Ceremony 2
- Copyright :
Jason Tuazon-McCheyne Civil Celebrant, and
John Terry Moore and Russell Baum - 30/08/2008
Re-printed and published here by permission of the copyright holders.
Photo Gallery
- view some of the pictures taken at the ceremony of Russell Baum
and John Moore.
The actual wording of your vows and ring
ceremony can be fully personalised to your own style and choice. There
are many resources available, or you may prefer to make up your own
words, which would truly reflect your inner feelings.
I will assist you with the overall ceremony layout, introduction and
final presentation.
THE PARTNERSHIP CEREMONY
OF
Russell Baum
&
John Moore
October 5th 2008
Celebrant: Jason Tuazon-McCheyne
v
WELCOME
The Celebrant introduces the background to today’s ceremony and confirms
everyone’s deepest suspicions!!! There are no free lunches!!! Because
Russell and John ask all attending to join with them in the fight
against homophobia in the community.
v
MUSICAL INTERLUDE
Sally Cant provides a segue into the main ceremony.
v
CEREMONIAL INTRODUCTION
The Celebrant covers Russell and John’s 25 years together and the
continuing potential of their partnership.
v
FAMILY TRANSITION CEREMONY
A
special ceremony which symbolises the blending together of two people
into one life, one destiny; by pouring two glasses of wine into one.
The smaller glasses represent Russell and John; the single large glass
is the Cup of Life representing their new family entity.
v
EXPECTATIONS OF PARTNERSHIP
The Celebrant reads the expectations of a modern Australian
partnership.
v
ASKING
Having read the expectations, the Celebrant asks Russell and John if
they now wish to proceed.
v
VOWS
The most formal part of the ceremony where Russell and John promise to
honour their partnership for life.
v
EXCHANGE OF GIFTS
Rings are exchanged as an enduring symbol of the Vows.
v
THE DECLARATION AND SIGNING
The Celebrant summarises the ceremony, and declares Russell and John to
be partners for life.
The Certificate of Partnership is signed and witnessed, and is presented
by the Celebrant.
Article in Geelong
Advertiser
- Couple's Commitment to Help Others, by
Danny Lannen 6th Oct 2008
John Moore
and Russell Baum hoped to do much more than pledge
lifelong love and commitment during their civil
partnership ceremony in Geelong yesterday.
The long-time
partners exchanged vows, rings and embraces before
family and friends and shared hope that their pledges
might even save lives.
They want their public statement of faith
for each other to be an example for their community and
to help strengthen young people who might be feeling
hunted or cornered by attitudes to their sexuality.
Mr Moore is a civil
celebrant and said after the service his vocation had
made awful truths too clear to him.
"I have buried young
people who have taken their own lives because of
homophobic attitudes in the community," he said.
"These attitudes persist in some of the
smaller country areas in this region, in
some of the local suburbs and of course
even in parts of the major Australian
cities.
"We
appeal to the majority of modern,
thinking Australian people to speak out
and support us so that the homophobes
feel outnumbered."
He said he and Mr Baum valued the
support they had received from family
members during their 25 years together.
"Let
us say to families and to society in
general that if they reject the
sexuality and emotional issues of this
generation then they face raising
maladjusted, unhappy and unfulfilled
kids at best and potential suicides at
worst," Mr Moore said. "It's not about
sex, for goodness sake, but about
people."
Mr
Baum's father Lui Baum, 83, of
Bendigo, echoed the thinking and said
happiness was paramount.
"We
accepted it straight away," Mr Baum
said. "You've just got to accept it or
otherwise you lose them."
Yesterday's ceremony at Cafe Go, against
a backdrop of Australian and gay
community flags, rang with cheers and
laughter and touched hearts.
The partners pledged to care for and
honour each other. Mr Moore pledged to
take out the garbage and Mr Baum pledged
to remain always outrageous.
The
formalities closed with a kiss and Mr
Baum wiping a tear from Mr Moore's
cheek.
"Today's ceremony has been another small
step in a process that many nations
around the world have already embraced,"
celebrant Jason Tuazon-McCheyne
said.
"Same sex couples and families deserve
to be treated equally as citizens and
are entitled to the same legal and
cultural protections that opposite sex
couples take for granted."
Guest Kate Bush said the ceremony
had been emotional.
"I've been to many, many ceremonies of
different cultures and backgrounds but
that is the most moving," Mrs Bush said.
"I
was rubbing the tears away, it was just
beautiful."
* *
* *
* .* *
Love them or Lose them -
It’s
not about sex, for goodness sake, but about people!!
Let us say to families, and
to society in general, that if they reject the sexuality and emotional
issues of this generation, then they face raising maladjusted, unhappy
and unfulfilled kids at best, and potential suicides at worst.
The time has come for commonsense; to put aside dogma and division, and
just to love them, regardless of their lifestyle,”
On October 5th,
Geelong Civil Celebrant John Terry Moore was himself the subject
of ceremony together with his partner of 25 years, Russell Baum.
The partnership
ceremony took place at Café Go, in Bellerine Street; Geelong and was
attended by approximately eighty family and friends.
Celebrant
Jason Tuazon-McCheyne officiated.
Mr McCheyne said
he was honoured to be the officiating Celebrant on the day, attending
with his partner Adrian and their 2 ½ year old son, Ruben.
He went on to say
that whilst he and Adrian represented the younger generation of
same sex families, “it had been people such as Russell and
John who had held the line, set a good example to those around them
and had paved the way for the younger generations growing up in our
midst.”
“Now is our
chance to thank them for their 25 years together, their contribution to
society and to wish them well for the future.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Mr Moore confirmed that a
major reason for their celebration was to demonstrate to young people
that it is possible for same sex attracted people to have loving,
meaningful and long term partnerships.
He said that in
the past, “negative public opinion had caused many same sex couples to
be discreet for their own protection. That has been a great shame,
because young people desperately need role modelling in this very
important segment of our society. A generation of stable, same sex
attracted partnerships are obviously much more desirable and productive
than a generation of singles!!”
Mr Moore
went on to say “as a Funeral Celebrant I have buried young people who
have taken their own lives because of homophobic attitudes in the
community. These attitudes persist in some of the smaller country areas
in this region, in some of the local suburbs and of course even in parts
of the major Australian cities. We appeal to the majority of modern,
thinking Australian people to speak out and support us so that the
homophobes feel outnumbered!!”
“In the last two years, there has been a remarkable change in attitudes
from young people themselves. Almost all kids, of all sexualities and
backgrounds understand that same sex attracted people are born to be so;
not made that way by any other influence. Those kids are angry that
some of their parent’s generation reject these issues out of hand,
creating unnecessary and painful family situations, sometimes driving
young people away from the family structure permanently, and into harm’s
way as a consequence.”
“Russell and I
in our 25 years together have been fortunate because we have had 100%
support from both sides of our family group; and that has been a
significant reason for our success as a couple,” Mr Moore said.
“As from time immemorial, the only choice young people have is whether
to live the lifestyle they have been born with, or to live a life of
denial and double standards, hiding their true selves away.
In today’s world
they are facing less pressure from their own peer group, but homophobia
still exists in some family circles, and in some areas of the
community.
Let us say to
families, and to society in general, that if they reject the sexuality
and emotional issues of this generation, then they face raising
maladjusted, unhappy and unfulfilled kids at best, and potential
suicides at worst.
It’s not about
sex, for goodness sake, but about people!!
The time has come
for commonsense; to put aside dogma and division, and just to love them,
regardless of their lifestyle,” he said. |
