I have long supported equality for all and been very public about it for years. Acting on my beliefs about equality for all, I left my former denomination to embrace a spiritual philosophy that speaks to the oneness of all. It was a move that cost me a great deal personally but I reached the point where I had to stand on the courage of my convictions.

I applaud President Obama for taking a bold stance in endorsing same sex marriage. Marriage equality is something that should be extended to all people. I have witnessed many same gender loving relationships of long standing which are as vital and vibrant as any other. People in those unions ought to have every opportunity that others do, including the right to marry.

Our spiritual center openly embraces all people for we recognize that all are unique and individualized expressions of God. For too long, religious institutions have been hurting and abusing people based on the notion that they are being faithful to a tradition that is steeped in the historical and cultural norms of its day. The irony is that at the heart of that tradition is the idea of unconditional love. Yet many people who fall outside of what is believed to be the standard experience anything but that love.

It is time for that to be corrected. It is the time to truly embody that which we teach.