Geoffrey Farrow, a Roman Catholic priest and pastor of St. Paul's Newman Center in Fresno, California, delivered a pulpit statement at the end of the 11:00 AM Mass on October 5, 2008, in support for the right of same-sex couples to enter into civil marriage in the State of California.
Subsequently relieved of his duties and suspended as a priest and removed as pastor of St. Paul's by his bishop for making this public statement, he also stripped of his salary, retirement benefits, and health insurance and was also forbidden from visiting parishes at which he had served or publishing on the Internet. Farrow continued to engage in public speaking to advance the cause of LGBT rights.