Faith Leaders to Rally in Todos Santos for Gay Marriage Rights

Church reverends, religious leaders and supporters of marriage equality for LGBT couples will gather in Concord's Todos Santos Plaza Tuesday to pray for the U.S. Supreme Court justices weighing a historical case.

The March 26 evening "Vigil for Justice" takes place the same day the Supreme Court will hear arguments against California's Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to stipulate that marriage must be "between a man and a woman."

Will the justices make a decision that could affect same-sex marriage laws? The Sacramento Bee explains the potential impacts of the two cases being considered in Washington.

The Concord vigil is part of the United for Marriage: Light the Way to Justice Coalition, which has been organizing events across the country as a "a peaceful display of solidarity" in support of same-sex marriage rights.

Among those in attendance at the Concord event will be Reverend Will McGarvey of the Community Presbyterian Church in Pittsburg and Reverend Leslie Takahashi Morris of the Mt. Diablo Unified Unitarian Church in Walnut Creek.

"The freedom to marry the person you love is a fundamental freedom, and a matter of basic fairness," said the vigil's organizers in a press release. "Same-sex couples want to marry for similar reasons as anyone else and should be able to make a vow of love and lifetime commitment to one another surrounded by their family and friends. The Vigil for Justice will demonstrate that support for marriage equality runs deep in our community – regardless of one’s age, race, religious beliefs or political affiliation."

Do you think LGBT couples should have the right to marry in Contra Costa County and across the country? How do you feel about the vigil being held in Concord? Share your thoughts in the comments below.