 "Photo: Stacy Welkowitz")
Gov. Mitt Romney spoke to millions of Americans via simulcast and to a rallying crowd of nearly 1,000 people at the Tremont Temple Baptist Church last night about the dangers of same-sex marriage while a group of gay rights activists held a candlelit vigil in protest outside the church, chanting "shame."
In his speech -- which was delivered a second time after President of the Family Research Council Tony Perkins said someone tampered with the system simulcasting the event -- Romney said marriage should be exclusive to a man and a woman because that is the only environment which provides a sound environment for raising children.
"Every child deserves a mother and a father," he said. "Marriage is about the nurturing and development of children. The price of same sex marriage is paid by children."
"Marriage is about the needs of our children, not the right of adults," he added.
The event, called "Liberty Sunday," was aired live on local religion television channels to hundreds of churches, as well as radio stations and websites, including the American Family Radio Network.
Romney attacked gay-marriage supporters, saying they are part of a secular movement which will continue to spread until federal regulations bar it.
The Rev. Roberto Miranda said homosexuality is a movement many do not acknowledge, adding homosexuals will wreak havoc as an, "aggressive gay culture entrenches itself in politics, art, education and the social sciences."
Bishop Wellington Boone told the crowd same-sex marriage cannot form a family, and is therefore not comparable with the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
"If you're in the closet, get out of the closet and let God deal with you," Boone said. "We have to stand up for God."
A crowd of close to 50 people held a candlelit vigil and picketed outside the event, singing the hymn, "This little light of mine," in support for gay marriage.
Erika and Molly Shira were among the crowd of protesters. They were married two months ago and said they attended the event because they felt religious organizations should not be influencing political decisions.
"Churches aren't supposed to be involved in politics," Erika Shira said.
Husbands Ralph Hodgdon and Paul McMahon, who were married nearly two years ago, held a sign outside the church that read, "Happily together for 51 years."
"We come from an age where, in early days, if you were from mixed races, you were not able to marry. They finally granted people who are truly in love to marry," Hodgdon said.
The couple said they regularly picket anti-same-sex marriage events, but they decided to attend "Liberty Sunday" when they heard Romney suddenly changed his plans to speak. Ann Romney was slated to speak at the event without her husband and show a video presentation in lieu of the governor's speech.
Nearly 70 million people reportedly viewed the event, and Hodgdon said they felt Romney used this opportunity to gain more votes.
"He was not originally supposed to speak tonight - his wife was," he said. "Then all of a sudden this might bring in some more votes somewhere, and he is such an opportunist in the wrong direction."
"We support all of these rallies but when he decided to come back from his campaigning to speak at this event, it furthered my evaluation of where he's coming from," he added.
Both Hodgdon and McMahon said they are confident the law will not be overturned when the legislature votes on it again Nov. 9.
"I don't think it's going to happen that easily," he said. "There are enough people -- not only gay people but straight people as well who said we waited to see what would happen once [gay marriage] was legal and there is really no difference. If it's helped their lives, why not?"
They went on to say that in years to come, this will simply be another civil rights issue the country looks back upon, and wonders why it was ever an issue at all.
"They'll look back on this era and they'll say what was all the fuss about?" he said. "It should have been equal rights, it has nothing to do with converting anyone. It has to do with human rights and equality."
The rally was peaceful except for one arrest of assault and battery by a protester outside the church, police confirmed.
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