Christians Protest Same-Sex Marriage in Redwood City

Christians protested in Redwood City Thursday, encouraging county clerks in California to refuse to marry gay and lesbian couples.

“Legally marriage in California is between one man and one woman,” said Vik Cho, organizer of the protest.  “We’re here to tell all the clerks that they can refuse to marry homosexuals. If just one clerk takes a stand and refuses to marry them, the law is on their side,” Cho said. 

Five protesters traveled from Sacramento to wave signs outside of the Sofitel San Francisco Bay Hotel, where the annual California Association of County Clerks & Election Officials conference is being held. Their signs read phrases such as: “Clerks: Obey God” and “Clerks: Keep Your Oath.”

Cho, who attends the Romanian Baptist Church in Sacramento, said the group is affiliated with an organization called Christians Against Child Abuse.  It is composed of people who attend various churches throughout Sacramento, he said. 

He said that The California Governor could not legally “push this on all of California. It’s tyranny,” he said.  The legality of marrying people who are physically of the same gender is controversial.

In August 2009, a San Francisco federal judge ruled that that a ban on gay marriage, known as Proposition 8, was unconstitutional. After much litigation and protesting, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that decision in June 2013.  California couples from all over the Bay Area rejoiced in Redwood City that day on the steps of the county clerk’s office. California Governor Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris have refused to endorse Prop 8, deeming it unconstitutional on the grounds that it discriminates against people based on their gender and sexual orientation. 

However, people who want to preserve the tradition of restricting the ability to dispense a marriage contract to a couple composed of two people who are anatomically male and female are protesting.

Protesters said they would be in front of the hotel until 1 p.m. on Thursday.


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