As soon as the Supreme Court rul-
ing was announced, Brian Kutinsky,
left, texted a proposal to his partner,
Michael Neumann. They have been
together for more than 23 years and
live in Franklin with their three
adopted children.
Historic Rulings
The tide toward legalizing same-sex mar-
riage began to turn in 2013, with two U.S.
Supreme Court decisions that proved to be
forerunners of last week's historic ruling.
The first involved striking down the fed-
eral statute known as DOMA, or Defense
of Marriage Act, which prevented same-sex
legally married couples from receiving the
same benefits available to other married
couples under federal law on the grounds
it violated rights provided by the U.S.
Constitution.
The second decision involved dismiss-
ing an appeal concerning Proposition 8, an
amendment to the California constitution
banning same-sex marriages in that state,
an action that upheld previous state and
federal rulings allowing same-sex marriage
in California.
on the issue and get back to them," he
said.
"During that week I began to focus
on the rabbinic dictum Ki gadol kavod
habriot — because the dignity of the
individual is so great. I realized that
the dignity of these individuals was so
great as to override the proscriptions
that were in place, so I reversed my
original, inherited position and agreed."
The same precept is a key reason
Rabbi Aaron Starr of Conservative
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield supports same-sex mar-
riage. The Talmud says that supporting
human dignity supersedes a negative
commandment of the Torah, he said.
Rabbi Marla Hornsten of Temple
Israel said the Supreme Court ruling
means same-sex weddings will be more
than recognition of a commitment.
"It's a real wedding, with all the
appropriate paperwork — in triplicate!"
she said. "It is definitely a step forward
in equal and civil rights."
Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg of
The June 26 Supreme Court vote was
5-4, with separate dissenting opinions
written by Chief Justice John Roberts and
Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas
and Samuel Alito. Voting in favor of same-
sex marriage were Jewish Justices Ruth
Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer and
Elena Kagan, along with Justices Sonia
Sotomayor and Anthony Kennedy, who
wrote the majority opinion. Following is an
excerpt from his opinion:
"No union is more profound than mar-
riage, for it embodies the highest ideals of
love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and fam-
ily. In forming a marital union, two people
become something greater than once they
were. As some of the petitioners in these
cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love
that may endure even past death. It would
misunderstand these men and women to say
/.1
Arnie
Sleutelberg
Reconstructionist
Congregation Shir
Tikah in Troy, agreed.
"Finally the mar-
riages liberal rabbis
have been performing
for decades are recog-
nized in all 50 states,"
he said. "It is a victory
for love, commitment
and dignity. Mazel tov
to America!"
Sleutelberg is happy that his 2012
marriage to Robert Crowe, which took
place in Windsor, Ontario, now will be
legal in Michigan.
The late Sherwin Wine of the
Birmingham Temple in Farmington Hills
was the first rabbi in Michigan to offici-
ate at a same-sex union. In the 1994
JN article, he said he been doing so
since the 1970s.
Birmingham Temple's current rabbi,
Jeffrey Falick, looks forward to officiat-
ing at same-sex marriages.
"For reasons beyond my compre-
they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their
plea is that they do respect it, respect it so
deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment
for themselves. Their hope is not to be con-
demned to live in loneliness, excluded from
one of civilization's oldest institutions. They
ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law.
The Constitution grants them that right:'
Oakland County Clerk
Lisa Brown, a longtime
proponent of same-sex
marriage, was named
as a defendant in the
original lawsuit because
her office was forbid-
den to issue marriage
Lisa Brown
licenses to same-sex
couples. Like clerks in
other counties throughout the state, Brown
was ready to begin issuing licenses and
hension, I have never
been asked to conduct
a same-sex ceremony
despite the fact that
I'm personally a mem-
ber of the LGBTQ
community," he said.
"In commemoration of
Jeffrey Falick
this decision, I hereby
offer the first same-sex couple that
contacts me a Humanistic wedding free
of charge!"
Even some Orthodox rabbis, who will
not officiate at same-sex ceremonies
just as they will not bless the union of
a Jew and a non-Jew, approve of the
Supreme Court decision, feeling that
religious law should not dictate the law
of the land.
"The government of the United
States, a secular institution built on the
theories of the Age of Reason, should
not discriminate against homosexual
couples," said Rabbi Eliezer Finkelman of
Congregation Or Chadash in Oak Park.
"The Supreme Court got it right."
performing ceremonies minutes after the
decision was announced.
"I am elated and relieved by the Supreme
Court's ruling regarding same-sex mar-
riage said Brown, who performed several
ceremonies during the one-day window in
2014. "No longer will my office, or any office
in this country, be forced to discriminate
against loving, committed same-sex couples
who want to get marriee
Friedman, who was disappointed when his
decision to overturn the same-sex marriage
ban in Michigan was reversed by the court of
appeals, was thrilled when he heard the news
from the Supreme Court.
"I'm delighted:' he said. As a Jewish
American, I have a particular feeling about
the principle of equal protection; it's so
important to all of us. I'm not surprised
because it was the right thing to do, but you
never know. I couldn't be happier:'
Friedman's elation was shared by Robert
Sedler, constitutional law professor at
Wayne State University Law School and
civil rights advocate who assisted with the
DeBoer-Rowse case. He is also a mem-
ber of the Social Action Commission of
the Union for Reform Judaism.
"Marriage is a fundamental right under
due process," said Sedler, who added that
the issue also divides the Reform and
Conservative movements, which recognize
same-sex marriage, from the Orthodox
stream, which does not.
Wedding Plans
While some local couples celebrated the
recognition of marriages performed in other
states, those who had been waiting until
same-sex marriage became legal in Michigan
began planning their long-awaited weddings.
Historic on page 10
Study: Religious Support
A recent study shows Jews liv-
ing in the United States are one
of the groups most supportive of
same-sex marriage. According to
data collected by the nonpartisan
Public Religion Research Institute
in Washington, D.C., 54 percent of
Americans were in favor of legal-
izing same-sex marriage.
When the statistics were broken
down according to religion, 77
percent of Jews expressed sup-
port, with 47 percent of those
respondents strongly in favor.
The same study showed same-
sex marriage was supported
by 60 percent of Catholics, 62
percent of white mainstream
Protestants, 84 percent of
Buddhists and 77 percent of those
without religious affiliation.
❑
July 2 • 2015
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