For Dan Bryant, pastor at First Christian Church of Eugene, equality is more than just about how we treat one another. "Equality means treating people without bias regardless of appearance, beliefs, characteristics, and certainly regardless of sexual orientation," says Bryant. "As a pastor, it also means seeing every person as created equally in the image of God."

Bryant is particularly compelled as a religious leader to take a stand on GLBT issues. "Because discrimination toward GLBT people has especially come from the religious community, it is important to show that there is a different religious perspective. There are religious people who do not judge people differently or treat people differently based on sexual orientation."

As part of his effort to take a public stand against discrimination, Bryant recently published an op-ed in The Register-Guard in which he offered a message to Oregon legislators: "Please search your hearts to answer the moral challenge presented by this discrimination allowed in the laws of our state. Then, dear legislators, please search your own consciences for the courage to do something about it."

The article appeared, appropriately enough, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 2007. "Hearing stories of discrimination from people within my own congregation is part of why I work on this issue," he said. "From a biblical perspective, this is a basic matter of justice for God's people. Lack of legal protection against discrimination is an injustice that desperately needs to be corrected."