Two sides of gay-marriage debate face off at Safeco Field rally

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More than 20,000 of Washington's religious faithful rallied in support of traditional marriage yesterday, undaunted by a throng of gay-rights supporters with expressive signs, catchy chants and a thumping marching band.

Gospel music poured from Safeco Field.

Dozens of people from churches throughout the Puget Sound area and statewide had gathered outside the ballpark long before the gates opened for yesterday's Mayday for Marriage rally. They came to stand in support of traditional marriage, they said: One man, one woman.

Around them assembled others who favor allowing gay marriages, their placards held high.

While the confluence brought a few nose-to-nose confrontations, rally-goers largely ignored gay-rights demonstrators, who at times marched the stadium's concourse chanting loudly enough to drown out rally speakers.

The event didn't fill the 47,000-seat ballpark as a group of area pastors had hoped, on a clear, sunny Saturday in a highly unchurched region of the state. But the sizable crowd was enthusiastic.

"I knew the other side would turn out en masse," said Lyn Blond, 57, who lives in Seattle. "But there are more people who support traditional marriage than not. I wanted to be here to speak out for that."

Blond said she's contacted her representatives in Congress to voice support for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. "Marriage is for the purpose of procreation, to populate the world. Two people of the same sex can't procreate."

As she spoke, the loud chants of hundreds of gay-rights supporters rose up through the stands from outside Safeco Field.

While the counterdemonstration was largely peaceful, police made one arrest of a demonstrator, for obstruction.

Amy Hallmon, who was standing outside the stadium two hours before the event, said she was certain she holds many of the same values as the people streaming into the ballpark.

"In a lot of ways we're a very traditional family," said the stay-at-home mom. She and her partner, Jennifer Hallmon, were recently married in San Francisco. With them was daughter Nora, 2, who wanted to know when the parade would begin.

Hallmon, a Methodist, said gay marriage would create more stable, monogamous relationships.

The Rev. Rich Gamble, a minister at Keystone United Church of Christ in Wallingford, said he came to demonstrate because "I need to be here, to apologize to folks" and let them know that the assembled Christians' theology on homosexuality is dubious.

"Jesus doesn't say a word about homosexuality," Gamble said. He said some conservative Christians are exploiting homosexuality and people's fear of it, using it to divide churches.

Daniel Brannen, headed into the stadium for the rally, stopped and talked to Gamble.

"I love my gay friends, and I hate that homosexuality is destroying them," Brannen said. He called the lifestyle "unrighteous, unhealthy and unnatural."

Brannen gave Gamble his business card, and the two agreed to meet and continue the discussion over coffee.

The deep differences between the two groups were evident in hair and dress — and in the case of a few protesters, costume.

A woman calling herself Sister Salomé was wearing a sequined nun's habit, face paint, glitter, fake lashes and platform shoes.

"We're out here to counter hate with love," she said.

Those attending yesterday's rally could just as easily have come to watch the Mariners play baseball: There were many families and couples. While the majority of people appeared middle-aged or older, there were a good number of young people.

The music and speeches made the event feel like an old-fashioned revival service.

Some people waved their arms in the air. Others cried openly.

Featured speaker James Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family, a national organization that champions family values, was a huge draw for the event. He called the fight against same-sex marriage the most-difficult issue to face Americans since the Civil War.

"This is a tough fight," he said. "It's hot, it's gritty and it's not comfortable. Nobody likes to be called names."

Dobson talked about the "long-lasting social consequences" of changing the rules for marriage. He pointed to Denmark, Sweden and Norway, which have had something akin to same-sex marriage for a decade.

In these countries, he said, "the traditional family is practically gone."

Dobson decried what he claimed were high rates of promiscuity within the gay community. Gay marriage, he said, would make common the practice of teaching children about homosexuality.

Dobson said adoptions of children into traditional homes would become more difficult because there would be no way to discriminate between a traditional and a same-sex couple. And health-care costs as well as Social Security benefit costs would skyrocket, he said.

"How do we oppose this tidal wave?" he asked. "The only way to solve this problem is with a federal marriage amendment."

From a balcony inside the stadium, 16-year-old Clifford Johnson of Ballard read the placards and listened to the chanting gay-rights supporters outside and shook his head.

"Obviously that is not my view," he said. "Some of the signs don't make sense. They're saying Jesus is for them. But the Bible calls it an abomination."

Michael Joshua, 28, and his 26-year-old wife, Jill, drove up from Olympia with their 7-month-old daughter, Noah, to "show support in our beliefs of biblical marriage," Joshua said.

The couple has been married nearly two years and say their faith in God helps them overcome the everyday struggles of marriage.

"When I was a kid, I grew up not specifically being told what marriage was supposed to be, but I saw men and women getting married," he said.

"As I raise my daughter, I want her to understand what marriage is about — that it is between a man and a woman. We need this to be clear for our children so they would know what's right."

Lornet Turnbull: 206-464-2420 or lturnbull@seattletimes.com

J. Patrick Coolican: 206-464-3315 or jcoolican@seattletimes.com