A Chicago Methodist minister, suspended last year for presiding over a commitment ceremony between two men, said church law would allow for same-sex unions, provided they take place outside of the church. On Tuesday, gay couples at the United Methodist Church in Chicago acted on this law, exchanging vows outside, then celebrating their unions inside the church. All weddings at the church, homosexual and heterosexual, are conducted in the same manner.
Same-sex unions also received a nod from Duke University, which will allow gay students, faculty, staff and alumni to use the University’s chapel to hold commitment ceremonies. The chapel is a school facility and is not tied to a particular religious denomination, and is not bound by church policies. Emory, Harvard, Stanford and Wake Forest Universities have also allowed same-sex unions in school owned chapels.
