{"article":{"id":73928,"heading":"LA Gay Leader Legally Married In Canada","author":"Roman Cardenas","created":"2003-07-23 16:24:08","modified":"2013-11-11 00:24:05","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 07:24:05","article":"

*** Event For Thursday, July 24, 2003 ***

Save the Date! M e d i a A d v i s o r y

Event:

Press Conference with gay rights activist Rev. Troy D. Perry. Perry, a longtime resident of Los Angeles, is the first U.S. national gay leader to be legally married in Canada to his same-sex partner and the first to do so from Southern California.

Announcement:

Perry will issue a call for thousands of gay Americans to be legally married in Canada, and unveil plans to fight for legal recognition of those marriages in the U.S.

Where:

The Sanctuary of Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles, 8704 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood CA 90069

When:

July 24, 2003 at 10 AM

Who:

Metropolitan Community Churches, the world's largest gay Christian organization, performs 6000 same-sex weddings annually, and Rev. Troy D. Perry, Founder of the 46,000-member MCC denomination; first openly gay member of the Los Angeles Human Rights Commission, and past delegate to the White House Conference on Hate Crimes.

BACKGROUND:

West Hollywood – Rev. Troy Perry, Founder and Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches, legally married his same-sex partner of 18 years, Phillip Ray De Blieck, in a private ceremony in Toronto, Ontario, July 16, 2003.

\tPerry is the first U.S. national gay rights leader to be legally wed under Canadian law recognizing same-sex marriages, and the first to do so from Southern California. According to the Toronto Bureau of Marriage, Perry and De Blieck were the 56th American same-sex couple to be legally married in Canada since the law was changed last month by the Canadian Supreme Court - and the first from Southern California.

\tAt a Los Angeles press conference at 10 AM on Thursday, July 24, Perry will

issue a public call for thounsands of gay and lesbian couples to go to Canada andbe legally married under Canadian law. In addition, he will announce his plan to challenge the U.S. government to recognize his marriage, and all other Canadian same-sex marriages, as valid in the U.S.

\tMetropolitan Community Churches includes more than 46,000 members in 300 congregations in 22 countries around the world.

\tFollowing the press conference, Perry will be available for one-on-one media interviews.



Additional Info:

Visit the Media Room at www.MCCchurch.org for background info on MCC.



FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Roman Cardenas, MCC Associate Director of Communications

Metropolitan Community Churches

8704 Santa Monica Boulevard, 2nd Floor

West Hollywood, CA 90069

Tel. (310) 360-8640, Ext. 228

E-Mail: info@MCCchurch.org<\/a>

Website: www.MCCchurch.org

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