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The Newsletter of the Interfaith Working Group
October 2000
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Texas
In September, Jessica and Robin Wicks received a
marriage license and were married by Rev. John Nicholas
of
Metropolitan Community Church of San Antonio.
The women's marriage is legally possible because
Christie Lee Littleton's
mixed-gender marriage was
voided by the 4th Court of Appeals, a decision based in
part on the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The
decision legally redefined gender in thirty-two Texas
counties (out of 254), making chromosomes the deciding
factor and presuming that an original birth certificate
accurately reflects chromosomal make-up
[Keeping the Faith:
Jun. 2000,
Dec. 1999].
Since the wedding, two
women from New Mexico have also received a Texas
marriage license. The Houston Chronicle and
San Antonio Express-News covered the Wicks marriage.
New Jersey
The ACLU of New Jersey
is appealing a case in which
a judge denied a woman's appeal for a name change
because it might appear that she and her partner were
married. The judge reportedly told the couple that if they
wanted to be married they should go to Vermont.
California
According to a representative from
Marriage Equality
California, twenty-five same-gender couples, including
Rabbi Lisa Edwards
(Bet Chayim Chadashim) and
Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson
(Metropolitan Community Church)
and their partners, applied for marriage licenses in
Beverly Hills, California.
Nebraska
An anti-marriage amendment to the state constitution
will be on Nebraska's ballot this fall. The Omaha World
Herald reports that Nebraska's three Roman Catholic
bishops are urging voters to support the "Defense of
Marriage Amendment." The Lincoln Journal Star
quoted Jimmy Creech: "If it passes, the constitution will
be used as a basis for a new apartheid."
Hawaii
Rodney Powell, one of the founders of the Student
Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and an activist in
the African-American civil rights movement with Martin
Luther King, is now working to apply the principles of
King to the civil rights movement in Hawaii for gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. You can visit
the Civil Unions--Civil Rights Movement's website at
www.civilunions-civilrights.org.
Maine
A new anti-discrimination law is on the ballot this fall
in Maine; voters repealed a sexual orientation non-discrimination
law in 1998. The Portland Press Herald said that
Jerry Falwell
spoke against the proposed law at a
conference sponsored by the
Maine Christian Coalition
(which is also reportedly distributing "Gay Agenda" videos);
speakers included
Family Research Council and
American Family Association
representatives.
The ballot question: "Do you favor ratifying the action of the
119th Legislature whereby it passed an act extending to all citizens
regardless of their sexual orientation the same basic rights to protection
against discrimination now guaranteed to citizens on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex or national origin in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodation and credit,
and where the act expressly states that nothing in the act
confers legislative approval of, or special rights to, any
person or group of persons?"
Dr. Laura
There were
Dr. Laura
protests nationwide on September 11; over 100 people were at KYW-TV (5th
& Market Sts., Philadelphia), with several religious, medical,
and civil rights speakers. Sponsors continue to drop support for the show
(according to
stopdrlaura.com,
sixty-one companies had pledged not to advertise by September 28).
Dr. Laura's behavior, her free speech rights,
and the rights of her critics have become a major subject
of discussion in the media. On September 22, the
Los Angeles Times reported that a panel of network executives
was asked if there was anything on television they didn't
feel they could defend; Garth Ancier, president of NBC
entertainment, said "I'm not embarrassed about anything
on television, with the exception of 'Dr. Laura.'"
Dr. Laura's website now includes an
activism section,
and the first topic was advocating for internet filtering in
public libraries.
Internet filters are well known for filtering
out all kinds of non-pornographic material including
medical, social, religious, and civil rights information.
Dr. Laura has campaigned against free speech, and
sexual and religious minorities in her syndicated column
and radio show, and has been extremely inconsistent
about whether her opinions are medically or religiously
based. People are asking corporations not to reward her
for this behavior. Get more info by going to
GLAAD's website (glaad.org),
the IWG website (iwgonline.org),
stopdrlaura.com, or
drlaura.com.
Soulforce
Following this summer's actions at the
United Methodist
General Conference in Cleveland,
Southern Baptist
Convention in Orlando,
Presbyterian Church (USA)
General Assembly in Long Beach, CA and
Episcopal Church, USA
General Convention in Denver,
Soulforce
is planning an action November 12-14, in conjunction
with the
National Conference of Catholic
Bishops (NCCB)
in Washington, DC. Rev. William Sloan Coffin and Rev.
Dr. James Lawson are to participate in Soulforce's November 13 rally.
Also scheduled: a visit to the Holocaust
Museum, a candlelight vigil, and civil disobedience. In
addition to trying to silence Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Fr.
Robert Nugent (ordered to stop ministering to sexual minorities),
the church hierarchy has opposed equal rights
and benefits for same-gender couples in Philadelphia,
Hawaii, California, Vermont, and now
Nebraska.
The Soulforce web page says: "We are Soulforce volunteers from every
possible faith tradition. We accuse the
Catholic Church of acts of spiritual violence against
God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered children.
We thank the American Bishops for their statement "Always Our Children"
but we ask them to end the policies
that destroy our children's lives, that divide our families,
that lead to discrimination, suffering and death for those
we love." In a September 14 letter to Dignity Chapter
Leaders and Friends, Mary Louise Cervone
(president of
Dignity/USA) wrote:
"There are differences in the methods and means that Dignity/USA and
Soulforce have used, and will use, in our shared vision of reform and
renewal. We will be helping to shape the goals and public
statements of the NCCB protest so that they reflect Dignity's goals,
and the experience we have gained from previous presence at the
Bishops' meetings. Specifically,
Dignity/USA does not endorse acts of civil disobedience.
We leave that as a matter for individuals to determine,
and will respect the informed decisions of our members."
Neo-Nazis In Pennsylvania
The Southern Poverty Law Center
won a $6.3 million judgment against Aryan Nation; their Idaho compound
was seized to pay the penalty. However, it appears that
the organization will be reconstituting itself in Potter
County, PA. Pennsylvania-based civil rights educator and
activist Floyd Cochran (director of the
Education and Vigilance Network
and a former recruiter for Aryan Nation) warns that the leader
at the new site has "embarked
on a mission that will eventually lead to violence."
Boy Scouts of America
The bill which would have repealed the
BSA federal
charter lost in the House of Representatives. Public land
and public school access for the Scouts, as well as public,
corporate and United Way funding continue to be a topic
of editorials, columns, and letters to the editor around the
country. Several basic points have consistently gone unnoted:
1) Just because the BSA has a right to discriminate doesn't mean the
public has to support them.
2) The BSA is now officially a private, discriminatory organization,
theoretically to be treated like any other private, discriminatory
organization by government agencies. 3) The
BSA also discriminates against atheists. 4) What level of
discrimination would be unacceptable to those who say
that the good the organization does outweighs the harm
caused by discriminating?
Emergency Contraception
The Kaiser Reproductive Health Report
says the US House voted 250-170 to approve a Senate provision barring
use of federal funds to distribute emergency contraception to minors in
elementary and secondary schools.
United Methodist Church
Responding to anti-GLBT resolutions passed at the
UMC General Conference, delegates to the Western Jurisdictional
Conference almost unanimously approved a
statement entitled "We Will Not Be Silent," which says:
"...we cannot accept discrimination against gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgender persons and, therefore, we will
work toward their full participation at all levels in the life
of the church and society."
The council of
Chicago's Broadway United Methodist
Church announced the adoption of a new
"policy regarding legal weddings
and holy unions," which reaffirms the
Church's "intent to minister to all people and exclude no
group or individual. Celebrating a covenant between two
people is one of our ministries. We see such covenants as
not only a commitment of two people to each other, but
also a declaration of new ministry and relationship to the
Broadway congregation and the world." Under the policy, the pastor
"will no longer 'conduct' legal weddings or
holy union covenants. The couples will 'conduct' their
Holy Union or legal wedding covenant....with the pastor
present at a site separate from the church building and at
a time chosen by the couple. This is in keeping with the
United Methodist Book of Discipline." The church will
"construct a special archway that is moveable and designed as a
symbol of the BUMC congregation's support
of the couple...[to] be used at the covenanting site."
Rev. Greg Dell's response to the policy (also on the
BUMC website) says in part: "I begin with an assumption that it is
unconscionable for a church to deny
ministry to some people and make it available to others
when that denial is based solely on the God-given identity
of the excluded group. It is a practice that undercuts the
foundation of our faith in the God who created all in the
divine image. The ban against Holy Unions by the United
Methodist denomination is nothing less than blasphemous."
Rev. Dell also states: "A final assumption is
that concessions to bigotry or evil of any kind are
dangerous. Policies that are simply designed to 'skirt'
the rules or find loopholes are only a short distance from
complicity with the evil behind the rules. On the other
hand, the presence of evil can also stimulate creative
proactive responses. At their core, such responses can
carry and represent clear statements of new or reclaimed
faithful understandings or practices too long ignored (e.g.
the appropriate role of laity and clergy in services of
covenant). Thus, in exploring ways to include services of
Holy Union we can take a step forward rather than one
of retreat."
Solidarity Sunday
October 8 is Solidarity Sunday, the annual observance
created by
Dignity/USA.
Please wear a rainbow ribbon,
and pray and/or pledge to work for an end to anti-gay
violence. This year, please remember the victims of the
recent shootings in the bar in Roanoke, VA.
Religious Right Roundup
The
Traditional Values Coalition
and the American Family Association
are selling advance copies of the film
of Tim LeHaye's novel, "Left Behind," slated for theaters
February 3, and called by the TVC "the most anticipated
Christian film in history." Five dollars of every sale over
$30 supports the anti-GLBT, anti-reproductive freedom,
pro-church-state entanglement work of these groups.
The
American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ)
sent a fund-raising appeal saying that the ACLU is trying
to "strip Christians of their freedoms." Oddly, this assertion was
followed by two examples of ACLJ "major
victories" (defeat of marriage in Hawaii and Domestic
Partnerships in Boston) involving denying rights to others.
Seeking Common Ground
Erin Cross and Karlene Burrell-McRae of the
University of Pennsylvania conducted a workshop at the recent
SPARC conference in State College on creating alliances between
LGBT communities and communities of
color. This list of recommendations from their workshop
is reprinted with permission, and is probably applicable to
any two groups unfamiliar with each other trying to learn
to work together:
Take risks. Be honest. Recognize that both entities
need to have something to gain. Create relationships.
Be proactive and reactive when necessary. Ask about
needs, do not assume. Be willing to stand out, as people
will stare at your difference. Identify activities being
sponsored by different groups and attend them. Recognize your areas of
privilege and use them both individually and institutionally to affect
others. Be comfortable with who you are. Admit ignorance and ask
questions. Remember that there are perceived stigmas attached to
oppressed groups. Seek common ground: it
will be difficult and take time, but it is all of our shared
responsibility.
Letterhead Updates
Rev. Brad Greeley, one of the first to lend his name to
the Interfaith Working Group
letterhead, has retired and
left the Philadelphia area. Since last month's story about
the summer letterhead additions, we've added Rev.
Douglas Fauth of the
Christian Association at the University of
Pennsylvania,
Rabbi Caryn Broitman of Congregation Tzedek V'Shalom in Newtown (PA), and
Rev. Kerry Mueller of the
Unitarian Universalist Church of
Delaware County.
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