In historic area, church's pro-gay sign wins permit
QUINCY -- The desire of Quincy's historic ''Church of the Presidents" -- which contains the tombs of John Adams and John Quincy Adams -- to hang a prominent banner supporting same-sex marriage has provided a local twist on the hotly debated Beacon Hill issue.
City officials' decision last week to give the United First Parish Church a temporary sign permit for 60 days appears to have cleared the way to display the 34-foot-long banner proclaiming ''People of Faith for Marriage Equality." Sometime around April 1, the banner will be hung along the top of the columns of the historic Greek revival building in Quincy Center, across from City Hall.
The decision by inspectional services director Jay Duca to allow the banner to hang for 60 days as a temporary sign -- rather than the 90 days the church sought -- removed the church's need for a special permit from the city's Zoning Board of Appeals. The 90-day period would require a special permit, said Dave Murphy, director of operations for the City of Quincy, and that has proved problematic.
Minister Sheldon Bennett, said his congregation wanted to affirm its support of ''marriage equality" now because opponents have once more made gay marriage a public issue.
''Our church has a long-standing faith commitment to support equal rights and the nondiscrimination of people of different sexual orientation and gender identity," he said. Bennett said the church regards the banner as ''an expression of our faith" and not as a political message such as ''Vote for Joe Smith."
Despite the banner's controversial message, discussion of the church's right to display it was, throughout the matter, limited to city building regulations and historic district concerns. ''Any exterior alteration to buildings within the district has to come before the district commission," said Monica Conyngham, the city solicitor.
At first, it appeared city rules would stand in the way. In addition to a special permit from the zoning board, officials said the church would need the permission of the city's Historic District Commission, which governs changes to the structures to protect the character of the historic district.
Duca told the church before a scheduled Tuesday night zoning board hearing that the Historic District Commission would go along with the 60-day period for the banner.
Bennett said he was pleased with a decision that allows the church to display ''an expression of faith" and declare a point of view on same-sex marriage that is ''consistent with Unitarian-Universalist principles."
''We're glad the matter was resolved to everybody's satisfaction and that we can put up the banner," Bennett said, adding praise for city officials who worked out a solution.
''Our historic church and the city have been good neighbors for hundreds of years," he said. The parish was founded in 1639; the current church building dates to 1828.
Bennett picked up the permit, which allows the banner to hang for 60 days within a six-month period, on Wednesday. He said hanging the banner around April 1 would coincide with the Legislature's state constitutional convention, which will begin on May 10.
Opponents of same-sex marriage need the backing of at least 50 members of the 200-seat Legislature in two successive legislative sessions before the question can go on the 2008 ballot.
Robert Knox can be reached at rc.knox@gmail.com. 