Tuesday night a group of around 20 held candles by Lake LaVerne to show support for the LGBT community in Maine in response to the Nov. 3 referendum overturned.

Chris Hockley, campus ministry associate at Collegiate United Methodist Church, organized the event.

“I feel very strongly about this issue,” Hockley said. “I think my faith calls me to speak out against the things that seem to be injustices. It’s because of my faith, not despite my faith, that I do this.”

Hockley clarified that he did not speak for his church as a whole.

“I think that with any religion you are going to find people with different views on different issues,” Hockley said. “But Jesus to me was trying to draw the circle wider, to be inclusive.”

The event was an opportunity to stand in solidarity with the LGBT community, he said.

“To speak out and say that people deserve equal rights,” he said. “It’s sad that man has taken away the right to marry for LGBT persons.”

Callen Ubeda, senior in political science and president of the LGBTAA, expressed concern that the Iowa Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage would be overturned. “We are working hard to ensure that we retain those rights,” Ubeda said. “It’s not just our rights for the LGBT community, it’s for everyone. It shows that here in Iowa we are fair minded people and we want to protect the rights of every individual.”

Justin Uebelhor, communications director at One Iowa, the state’s largest LGBT advocacy organization, said the Iowa ruling cannot be overturned until 2012.

“The process here in Iowa works in our favor,” Uebelhor said. “It has to pass in two consecutive sessions to amend the constitution, so we have some time to work on it.”

He, nevertheless, urged the LGBT community and its allies to continue working.

“It’s important for people to share their personal story,” Uebelhor said. “We also encourage parents of LGBT individuals and friends to continue the conversations, talk to your legislators.”

Alex Tuckness, associate professor of political science, said he thinks activists have to strategies to implement reform: Work through popular opinions or work through the courts.

“It’s not uncommon for people to try to choose the venue where they think they are most likely to win,” Tuckness said. “And right now people who want to advance gay marriage are doing better through the courts.”

He said people underestimate the ability of the people to make judgements about moral rights in addition to policy issues. “It’s overly simplistic to just assume that one rather than the other is the right way of deciding it.”

Bryan English, public relations director of Iowa Family Policy Center, opposes gay marriage.

“We would oppose it on moral convictions,” English said. “The Bible clearly speaks about homosexual activity and says that it is sinful and self destructive.”

English also voiced opposition to the way gay marriage was legalized in Iowa.

“Because this has happened as a result of a court decision, it is not law. The court overstepped their bounds in creating gay marriage in Iowa,” English said.

Sam Cotter, graduate student in civil, construction and environmental engineering, was with the group showing support for gay marriage in Maine.

“I am disappointed to see equality revoked,” said Cotter. “The will of the majority should not be allowed to force their will on the rights of the minority.”