May 22, 2004

The New York Times
229 W. 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036

Dear Editors:

We appreciated your brief mention of supportive churches 
in your May 17 article about anti-gay Christians, though we 
hope the existence of pro-gay religious organizations, congregations 
and clergy are no longer news to most people.  We were confused, 
however, by the many quotes in the article from anti-gay religious 
activists claiming not to be anti-gay but pro-marriage.  One can 
easily be pro-marriage without being anti-gay, but there is no such 
thing as “positive backlash” against equal rights, and being opposed 
to equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people is 
exactly the same as being against the people themselves.


Sincerely,
Barbara Lamond Purdom			
Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators