Marriage (¶161B) and Celebrating Same-Sex Unions (¶341.6)

What impact does this have on LGBT people, their families, and clergy?

• Long-time church members are planning a trip to Massachusetts to attend the wedding of their adult daughter to her beloved lesbian partner of many years. They wish they could share their joy with their church, but don't feel that the news would be welcomed.
• Two church members have fallen in love and want to commit their lives to each other before God and their community of faith. They want to hold this ceremony in their church and have their pastor be the celebrant. Since they're both the same gender, this can't happen in their United Methodist church.
• When my dad and his partner got married, I felt more like we were a regular family and not just a bunch of people living together. I didn't feel as much like an outsider. Now when kids say I don't have a real family, I can stand up to them.
• A couple in Iowa asks their pastor to perform their wedding ceremony. She firmly believes that such holy love and commitment should be celebrated. However, this particular invitation poses a dilemma for her: Does she choose to be faithful to the Discipline of the United Methodist Church or does she choose to faithfully serve the pastoral needs of her congregation-specifically this same-sex couple?