Reverend Dr. Brad R. Braxton
Senior Minister
The Riverside Church in the City of New York
New York, New York

The Riverside Church in the City of New York stands in solidarity with our sisters and brothers,  who suffer from social and legal discrimination based upon their sexual identity.

Recent circumstances leading to calls for a Constitutional amendment to define marriage to exist solely between a man and a woman, and ultimately ban any legal recognition of same-sex unions, compels our church to raise its voice in unity with those who cherish the principles of freedom, equality, and fairness for all. In so doing, we stand firm in our call for a more just and humane society—one where basic civil rights, and the right to simply be, are never
denied to any citizen of this land.

We reaffirm our commitment to pursue an open and candid conversation to forge greater understanding of such issues as family values, sexual identity, and biblical interpretations of human relations. Further, in an attempt to embrace all committed-relationships, the Church will no longer distinguish between same-sex unions and heterosexual marriages. All ceremonies between two committed, loving adults in The Riverside Church will be recognized as marriages.

We further commit our resolve to support efforts leading to the development of social policies and laws that enable same-gender loving couple’s access to the privileges, legal protections, and benefits of civil marriage.

I call upon all people of good will to work together to craft public policies and foster communal practices that will usher in the Beloved Community of which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke, in which all God’s children can have their life-giving, loving covenants affirmed.

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