David Ames, Retired, Center for

Reconciliation, Episcopal Church, Providence, RI;

Rev. Craig Amlin, Zion UCC, United Church of

Christ, Indianapolis, IN; Rev. Dr. Brian Ammons,

Chaplain and Director of S>iritual Life, Warren

Wilson College, Alliance of Baptists, Asheville, NC;

Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos, Associate Director of

Formation and Leadership Development, Metro-

politan Community Church, Lewes, DE; Rev. Tyler

Amundson, Lead Pastor, Shiloh United Methodist

Church, United Methodist Church, Billings, MT;

Roshi Susan Myoyu Andersen, Teacher, Great Plains

Zen Center, Buddhist, Monroe, WI; Reverend Bobbi

Anderson, Retired, Seymour Sevier County, TN:

Reverend Allan Anderson, Extension Ministry —

Pastoral Psychotherapy, Pathways Counseling

Associates, Inc., United Methodist Church, Lowell,

MA; Reverend Marty Anderson, Co-Pastor, Common-

wealth Baptist Church, Alliance of Baptists,

Alexandria, VA; Reverend Cynthia Alice Anderson,

6a

Senior Minister, Christ Church Unity, Unity,

Orlando, FL; The Reverend Dr. Linda Anderson,

Community Minister, Unitarian Universalist Fellow-

ship at Stony Brook, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Stony Brook, NY; Pastor P} Pamelajune

Anderson, Founder, Space for Grace United Church

of Christ, United Church of Christ, Holt, MI; The

Reverend Susan Anderson-Smith, St. Mark’s Church

in-the-Bowery, Episcopal Church, New York, NY; The

Rt. Rev. Mare Andrus, Bishop of the Episcopal

Diocese of California, Episcopal Church, San

Francisco, CA; The Reverend Carol Anthony, Vicar,

St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church,

Philadelphia, PA; Reverend Susan Archer, Retired,

UU Fellowship of Winston-Salem, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Greensboro, NC; Reverend

Kevin Arensman, Pastor, Sayre Christian Church,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Sayre, PA;

Reverend Belle Armstrong, Retired, MCC of

Amarillo, Metropolitan Community Church,

Amarillo, TX; Rev. Dr. Dale Arnink, Retired,

Unitarian Church of Los’ Alamos, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Los Alamos, NM; Ordained

United Annie Arnoldy, Pastor of Discipleship, St.

Andrew UMC, United Methodist Church, Highlands

Ranch, CO; Reverend Donald Ashmall, Council

Minister, International Council of Community

Churches, Gouldsboro, ME; Reverend David Aslesen,

Pastor, First United Methodist Church of Park Ridge,

United Methodist Church, Park Ridge, IL; Rev.

Aqueelah As-Salaam, Spiritual Director, The Salome

Center, United Church of Christ, Atlanta, GA;

Reverend Nelma Ruth Atterberry, Retired, Stillwater

FUMC, United Methodist Church, Stillwater, OK;

The Rev. Deacon Anne Auchincloss, Deacon, Church

of the Epiphany, Episcopal Church, New York, NY;

7a

Rabbi Craig Axler, Senior Rabbi, Temple Isaiah,

Jewish — Reform, Fulton, MD; Pastor Jim Wiltbank,

Pastor, St. Francis on the Foothills, United Methodist

Church, Tucson, AZ; Marci Beaudoin, Director of

Faith Formation Ministry, Valley Unitarian

Universalist Congregation, Chandler, AZ; Pastor

Phillip Baber, Senior Pastor, Unitarian Universalist

Church of Jacksonville, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Jacksonville, FL; Rabbi Larry Bach,

Rabbi, Judea Reform Congregation, Durham, NC;

The Rev. Ed Bacon, Retired, All Saints Church,

Episcopal Church, Hoover, AL; The Rev. Demery

Bader-Saye, Regular Supply Priest, St. Julian of

Norwich Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church,

Austin, TX; The Rev. Dr. David Bahr, Pastor, Park

Hill Congregational United Church of Christ, United

Church of Christ, Denver, CO; Rev. Dr. Gerritt,

Retired, PC(USA), Presbyterian Church USA, East

Stroudsburg, PA; Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Baker-Smith,

Retired, PC(USA), Presbyterian Church USA, East

Stroudsburg, PA; The Rev. Chris Ballard, Trinity-St.

John’s Episcopal Church, 400 Families, Episcopal

Church, Hewlett, NY; Vice President Ibtesam Barazi,

Vice President, Islamic Association of WV, Muslim —

Sunni, Charleston, WV; The Reverend Annanda

Barclay, Associate Pastor, First Presbyterian Church

Palo Alto, Presbyterian Church USA, Palo Alto, CA;

Rev. Dr. TK Barger, Minister, First Unitarian

Church of Toledo, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Toledo, OH; Rev. Dr. Lee Barker, President,

Meadville Lombard Theological School, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Chicago, IL; The Rev. Ann

Barker, Rector, St. John’s’ Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Arlington, VA; Rev. Ann Barner,

Retired Pastor, Presbyterian Church USA,

Rockingham, VA; Reverend Susan Barnes, Pastor, St.

8a

Andrew Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church

USA, Billings, MT; The Reverend Rebecca Barnes,

Priest-in-Charge, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Scranton, PA; Rabbi Benjamin

Barnett, Rabbi, Havurah Shalom, Jewish —

Reconstructionist, Portland, OR; Reverend Tracie

Barrett-Welser, Minister, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Winter Haven, FL; Rabbi Eliot Baskin,

Community Chaplain, Jewish Family Service, Jewish

— Reform, Greenwood Village, CO; Reverend Alice

Batcher, Supply Preacher, NJ Association UCC,

United Church of Christ, Lakewood, NJ; Reverend

Jeannie Bates, Honorably Retired, First Central

Congregational Church, United Church of Christ,

Omaha, NE; Rev. Richard Bates, Retired, United

Methodist Church, Austin, TX; Rabbi Rachel Bat-Or,

Director of JQ Helpline and Inclusion Trainings, JQ

International, Jewish — Conservative, Los Angeles,

CA; Rabbi David Dunn Bauer, Acting Director of

Recruitment, Admissions, and Student Life,

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Jewish —

Reconstructionist, Elkins Park, PA; Rev. Dr.

Constance Baugh, Retired, First Churches of

Northampton, Presbyterian Church USA, Goshen,

MA; The Reverend Barbara Baxter, supply priest, St.

Barnabas’ Episcopal Mission, Episcopal Church,

Falconer, NY; Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara,

Executive Director, Campaign for Southern Equality,

United Church of Christ, Asheville, NC; Reverend

Margaret Beard, Retired, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Fort Myers, FL; Rev. Kelley Becker,

Senior Minister, Disciples Christian Church,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Bartlesville,

OK; Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker, Rabbi, Gishrei

Shalom Jewish Congregation, Jewish — Reform, New

York, NY; Reverend Emily Bel, Pastor, Forgiving

9a

Heart Church, Columbus, GA; Rabbi Marci Bellows,

Rabbi, Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek,

Jewish — Reform, Chester, CT; Reverend Dr. Virginia

Bemis, Retired, Virginia Bemis, Ashland, OH;

Brother William Henry Benefield, BSG, Gregorian

Friar, Brotherhood of St Gregory, Episcopal Church,

San Antonio, TX; Cantor Yitzhak Ben-Moshe,

Spiritual Leader, Congregation Beth El, Jewish —

Conservative, Austin, TX; The Rev. Dr. Virginia

Bennett, Retired, The Episcopal Church, Episcopal

Church, Missouri/Province V, MO; Rev. Steven

Benson, Emeritus, Northridge Lutheran, Lutheran —

ELCA, Fortine, MT; Pastor Don Benton, Pastor,

Sunrise UMC, United Methodist Church, Phoenix,

AZ; Rev. Joel Bergeland, Associate Pastor, Mount

Olivet Lutheran Church of Plymouth, Lutheran —

ELCA, Minneapolis, MN; Reverend Frank Bergen,

Priest Associate, St. Matthew’s, Episcopal Church,

Tucson, AZ; Rabbi Alexis Berk, Senior Rabbi, Touro

Synagogue, Jewish — Reform, New Orleans, LA;

Cantor Elizabeth Berke, Director of Continuing

Education, Anshe Emet Synagogue, Jewish —

Conservative, Chicago, IL; Cantor Julie Berlin,

Cantor, Temple Beth-El, Jewish — Reform, San

antonio, TX; Rabbi Amy Bernstein, Senior Rabbi,

Jewish — Reconstructionist, Pacific Palisades, CA;

Friend Jim Best, Floyd Friends Meeting

Representative, Floyd Friends Meeting/ Religious

Society of Friends, Quaker, Meadows of Dan, VA;

Rev. Sofia Betancourt, Assistant Professor of

Unitarian Universalist Theologies and Ethics, Starr

King School for the Ministry, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Oakland, CA; Rabbi Jonathan Biatch,

Rabbi, Temple Beth El, Jewish — Reform, Madison,

WI; Rev. Lindsay Louise Biddle, Minister Locum for

the Church of Scotland, Teaching Elder, Anderston

10a

Kelvingrove Parish Church in Glasgow, Scotland,

Presbyterian Church USA, Saint Louis Park, MN;

Rev. (Mrs.) Ruth Billington, Retired, Westminster

Presbyterian Church, Fort Collins, CO, Presbyterian

Church USA, Fort Collins, CO; Reverend Lee

Blaisdell, Senior Minister, Center for Spiritual Living

Laurel, Pentecostal, Catonsville, MD; Rev. Alan

Blakeburn, Pastor, Ellenberger United Church of

Christ, United Church of Christ, Indianapolis, IN;

Reverend Max Blalock, The William and Mary

Wesley Foundation, United Methodist Church,

Williamsburg, VA; Rev. Margaret Blanchard,

Episcopal Deacon, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Oak Hill, WV; Reverend Daryl

Blanksma, Senior Pastor, Trinity United Methodist

Church, United Methodist Church, Eugene, OR; Rev.

Natalie Blasco, Associate Rector, St Mary Magdalene

Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, Coral Springs,

FL; Rev. Mary Beth Blinn, Pastor, Fairlington United

Methodist church, United Methodist Church,

Alexandria, VA; Rev. Tim Blodgett, Minister, South-

minster Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church

USA, Tulsa, OK; Reverend Bill Bloom, Min. of Music

and Clergy in Reside, United Christian Church,

Levittown, Disciples of Christ, Christian Church,

Ambler, PA; Reverend Lee Bluemel, Senior Minister,

North Parish of North Andover, Unitarian

Universalist Association, North Andover, MA; Rabbi

Neil Blumofe, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Agudas

Achim, Jewish — Conservative, Austin, TX; Reverend

Glynden Bode, Extension Ministry, Spirit’s Call

Ministries, United Methodist Church, Houston, TX;

The Rev. Matthew Bode, Pastor, Spirit of Hope,

Detroit Cooperative Church, Lutheran — ELCA,

Detroit, MI; Reverend Robin Bolen Anderson, Co-

Pastor, Commonwealth Baptist Church, Alliance of

lla

Baptists, Alexandria, VA; Rabbi Jason Bonder,

Assistant Rabbi / Educator, Temple Emanuel of

Tempe, Jewish — Reform, Tempe, AZ; Rev. Kayla

Bonewell, Senior Pastor, Church of the Open Arms &

Cathedral of Hope, United Church of Christ,

Oklahoma City, OK; Rev. Charles Booker, Pastor,

Presbyterian Church USA, Bethesda, MD; Father

Anthony Borka, Retired, American Old Catholic

Church, The Old Catholic Church, Province of the

U.S., Orlando, FL; Rev. Daniel Borysewicz, Hospice

Chaplain & Street Minister, Metropolitan Community

Church San Francisco, Metropolitan Community

Church, Oakland, CA; Rev. Trina Bose North, Senior

Pastor, Crown Heights UMC, United Methodist

Church, Edmond, OK; Rev. Dr. James Bouzard,

Director, Christ Chapel at Texas State, Lutheran —

ELCA, San Marcos, TX; Sen. Betty Boyd, Board

President — Colorado Religious Coalition for Repro-

ductive Choice, Augustana Lutheran Church,

Lutheran — ELCA, Lakewood, CO; Gregory Boyd,

Community Religious Educator, Unitarian Universalist

Association, South Pasadena, CA; Rev. Ty Bradley,

Minister of Social Justice, Sunshine Cathedral,

Metropolitan Community Church, Ft Lauderdale, FL;

Rev. Dr. Anita L. Bradshaw, Transitional Senior

Pastor, United Church of Christ, Minneapolis, MN;

Rev. Lyn Brakeman, Retired, St John’s Charlestown,

Episcopal Church, Cambridge, MA; Reverand Karen

Brammer, Minister, Fourth Unitarian Universalist

Congregation of Westchester, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Red Hook, NY; Dr. Calvin Brandenburg,

Retired, Calvin Brandenburg, Episcopal Church,

Brownsburg, IN; The Very Reverend Ellen Brauza,

Priest in Charge, St. Andrew’s, Episcopal Church,

Clarence, NV; Dr. Donald Bredthauer, Retired,

United Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

12a

Omaha, NE; Reverend James Bridges, Minister

Emeritus, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at

Rock Tavern, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Everett, WA; Rev. Jeff Briere, Minister, Holston

Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Johnson City, TN; Rev.

Judy Brock, Retired, First Christian Church,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Frisco, TX; Fr.

Blaise Brockman, Associate Pastor, Holy Angels,

Roman Catholic, Arcadia, CA; Rev. Dr. Ken Brooker

Langston, Director, Disciples Justice Action Network,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Annapolis,

MD; Rev. James E Brooking, Pastor, West Covina

United Methodist, United Methodist Church, West

Covina, CA; The Reverend Lawrence Brown, Rector,

Trinity Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, Fill-

more, CA; Rev. Kathy Brown, Pastor, New Life

United Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Moore, OK; Rev. Elder Rachelle Brown, Interim

Moderator, Metropolitan Community Churches,

Metropolitan Community Church, Sarasota, FL;

Reverend Douglas Browne, Pastor, Westminster

Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church USA,

Columbus, OH; Rev. Jennifer Brownell, Pastor, First

Congregational UCC — Vancouver, United Church of

Christ, Vancouver, WA; Rev. Felicia Bruce, Interfaith

Ministries, Interfaith, Fort Pierce, FL; The Rt. Rev.

Diane Bruce, Bishop Suffragan, Episcopal Diocese of

Los Angeles, Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, CA;

Reverend Rebecca Bryan, Interim Senior Minister,

First Parish in Brookline, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Newton, MA; Rev. David Bryce, Senior

Minister, The First Church in Belmont, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Belmont, MA; Rabbi

Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik, Rabbi, Temple Ahavat

Shalom, Jewish — Reform, Northridge, CA; The

l3a

Reverend Doc Kevin Buchanan, Transitional Pastor,

Central Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church

USA, Terre Haute, IN; Reverend Rosa Buffone,

Pastor, Holy Spirit Ecumenical Catholic Community,

Catholic, Newton, MA; Consecrated Deacon Richard

Buhl, Lutheran — ELCA, Orlando, FL; Rev. Rudolph

Bullman, Retired, Roman Catholic, Missoula, MT;

Bishop Pat Bumgardner, Executive Director, Global

Justice Institute and Senior Pastor, Metropolitan

Community Church of New York, Metropolitan

Community Church, New York, NY; The Rev. Peter

Bunder, Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal

Church, West Lafayette, IN; Rev. Michael Burke,

Rector/Sr. Pastor, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Anchorage, AK; Reverend Doctor

Andy Burnette, Senior Minister, Valley Unitarian

Universalist Congregation, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Phoenix, AZ; Pastor Charles Burnett-

Morrow, Sr. Pastor/Founder, Grace Oasis (aka — The

ONE Church In Christ Jesus), Pentecostal, Dallas,

TX; The Rev. Dr. Suzanne _ Burris, Pastor,

Congregational United Church of Christ of Mitchell,

United Church of Christ, Mitchell, SD; The Rev.

Grace Burson, Associate Transitional Pastor, Holy

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lutheran —

ELCA, Nashua, NH; Senior Pastor Victoria Burson,

Pastor/Leadership Coach, Metropolitan Community

Church, Middle River, MD; Rabbi Andrew Busch,

Rabbi, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, Jewish —

Reform, Baltimore, MD; Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, Senior

Minister, The Riverside Church in the City of New

York, American Baptist USA, New York, NY;

Reverend Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life,

Interfaith, Washington, DC; Rev. Elizabeth Buxton,

Senior Pastor, United Methodist Church, Charlottes-

ville, VA; Reverend Mark Byrd, Senior Pastor, New

14a

Life Metropolitan Community Church of Hampton

Roads, Metropolitan Community Church, Virginia

Beach, VA; Bernard Schlager, Executive Director,

Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion

(CLGS), Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA;

Kathy Merkle-Raymond, Director of Communal Care,

First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, Presbyterian

Church USA, Palo Alto, CA; Imam and President Ani

Zonneveld, Muslims for Progressive Values, Muslim —

Non-Sectarian, Los Angeles, CA; Reverend Katherine

Cadigan, Associate Rector, St. Augustine by-the-Sea

Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, Marina del Rey,

CA; Rev. Laurie Caesar, Spirit of Grace, Lutheran —

ELCA, Portland, OR; Sarah Caine, Assistant

Minister, UU Congregation of Fairfax, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Alexandria, VA; The Rev.

Dr. Elaine Caldbeck, Rector, Episcopal Church,

Bettendorf, LA; Rev. (Mr.) Ashley Calhoun, Retired,

Long’s Chapel UNC, United Methodist Church,

Wayensville, NC; Senior Pastor Kenny Callaghan,

Senior Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church of

Richmond, Metropolitan Community Church, Rich-

mond, VA; The Rev. Randy Callender, Rector, St.

Philips Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church,

Annapolis, MD; Rabbi Jillian Cameron, Rabbi,

InterfaithFamily, Jewish — Other, Salem, MA; Rev.

Rebecca Cameron, Retired MHospital Chaplain,

Baptist, Stockton, CA; Rev. Madelyn Campbell,

Interim Minister, Bull Run Unitarian Universalists,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Arlington, VA;

Pastor Brian Campbell, Pastor, ONE in Christ

Lutheran Parish, Lutheran — ELCA, Greenwood, WI;

The Rev. Dr. Barbara Campbell, Interim Pastor,

Covenant Presbyterian Church, Gresham, Presbyterian

Church USA, Portland, OR; Reverend Doctor Katie

Cannon, Professor of Social Ethics, Presbyterian

15a

Church USA, Glen Allen, VA; Reverend Florence

Caplow, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of

Urbana Champaign, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Urbana, IL; Reverend Tom Capo,

Minister, DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Naperville, IL;

Rev. Rosemary Captain, Pastor, St. John United

Church of Christ, Fairview Heights, United Church

of Christ, Lebanon, IL; Reverend Michael Carbone,

Pastor, Be The Light, Dover, FL; Rev. Royal Carleton,

Chaplain, Inclusive Life Center, Omaha, NE; The

Rev. Dr. Katherine Carlson, Rector, All Saints

Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, East Lansing,

MI; The Rev. Canon David Lee Carlson, Canon

Missioner, The Delaware Catskill Episcopal Ministry,

Episcopal Church, Port Jervis, NY; Rev. Dr. Joanne

Carlson Brown, Pastor, Tibbetts United Methodist

Church, United Methodist Church, Seattle, WA; Rev.

Dr. Jan Carlsson-Bull, Minister, Unitarian Universalist

Church in Meriden, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Middletown, CT; Rev. Dr. Jerry

Carpenter, Pastor, Weimar United Church of Christ,

United Church of Christ, Weimar, TX; Kathie

Carpenter, Chair of Open and Affirming Ministry

Teams, Mass Conference UCC and Needham MA

UCC, Needham Congregational UCC, United Church

of Christ, Roslindale, MA; Reverend (Dr.) Sarah

Carpenter, Ordained Minister, Retired, Dennis Union

Church, United Church of Christ, South Yarmouth,

MA; Rabbi Kenneth Carr, Rabbi, Temple Chayai

Shalom, Jewish — Reform, South Easton, MA; The

Rev. Diana Carroll, Rector, St. Luke’s Episcopal

Church, Episcopal Church, Annapolis, MD; Kelly

Carson, Hospice Chaplain, Mennonite Fellowship of

Bloomington, Mennonite, Bloomington, IN; Rev.

Jacalyn Carter, Senior Pastor, Table of Hope MCC,

16a

Metropolitan Community Church, Wichita, KS;

Reverend Douglass Cartwright, Pastor, First

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Albany, OR,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Albany, OR;

Reverend Melissa Carvill Ziemer, Acting Executive

Director, Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Easthampton,

MA; Rev. Patricia Case, Interim Pastor, Central

Christian Church — Lebanon, Disciples of Christ,

Christian Church, Lebanon, IN; Rev. Dr. Michael

Castle, Senior Pastor, Harmony Creek Church,

United Church of Christ, Dayton, OH; Reverend

Barbara Cathey, Pastor, Edgewater Presbyterian

Church, Presbyterian Church USA, Chicago, IL; The

Rev. Christine Caton, Retired, Presbytery of

Southern New England, Presbyterian Church USA,

Old Lyme, CT; Reverend Dr. Neil Cazares-Thomas,

Senior Pastor, Cathedral of Hope United Church of

Christ, United Church of Christ, Dallas, TX; Bishop

Bud Cederholm, Retired, Episcopal Diocese of

Massachusetts, Episcopal Church, Plymouth, MA;

Reverand Ryan Chaddick, Church Planter/Mission

Developer, Bloom Lutheran Church, Lutheran —

ELCA, Valencia, CA; Pastor John Chaplin, Adjunct

Minister for LGBTQ Concerns & Community

Outreach, Urbandale United Church of Christ,

United Church of Christ, Des Moines, IA; Catherine

Chapman, Executive Director, Association of Welcom-

ing and Affirming Baptists (AWAB), Louisville, KY;

Rev. Mark Charlton, Auxiliary Pastor, Walnut Creek

United Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Antioch, CA; Rev. Leslie Chartier, Chaplain, Unitarian

Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Albany, OR; Rev. Joseph M

Cherry, Parish Minister, Unitarian Universalist

Society of Cleveland, Unitarian Universalist Associa-

l7va

tion, Cleveland Heights, OH; Rev. George A. Chien,

Assisting Clergy, Trinity Episcopal Church, Hartford

CT, Episcopal Church, Hartford, CT; Rev. Jan

Christian, Congregational Life Staff, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Atascadero, CA; Rev. Dr. Regina

Christianson, Rector, Emmanuel Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Chatham, VA; Rev. Amber

Churchill, Director of Children and Family

Ministries, First Congregational United Church of

Christ Corvallis, Disciples of Christ, Christian

Church, Albany, OR; Mr. Donald Clark, Convener,

Network for Environmental & Economic Responsibility/

UCC, United Church of Christ, Pleasant Hill, TN;

Rev. Jeff Clayton, Pastor, Southminster Presbyterian

Church PC(USA), Presbyterian Church USA, Prairie

Village, KS; Rev. Dr. David Cleaver-Bartholomew,

Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church — ELCA, Lutheran —

ELCA, Manlius, NY; Reverend Joe Cleveland,

Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of

Saratoga Springs, Unitarian Universalist Associa-

tion, Saratoga Springs, NY; Rev. Jeni Markham

Clewell, Associate Pastor, Mosaic United Methodist,

United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK; Rev.

Catharine Cline, Retired, United Church in

University Place, United Church of Christ, Tacoma,

WA; Reverend Steven Clunn, Transitional Leave,

United Methodist Church, Alexandria, VA; Sharon

Baker, Congregational Chair, Anabaptist, Mennonite,

Palmer Lake, CO; Reverend Joe Cobb, Governing

Board, Metropolitan Community Churches,

Metropolitan Community Church, Roanoke, VA;

Practice Leader Roger Cochran, PhD, Practice Leader

and Lay Ordained Buddhist, South Atlanta Zen

Sangha, Buddhist, Peachtree City, GA; Cantor Jen

Cohen, Cantor, Temple Beth Sholom, Jewish —-

18a

Conservative, Cherry Hill, NJ; Rabbi Heidi Cohen,

Rabbi, Temple Beth Sholom, Jewish — Reform, Irvine,

CA; Rabbi James Cohn, Rabbi, Temple Israel, Jewish

— Reform, Charleston, WV; The Reverend Jean

Collins, Rector, St. James Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Lewistown, MT; Reverend CC

Coltrain, Senior Minister, Center for Spiritual Living

Greater Dayton, New Thought, Dayton, OH; Lauren

Colwell, Pastor for Christian Education and

Community Engagement, Oakhurst Baptist Church,

Alliance of Baptists, Decatur, GA; Rev. Sarah Combs,

Ordained Minister, Disciples of Christ, Christian

Church, Oklahoma City, OK; Rev. Dr. Valda Combs,

Pastor, United Methodist Church, Prairie View, TX;

Reverend Jim Conn, Retired, United Methodist

Church, Santa Monica, CA; Rabbi Julian Cook,

Retired, Temple Emanuel, Jewish — Reform, Denver,

CO; Rabbi Mychal Copeland, Rabbi, Congregation

Sha’ar Zahav, Jewish — Reform, Mountain View, CA;

The Rev. Dr. John D. Copenhaver, Professor

Emeritus of Religion and Philosphy, Shenandoah

University, United Methodist Church, Winchester,

VA; Bishop Kenneth Corbin, Bishop, American Old

Catholic Church, Catholic, Lindenhurst, NY; Rabbi

Heidi Coretz, Rabbi, Shir Tikvah (Frisco, TX), Jewish

— Reform, Dallas, TX; The Rev. Den. Catherine

Costas, Deacon, Diocese of California, Episcopal

Church, Mountain View, CA; Rev. Darren Cowdrey,

Pastor, United Methodist Church, Rancho Santa

Margarita, CA; Rev. Deborah Cox, Associate Pastor,

Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit, Metro-

politan Community Church, Waterford, MI; Rev. Lyn

Cox, Interim Minister, Unitarian Church of Harris-

burg, Unitarian Universalist Association, Harrisburg,

PA; Reverend Katie Lee Crane, Minister Emerita,

First Parish of Sudbury, Unitarian Universalist

19a

Association, West Roxbury, MA; Deacon Joan

Crawford, Deacon, Guardian Angels Ecumenical

Catholic Communion, Catholic, Tempe, AZ; Rabbi

Menachem Creditor, Senior Rabbi, Congregation

Netivot Shalom, Jewish — Conservative, Berkeley,

CA; The Rev. Margot Critchfield, Retired, Episcopal

Church, Sandwich, MA; Rev. Michael Cronin,

Associate Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church of

San Francisco, Metropolitan Community Church, San

Francisco, CA; The Rev. Karen Crosby, Rector, St.

John’s Episcopal Church, Frostburg, Episcopal

Church, Frostburg, MD; Rev. Michael Crumpler,

LGBTQ and _ Intercultural Programs Manager,

Unitarian Universalist Associate, Unitarian

Universalist Association, New York, NY; Reverend

Jack Cuffari, Minister/Spiritual Director’ in

Residence, First Congregational Church of Montclair,

United Church of Christ, Nutley, NJ; Reverend Sadie

Cullumber, Senior Pastor, Harbor Christian Church,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Costa Mesa,

CA; Reverend lan Cummins, Co-Lead Pastor,

Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church,

Presbyterian Church USA, Denver, CO; Rev. Jim

Cunningham, Retired, Brunswick, OH; Pastor

Donald Cunningham, United Methodist Church,

Alameda, CA; Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie, University

Chaplain and Director of the Center for Peace and

Spirituality, Pacific University, United Church of

Christ, Portland, OR; Reverend Leonard Curry,

Associate Minister, Greater Bethel AME Church,

African Methodist Episcopal Church, Nashville, TN;

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Cuthbertson, Parish Associate,

Presbytery of Santa Fe, Presbyterian Church USA,

Albuquerque, NM; Rabbi Matt Cutler, Senior Rabbi,

Congregation Gates of Heaven, Jewish — Reform,

Schenectady, NY; Rev. Burgess Cuzner, Retired,

20a

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Hemet, CA;

Rev. Alex da Silva Souto, Pastor/CEO, New Milford

UMC, United Methodist Church, New Milford, CT;

Reverend Thabdiwe Dale-Ferguson, Associate

Minister, Cairn Christian Church, Disciples of Christ,

Christian Church, Lafayette, CO; Chaplain Diane

D’Angelo, Hospice Chaplain, Mountain View Friends

Meeting, Quaker, Denver, CO; Reverend E. Francisco

Danielsen-Morales, Associate Pastor, Metropolitan

Community Church of New York, Metropolitan

Community Church, New York, NY; Rev. Dr. Richard

Danielson, Pastor, Community United Church of

Christ, Boulder CO, United Church of Christ,

Longmont, CO; Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz, Rabbi,

Temple B’nai Abraham, Jewish — Other, Livingston,

NJ; Reverend Colleen Darraugh, Senior Pastor,

Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Dallas,

Metropolitan Community Church, Carrollton, TX;

Rev. Fred Davie, Executive Vice President, Union

Theological Seminary NYC, Presbyterian Church

USA, NYC, NY; The Very Reverend lan Davies,

Canon, Rector & Dean, St Thomas the Apostle,

Hollywood, Dean of the Incarnation, Diocese of Los

Angeles, Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, CA; Rev. Dr.

Mark Davies, Wimberly Professor of Social and

Ecological Ethics, Oklahoma City University, United

Methodist Church, Edmond, OK; Reverend DeWayne

Davis, Senior Pastor, All God’s Children MCC,

Metropolitan Community Church, Minneapolis, MN;

Pastor Janet Davis, Licensed Lay Pastor, United

Church of Christ, Gretna, NE; Reverend Daniel

Davis, Solo Pastor, Westminster United, Presbyterian

Church USA, Minden, NE; Reverend Tawana Davis,

Board Member, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado,

Interfaith, Denver, CO; Rev. D. Charles Davis,

Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Tippe-

2la

canoe County, Unitarian Universalist Association,

West Lafayette, IN; Rev. Dr. Lisa Davison, Professor

of Hebrew Bible, Phillips Theological Seminary,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Tulsa, OK;

Rev. Ann Day, Retired Clergy, United Church of

Christ, Holden, MA; Jan Lawrence, Executive

Director, United Methodist Church, Washington, DC;

Rev. Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre, Professor of Social

Ethics and Latinx Studies, Southern Baptist, Denver,

CO; Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director, New

Ways Ministry, Roman Catholic, Mount Rainier, MD;

Reverend Kathleen Deegan-Neal, Associate Pastor,

Watkinsville First United Methodist Church, United

Methodist Church, Athens, GA; Reverend Paula

Degree, Retired, United Church of Christ, Dennis

Port, MA; The Rev. Charles deKay, Rector, St.

Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church,

Evanston, IL; Rev. Dylan Dell-Haro, Minister,

Church of the Brethren, Mennonite, Beatrice, NE;

Rabbi Lisa Delson, Rabbi, Peninsula Temple Sholom,

Jewish — Reform, Burlingame, CA; Reverend Judith

Deutsch, Minister emerita, Westside Congregation,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Corrales, NM;

Rev. Brother Thomas Devlin, Treasurer, Mercy of

God Community, Interfaith, Amarillo, TX; Reverend

Ralph DeWitt-Golden, Staff Clergy, New Life MCC,

Metropolitan Community Church, New Port Richey,

FL; Rabbi Barry Diamond, Beth Haverim Shir

Shalom, Jewish — Reform, Dallas, TX; Rev. Dr.

Michael Diaz, Associate Pastor, Cathedral of Hope

UCC, United Church of Christ, Dallas, TX; Reverend

Erin Dickey, Senior Pastor, Riverside Avenue

Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, Christian

Church, Jacksonville, FL; Deaconess Darlene

DiDomineck, Interim Executive Director, Methodist

Federation for Social Action, United Methodist

22a

Church, Philadelphia, PA; Dale Dietert, Director of

Music, St Luke’s Lutheran ELCA, Lutheran — ELCA,

Dallas, TX; Reverend Carla Dietz, Pastor, Greendale

Peoples Church, Holden, MA; The Rev. Dr. Carol

DiGiusto, Parish Associate, Riverside Presbyterian,

Presbyterian Church USA, Jacksonville, FL; Rev.

Kelly Dignan, Minister, UU Church of Boulder,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Boulder, CO;

Rabbi Robert Dobrusin, Rabbi, Beth Israel

Congregation Ann Arbor MI, Jewish — Conservative,

Ann Arbor, MI; The Reverend Kent Dorsey,

Intentional Interim Minister, Disciples of Christ,

Christian Church, Manhattan, KS; Rev. Dr. Mark

Doty, Senior Pastor, Hammond Street Congrega-

tional Church, United Church of Christ, Brewer, ME;

Molly Douthett, Pastor, Presbyterian Church USA,

Charles Town, WV; Rev. Dr. Kevin Downer,

Intentional Interim Pastor, Metropolitan Community

Church, Auburn, MA; The Rev. Elizabeth Morris

Downie, Retired, St. Augustine’s Church, Episcopal

Church, Winnetka, IL; Reverend Amelia Dress,

Pastor, United Church of Christ, Erie, CO; Rev. Dr.

Renee DuBose, Our Hope MCC, Metropolitan

Community Church, Raleigh, NC; Roen Drewello,

Minister in Training, Nichiren Shu, Buddhist,

Newton, NH; Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive

Director, Dignity USA, Roman Catholic, Medford, MA;

Bishop Randy Duncan, Bishop/Chief Presiding

Presbyter & Senior Pastor, Congregation: New Life

Connect Point/Reconciling Pentecostals International,

Pentecostal, LaPorte, IN; Reverend Ilene Dunn,

Retired, Presbyterian Church USA, Pflugerville, TX;

Debra Dunnington, Hospice Chaplain, Unitarian

Meeting House Provincetown, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Mashpee, MA; Reverend Jane Dwinell,

Small Congregation Consultant, Unitarian Universalist

23a

Association, Burlington, VT; Rev. Dr. James Dwyer,

California-Pacific Conference, The United Methodist

Church, Claremont, CA; The Rev. Alex Dyer, Priest

in Charge, St. Thomas’ Parish Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Washington, DC; Rev. Charles

Eagle, Senior Pastor, Community United Methodist

Church, United Methodist Church, Brookville, OH;

Rev. Paige Eaves, Senior Pastor, University United

Methodist Church, United Methodist Church, Irvine,

CA; The Very Reverend M.E. Eccles, Rector, St.

Martin’s Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, Mount

Prospect, IL; Pastor Terri Echelbarger, Pastor, Many

Journeys MCC, Metropolitan Community Church,

San Mateo, CA; Rev. Katherine Economou, Senior

Minister, Center for Spiritual Living Temecula

Valley, New Thought, Fallbrook, CA; Pastor Lyda

Eddington, Pastor, La Tijera United Methodist

Church, United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA;

Rev. Rose Edington, Unitarian Universalist Associa-

tion, Charleston, WV; Rev. Dr. Janet Edwards,

Parish Associate, Community House Presbyterian

Church, Presbyterian Church USA, Pittsburgh, PA;

The Reverend Doc Martin Eldred, Pastor, Joy

Lutheran, Lutheran — ELCA, Eagle River, AK; The

Rev. Donna Faith Eldredge, Retired, United Church

of Christ, Portland, OR; Rev. Dr. John Elford, Senior

Pastor, University United Methodist Church, United

Methodist Church, Austin, TX; Den. Scott Elliott,

Deacon, St Gregory’s, Episcopal Church, Chicago, IL;

Rev. Charles Ellis, Christian Church (Disciples of

Christ), Retired, Vinton, VA; Rev. Dr. Marvin Ellison,

Williard S. Blass Professor Emeritus of Christian

Ethics, Bangor Theological Seminary, Presbyterian

Church USA, Portland, ME; Rev. Dr. Dorothy

Emerson, Unitarian Universalist Minister, Church of

the Larger Fellowship, Unitarian Universalist

24a

Association, Medford, MA; Rev. Dr. David Ensign,

Pastor, Clarendon Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian

Church USA, Arlington, VA; Rev. Alycia Erickson,

Pastor, Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church,

Metropolitan Community Church, Colorado Springs,

CO; Jacob’ Erickson, Assistant Professor of

Theological Ethics, Trinity College Dublin, Minot.

ND; Rev. C. Erwin, Minister, Faith Community

United Church of Christ- UCC, United Church of

Christ, McHenry, IL; Rev. Jorge Espinel, Director

Latino Ministry, Church of the Larger Fellowship,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Houston, TX;

Reverend Cathy Estey, Interfaith Prayer Minister,

Trinity Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church,

Merrimac, MA; Rabbi Dr. Andrew Ettin, Spiritual

Leader, Temple Israel, Jewish Renewal, Pfafftown,

NC; Reverend Mary Sue Evers, Senior Pastor, Cedar

Hills United Church of Christ, United Church of

Christ, Portland, OR; Rev. Leslie Fails, Settled

Minister, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fair-

banks, Unitarian Universalist Association, Fairbanks,

AK; Rev. Sylvia Falconer, Retired, Unitarian Univer-

salist Church of Greeley, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Greeley, CO; Rabbi Jeffrey Falick, Rabbi,

Birmingham Temple, Jewish — Humanist, Farming-

ton Hills, MI; The Reverend Manuel Faria, Rector,

St. Peter’s Church, Episcopal Church, Beverly, MA;

Reverend Suzanne Fast, Affiliated Community

Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort

Myers, Unitarian Universalist Association, Fort

Myers, FL; Reverend Barbara Fast, Retired,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Palm Springs,

CA; Rev. Dr. Kelly K. Faulstich, Pastor, Resurrection

Lutheran Church, Lutheran — ELCA, Chicago, IL;

Rev. Barnaby Feder, Lead Minister, Champlain

Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, Unitarian

25a

Universalist Association, Middlebury, VT; Reverend

Karen Fedorchak, Deacon Emeritus, St. Mary’s

Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, Manchester,

CT; The Rev. Thomas Fehr, Priest, The Episcopal

Church of the Ascension, Episcopal Church,

Cincinnati, OH; Reverend Laurie Feille, Senior

Pastor, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),

Minneapolis, Disciples of Christ, Christian Church,

Minneapolis, MN; Rev. Lillian Ferguson, MCC of

Paducah, Metropolitan Community Church, Paducah,

KY; Pastor Dave Ferguson, Director of Church

Relations, Seventh-day Adventist Kinship Inter-

national, Seventh Day Adventist, Sunland, CA; Rabbi

Michael Fessler, Editor, Jewishrecon.ort, Reconstruc-

tionist Rabbinical College, Jewish — Reconstruc-

tionist, Poughkeepsie, NY; Rev. Carol Ficken, Pastor,

Lutheran — ELCA, Wyndmoor, PA; Michael Fieleke,

Teacher and Priest, Boundless Way Zen, Buddhist,

Waltham, MA; Rabbi Barry Fineman, Rabbi/

Community Leader, Beth Ahava Rabba, Jewish —

Humanist, Sugar Land, TX; Rabbi Brian Fink, Rabbi,

Reconstructionist, Jewish — _ Reconstructionist,

Brooklyn, NY; Rabbi Dr. Steven Fink, Senior Rabbi,

Temple Oheb Shalom, Jewish — Reform, Baltimore,

MD; Reverend John Fiscus, Pastor, Peace United

Church of Christ, United Church of Christ, St Cloud,

MN; Rev. Elder Diane Fisher, Senior Pastor, MCC

Rehoboth, Metropolitan Community Church, Lewes,

DE; Reverend Marylee Fithian, Retired, United

Methodist Church, Minneapolis, MN; Reverend

Diane Fitzgerald, Zen Buddhist Priest, Boundless

Way Zen, Buddhist, Putnam, CT; Reverend Shannon

Fleck, Director of Community Engagement,

Oklahoma Conference of Churches, Disciples of

Christ, Christian Church, Oklahoma City, OK; Vicar

Tara Fleck, Pastoral Intern, Evangelical Lutheran

26a

Church in America, Lutheran — ELCA, Nashville,

TN; Reverend Shannon Fleck, Director, Oklahoma

Conference of Churches, Disciples of Christ,

Christian Church, Oklahoma City, OK; Rev. Susan

Fleenor, Retired, Presbyterian Church USA, Santa

Rosa, CA; The Reverend Dr. Ruth Fletcher, Regional

Minister, The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

in Montana, Disciples of Christ, Christian Church,

Great Falls, MT; Bishop Yvette Flunder, Presiding

Bishop of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries,

City of Refuge, United Church of Christ, Oakland,

CA; Reverend Sarah Flynn, All Souls Ministry,

Diocese of New England, The Old Catholic Church,

Province of the U.S., Burlington, VT; Reverend

Colleen Foley, Senior Pastor, Metropolitan Community

Church, Louisville, KY; Rev. Megan Foley, Regional

Lead, Unitarian Universalist Association, Silver

Spring, MD; Reverend Lara Forbes, Pastor, Faith

Lutheran Church, Lutheran — ELCA, Phoenix, AZ;

The Reverend Julie Forest, Interim Minister,

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert,

Unitarian Universalist Association, San Diego, CA;

Rev. Chris Fortin, Guiding Teacher, DharmaHeart

Zen, Buddhist, Sebastopol, CA; Reverend Robert

Fortney, Minister and Clinical Counselor, Palo Duro

Presbytery of the PC(USA), Presbyterian Church

USA, Lubbock, TX; Rev. Melinda Foster, Retired,

Fellowship Congregation UCC, United Church of

Christ, Owasso, OK; Rev. Dr. Dennis W. Foust,

Senior Minister, St. John’s Baptist Church, Alliance

of Baptists, Charlotte, NC; Reverend Dr. Sidney D.

Fowler, Senior Minister, United Church of Christ,

Washington, DC; Pastor Robert Franek, Pastor, Faith

Lutheran Church, Lutheran — ELCA, Galesburg, IL;

Reverend Susan Frederick-Gray, President, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Boston, MA; Rev. Amy

27a

Freedman, Minister of Religious Education, First

Parish in Cencord, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Cambridge, MA; Rev. Corinne Freedman

Ellis, Minister of Congregational Life, Macalester

Plymouth United Church, United Church of Christ,

St. Paul, MN; Rev. Todd Freeman, Pastor, College

Hill Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church USA,

Tulsa, OK; Rev. Chuck Freeman, Executive Director,

Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Round Rock, TX;

Minister Arwen Freer, Minister, Universal Life

Church, Jacksonville, FL; Reverend John Freese-

mann, Pastor, Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church —

San Jose, CA, Lutheran — ELCA, San Jose, CA;

Reverend Maureen Frescott, Associate Pastor, The

Congregational Church of Amherst, United Church of

Christ, Amherst, NH; Reverend Dr. John Frey,

Teaching Pastor, Cypress Creek Christian Church,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Spring, TX;

Rev. Dr. Kurt Friederich, Ascension Lutheran

Church of Garland, TX, Lutheran — ELCA, Garland,

TX; Rev. Elmer Frimoth, Retired, Presbyterian

Church USA, Portland, OR; The Rev. Gwen Fry,

Priest, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Episcopal!

Church, Little Rock, AR; Rabbi Aaron Gaber, Rabbi,

Congregation Brothers of Israel, Jewish — Conserva-

tive, Newtown, PA; The Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney,

Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible, Brite Divinity

School, Episcopal Church, Fort Worth, TX; Reverend

Emily Gage, Minister of Faith Development, Unity

Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Oak Park, IL;

Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli, Senior Pastor, Foundry

United Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Washington, DC; Brother Scotland Gallo, Franciscan

Friar, Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter,

28a

Episcopal Church, Charlotte, NC; Rev. Robert

Galloway, Retired, Universal Fellowship of

Metropolitan Community Churches, Metropolitan

Community Church, Corryton, TN; Reverend Heidi

Gamble, Presbyterian Church (USA), Culver City,

CA; Rev. Norma Gann, Senior Pastor, MCC Redwood

Empire, Metropolitan Community Church, San

Francisco, CA; Pastoral Intern Nicole Garcia,

Pastoral Intern, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church,

Lutheran — ELCA, Littleton, CO; The Reverend

Francisco Garcia. Rector, Holy Faith Episcopal

Church, Episcopal Church, Inglewood, CA; Reverend

Steve Gardner, Retired, Disciples of Christ, Christian

Church, Springfield, MO; Rev. Jocelyn Gardner

Spencer, Pastor, First Congregational Church

(United Church of Christ), United Church of Christ,

Woodstock, CT; Dr. Bruce Garner, National

President, Integrity USA (LGBTQ Episcopalians),

Trustee General Theological Seminary, Chair,

Diocese of Atlanta, All Saints’ Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Atlanta, GA; The Rev. Jane

Garrett, Retired, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Middlebury, VT; Susan Gascho-

Cooke, Pastor, Community Mennonite Church of

Lancaster, Mennonite, Lancaster, PA; Rev. Dr. Edith

A. Gause, Interim Pastor, Presbyterian Church USA,

Weatherford, TX; Rev. Jude Geiger, Lead Minister,

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Huntington,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Huntington, NY;

Debra, Gerkin, Organizing Pastor, Fireside Christian

Church, Disciples of Christ, Christian Church,

Aurora, CO; Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny, Rabbi,

Congregation Nevei Kodesh, Jewish Renewal,

Boulder, CO; Rabbi Dr. Gary Gerson, Rabbi

Emeritus, Oak Park Temple B’nai Abraham Zion,

Jewish — Reform, Oak Park, IL; Reverend Chana

29a

Getter, Jewish — Other, Fair Lawn, Nd; Rev. Paige

Getty, Senior Minister, UU Congregation of

Columbia, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Columbia, MD; Rev. Vickey Gibbs, Associate Pastor,

Resurrection MCC, Metropolitan Community Church,

Houston, TX; The Rt. Rev’d Wendell Gibbs, Bishop

Diocesan, Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, Episcopal

Church, Detroit, MI; Rev. Dr. Gordon Gibson, Retired,

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Elkhart,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Knoxville, TN;

Deacon Susan Giese, Retired, Lutheran — ELCA,

Hartford, WI; The Rev. Dr. Richard Gilbert,

Interfaith Impact of New York State, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Rochester, NY; Osho

Desmond Gilna, Priest, Sacramento Zendo, Buddhist,

Sacramento, CA; Rev. Anne Gilson, Adjunct Clergy,

Christ Church Episcopal, Episcopal Church,

Harwich, MA; The Rev. Sarah Ginolfi, Parish

Missioner, St. Paul’s Indy, Episcopal Church,

Indianapolis, IN; The Reverend Deborah Giordano,

Spiritual Director, Inklings Community, Novato, CA;

Reverend Marcella Glass, Pastor, Southminster

Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church USA,

Boise, ID; Elizabeth Gleich, Associate Pastor of

Children and Youth, First Church of Christ,

Congregational, West Hartford, CT; Deacon Rev.

Alice Ann Glenn, Retired, Monterey United

Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Monterey, CA; Rabbi Bob Gluck, Professor,

University at Albany, Jewish — Reconstructionist,

Albany, NY; Sister Grace Golata, Chaplain, Catholic,

Milwaukee, WI; Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell,

Congregational Rabbi and Adjunct Professor, Temple

Concord, Jewish ~ Reform, Binghamton, NY; The

Rev. Dr. Robert Goldstein, Retired, Lutheran —

ELCA, Chicago, IL; Rabbi Dr. Rafael Goldstein,

30a

Executive Director, Neshama: Association of Jewish

Chaplains, Jewish — Other, Wilton Manors, FL; Rabbi

Lizz Goldstein, Rabbi, Congregation Ner Shalom,

Jewish — Reform, Vienna, VA; The Rev. Dr. Cynthia

Good, Pastor, Calvary Church UMC, United

Methodist Church, Arlington, MA; Reverend Andrea

Goodman, Officiant, The Interfaith Peace Project,

Interfaith, San Francisco, CA; Reverend Darrell

Goodwin, Senior Pastor, Liberation United Church of

Christ, United Church of Christ, Seattle, WA; Rabbi

Andrew Gordon, Rabbi, Bolton Street Synagogue,

Jewish — Reform, Baltimore, MD; Rev. Kathleen

Gorman-Coombs, Co-Pastor, Trinity, Presbyterian

Church USA, Scotia, NY; Rev. Dr. Robin Gorsline,

Writer-Theologian in Residence, Metropolitan

Community Church of Washington DC, Metropolitan

Community Church, Greenbelt, MD; Reverend

Kristin Gorton, Pastor, Memorial United Church of

Christ, United Church of Christ, Fitchburg, WI;

Reverend Chery! Gorvie, Pastor, Bethany Lutheran

Church, Lutheran — ELCA, Dallas, TX; Rabbi Pamela

Gottfried, Dean of Jewish Studies, The Weber School,

Jewish — Other, Atlanta, GA; Rev. Elizabeth Goudy,

Senior Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church of

the Lehigh Valley, Metropolitan Community Church,

Schnecksville, PA; Rabbi Andrea Gouze, Rabbi,

Temple Beth Emunah, Jewish — Other, Easton, MA;

Reverend Christine Grace, Minister, Unity of

Chattanooga, Unity, Chattanooga, TN; Rev. Harry

Grace, Pastor, St. Mark’s & All Saints Church,

Episcopal Church, Buffalo, NY; Rev. Jim Gragg,

Retired, Mosaic United Methodist Church, United

Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK; Jeannine

Gramick, Co-Executive Director, National Coalition

of American Nuns, Roman Catholic, Mt. Rainier, MD;

The Rev. Joseph Graumann, Pastor, Saint Stephen

3la

Lutheran Church, Lutheran — ELCA, Marlborough,

MA; Rev. Tim Graves, Lead Pastor, Albany First

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Disciples of

Christ, Christian Church, Albany, OR; The Reverend

Lisa Graves, Rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church,

Episcopal Church, Huntington, WV; The Rev. Canon

Bruce Gray, Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal

Diocese of Indianapolis, Episcopal Church, Indiana-

polis, IN; Rev. Jo Green, Chaplain and Affiliate

Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of

Susquehanna Valley, Unitarian Universalist Associ-

ation, Danville, PA; The Reverend Linda Green,

Transitional Minister, St. John the Evangelist

Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, Batavia, IL;

The Rev. Gari Green, Retired, St Matthew’s

Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, Kenosha, WI;

Reverend William Green, Associate Pastor and

Director of Connecting Ministries, Foundry United

Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Washington, DC; Rabbi Laurie Green, Rabbi,

Congregation Bet Mishpachah, Jewish — Other,

Baltimore, MD; Cantor Tanya Greenblatt, Interim

Cantor, Temple Beth Orr, Coral Springs, Jewish —

Reform, Tampa, FL; Rev. Dr. Ronald Greene,

Minister, Central Christian Church (Disciples of

Christ), Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Great

Falls, MT; Rabbi Fred Greene, Rabbi, Congregation

Har HaShem, Jewish — Reform, Boulder, CO; Anne,

Greene, Assistant Minister, Center for Spiritual

Living Menifee Valley, Sun City, CA; Rev. Dr. Larry

Greenfield, Executive Director, Parliament of the

World’s Religions, American Baptist Church,

Chicago, IL; Rev. Ashley Green-Young, Pastor, Alex

United Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Chickasha, OK; Rev. Hilary Greer, Episcopal Priest,

Episcopal Church, Sewanee, TN; Rev. Hilary Greer,

32a

Priest, Episcopal Church, Sewanee, TN; The Rev. Dr.

Pamela Gregory, Retired, Episcopal Diocese of Rhode

Island, Episcopal Church, Warwick, RI; The Rev.

Rachael Gregory, Retired, Episcopal Church, Beach

Park, IL; Rev. Dr. Nina Grey, Minister Emerita, First

Unitarian Society of Chicago, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Columbia, SC; Paula Gribble, Director of

Religious Education, UU Church in Cherry Hill,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Cherry Hill, NJ;

Chas Griffin, Clergy Person, Retired, United Church

of Christ, Seven Lakes, NC; Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin,

Executive Minister, Sunshine Cathedral, Metro-

politan Community Church, Fort Lauderdale, FL;

Rev. Debbie Griffin, Senior Minister, Downtown

Disciples, Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Des

Moines, IA; Rev. Carolynn Griffith, Minister, The

Church of Keauhou, New Thought, Honolulu, HI;

Rev. Stephen Griffith, Retired, United Methodist

Church, Lincoln, NE; Rey. Tom Griffith, Elder in Full

Connection (Retired), The United Methodist Church,

United Methodist Church, Chandler, AZ; Rev. Mary

Grigolia, Minister, Oberlin Unitarian Universalist

Fellowship, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Oberlin, OH; Reverend Doctor Laura Marie Grimes,

Bishop, Sophia Catholic Communion, Catholic, San

Jose, CA; Reverend Doctor Ted Grimsrud, Retired

Pastor, Shalom Mennonite Congregation, Mennonite,

Harrisonburg, VA; Rev. Charles Grindle, Retired,

One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, Interfaith, West-

brook, ME; Reverend David Grishaw-Jones, Senior

Pastor, Peace United Church of Christ, United

Church of Christ, Santa Cruz, CA; Rev. Elizabeth

Griswold, Senior Pastor, Parkside Community

Church, United Church of Christ, Davis, CA; Rev.

David Groeneveld, Pastor, Reformed Church of

Freehold, Reformed Church in America, Freehold,

33a

NJ; Nancy Gunn, Minister of Worship, The Church at

Cactus, Cooperative Baptists, Peoria, AZ; Rabbi

Rachel Gurevitz, Rabbi, Congregation B’nai Shalom,

Jewish — Reform, Westborough, MA; Rev. Edgar

Gutierrez, Priest in Charge, St. Luke’s Episcopal

Church, Episcopal Church, Chelsea, MA; Rev. Laura

Guy, Pastor, Living Water Christian Church,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Overland Park,

KS; Rev. Denise Gyauch, Affiliated Minister, First

UU Church of Nashville, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Nashville, TN; Rev. Carol Haag, Retired,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Princeton, Nd;

Rev. Dr. Debra Haffner, Minister, Unitarian Univer-

salist Church in Reston, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Reston, VA; Deacon Christine Haider-

Winnett, Transitional Deacon, St. Hildegard Catholic

Community, Catholic, Berkeley, CA; Rev. Sara Hale,

Retired, Trinity Luther, Havertown, Lutheran —

ELCA, Yeadon, PA; Rev. Gretchen Haley, Senior

Minister, Foothills Unitarian Church, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Fort Collins, CO; Rev. Dr.

Jonathan Hall, Senior Pastor, First Christian Church

Disciples of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Christian

Church, Ventura, CA; Rev. Denise Hall, United

Methodist Church, Weatherford, TX; The Rev. Canon

T. Mark Hallahan, Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal

Church, Episcopal Church, Pomona, CA; The

Reverend PK Hamilton, Senior Pastor, New Journey

Church, Centreville, VA; Rev. Julia Hamilton, Lead

Minister, Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Santa Barbara,

CA; Rev. Sue Hamly, Pastor, Faith United Church

(UCC), United Church of Christ, International Falls,

MN; Rabbi Joseph Hample, Rabbi, Tree of Life

Congregation, Jewish — Reform, Morgantown, WV;

The Rev. Michelle Hansen, Missional Priest, All

34a

Saints’ Episcopal, Episcopal Church, Waterbury, CT;

Rev. Dr. Linda Hansen, Retired, Community of the

Living Spirit, Unitarian Universalist Association,

New Berlin, WI; The Reverend Mary Hansen-Joyce,

Hospital Interfaith Chaplain, Cape Cod Council of

Churches, Lutheran — ELCA, Yarmouth Port, MA;

Rev. Arnold Hanson, Retired, ELCA, Lutheran —

ELCA, Minneapolis, MN; Reverend/Pastor Inger

Hanson, Pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Church of

America, Lutheran — ELCA, Jackson, WY; Rev.

Nancy Hanson, Pastor, Messiah and First Lutheran

Churches, Lutheran — ELCA, Washburn, WI; Mr.

Charles Happel, Retired Priest, New Apostolic

Church of North America, Speedway, IN; Reverend

Heather Harding, Pastor, Fleming Island United

Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Fleming Island, FL; The Rev. Joyce Hardy, Deacon,

Christ Episcopal Church, Diocese of Arkansas,

Episcopal Church, Little Rock, AR; Reverend Cedric

A Harmon, Executive Director, Many Voices,

National Baptist, Washington, DC; Rev. Dr. Kristen

Harper, Senior Minister, Unitarian Church of

Barnstable, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Marstons Mills, MA; Rabbi Vered Harris, Rabbi,

Temple B'nai Israel, Jewish — Reform, Edmond, OK;

Rev. Margaret Hart, Retired, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Central Square, NY; Rev. Dr. Linda

Hart, Minister, Tahoma Unitarian Universalist

Congregation, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Tacoma, WA; Rev. Micah Hartung, Retired,

Metropolitan Community Church — Montana, Metro-

politan Community Church, Belt, MT; Reverend

Nicole Harvell, Pastor, Immanuel Lutheran ELCA,

Lutheran — ELCA, New Haven, CT; Pastor Jeffery

Haskins, Pastor, Unity Fellowship of Christ Church

Philadelphia, Unity Fellowship, Yeadon, PA; Rev.

35a

Phil Haslanger, Retired, United Church of Christ,

Fitchburg, WI; The Reverend Joshua Hatten, Priest,

Hermitage of the Holy Angels, The Old Catholic

Church, Catholic, Jackson, MS; Fr. Gary Hayes,

Retired, Ecumenical Catholic Communion, Catholic,

Vineland, NJ; Rev. Ann Hayman, Retired, Religious

Coalition, Presbyterian Church USA, Santa Monica,

CA; Rev. Sara Hayman, Congregational Minister, UU

Church of Ellsworth, Unitarian Universalist Associa-

tion, Ellsworth, ME; Fr. Kendall Haynes, Rector, St.

Matthew Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church,

Tacoma, WA; Reverend Mel Hazlewood, Pastor,

Valley Spring United Methodist Church and

Cherokee United Methodist Church, United

Methodist Church, Meadowlakes, TX; Rev. Dr. Jane

Heckles, Consultant, Pension Boards of the United

Church of Christ, United Church of Christ,

Claremont, CA; Reverend Tom Heger, Retired,

Presbyterian Church USA, San Antonio, TX; Rev.

Russell Heiland, Sr. Minister, Unity of Fairfax,

Unity, Oakton, VA; Rev. Lisa Heilig, Resource

Specialist, Metropolitan Community Churches,

Metropolitan Community Church, Decatur, GA; The

Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer, Rector, Church of

Our Saviour, Episcopal Church, Mill Valley, CA; Rev.

Dale Hempen, Retired United Church of Christ,

Durham, NH; The Rev. Jane Geffken Henderson,

Retired, The Congregational Church, NH, United

Church of Christ, Minneapolis, MN; Reverend Adele

Henderson, Chaplain, Cooperative Baptist Fellow-

ship, Cooperative Baptists, Roanoke, VA; Rev. Dr.

Katharine Henderson, President, Auburn Theological

Seminary, Presbyterian Church USA, New York, NY;

Rev. Amanda Henderson, Executive Director, The

Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, Disciples of Christ,

Christian Church, Denver, CO; Reverend Angela

36a

Henderson, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Associa-

tion, Unitarian Universalist Association, Westminster,

CO; Rev. Rich Hendricks, Senior Pastor, Metro-

politan Community Church Quad Cities, Metro-

politan Community Church, Davenport, IA; The Rev.

Pat Hendrickson, Retired, Episcopal Church,

Thousand Oaks, CA; Reverend Mike Henrichs,

Retired, Church of the Open Arms UCC, United

Church of Christ, Midwest City, OK; The Rev.

Charles H Hensel, Assistant Priest, St. Giles Church,

St. Giles, Episcopal Church, Northbrook, IL; Rabbi

Floyd Herman, Rabbi Emeritus, Har Sinai

Congregation, Jewish - Reform, Baltimore, MD;

Rabbi Joshua Herman, Associate Rabbi,

Congregation Beth Israel, Jewish — Reform, Houston,

TX; Rabbi Rachel Hertzman, Retired, Temple Ner

Tamid, Jewish — Reform, Montclair, NJ; Rev. Linda

Herzer, New Thought, Atlanta, GA; The Rev. Alan

Hesse, Rector, Christ Church — Swansea, MA,

Episcopal Church, Wareham, MA; Reverend Billy

Hester, Senior Minister, Asbury Memorial United

Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Savannah, GA; Rev. Christiane Heyde, Sabbatical

Minister, Mountain Vista UU Church, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Tucson, AZ; Pastor Michael

Hidalgo, Lead Pastor, Denver Community Church,

Evangelical Protestant, Denver, CO; Reverend Linda

Higgins, Pastor, St John’s UCC, United Church of

Christ, Richmond, VA; Very Rev. Kent Higgins,

Dean, Kanawha Deanery, Episcopal Diocese of West

Virginia, Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church,

Charleston, WV; The Reverend Louise Hilbert,

Interim Pastor First Lutheran Church, Albemarle,

Lutheran — ELCA, Duram, NC; Rev. John Hild,

Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church of Pueblo,

Metropolitan Community Church, Pueblo, CO; Pastor

37a

Scott Hill, Altadena Community Church, United

Church of Christ, Los Angeles, CA; Rev. David Hill,

Pastor, The First Church in Oberlin, United Church

of Christ, United Church of Christ, Oberlin, OH;

Reverend Monte Hillis, Racial Justice Advocacy,

National City Christian Church; Disciples Public

Witness, National Baptist, Washington, DC;

Reverend Carol Hilton, Retired, Palomar Unitarian

Universalist Fellowship, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Oceanside, CA; Rev. Dr. David Hindman,

Retired Clergy, Virginia Conference, The United

Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Williamsburg, VA; Reverend James Hobart, Minister

Affiliated, First Unitarian Church of Chicago,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Chicago, IL; Rev.

Lisa Jean Hoefner, Pastor, Kings Beach UMC,

United Methodist Church, Portland, OR; Rev. Mark

Hoelter, Community Minister, All Souls Church,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Washington, DC;

Rabbi Cynthia Hoffman, Aleph, Fremont, CA; Rev.

M. Lara Hoke, Consulting Minister, Unitarian

Universalist Congregation in Andover, MA,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Lowell, MA; Dr.

John C Holbert, Westwood United Methodist Church,

United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA; Rev.

Gregory Holler-Dinsmore, First Lutheran Church,

Lutheran — ELCA, Wolf Point, MT; Rev. Julia

Hollister, Minister, First Congregational Church

UCC Sheboygan, United Church of Christ,

Sheboygan, WI; Rev. Teresa Holloway-Nunn, Retired,

Ainsworth United Church of Christ, United Church of

Christ, Vancouver, WA; Rev. Charles Holm, Retired,

Monmouth Presbytery, Presbyterian Church USA,

Manchester, NJ; Reverend L Holmes, Clergy,

Metropolitan Community Church, St Petersburg, FL;

Cantor Jesse Holzer Hazzan, Jacksonville Jewish

38a

Center, Jewish — Conservative, Jacksonville, FL;

Reverend Liam Hooper, Founding Minister,

Ministries Beyond Welcome, United Church of

Christ, Winston Salem, NC; Rev. Lynn Hopkins,

Minister, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of

Montgomery, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Montgomery, AL; The Rt. Rev. Harold Hopkins,

Bishop, Diocese of North Dakota (Ret.), Diocese of

North Dakota, Episcopal Church, Scarborough, ME;

Rev. Teresa Hord Owens, General Minister and

President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in

the US and Canada, Disciples of Christ, Christian

Church, Indianapolis, IN; Reverend Margaret

Hostetler, Senior Minister, Orlando Center for

Spiritual Living, New Thought, Orlando, FL;

Reverend Dan Hotchkiss, Consultant, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Middleboro, MA; Rev.

Sylvia Howe, Minister Emerita, First Parish UU of

Beverly, MA, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Columbus, OH; Rev. Margaret E Howland, Pastor

Emeritus, Presbytery of Hudson River, Presbyterian

Church USA, Orlando, FL; Rev. Dr. Timothy Hoyer,

Pastor, Lutheran — ELCA, Jamestown, NY; The Rev.

Frank Huber, Retired, Episcopal Church, Lakewood,

CO; Reverend David Huber, Pastor, Plymouth United

Church of Christ, United Church of Christ, Eau

Claire, WI; Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson, Lead Pastor, New

Church — Chiesa Nuova, United Church of Christ,

Dallas, TX; Rabbi Jocee Hudson, Jewish — Reform,

Los Angeles, CA; The Rev. Daniel Hulseapple,

Retired, United Church of Christ, Middletown, NY;

The Reverend Reagan Humber, Pastor, House for All

Sinners and Saints, Episcopal Church, Denver, CO;

Rev. Beverly Hume, Chaplain, Extension Ministry,

United Methodist Church, London, OH; Rev. Ann

Hunt, Retired, United Methodist, United Methodist

39a

Church, Eureka, CA; Mary E. Hunt, Co-Director,

Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual,

Roman Catholic, Silver Spring, MD; Rev. Dr. Lloyd

Hunter, Retired, Community Congregational United

Church of Christ, United Church of Christ, San

Antonio, FL; Rev. Dr. Anne Marie Hunter, Director,

Safe Havens’ Interfaith Partnership, United

Methodist Church, Marblehead, MA; Rabbi Mark

Hurvitz, President, Davka.org, Jewish ~ Other, New

York, NY; The Rev. Canon David Hussey, Canon to

the Ordinary, Diocese of South Dakota, Episcopal

Church, Pierre, SD; The Rev. Marquita L Hutchens,

Rector, St John’s Episcopal Church, Episcopal

Church, Charleston, WV; Postulant Order Patricia

Hutchins, Seminarian, Blue Lotus School of

Mindfulness Arts, Buddhist, Concord, NH; Rev. Brian

Hutchison, Senior Pastor, Emerald City Metropolitan

Community Church Seattle, Metropolitan Com-

munity Church, Seattle, WA; The Reverend Kimberly

Hyatt, President & CEO, Presbyterian Church

(USA), Presbyterian Church USA, Ponte Vedra

Beach, FL; Rabbinic Pastor Eve Iisen, Independent,

Jewish Renewal, Boulder, CO; Rev. Sonja

Ingebritsen, Pastor, Community of Hope United

Church of Christ, United Church of Christ, Madison,

WI; Rev. Suzan Ireland, Presbyterian Church USA,

Portland, OR; The Rev. Sara Irwin, Episcopal

Church, Pittsburgh, PA; Dr. Zachary Irwin, Deacon,

St Mary’s Episcopal--Erie PA, Episcopal Church,

Erie, PA; Rev. Rebecca Irwin-Diehl, Associate

Minister, Second Baptist Church of Germantown,

American Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA; Fr. Jack

Isbell, Bishop and Life Professed Brother of the

Franciscans of the Holy Cross, OFC, Catholic,

Honolulu, HI; Rev. Dr. Catherine Ishida, Minister at

Large, Hawaii Island, Unitarian Universalist

40a

Association, Hilo, HI; Pastor China Isler, Minister of

Substance Use Disorder and Recovery,

UrbanMission, Disciples of Christ, Christian Church,

Malibu, CA; Rabbi Debbie Israel Dubin, Rabbi,

Congregation Emeth, Jewish — Reform, Morgan Hill,

CA; The Reverend Victoria Ix, Communications

Director, Episcopal Diocese of Western Massa-

chusetts, Episcopal Church, Florence, MA; The Rev.

Dr. Paula Jackson, Rector, Church of Our Saviour/La

Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador, Episcopal Church,

Cincinnati, OH; Rev. Dr. Cari Jackson, Executive for

Religious Leadership, Religious Coalition, United

Church of Christ, Phoenix, AZ; Rev. Dr. Valerie L

Jackson, Senior Pastor, University Park UMC -

Denver (RMCUMC), United Methodist Church,

Denver, CO; Rev. Darrick Jackson, Interim Associate

Executive Director, Unitarian Universalist Ministers

Association, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Chicago, IL; Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Rabbi, Temple

Israel, Jewish -— Reform, Boston, MA; Pastor

Stephanie Jaeger, Pastor and Director of Community

Ministries, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church NoHo,

Lutheran — ELCA, North Hollywood, CA; Rabbi Ellen

Jaffe-Gill, Rabbi, Tidewater Chavurah, Jewish —

Reconstructionist, Virginia Beach, VA; Rabbi Marisa

James, Director of Social Justice Programming,

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, Jewish — Other,

New York, NY; Rev. Cynthia James, Special

Ministry, Mile Hi Church, New Thought, Pine, CO;

Rev. Phil Jamison, Pastor, Presbyterian Church USA,

Pittsburgh, PA; Mr. Dilpreet Jammu, President,

Colorado Sikhs, Sikh, Parker, CO; Rev. Sharon Janot,

Pastor, Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, Lutheran

— ELCA, Rochester Hills, MI; Reverend Barbara

Jarrell, Senior Minister, All Souls Unitarian Univer-

salist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association,

4la

Shreveport, LA; Rev. Joan Javier-Duval, Minister,

Unitarian Church of Montpelier, Unitarian Univer-

salist Association, Montpelier, VT; Minister Regina

Jemison, Esq., Associate Minister, Third New Hope

Baptist Church, National Baptist, Detroit, MI; Rev.

Canon Brian Jemmott, Canon to the Ordinary/

Transitions Officer, Diocese of New Jersey, Episcopal

Church, Trenton, NJ; Reverend Nan Jenkins,

Honorably Retired, Mission Presbytery, Presbyterian

Church USA, Round Rock, TX; Reverend Ruth

Jensen-Forbell, Senior Pastor, Cornerstone Metro-

politan Community Church, Metropolitan Commu-

nity Church, Jacksonville, FL; The Rev. Lucretia

Jevne, Priest, St. Brigid of Kildare, Vacaville, CA;

Reverend Sandi John, Pastoral Counselor, First

Baptist Chico, American Baptist Church, Chico, CA;

Rev. Thalia Johnson, Deacon, Episcopal Church of

the Incarnation, Episcopal Church, Dexter, MI;

Reverend Kimberly Johnson, Minister, Unitarian

Universalist Congregation of the South Fork,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Bridgehampton,

NY; The Rev. Doctor Myke Johnson, Minister, Allen

Avenue UU Church, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Portland, ME; Rev. Rachel Johnson,

Executive Minister of Communications, The River-

side Church in the City of New York, American

Baptist USA, New York, NY; Rev. Bertram Johnson,

Minister of Justice, Advocacy, and Change, The

Riverside Church in the City of New York, United

Church of Christ, New York, NY; Rev. Julie Johnson

Staples, Senior Minister and Executive Director,

Collegiate Church of NY Ministry called Intersections

International, United Church of Christ, New York,

NY; Reverend Ellen Johnson-Price, Pastor, Immanuel

Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church USA,

Anchorage, AK; Rev. Clifford Johnston, Rector (Priest

42a

in charge), Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Hawk Run,

PA, Episcopal Church, Morrisdale, PA; Rev. Dr. Mark

Johnston, Executive Director, Disciples LGBTQ+

Alliance, Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, San

Francisco, CA; Reverend Elizabeth Jones, Retired,

United Methodist Church, Seal Rock, OR; Rev. Allan

B. Jones, Retired, United Methodist Church, Santa

Rosa, CA; Rev. Dr. Hugh Jones, Pastor, St. James

Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, Ridgeland, MS;

Rev. Dr. Scott Jones, Senior Minister, First Central

Congregational United Church of Christ, United

Church of Christ, Omaha, NE; Reverend Sandra

Jones, Senior Pastor, Lutheran — ELCA, Columbia,

SC; Mrs. Nicole Jonsson, Director of Religious

Education at First Unitarian Church of Toledo,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Toledo, OH;

Reverend Susan Joseph Rack, Christ Presbyterian

Church, Presbyterian Church USA, Martinsville, NJ;

The Revd Dr. Elizabeth Kaeton, Hospice Chaplain,

All Saints, Episcopal Church, Long Neck, DE; Elana

Kahn, Director, Jewish Community Relations

Council, Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Jewish —

Other, Milwaukee, WI; Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky,

Rabbi, Ansche Chesed, Jewish — Conservative, NYC,

NY; Reverend Eric Kaminetzky, Senior Minister,

Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Congregation,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Edmonds, WA;

Rabbi Elana Kanter, Director, The Women’s Jewish

Learning Center, Jewish — Other, Phoenix, AZ; Rabbi

Greg Kanter, Rabbi, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim,

Jewish — Reform, Charleston, SC; Rev. Karen Kaser-

Odor, Hospice of Stanly, United Methodist Church,

Concord, NC; Reverend Jes Kast, Associate Minister,

West End Collegiate Church, United Church of

Christ, New York City, NY; Reverend Katherine

Katsanis-Semel, M.A., MCC San Diego, Metropolitan

43a

Community Church, San Diego, CA; Ms. Nancy

Kaufman, Chief Executive Officer, National Council

of Jewish Women, Jewish — Other, New York, NY;

Valarie, Kaur, Director, The Revolutionary Love

Project, University of Southern California, Sikh, Los

Angeles, CA; Rev. Lorelei Kay, Pastor, Westminster

Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church USA,

Gallup, NM; Reverend Myra Kazanjian, Parish

Associate, Sixth Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian

Church USA, Bethel Park, PA; Reverend Lois Keen,

Retired, Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Episcopal

Church, Torrington, CT; Reverend Noreen Keller,

Spiritual Leader, Detroit Center for Spiritual Living,

New Thought, Saint Clair Shores, MI; Kellie Kelly,

Intern Minister, Unity Temple Unitarian Univer-

salist Congregation, Unitarian Universalist Associa-

tion, Oak Park, IL; Ms. Linda Kennedy Deacan,

North Congregational UCC, United Church of Christ,

Columbus, OH; Rev. William Kennedy, Retired, UU

Fellowship of Redwood City, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Redwood City, CA; Reverend Jim

Ketcham, Executive Director, FOCUS Churches of

Albany, Inc., American Baptist Church, Delmar, NY;

Reverend Kit Ketcham, Minister, Pacific Unitarian

Universalist Fellowship, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Astoria, OR; Honorably Retired Daniel

C. Ketchum, MHonorably' Retired, Immanuel

Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church USA,

Anchorage, AK; David Key, National Board Chair,

AWAB - Association of Welcoming and Affirming

Baptists, Assemblies of God, Athens, GA; Rev. Dr.

Maureen Killoran, Minister, Unitarian Universalist

Fellowship, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Gainesville, FL; Reverend Rick King, Interim Pastor,

Boulder Mennonite Church, Mennonite, Longmont,

CO; Reverend Dr. Susan King, Director, Interfaith

44a

Round Table of Washtenaw County, Interfaith, Ann

Arbor, MI; Alexis King, Chaplain, USAFR, Lutheran

—~ ELCA, Annandale, VA; Professor Karen King,

Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard Divinity School,

Episcopal Church, Cambridge, MA; Reverend Fred

Kinsey, Pastor, Unity Lutheran Church, ELCA,

Lutheran — ELCA, Chicago, LL; Rob Kirby, Campus

Minister, United Campus Ministry at WestM, United

Methodist Church, Corvallis, OR; Reverend Brian

Kirk, Lead Pastor, Disciples of Christ, Christian

Church, St. Joseph, MO; Rev. Jim Kitchens,

Principal, PneuMatrix, Presbyterian Church USA,

Sacramento, CA; Idit Klein, Executive Director,

Keshet, Jewish — Other, Boston, MA; Reverend Tera

Klein, Minister, Throop Unitarian Universalist Church,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Pasadena, CA;

Rev. Carl Kline, Retired, UCC, United Church of

Christ, Brookings, SD; Pastor Steve Knight, Board

Member, Transform Network, Disciples of Christ,

Christian Church, Gastonia, NC; The Rev. Dr.

William Knight, Lead Pastor, Metropolitan Commu-

nity Church of San Antonio, Metropolitan Commu-

nity Church, San Antonio, TX; Rabbi Asher Knight,

Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth El, Jewish — Reform,

Charlotte, NC; Rev. David Kniker, Retired, St.

Peter’s Evangelical United Church of Christ, United

Church of Christ, Kewanee, IL; Rabbi Michael Knopf,

Rabbi, Temple Beth-El, Jewish - Conservative,

Richmond, VA; Rev. Patricia Knorpp, Retired, United

Church of Ferndale, United Church of Christ,

Bellingham, WA; Mr. Bruce Knotts, Director,

Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office,

Unitarian Universalist Association, New York, NY;

Rev. Harry Knox, Retired, Metropolitan Community

Church, Quitman, GA; Rev. Cindi Knox, Pastor, St.

John’s United Church of Christ, Eanston IL, United

45a

Church of Christ, Joliet, IL; The Rev. Dorothy

Knudson, Retired, Presbyterian Church USA, Walla

Walla, WA; Rabbi Rachel Kobrin, Rabbi, Congrega-

tion Adath Jeshurun, Jewish — Conservative, Elkins

Park, PA; Rev. Dr. Thomas Koester, Clergy,

Metropolitan Community Church, Deltona, FL; Rev.

Nancy Kollhoff, Pastor, Atchison United Methodist

Church, United Methodist Church, Atchison, KS;

Rabbi Debra Kolodny, Rabbi, UnShul, Jewish

Renewal, Portland, OR; Shozan Kodo Mary Koopman,

Priest, Sky Island Zen, Buddhist, Tucson, AZ; The

Very Reverend Drew Kovach, Archpriest, Inclusive

Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox, Honolulu, HI;

Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Krajewski, Adjunct Assistant

Professor in Humanities, The Lindisfarne Commu-

nity, Interfaith, New London, NH; Rabbi Marc Kraus,

Rabbi, Temple Emanuel, Jewish — Conservative,

Virginia Beach, VA; The Rev. Dr. Mary Kraus,

Retired, Baltimore-Washington Conference UMC,

United Methodist Church, Claremont, CA; Pastor

Delores Kropf, Pastor, St. Michael the Archangel

Ecumenical Catholic Church, Catholic, Oro Valley,

AZ; Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Congregational Life

Staff, Unitarian Universalist, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Los Angeles, CA; Linette Lowe, Director

of Religious Exploration, First Unitarian Church of

Louisville, Unitarian Universalist Association,

Bloomfield, KY; Reverend Peter Laarman,

Coordinator, Justice Not Jails, United Church of

Christ, West Hollywood, CA; Amy LaCroix, Pastor,

First Christian Church of Olympia, Washington,

Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, Tumwater,

WA; Rev. Sarah Lammert, Co-Director of Ministries

and Faith Development, Unitarian Universalist

Association, Boston, MA; Prof. Darrell Lance,

Retired, Lake Avenue Baptist Church, American

46a

Baptist USA, Rochester, NY; Andrew Lang,

Executive Director of the Open and Affirming

Coalition of the United Church of Christ, United

Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH; Rev. Joshua

Langille-Hoppe, Pastor, United Methodist Church,

Shawnee, OK; Rabbi Gilah Langner, Rabbi, Kol Ami:

The Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Community,

Jewish — Reconstructionist, Washington, DC; Rabbi

Alan LaPayover, Library Director, Reconstructionist

Rabbinical College, Jewish — Other, Philadelphia, PA;

Reverend Ryan LaRock, Associate Pastor, Christ

Church, United Methodist Church, Fairfax Station,

VA; The Rev. Jean Larson, Lutheran — ELCA,

Missoula, MT; Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavi, Rabbi,

Lab/Shul NYC, Jewish, NYC, NY; Rev. Bob

Lawrence, Co-chair of Compassionate Tulsa,

Fellowship Congregational UCC, United Church of

Christ, Tulsa, OK; Rev. Wayne A Laws, Minister of

Social Justice and Mission, Mountain View United

Church, United Church of Christ, Aurora, CO;

Reverend Gary Leard, Pastor, Pathways Center for

Spiritual Living, New Thought, Catonsville, MD; Dr.

Terence Leathers, Reverend, Mt. Vernon Church,

Clayton, NC; Reverend James Leavitt, Interim

Pastor, First Baptist Church of Weston, MA,

American Baptist USA, Tewksbury, MA; The

Reverend Lorenzo Lebrija, Bishop’s Officer, Episcopal

Diocese of Los Angeles, Episcopal Church, Los

Angeles, CA; The Rev. Dr. Eric Ledermann, Pastor,

University Presbyterian Church of Tempe, AZ,

Presbyterian Church USA, Tempe, AZ; The Rev. Dr.

Rhonda M. Lee, Priest, Episcopal Diocese of North

Carolina, Episcopal Church, Durham, NC; Bishop

Edward Lee, Bishop, Retired, St. Mary’s Episcopal

Church, Ardmore, PA, Episcopal Church, Merion

Station, PA; Rev. David Lee, Children’s Minister,

47a

First Christian Church Rowlett, Disciples of Christ,

Christian Church, Fort Worth, TX; Pastor Gerald

Lee, Pastor, Unity Fellowship Church Newark,

Interfaith, Irvington, NJ; Reverend Marnie

Leinberger, Pastor, Milagro Christian Church

(Disciples of Christ), Disciples of Christ, Christian

Church, Pueblo, CO; Reverend Marnie Leinberger,

Pastor, Marnie Leinberger, Disciples of Christ,

Christian Church, Pueblo, CO; The Reverend Karen

Lemon, Vicar, All Saints Episcopal Church, Episcopal

Church, Pratt, KS; Rev. Melissa Lemons, Pastor, Zion

Lutheran Church, Lutheran — ELCA, Wilmington,

DE; Rev. Julianne Lepp, Minister, Unitarian

Universalist Congregation in Eau Claire, Unitarian

Universalist Association, Eau Claire, WI; Rabbi

Michael Lerner, Rabbi, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue,

Jewish — Reconstructionist, Berkeley, CA; Rabbi

Joshua Lesser, Senior Rabbi, Bet Haverim, Jewish —

Reconstructionist, Atlanta, GA; Rev. Ardis Letey,

Retired, Trinity United Methodist Church, Toledo,

OR, United Methodist Church, Seal Rock, OR; Rev.

Dr. Jim _ Lewis, Retired, Episcopal Church,

Charleston, WV; Rev. Charles Lewis, Retired, San

Francisco Nightt Ministry, Lutheran — ELCA, San

Francisco, CA; The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Senior

Minister, Middle Collegiate Church, United Church

of Christ, New York, NY; Karen Lewis, Director of

Children’s Ministries, First Unitarian Church of

Dallas, Unitarian Universalist Association, Dallas,

TX; Rev. Alexander Liberatore, Pastor, Lake Edge

United Church of Christ, United Church of Christ,

Madison, WI; Rabbi Elias Lieberman, Rabbi,

Falmouth Jewish Congregation, Jewish — Reform,

East Falmouth, MA; Reverend Laurel Liefert, Pastor,

Namaqua Unitarian Universalist congregation,

Unitarian Universalist Association, Loveland, CO;

48a

Pastor Christine Lindeberg, Pastor, Pleasant Valley

United Methodist Church, United Methodist Church,

Pleasant Valley, NY; Rabbi John Linder, Senior

Rabbi, Temple Solel, Jewish — Reform, Phoenix, AZ;

Rabbi Janet Liss, Rabbi, North Country Reform

Temple, Jewish — Reform, Glen Cove, NY; The Rev.

Robert Livingston, Interim Ministry Specialist, First

Congregational UCC, Amherst, MA, United Church

of Christ, Belchertown, MA; Michael Livingston,

Senior Executive Minister, The Riverside Church

New York City, American Baptist Church, Trenton,

NJ; Rev. Barbara Lohrbach, Pastor, St John UCC,

United Church of Christ, Kankakee, IL; The Rev.

Kathleen Lonergan, Rector, St James, Groveland,

MA, Episcopal Church, Reading, MA; Rev. Dr.

Jennifer Long, United Methodist Church, Oologah,

United Methodist Church, Oologah, OK; Reverend

Catherine Long, Staff Minister, Centers for Spiritual

Living, New Thought, Columbus, OH; Pastor Robert

Long, Retired, United Methodist Church, Niskayuna,

NY; Rev. Sherrie Lowly, Lead Pastor, United

Methodist Church, Northbrook, IL; Kevin Lowry,

Chaplain and Director, Church of the Covenant/UU

Soci

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