Echo Magazine Features Article about Terry Pochert and Joseph Connolly
Joe Connolly and Terry Pochert are a Valley couple whose legal 2008 California marriage formed the cornerstone for one of the two cases that brought marriage equality to Arizona on Oct. 17. Their marriage is now considered valid in the eyes of Arizona’s laws, and the lawsuit for which they were the lead plaintiffs (Connolly vs. Jeanes) was based on secular arguments. But to hear Connolly and Pochert tell it, their decision to take a stand for equal relationship recognition is one deeply rooted in their faith and supported by their faith community. “This lawsuit has been a grassroots, faith-based effort,” Connolly said, adding that, for them, the legal proceedings centered on experiences related to their church, University Lutheran Church in Tempe. As it turns out, attorney Shawn Aiken has also attended the church, and some of the earliest efforts to recruit additional plaintiffs relied on current or past church affiliations.[efn_note]Echo Magazine, November 20, 2014, Liz Massey – A Faith-Fueled Fight – Spiritual principles undergird couple’s decision to press Arizona marriage lawsuit (PDF)[/efn_note]
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