Rabbi Maurice Harris has a commitment to equality that is driven by both the sacred and the secular. He says that as an American, he "wants our country to be the best that it can be." As a rabbi, he is committed to the teaching that all human beings are reflections of the Divine image and to diminish any human being in any way is to diminish the Divine.

Legal equality for people in same-gender relationships is an important issue for Rabbi Maurice, because he values "the mystery and integrity of love." Because of his respect for love, he says that whenever two people are lucky enough to find love, it is important for society to provide dignity and equality. In his mind, current law, in which mixed-gender couples have access to a comprehensive package of legal rights and protections and same-gender couples have nothing, is an affront to his core principles. He says he is "bothered by my conscience every time I perform a straight wedding and sign all of the legal documents involved, because I feel that I am complicit in an extremely unjust system."

Rabbi Maurice would like to find a way to bridge the gap between proponents and opponents of equality. He believes that many opponents of equality are motivated by fear. He explains, "The world around us is in such an uncertain, unstable state and there is a huge amount of social anxiety. In times like these people hang on tightly to what they find comfortable and familiar." He continued, "I wish I could find the right words to help the people in our society who feel frightened by equality to stop feeling frightened and see that they have nothing to worry about. If we can find a way to speak gently to those fears, maybe we can find a way to change their minds."