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This week, hundreds of gay and lesbian couples across California lined up in front of their County Registrar’s offices to obtain marriage licenses. The state’s Supreme Court in May overturned a ban on same-sex marriage, making California the second state in the nation to recognize legal marriage rights for the LGBT community. Tomorrow, on Uprising, Linda Martinez and Regina Rodriguez, a couple that has been together for 8 years, will get married live on the air – and we hope you tune in. We will be broadcasting remotely from the Courtyard of the Village at Ed Gould Plaza, at the LA Gay and Lesbian Center. Despite the exuberance at the weddings, the religious right has already organized a ballot measure this November aimed at amending California’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage once and for all. A recent CBS poll found that women are more likely than men, liberals and Democrats more likely than conservatives and Republicans, to support equal marriage rights for the LGBT community. Those under the age of 30, who never go to church, are the mostly likely to favor same-sex marriage. This is no surprise, given that opposition to gay rights has been most vociferous among the evangelical, religious right, the same constituency that helped elect George W. Bush to the White House. Will Republicans once more use the issue of gay marriage to divide Americans?

Today we spend the hour taking a look at the broad historical roots of the religious right in America, and its political agenda, with a special emphasis on gay rights.

Chip Berlet on the History of the Religious Right

Some years ago, Senior Analyst for Political Research Associates, Chip Berlet, gave a fascinating speech about how the religious right gained political power in the US. It was one of KPFK’s most popular speeches. In light of the coming battle in California, Berlet’s speech is more relevant than ever today.

For The Bible Tells Me So

Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate? Those are the questions that “For the Bible Tells Me So” attempts to answer. Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families — including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson — we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.