South Florida Gay Pastor Speaks Out for Marriage Equality

Sunshine Cathedral's Rev. Durrell Watkins was interviewed by local TV station WSVN about how closely him and his partner, Sunshine Cathedral's Chief Programming Minister Rev. Robert Griffin, are watching the Supreme Court proceedings concerning marriage equality.

"What makes relationships sacred is not the genders involved," Watkins told WSVN's Vanessa Medina. Watkins and Griffin have been together for almost 14 years.

The Supreme Court will decide whether Prop 8 and DOMA, the federal law that defines marriage as a union of a man and woman, are unconstitutional.

While Watkins speaks for a specific segment of religious institutions most of which oppose same-sex marriage, Watkins and Sunshine Cathedral just held meetings to pray for an LGBT victory at the Supreme Court.

Political institutions also see differing attitudes to legalization. So far, marriage equality has been supported mostly by Democrats, including President Obama.

Tom Truex from the Broward Republican Committee said his party isn't anti-gay, but isn't very vocal about the whole issue.

"Our platform is remarkably silent on that whole issue," Truex told WSVN. "In general, Republicans believe that the government should stay out of our lives."

Local activist Michael Rajner said that, contrary to what Truez said, Republicans continue to "vasilate whether this something we should step in to."

"[Republicans] need to show the courage," Rajner added.

Watkins believes that the federal government nor the states have a right to deal out civil liberties.

"I don't think you can be a free and whole person in Rhode Island (where gay marriage is legal) and not in Oklahoma," Watkins said. "We really do hope [marriage equality] happens in our lifetime."