Friday, August 29, 2003
Same-sex 'marriage' issue percolates in 4 state courts, 1 federal
court
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press (Southern Baptist Convention)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--While the nation awaits a ruling by
Massachusetts' high court on the issue of same-sex "marriage," the
legal battle is spreading to other states.

Arizona, Indiana and New Jersey are all involved in separate state
court cases where homosexual couples are seeking marriage licenses.
Additionally, activists have filed suit on the federal level asking a
U.S. district court to overturn Nebraska's constitutional ban on same-
sex "marriage."

Matt Daniels, president of the pro-family organization Alliance for
Marriage, believes it is only a matter of time before a state court
grants marriages licenses to homosexual couples.

"Massachusetts really represents the culmination of a decade of
litigation," he told Baptist Press. "That's why it's such a big deal.
It's a watershed moment. Maybe it'll be New Jersey, but it'll be a
watershed moment."

Any day the highest court in Massachusetts -- the Supreme Judicial
Court -- is expected to issue its ruling on whether homosexual
couples in the state can be granted marriage licenses. The court was
expected to rule in July but passed a non-binding 130-day deadline.
It heard the case in March.

While a state supreme court has never ruled for same-sex "marriage,"
lower state courts have.

In the mid-1990s a Hawaii court case involving three homosexual
couples set off a national firestorm, leading to Congress passing the
Federal Defense of Marriage Act, which protects one state from having
to recognize another state's same-sex "marriages."

A Hawaii circuit court judge's ruling in 1996 for same-sex "marriage"
was the nation's first, although it was appealed and eventually
rendered meaningless after Hawaii voters passed a constitutional
amendment giving the state legislature the power to limit the
definition of marriage.

A similar event took place in Alaska in 1998, when a state superior
court judge threatened to strike down Alaska's ban on same-
sex "marriage." That same year Alaskan voters passed a constitutional
amendment banning homosexual "marriage."

But a similar groundswell of opposition to same-sex "marriage" has
yet to surface in Massachusetts and New Jersey -- the two states
observers believe are most likely to broaden the definition of
marriage. New Jersey's high court is the one that ruled the Boy
Scouts must accept openly homosexual troop leaders -- a ruling that
was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A poll in Massachusetts showed that 50 percent of its adults favored
same-sex "marriage," while a poll in New Jersey found that 55 percent
of its residents supported it.

Both polls bucked nationwide trends. In fact, a recent FOX News poll
showed that 58 percent of Americans favored amending the Constitution
to ban same-sex "marriage."

The Alliance for Marriage has authored such an amendment -- the
Federal Marriage Amendment -- that has more than 75 cosponsors in the
House of Representatives. The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious
Liberty Commission supports it.

"There's no question that as the American people realize the fact
that our marriage laws are about to be struck down, that public
opinion as we always expected is moving in our direction," Daniels
said.

"Most Americans believe that gays and lesbians have a right to live
as they choose, but they don't have a right to redefine marriage for
our entire society. They are crossing a line that people are not
willing to see them cross."

Social conservatives also fear that the Lawrence v. Texas Supreme
Court decision, which struck down anti-sodomy laws, will provide
support for those arguing for homosexual "marriage."

Benjamin Bull, chief counsel for the Arizona-based Alliance Defense
Fund, told Baptist Press he doesn't believe Massachusetts will rule
for same-sex "marriage" although it may grant Vermont-type civil
unions. Bull also doubts that other courts will rule for same-
sex "marriage."

"There may be a rogue court somewhere someday, but there's a reason
why it's never happened, and that reason is that you can't turn a
racehorse into a toadstool," said Bull, whose organization filed a
friend-of-the court brief with the state in the Arizona case, saying
homosexuals should not be granted marriage licenses.

Following is a brief summary of the current cases involving same-
sex "marriage," courtesy of data from www.marriagewatch.org.

STATE LEVEL

ARIZONA -- The case involves two men who are suing the state, asking
for marriage licenses. Their case was heard by the Arizona Court of
Appeals Aug. 19.

Observers on both sides of the issue say it has the least likely
chance to succeed. In fact, three of the nation's largest homosexual-
friendly organizations -- the Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal and
the American Civil Liberties Union -- refused to sign on.

The case is Standhardt v. Superior Court.

INDIANA -- The Indiana chapter of the ACLU filed suit on behalf of
three homosexual couples seeking marriage licenses or recognition of
their Vermont civil union licenses.

A superior court judge dismissed the case in May, although it has
been appealed to the state court of appeals.

The case is Morrison v. Sadler.

MASSACHUSETTS -- The New England-based Gay and Lesbian Advocates and
Defenders filed suit on behalf of seven homosexual couples. The
Massachusetts Bar Association filed a friend-of-the court brief.

The state's highest court heard oral arguments in March and is
expected to issue a ruling any day.

The case is Goodridge v. Department of Public Health.

NEW JERSEY -- Lambda Legal filed suit on behalf of seven same-sex
couples. In June a superior court judge heard arguments on a motion
to dismiss the case. Her ruling is expected in the next few weeks.

The case is Lewis v. Harris.

FEDERAL LEVEL

NEBRASKA -- Lambda Legal, along with the Nebraska chapter of the
ACLU, filed suit in a U.S. district court in Nebraska asking that the
state's constitutional amendment banning same-sex "marriage" be
overturned.

The plaintiffs say they are not seeking marriage licenses but instead
want to strike down an amendment that bans "equal access" rights,
such as hospital visitation rights.

The amendment reads: "Only marriage between a man and a woman shall
be valid or recognized in Nebraska. The uniting of two persons of the
same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other similar
same-sex relationship shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska."

The case is Citizens for Equal Protection v. Attorney General.
--30--

From: Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement [LGCM], UK
----------
Dear Anglican friend

In just two months we are hosting a milestone international
conference in preparation for the next Lambeth conference. We'll be
bringing together for the first time an impressive line-up of the key-
players from several Provinces in the Anglican debate on human
sexuality. The conference is supported by a wide range of leading
Anglican Primates, Bishops, Deans, theologians and writers
acting as Conference Consultants.

You will not need reminding about how topical and urgent such a
conference has become in view of developments in the Communion  -
some positive, some negative - especially over the last four months,
although we began planning in January last year!

Halfway to Lambeth takes place 10 days after the special extra
meeting of the Primates and we'll be suggesting that all who attend
that meeting extend their stay in Britain.


We would be delighted if you could attend. The conference will
provide a unique opportunity, under safe conditions, to make global
connections and network effectively.


Further details and a downloadable printable booking form are
available from our website at
http://www.lgcm.org.uk/halfwaytolambeth/


Please contact me if you have any questions. I can also send you a
pdf as an attachment if requested.

Please feel free to share this information as widely as you wish.

I hope to see you in Manchester, United Kingdom in October.

Yours sincerely.

Richard Kirker (Rev)
Conference Secretary and General Secretary
Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement [LGCM]


Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, London, E2 6HG, UK
Office Tel & Fax  +44 20 7739 1249
Counselling HELPLINE +44 20 7739 8134  (Wed 7.00 - 9.30 pm)
Christian Homophobia HOTLINE +44 20 7613 1095
http://www.lgcm.org.uk    email  lgcm@...


A membership-based international predominantly Anglican ecumenical
organisation open to all irrespective of sexual orientation
challenging homophobia in  the Churches and other Christian
communities. We offer support, counselling, publications, groups,
conferences and  networking opportunities focussed on creating an
inclusive Church and welcoming congregations.


Registered Charity No 1048842

Monday, September 1, 2003
Delay in Canada's marriage legislation
Gay.com UK
http://uk.gay.com/headlines/4965

Proposals that would legalise gay marriage across Canada may have to
be delayed by at least a year, after the country's Supreme Court said
it would not be able to listen to arguments until 2004. <MORE>
-----------

Monday, September 1, 2003
Netherlands fights Vatican with gay marriage manual
Gay.com UK
http://uk.gay.com/headlines/4962

In response to the Vatican's fight against gay unions, Dutch gay
rights groups have published a guide to gay marriage.

The 60 page manual outlines how and why the Netherlands became the
first country in the world to legalise gay marriage.

It also offers advice on campaigning in other countries, where the
issue is still being discussed, and urges the gay and lesbian global
community to fight discriminatory laws in their own countries.<MORE>
-----------

August 31, 2003
Free to Marry, Canada's Gays Say, 'Do I?'
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/31/international/americas/31CANA.html

The extension of marriage rights has thrown gays into a heated debate
over how much "integration" is a good thing.

It is too soon to draw conclusions about how widespread gay marriage
will become in Canada over time. Many same-sex couples say they need
time to consider so basic a commitment, or are waiting for the
anniversary of their first dates or of their commitment ceremonies to
tie the knot.

Gay men seem more apprehensive about marriage than lesbians, and
generally, couples with children, or thinking of having children,
express more interest in marrying.

The ambivalence is reflected in the numbers of gay couples who have
chosen marriage so far. While members of Toronto's gay population, by
far Canada's largest, express support of the Ontario court's ruling
and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's decision to introduce
legislation
to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, they have not mobilized to
defend the change. Even as some churches and conservative politicians
have begun to mobilize against the legislation, demonstrations for it
have been few and mostly small. <MORE>
-----------

The *Integrator* is the bimonthly newsletter of Integrity/Toronto.
The  online  edition (minus cartoons in the paper version) is now
available online at:
http://www.geocities.com/integritytoronto/i34.html <MORE>
-----------

Saturday, August 30, 2003
California DP law nears passage
The Advocate
http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=9723&sd=08/30/03-09/02/03

Registered domestic partners in California would have many of the
same rights and responsibilities as married couples under a landmark
bill approved by the state senate that Gov. Gray Davis has already
signaled he plans to sign. The bill, by lesbian assemblywoman Jackie
Goldberg, would give registered domestic partners the ability to ask
for child support and alimony, the right to health coverage under a
partner's plan, and the ability to make funeral arrangements for a
partner. The legislation, passed Thursday, would put California on
par with Vermont in the rights afforded to gay and lesbian couples,
gay rights activists have said. <MORE>
-----------


Friday, August 29, 2003
U.S. gays find altars in Canada
Ontario hosts 53 same-sex marriages of Americans
By Paul Egan / Special to The Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/2003/metro/0308/29/d01-257483.htm

SARNIA -- This blue-collar town, known for its chemical plants and
oil refineries, is not the most obvious destination for a wedding.

But this summer, Sarnia has hosted a dozen same-sex marriages, with
half the newlyweds coming from the United States. These six same-sex
marriages are among 53 of Americans that have been carried out in
Sarnia, Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie, three cities along the Michigan-
Ontario border, since the marriages became legal in the Canadian
province in June. <MORE>
-----------

Friday, August 29, 2003
South Africa opens up gay unions for public debate
Gay.com UK
http://uk.gay.com/headlines/4954

South Africa could be on its way to recognising domestic partnerships
for gay couples, with drafted proposals being opened up for public
opinion. <MORE>
-----------

Friday, August 29, 2003
Colombia shelves gay rights legislation
http://uk.gay.com/headlines/4958
Colombia has decided to abandon its plans to legalise same sex
relationships, in what is said to be the first direct hit from the
Vatican's anti-gay statement. <MORE>
-----------


Friday, August 29, 2003
Poll: Californians split on subject of same-sex marriage
LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?
file=/news/archive/2003/08/29/state0859EDT0066.DTL

Half of California voters remain opposed to gay marriages, but
more than seven in 10 support domestic partnership laws granting same-
sex couples legal recognition and rights, according to a Field Poll
released Friday.

Republicans and voters who identified themselves as conservative
were more than twice as likely as Democrats and self-described
liberals to disapprove of gay marriage, a finding that poll director
Mark  DiCamillo called "striking." <MORE>
-----------

Wednesday, August 6, 2003
The Bible's 'Clear Teaching'
By John Corvino
http://www.pridesource.com/cgi-bin/article?article=3844296&frames=no

"Unfortunately, many people confuse complete faith in God with
complete faith in their ability to discern God's will. They then take
their own fallible interpretations (which may be challenged) and
present them as God's clear teaching (which cannot.)">

Recent gay progress has generated backlash, and much of that backlash
comes from the religious right. These two facts are about as
surprising as the Liza Minnelli/David Gest split. What IS surprising
is how much traction the religious right continues to get by citing
the "clear teaching" of Scripture on homosexuality. If Biblical
scholarship teaches us anything, it's that we ought to be cautious
before jumping to conclusions about God's will as revealed in
Scripture.  <MORE>
-----------

Thursday, July 24, 2003
Gay pastor added to chaplains roster
By Sharon Gittleman
http://www.pridesource.com/cgi-bin/article?article=3844230&frames=no

FERNDALE - Last year's uproar following Police Chaplain Tom Hanson's
anti-gay comments at a City Council meeting, resulted in a call for
policy changes in the department and new volunteers for the chaplain
program. This week, that outcry has produced results.

Ferndale police have added five new chaplains to the police
department, including at least one gay man, Rev. Mark Bidwell, pastor
of the Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit, in Ferndale. The
department also revised the chaplain's policy statement adding a
clause requiring volunteers to "offer pastoral care freely to all
persons regardless of race, sex, religion, creed, national origin,
age, disability or sexual orientation."

Bidwell will join Scott Gentry of the Ferndale Free Methodist Church,
and Baptist preachers Walter Mozee, Donnis Reese and incumbent Tom
Hanson on the chaplain's roster. <MORE>
-----------


Do justice. A series of essays toward General Convention in 2003 and
beyond
http://newark.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/dojustice.html

Note: Items are in reverse chronology of their being posted here, the
most recent items coming first.

Anglican Authority and Homosexuality By The Rev. William Coats
Jason Green's Collection of Pastoral Responses of Bishops to General
Convention 2003
The Fires of Intolerance by Ken Shimamoto
God's Buffer by J. V. Michael Motes
Snakes in the Churchyard, Lightning in the Sky A Rumination on the
General Convention of the Episcopal Church, 2003 by The Rev. Canon
Mark Harris
A Letter to the Parish by the Rev. Andrew Sloane, Rector, St.
Paul's 'K' Street, Washington, DC, an historic Anglo-Catholic parish.
The Mount of God's Unchanging Love, a sermon at General Convention
2003 by Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry
A Difficult Teaching: Blame It on Jesus. By the Rev. Kelly Koonce,
Autin, TX <MORE>
-----------

For Immediate Release: September 1st, 2003
NEW DETROIT TV MINISTRY DECLARES GAY OKAY

Detroit- The Faith Action Network and progressive area clergy will
launch a new television show proclaiming faith-based support of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, equal rights and
relationships with a special press conference at the "Spirit of
Detroit" monument on Thursday, September 4, 2003, at 10 a.m.

This new media initiative is funded by The American Friends Service
Committee's Faith Action Network, a multi-faith project working to
increase public understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) issues. September 4th's press conference will
launch a series of commercials and a television show on UPN 50
called "Whosoever" featuring clergy and lay leaders from four of
Detroit's churches including: New Covenant Community of
Justified Believers, Pastor Karl Jackson; Whosoever Ministries, Rev.
Dr. Selma Massey; Full Truth Fellowship Church of Christ, Rev.
Darlene Franklin; and Unity Fellowship Church of Detroit.

"For too long, far right, conservative churches have been the only
ones being heard on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues,"
says Michael Gibson-Faith, Director of The American Friends Service
Committee LGBT Issues Program. "Now is the time for progressive
churches and people of faith to say, 'It's okay to be gay!' You're
welcome in our faith communities without condition."

Beginning September 7th, "Whosoever" will air several episodes
focusing on the Christian scriptures and homosexuality, and
explaining how the Bible is misused to condemn LGBT people. The
clergy will work with Faith Action Network to raise the profiles of
LGBT-affirming faith communities in Detroit, while educating the
public about God's love for LGBT people. A number of commercials and
public service announcements will air in the next several months and
the group also plans to create educational websites and more TV shows.

The "Whosoever" TV show will air at 5:00 a.m. on UPN 50 for five
weeks along with commercials on Bravo, CBS 62, and UPN 50 all
featuring pro-LGBT messages. For more information about LGBT-
affirming churches and the Faith Action Network visit http://www.afsc-
fan.org. For more info about the TV show "Whosoever," visit
http://www.whosoeverministry.com.

Contact: Michael Gibson-Faith 734.761.8283 x3
Rev Dr. Selma Massey 313-822-0470


--30--

From the All Africa News Agency (AANA)

August 25, 2003
Appointing Gay Priests Cannot Be Condoned In Africa - Gitari

NAIROBI (AANA) August 25 - Retired Kenyan Anglican Archbishop, Rt Rev
Dr. David Gitari, has advised Anglican faithful to desist from
preoccupying themselves "too much" with the raging homosexuality
debate "as there are many things to tackle, including evangelism and
preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ".

In an exclusive interview with AANA, Gitari expressed support to the
stance taken by the Kenyan clergy over the issue, stating
that "appointing gay priests, deacons or allowing same sex marriages
cannot be condoned in Africa, since the Bible does not encourage
such".

He, however, expressed the opinion that there was no need to sever
links with the Episcopal Church of United States of America (ECUSA)
for having appointed a gay bishop, as some Provinces have already
done, unless it was clear that "assistance from them had attached
strings of homosexuality".

He regretted the decision taken by ECUSA to ordain Rev Canon Gene
Robinson, a homosexual, as bishop, but pointed out that the action
was not a Communion decision, but one done at Province level.

Gitari explained: "The Lambeth Conference resolutions are not binding
to the provinces, for it is up to the provinces to discuss further
and implement what they deem fit for them. Probably, the American
church (ECUSA) had discussed this for many years, and had decided
that gay bishops are better for them."

Rt. Rev Gitari was among the bishops present at the 1998 Lambeth
Conference that proscribed ordination of gay priests.

Asked about his views on the scheduled October meeting of bishops
called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, to discuss
the ongoing homosexuality conflict, the retired archbishop said the
intended meeting will have no impact on the African Church.

According to him, homosexual priests "had been rejected a long time
ago and should not resurface again".

Reported By Herman Kasili

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September 5, 2003
Testimony: Same-sex 'Marriage' Puts Nation's Future at Stake
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press (Southern Baptist Convention)


WASHINGTON (BP)--The future of America is at stake in the struggle
over legalizing same-sex "marriage," witnesses told a Senate
subcommittee hearing Sept. 4.

The Judiciary Committee's Constitution Subcommittee met to discuss
the best way to protect the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which gives
states the option of not recognizing another state's same-
sex "marriage." It also states that the federal government does not
recognize such unions.

While subcommittee Chairman John Cornyn, R.-Texas, repeatedly said
the hearing was not about a constitutional amendment banning same-
sex "marriage," much of the discussion focused on such a proposal. An
amendment has been introduced in the House of Representatives and has
some 75 cosponsors.

"Marriage is that important. Our civilization is at stake," Michael
Farris, president of and professor of government at Patrick Henry
College in Virginia, said concerning an amendment. "... If we get to
the stage of determining if a constitutional amendment is necessary,
I for one think that the subject is well worth appearing in the
United States Constitution."

One of the day's more significant moments came when Farris and
Democrat Sen. Charles Schumer of New York debated the merits of
passing a constitutional amendment. Calling the Constitution
a "sacred document," Schumer said he is always reluctant to pass any
constitutional amendment.

"We have put them in the Constitution either because you have to
overrule a law or to change the structure of the government," he
said, speaking to Farris. "You are advocating ... a new view of
constitutional amendments."

But Farris said the standard in passing a constitutional amendment is
so high that its passage alone gives it merit. An amendment must pass
two-thirds of both the House and Senate and three-fourths of all
state legislatures.

"If that number of people think that the basis of our society is
under attack by the judiciary, then, by all means, we should amend
the Constitution," Farris said. "That's what democracy is all about."

Schumer asked, "Even if a statute could do the same job?"

Farris answered, "No statute will cure judicial activism."

Schumer and the other four Democrats on the panel said either they
opposed a constitutional amendment or that such discussion was
premature.

Conservatives fear that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) will be
struck down by a federal court, leaving states no protection from a
single state -- such as Massachusetts -- pushing same-sex "marriage"
on the rest of the country.

Including Farris, three legal experts testified at the hearing, and
two of them said that DOMA is likely to be found unconstitutional by
a federal court. That would happen, they said, when a same-sex couple
acquires a marriage license in one state and then sues to have it
recognized in other states. DOMA could be found unconstitutional
either on equal protection grounds or by a specific interpretation of
the Full Faith and Credit Clause, they said.

Four states currently are facing lawsuits from homosexual couples
seeking marriage licenses.

"Recent events have suggested that the Defense of Marriage Act may
be, and probably is, in trouble," said Gregory Coleman, former
solicitor general for the state of Texas. "... Therefore, the only
process that can be undertaken to address that ... is through a
federal constitutional amendment."

Coleman said two Supreme Court rulings strengthen the legal arguments
of those pushing for same-sex "marriage." One is Lawrence v. Texas,
which struck down states' anti-sodomy laws. The other is Romer v.
Evans, a 1996 decision which overturned a Colorado constitutional
amendment that had banned laws granting civil rights status to
homosexuals.

Farris said the belief that DOMA is unconstitutional is a widely held
view in law review periodicals.

"It is the dominant view, and I can tell you ... that what's the
dominant view in the law reviews today will be the dominant view of
the courts in a generation," he said. "[But] I don't think we'll have
a generation -- I think it will be five years at the most that DOMA
would last, if it would last that long."

But a third legal scholar, Dale Carpenter, professor at the
University of Minnesota Law School, disagreed.

The fact that it is in a "law review article is no guarantee that a
court will ever pay attention to it ...," Carpenter said.

Two witnesses, Ray Hammond, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Boston,
and Maggie Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and
Public Policy in New York, spoke about the negative social
ramifications of same-sex "marriage." Both oppose
homosexual "marriage."

"We must by word and deed," Hammond said, "make real the role of
marriage as the place in which the great divide in the human race --
the gender divide -- is reconciled as mothers and fathers build their
own healthy relationships and model those relationships before the
next generation."

Gallagher argued that children are central to the purpose of marriage.

"Of course, not every married couple has children, but every husband
and wife is capable of giving any child they create or adopt a mother
and a father," said Gallagher, who is also a national columnist.

"... Moreover, every man or woman who is faithful to their vows --
and married people are more faithful than people who are not married -
- is not going to be making fatherless children across multiple
households. That way, even childless marriages help serve and sustain
this basic marriage issue."

Gallagher later said that if "two mothers are just the same as a
mother and a father, then a woman and her mother are just the same as
a mother and father."

Carpenter said that historically states have acted as laboratories in
discovering what types of changes to law are necessary. He pointed to
minimum wage laws as an example.

Referring to same-sex "marriage," he asked, "Will parents leave their
children? Will husbands leave their wives? ... Well, let's find out
in a couple of states if some form of recognition for same-sex
couples actually leads to these terrible results."

Keith Bradkowski, a homosexual who lost his partner in the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, testified, saying he was puzzled by the
hearing's purpose.

"Jeff and I only sought to love and take care of each other," he
said. "I do not understand why that is a threat to some people and I
cannot understand why the leaders of this country would hold a
hearing on the best way to prevent that from happening."

Gallagher said that if same-sex "marriage" is legalized the nation
will be "making a powerful statement" that "children do not need
mothers and fathers."
--30--

Amendment Banning Same-sex 'Marriage' Not Needed, Democrats Say in
Hearing
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press (Southern Baptist Convention)

WASHINGTON (BP)--Democrat Senators at a subcommittee hearing Sept. 4
were cold to the idea of passing a constitutional amendment banning
same-sex "marriage."

The Judiciary Committee's Constitution Subcommittee heard testimony
on how the Defense of Marriage Act can best be preserved, and four of
the six witnesses supported a constitutional amendment as the best
solution to defend traditional marriage. But five Democrat senators --
  Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Russ
Feingold of Wisconsin, Charles Schumer of New York and Richard Durbin
of Illinois -- said either that they opposed such an amendment or
that such talk was premature.

"I do not support a constitutional amendment, nor do I feel it's
necessary," Leahy said. "I hope it will be unsuccessful if it is
introduced."

In 1996 Leahy and Durbin both voted for the Defense of Marriage Act,
which protects states from being forced to recognize another state's
same-sex "marriage." At the time Durbin was serving in the House.
Kennedy and Feingold were two of the 14 Senators who voted against
it.

Conservatives fear that DOMA will be struck down in federal court,
thus giving states no protections if a state such as Massachusetts
begins awarding marriage certificates to homosexual couples. An
amendment that would ban same-sex "marriage" -- dubbed the Federal
Marriage Amendment -- has been introduced in the House of
Representatives and has some 75 cosponsors.

Polling shows that a majority of Americans favor a constitutional
amendment. A FOX News poll this summer had support at 58 percent, an
Associated Press poll had support at 54 percent.

Feingold said Congress should not be focused on "a divisive issue
that is best left to the states and the courts."

States should be free to grant homosexuals rights if they so choose,
Feingold said.

"The Constitution has never been amended to limit basic rights," she
said. "If the Federal Marriage Amendment is ratified, it would do
just that."

A constitutional amendment, Kennedy said, would infringe on religious
freedoms.

"[F]ar from upholding religious freedom, the proposed amendment ...
would actually undermine these protections by telling churches that
they can't consecrate same-sex marriages, even though some churches
are now doing so," he said.

Kennedy asked, "What in the world are we doing over here to consider
a constitutional amendment on this issue?"

Schumer said a constitutional amendment would limit states' rights.
He called the Constitution a "sacred document" and said he is
reluctant to back an amendment on any issue.

Durbin did not say how he would vote on such an amendment but did say
that the subcommittee's conversation was "premature to the extreme."
Noting that DOMA is still law, he said the hearing was a "solution in
search of a problem."

Durbin expressed sentiment for the testimony of Keith Bradkowski, a
homosexual man who testified about the grief he suffered after his
partner, Jeffrey Collman, died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11,
2001. Legally, Collman's next-of-kin were his parents and not
Bradkowski. Bradkowski argued that he should have been protected
legally.

Durbin said that while he has "misgivings and reservations about gay
marriage, when I hear Mr. Bradkowski's story, it's one that I've
heard over and over again."

Speaking to Bradkowski, Durbin said, "There are certain things that
we should have done to make your grief and sorrow a little less, and
we didn't. And I think we can, without assaulting the institution of
marriage."

Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who as chairman called the
meeting, defended the discussion.

"Certainly, I don't think marriage is any less deserving of our
attention than any of the important issues that the Congress has to
deal with," he said.

Senators would have had to have been "blind" to not realize that the
issue of same-sex "marriage" is being discussed in America, Cornyn
added.
--30--

Friday, September 5, 2003
Senate Panel Discusses Threats to Anti-gay-marriage Law
By Robert Marus
Associated Baptist Press

WASHINGTON (ABP) -- In what its chairman insisted was not a hearing
on a constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage, a Senate panel
ended up discussing the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment anyway
Sept. 4.

The Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution
held a hearing billed instead as an exploration of ways to defend the
Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that banned federal recognition
of same-sex marriages. Subcommittee chairman Sen. John Cornyn (R-
Texas) took pains to note that the hearing was "not about whether we
should adopt a constitutional amendment," which has been proposed in
the House but not yet in the Senate.

But at the hearing, witnesses testified both for and against the
Federal Marriage Amendment, which Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.)
described as "the 800-lb. gorilla that's in the middle of the room."

The amendment would alter the Constitution to define marriage as only
between a man and a woman. It would also prohibit states from
conferring any of the "legal incidents" of marriage on "unmarried
couples or groups." This means that it would supersede state and
local laws that give legal recognition to same-sex "civil unions" or
confer domestic-partnership rights -- such as health or estate
benefits -- on same-sex couples or other unmarried couples in long-
term relationships.

When Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) introduced the amendment in the
House earlier this year, few observers of Congress thought it would
get any farther than the dozens of other constitutional amendments
that have been proposed in recent years. But it has picked up
momentum in recent weeks due to an apparent national backlash on gay-
rights issues.

Many polls show increases in public opposition to legalizing same-sex
marriage or civil unions since a June Supreme Court decision put gay
rights back on the front pages. The court, in Lawrence and Garner vs.
Texas, said state laws banning gay sex were unconstitutional. Many
gay-rights opponents feared it would end up creating a new legal
ground on which to attack the Defense of Marriage Act or state laws
banning gay marriage.

In addition, a decision from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
legalizing gay marriage is expected any day now by most legal
observers. That has heightened the concerns of anti-gay-marriage
activists about the strength of Defense of Marriage Act, because the
Constitution requires states to recognize most legal actions of other
states.

That was a concern clearly shared by the anti-gay-marriage panelists
at the Sept. 4 hearing. "Anyone who believes that DOMA will be held
constitutional [if challenged in federal courts] has a very stiff job
ahead of them defending that position," testified conservative
activist Michael Farris, president of Patrick Henry College in
Virginia and chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association.
Noting that many law-review articles since the Lawrence decision have
said it could provide grounds for overturning Defense of Marriage
Act, Farris predicted that law's demise within five years.

"The courts are robbing the American people of their fundamental
rights of self-government," Farris told the committee.

But conservative legal scholar Dale Carpenter disagreed, noting that
the Constitution's clause requiring states to recognize most acts of
other states has never been interpreted to force states to do so if
such recognition would violate the state's policy goals.

Carpenter, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and
an expert in sexual orientation and the law, also said the Lawrence
decision was narrowly tailored enough that it would not serve as a
basis for judicial overturning of state laws defining marriage,
because marriage is both a private and a public institution, while
consensual sexual activity is private. "[The Lawrence decision]
involves the most private of acts -- sexual intercourse -- in the
most private of institutions -- the home," he testified.

Carpenter serves as an advisory board member of the Republican Unity
Coalition, a group devoted to encouraging both gay and lesbian
support for Republicans and support for gay rights among members of
the party.

Perhaps the day's most poignant testimony came form Keith Bradkowski.
A hospital administrator in San Francisco, he lost his long-term,
same-sex partner, Jeff Collman, in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks.

Bradkowski explained the difficulties that surviving partners in same-
sex relationships face when their relationships have no state
recognition. "After his death, I was faced not only with my grief
over losing Jeff … but with the painful task of proving the
authenticity of our relationship over and over again," he
said. "During the years we were together, Jeff paid taxes and had
Social Security deducted from his paycheck as any other American. But
without a civil marriage license, I am denied benefits that married
couples and their families receive as a matter of routine."

But Sen. Cornyn said that, though he sympathized with Bradkowski's
plight, the institution of marriage is so central to society's well-
being that it requires protection. "I believe that the Senate has a
duty to ensure that, on an issue as fundamental as marriage, the
American people, through their elected representatives, decide the
issue," he said.

Saying Congress' role in defining marriage should not be abandoned
to "activist courts," Cornyn added, "I believe it is our duty to
carefully consider what steps, if any, are needed to safeguard the
traditional understanding of marriage, and to defend the Defense of
Marriage Act."

-30-

Thursday, September 4, 2003
Senate Anti-Gay Marriage Hearing a Divisive Diversion
Cornyn hearing likely to elevate bigotry and political grandstanding

People For the American Way

The Senate Judiciary Committee's Constitution, Civil Rights, and
Property Rights Subcommittee is holding a September 4 hearing on
whether the misnamed Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which became law
in 1996, is itself in need of defensive action. DOMA denies federal
recognition of same-sex marriages and purports to authorize states to
deny recognition of same-sex marriages that might one day be
recognized in other states. People For the American Way Foundation
President Ralph G. Neas called the hearing "a divisive attack on the
principles of fairness and equality and a diversion from the many
real issues that require urgent congressional attention."

Neas said the hearing, called by subcommittee chairman Sen. John
Cornyn (R-TX), will provide "a veneer of respectability to anti-gay
bigotry" and "an unfortunate opportunity for political grandstanding
on an issue that has a real impact on people's lives, families, and
children."

"Marriages face many stresses and challenges," said Neas, "but the
supposed 'threat' that gay people and their families might have their
relationships receive the legal rights and responsibilities of
marriage is not one of them. My marriage would not be weakened in any
way if my gay and lesbian colleagues were given the legal protections
they deserve under any notion of fairness. Our country will be
stronger when all children in all families have access to the legal
protections that civil marriage provides. Our country would be
diminished if we enshrined discrimination in our Constitution and
laws."

Neas noted that the push for a constitutional amendment to deny
marriage rights to same-sex couples picked up steam after the Supreme
Court's historic decision in June that gay people cannot be made
criminals for their private consensual sexual conduct. In that
decision, conservative Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
wrote, "Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of
thought, expression, belief and certain intimate conduct."

Neas said groups opposed to equality for gay and lesbian Americans
quickly tried to shift public debate away from whether the government
should be policing private consensual sex to whether it should be
giving legal recognition to same-sex relationships. He said some
political leaders have intentionally confused the issue by claiming
falsely that granting the legal rights and responsibilities of civil
marriage to same-sex couples would force religious communities to
perform weddings against their will.

"Many churches oppose divorce and remarriage," said Neas, "but they
aren't trying to make divorce or remarriage illegal. The government
does not and cannot force any religious body to give its blessing to
any marriage it opposes. The suggestion that moving toward equality
under the law in any way infringes on the freedom of religious
institutions to decide which relationships to bless is a deliberate
falsehood meant to inflame, not to inform."

People For the American Way Foundation supports full equality for
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans, including the
rights and responsibilities of civil marriage. PFAWF filed amicus
curiae briefs in the Lawrence case, which overturned laws that
criminalized private consensual sexual activity, as well as in the
suit that led to the recognition of civil unions in Vermont and the
case now pending before the Massachusetts Supreme Court, in which
same-sex couples have challenged the state's refusal to recognize
same-sex marriages.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Nathan Richter or Tarek Rizk
People For the American Way Foundation
email: media@...
phone: 202-467-4999

Thursday, September 4, 2003
SURVIVING PARTNER OF SEPTEMBER 11th VICTIM TESTIFIES BEFORE SENATE
SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON BANNING SAME-SEX CIVIL MARRIAGE RIGHTS

Keith Bradkowski Lost His Partner of 11 Years; Was Left Without Basic
Protections and Benefits

Human Rights Campaign

WASHINGTON — Fighting back tears before a Senate subcommittee this
afternoon, Keith Bradkowski, who lost his partner of 11 years, Jeff
Collman, in the September 11th attacks, gave testimony at a hearing
on the legal viability of the 1996 anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA). Bradkowski said that without the rights and protections of a
civil marriage license, same-sex couples are left vulnerable where
most other Americans are not.

"Jeff died without a will, which meant that while I dealt with losing
him, I also had huge anxiety about maintaining the home we shared
together. Without a marriage license to prove I was Jeff's next of
kin, even inheriting basic household possessions became a legal
nightmare," said Bradkowski. "The terrorists who attacked this
country killed people not because they were gay or straight - but
because they were Americans. It is heart wrenching that our own
government does not protect its citizens equally, gay and straight,
simply because they are Americans."

The General Accounting Office found in a 1997 study that there are
more than 1,000 federal rights, benefits, protections and
responsibilities that same-sex couples are currently denied as they
are not permitted civil marriage licenses. Those rights include
protections as fundamental as being able to visit a partner in the
hospital and make decisions for them should they be unable to, the
ability to inherit property without a will or tax penalties, and
access to social security survivor benefits.

The hearing today was called by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who heads
the Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution
Civil Rights and Property Rights, and was entitled "What is Needed to
Defend the Bipartisan Defense of Marriage Act of 1996?"

"It was extremely gratifying to see Sens. Feingold, Kennedy, Durbin,
Leahy, and Schumer speak out at the hearing against the deeply
discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment," said HRC Political
Director Winnie Stachelberg. "Sen. Cornyn, who called the hearing,
stood alone in his efforts."

HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch also submitted written
testimony at the hearing, in which she explained the myriad roles
that gay Americans play in this country.

"Gay Americans are whole and complete human beings that serve in
Congress, risk their lives by defending the country in the armed
forces, and make valuable contributions across every spectrum of the
society" said Birch in her testimony. "We are patriotic citizens who
are proud of our country, even as some in our nation are not proud of
us. Gay Americans are tax payers who have paid and paid for decades
for an American infrastructure that does not serve and protect us."

While Sen. Cornyn said that the point of this afternoon's hearing was
simply to gather information on whether or not DOMA would be
susceptible to court challenges, witnesses for and against same-sex
marriage protections spoke about the proposed Federal Marriage
Amendment (FMA), which would amend the U.S. Constitution for only the
18th time since the bill of rights, to permanently define marriage in
this country as being between on man, and one woman. It would also
deny each state the right to decide family law and relationship
recognition for itself. If the FMA were to pass, it would be the
first time that the constitution has been amended to specifically
deny rights and protections to a single group of Americans.

Six witnesses testified in total at the hearing, four of whom support
permanently banning gay couples from attaining the rights and
protections of civil marriage: Rev. Dr. Ray Alexander Hammond,
Pastor, Bethel AME Church; Maggie Gallagher, President of the
Institute for Marriage and Public Policy; Gregory S. Coleman of Weil,
Gotshal & Manges LLP; and Michael P. Farris Chairman & General
Counsel of the Home School Legal Defense Association and President
and Professor of Government of Patrick Henry College. Only two
witnesses were allowed to testify against the FMA, including
Bradkowski and Dale Carpenter of the University of Minnesota Law
School, who maintained that FMA goes against the conservative
principle of federalism.

"The FMA would impose a single, nationwide definition of marriage as
the union of one man and one woman. It would prohibit state courts or
even state legislatures from authorizing same-sex marriages," said
Carpenter. "Purporting to protect the states from gay marriage, the
FMA tramples federalism."

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay
political organization with members throughout the country. It
effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates
the public to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the
community.

- 30 -

Million for Marriage Petition (Human Rights Campaign)

The time to act is now!

There are more than 1,000 federal protections and responsibilities
denied to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families because
they cannot legally marry in this country. Here are just a few:

*ability to make decisions on a partner's behalf in a medical
emergency.
*petition for partner to immigrate.
*up to 12 weeks leave from work to care for a seriously ill partner
or parent of a partner.
*parenting responsibilities of children brought into a family through
birth, adoption, surrogacy or other means.
*ability to purchase continued health coverage for a domestic partner
after the loss of a job.

All American families deserve the same protections.

Sign the petition at http://www.hrc.org/millionformarriage/ and HRC
will deliver your message to key leaders in Congress and in state
legislatures around the country!


I DO - I do support the right of every American to marry, including
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples. I believe that
marriage and other civil rights protections are essential to making
all families safer and more secure.

By signing this petition, I agree to support efforts to make civil
marriage for GLBT couples a reality in our country, and to oppose any
attempts to discriminate against GLBT couples and individuals.

[Go to http://www.hrc.org/millionformarriage/ ]

Friday, September 5, 2003
Families Report to Be Focus of Public Hearing
ACSWP will examine controversial paper through theological lens
By John Filiatreau, PCUSA News Service

LOUISVILLE - An open hearing on the "changing families" report that
prompted spirited debate during the recent 215th General Assembly of
the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been scheduled for 8:45 a.m. on
Sept. 24.

The public meeting will take place during the Sept. 23-24 meeting of
a special panel of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy
(ACSWP) at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

The controversial paper, Living Faithfully with Families in
Transition, will be the focus of ACSWP's Changing Families Panel,
which produced it.

Noting that the families paper "drew a lot of attention" during the
Assembly in Denver, ACSWP Coordinator Peter Sulyok said the
committee "wants to invite concerned people to share their thoughts
on ministering faithfully with families in church and society. ... We
want to hear from as many people as possible."

ACSWP's 45-page report was referred to the Assembly's National Issues
Committee, which approved a two-page substitute drafted by committee
members with the assistance of the Institute on Religion and
Democracy, a Presbyterian "think tank." Some committee members then
drafted a minority report.

The Assembly voted to send the original report and the proposed
substitute back to ACSWP with instructions that it "strengthen" the
original in consultation with the General Assembly Council's Office
of Theology and Worship and report to next year's 216th Assembly in
Richmond, VA.

The Changing Families Panel will discuss a draft of a theological
statement on family - which it requested from the Office of Theology
and Worship in July - during the first session of this month's
meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

After Wednesday's open hearing, the Changing Families Panel will
discuss the draft theological statement Thursday morning before
adjourning at noon.

The open hearing is expected to last from 8:45 a.m. until 10. People
interested in speaking to the ACSWP group should sign up ahead of
time. They will be permitted to speak for two to five minutes each,
depending on their number.

"People who are unable to travel to Louisville and yet wish to
communicate with the Changing Families Panel may send their feedback
and concerns to the ACSWP offices," Sulyok said. He noted that email
is a convenient way of communicating with the committee, but "the
traditional mail response is also welcomed."

Write to Peter Sulyok ( psulyok@... ), coordinator,
Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, Presbyterian Church USA,
100 Witherspoon Street, Room 3607, Louisville, KY 40202-1396; or
reach the ACSWP office by phone at (800) 728-7228, ext. 5814, or by
fax at (502) 569-8041.

Tuesday, September 9, 2003
Toronto same-sex blessing takes archbishop by surprise
John Schofield
acc web news, The Anglican Church of Canada
http://anglicanjournal.com

TORONTO: A Toronto parish has performed what may be the first public
blessing of a same-sex union in Canada's largest diocese.

Alison Kemper and Joyce Barnett, two Anglican deacons who have worked
actively for the recognition of same-sex marriage, had their recent
civil marriage formally blessed on Sept. 6 at Toronto's Church of the
Holy Trinity, a downtown parish with close ties to the city's gay and
lesbian community.

The couple, who have two children and have been together for almost
20 years, were married in a civil ceremony at Toronto City Hall in
June, just days after a ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeals
allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Ms. Kemper and Ms. Barnett
were among the eight same-sex couples who initiated the court
challenge.

"What happened to us was substantial and something of great joy, and
we wanted to celebrate that with our religious community and our
friends and neighbours," said Ms. Kemper, who is executive director
of the 519 Church Street Community Centre, a Toronto agency that
provides support and advocacy for gays and lesbians. She estimated
that about 200 people attended the service.

"We're deeply grateful that we had that opportunity," she said. "I
felt that it really expressed the big tent of the Anglican Church."

The diocese of Toronto has not endorsed the blessing of same-sex
relationships, and Archbishop Terence Finlay said he was not informed
that the event would take place. "Now that I know this has happened,
I will be asking the incumbent to have a conversation with me," he
said in an interview. Archbishop Finlay allowed that similar same-sex
blessings may have happened in the past in the diocese without his
knowledge.

He did not specify whether the parish would be sanctioned but the
archbishop has publicly stated his support for the so-called local
option, which would allow individual parishes to decide whether or
not to bless faithful, monogamous, same-sex relationships. The
Vancouver-based diocese of New Westminster, where in May Michael
Kalmuk and Kelly Montfort became the first same-sex couple to have
their union blessed in a Canadian Anglican church, is the only
Anglican diocese so far to endorse formally the blessing of same-
gender relationships.

While the archbishop was not advised of the Holy Trinity event, he
said he was not surprised. "Holy Trinity welcomes gays and lesbians
and has been requesting permission for this for some time," he said.
The church will bring a motion to the Toronto diocesan synod in late
November requesting that any parish be allowed to ask the bishop for
permission to bless same-sex unions, and that granting that
permission be at the discretion of the bishop.

Rev. Sara Boyles, incumbent at Holy Trinity, said the parish is very
aware of the sensitivity of the issue of same-sex blessings in the
Anglican church, and emphasized that the September blessing was in no
way intended to be political. "We did it with an awareness of the
consequences," she told the Journal. "But it was really a pastoral
thing we were doing, and I guess we want to keep it that way as best
as we're able."

She said she used a liturgy for the service that was developed by the
parish a few years ago to celebrate the love between two people. "For
us, it seems quite natural that we would welcome people and bless
their relationships," she said. "I know there are people who use
Scripture to exclude others. In my understanding of the Gospel, it's
about inclusion, so I think this is one of the ways that Holy Trinity
works with inclusion."

In June, bishops of the diocese of Toronto released a public
statement in response to the Ontario court ruling saying
that "Marriage in the historic tradition of the Anglican church
continues to be between a male and a female. This basic teaching has
not changed and is not affected by recent court rulings or proposed
legislation."


John Schofield is a Toronto freelance writer

U.S.: Full Marriage Rights for Same-Sex Partners
Human Rights Watch

(New York, September 4, 2003) U.S. state governments should extend
civil marriage to same-sex partners to ensure the equality of gay and
lesbian people, Human Rights Watch said in a briefing paper released
today. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the
Constitution will hold hearings on the issue today.

Human Rights Watch called on governments, including the United
States, to follow a growing international trend of giving legal
recognition to gay and lesbian relationships.

The Netherlands and Belgium give gay and lesbian couples the right to
full civil marriage. Numerous other counties recognize same-sex
partnerships in law, including Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Countries
that extend some benefits to same-sex partners, or contain
jurisdictions that do so, include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil,
Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, South
Africa, and Spain.

"On almost every continent, governments are moving to stop
discrimination against same-sex relationships," said Kenneth Roth,
executive director of Human Rights Watch. "Yet in the United States,
some legislators are trying to etch this prejudice in stone."

Lack of access to marriage rights imposes discriminatory, and often
damaging, burdens on same-sex partners, the Human Rights Watch
briefing paper said. They may be denied shared health or employment
benefits; protections against domestic violence; inheritance rights;
the right to raise a child together; the right to make medical
decisions for a sick partner or a partner's child; and rights to
equal tax benefits and joint insurance policies.

"International human rights law prohibits discrimination based on
sexual orientation," said Roth. "Just as the law must ensure that men
and women are equal in marriage, so the law must ensure that everyone
has equal access to marriage."

Human Rights Watch considers "civil unions" or "domestic
partnerships" inadequate alternatives to legally recognizing same-sex
marriage rights.

"Separate is never equal," said Roth. "Civil unions are a step in the
right direction. But they almost always offer less than the full
roster of rights that marriage entails -- and they still stigmatize
same-sex relationships as deserving only second-class recognition."

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that criminal penalties for
consensual homosexual conduct violate the constitutional right to
privacy. Although that decision did not address marriage rights, on
May 21, 2003, U.S. Representative Marilyn Musgrave and five co-
sponsors introduced a House of Representatives resolution to amend
the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as consisting "only of the
union of a man and a woman." A hearing on the proposed amendment will
be held on September 4 in the Senate Judiciary Committee's
Subcommittee on the Constitution.

Meanwhile, in recent months, courts in Canada have ordered the
provinces of Ontario and British Columbia to open marriage to gays
and lesbians. Debate on federal legislation that would extend
marriage rights to gays and lesbians is expected in Canada within
months.

See:

Non-Discrimination in Civil Marriage: Perspectives from International
Human Rights Law and Practice
HRW Briefing Paper, September 4, 2003
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/lgbt/civil-marriage.htm

September 10, 2003
GAY PRIDE FEST TAKES PLACE IN LYNCHBURG, VA OCTOBER 11, 2003
NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY
Civil Marriage Equality Forum to be Held to Counter Misinformation by
Rev. Jerry Falwell
Soulforce Press Release

(Lynchburg, VA)  - Hundreds of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender,
and allied Soulforce supporters and friends from across the nation
will gather in Lynchburg, VA, October 9-12, 2003, home of far right
televangelist Jerry Falwell for trainings, celebrations, a civil
marriage forum, and a vigil in front of his church.

The civil marriage equality forum takes place at 9am, Saturday
October 11 at First Christian Church, 3109 Rivermont Avenue in
Lynchburg.  Panelists include representatives from several national
organizations, including DontAmmend.com, Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation, People for the American Way, and the Interfaith
Working Group.

The Pride Festival, "Coming OUT & ABOUT in Lynchburg," begins at 1pm
at Riverside Park on Rivermont Ave., 1.1 miles from First Christian
Church.  The festival will kick off with female impersonator Raven,
singing "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross.    A march from First
Christian Church to the park takes place at 12:30pm.

"We are gathering in Lynchburg to show to Falwell and the rest of the
nation that our families are families too," said Karen Weldin,
Director of Operations for Soulforce.  "Our families deserve the same
protections, rights, and basic responsibilities under the law as
heterosexuals. Unfortunately, the United States is behind many
countries when it comes to equality and freedom for all its citizens."

Currently, married couples in the United States receive over 1000
government benefits associated with marriage.  Several countries,
including Canada, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Belgium sanction
marriage regardless of gender and it is still unclear if those
marriages will be recognized in the United States.  Rev. Jerry
Falwell, a conservative religious leader who preaches against
homosexuality, recently started a campaign to support officially
sanction government discrimination against gay and lesbian couples
through the federal anti-gay "Marriage Amendment."

Soulforce is a national interfaith movement committed to ending
spiritual violence committed by religious policies and teachings
against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.  There are
currently 22 licensed local Soulforce groups all across the United
States working to end violence and discrimination.

Plans for the weekend also include grassroots trainings for local
groups and local group start-ups, a nonviolence training on Friday
night, and a vigil outside Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church on
Sunday, October 12.  The vigil includes a blessing of same sex
couples and families, and pictures of families who are hurt by
discrimination against them. Rev. White, cofounder of Soulforce, and
other Soulforce supporters from Lynchburg attend services at
Falwell's church frequently so he can also see the gays and lesbians
he is condemning from the pulpit on a regular basis.

Participating organizations include Soulforce, Inc., People For the
American Way, Interfaith Working Group, Roanoke 7, First Light
Ministries,  New Beginnings Christian Church (Richmond), First
Christian Church - Lynchburg, Hickory NC PFLAG, MCC Church of
Charlottesville VA, Marriage Equality USA, Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation, DontAmend.com, and more.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES  - Members of the media are invited to join in
the weekend at any time.  Nonviolence training begins on Friday
night, October 10 at 7pm at First Christian Church in Lynchburg. For
more information, see http://www.soulforce.org/lynchburg1003/ .

  The Pride Festival at Riverside Park from 1-4 pm offers the
opportunity for photos and extensive interviews with individuals and
families from Lynchburg and across the United States who have come to
say, "We are family, too!"

For the Soulforce Policy Statement on Civil Marriage, see
http://www.soulforce.org/main/civilmarriage.shtml

Contact: Laura Montgomery Rutt
Cell: 717-278-0592
email: laura@...

SOUTHEASTERN JURISDICTION EVENT September 27th, 2003

Join North Carolina Reconciling United Methodists (RUMs) and Friends
at Duke University Saturday, September 27, 2003 for a day-long
educational conference,  "Voices Crying Out in the Wilderness."
Worship leader and preacher for  the day: Dr. Phil Wogaman (former
Dean at Wesley Theological Seminary,  Washington, DC & pastor of
Foundry United Methodist Church)  Jimmy Creech will  deliver a key-
note speech.

Eight workshops will be offered:

  1. "Pastor, my grandson is gay..." (Pastoral care for families of
GLBT persons) - Laurie Hays Coffman
  2. "What does the Bible say about this?"  (An overview of relevant OT
and NT texts) - Sue Laurie
  3.  "Didn't Wesley settle this 200 years ago?" (History of the
struggle in the UMC) - Dr. Gayle Felton
  4.  "How can we shape the Discipline?" (Resolutions and processes of
  Annual and General Conferences) - Dr. Belton Joyner
  5.  "What difference could I possibly make in my Annual Conference?"
(On courage and techniques for witnessing in love) - Sam Isley,
Helen King and  Dr. Jean E. Aycock
  6. "Where can I find out what my church believes?" (Preparing to
teach "The Church Studies Homosexuality") - Members of University
  United Methodist Church, Chapel Hill
  7.  "Has the Methodist Church ever excluded any of God's children
before?" (Parallels between how the Church handled issues of race
and how  it is currently dealing with the issue of Homosexuality) -
Dr. Youtha  Hardman-Cromwell
  8.  "The Kids are Alright" (Video documentary produced by Triangle
area GLBT teens) - Nick Shepard (one of the films
creators/producers)

For registration information go to http://rumnc.tripod.com

This event is co-sponsored by Reconciling United Methodists and
Friends of North  Carolina and Sacred Worth of Duke Divinity School.

KAIROS CoMotion – Madison, Wisconsin

October 30 to November 1, 2003  Concourse Hotel, Madison, Wisconsin

LIVING THE PROPHETIC LIFE – Keynote Speaker and Preacher: Emilie
Townes,  Professor of Christian Ethics, Union Theological Seminary,
New York.   Presenters:  Minerva Carcano, Joretta Marshall and Tex
Sample.   Musicians/Artists:  Barbara Bailey Hutchison and Call for
Peace Drum and Dance  Company.

Registration: $185 (must be received no later than Oct. 1, 2003)
($50 of the  registration fee is non-refundable)

The Madison Concourse Hotel is located at One West Dayton St.,
Madison,  Wisconsin. 1.800.356.8293 or 608.257.6000

All areas of the Madison Concourse Hotel are fully accessible.  Free,
  underground parking and handicapped spaces are available at the
Concourse for  registered guests.

Room Rate at the Concourse $104 per night (single, double, triple or
quad)  This rate may be extended for early arrival and/or late
departure. The Concourse  honors tax-exempt status, but a certificate
of exemption must be presented at  check-in.

Please Note: Arranging for housing at the conference is your
responsibility and  is not part of the registration process.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Concourse and will be held
only until  October 1, 2003. It is suggested that you make housing
arrangements as soon as  possible as this is a very busy weekend in
Madison and rooms may be in short  supply.

Check the KAIROS CoMotion website for updates and registration form:
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/2003/event2003.html

September  7, 2003
Native American Story Teller, Puppeteer, Musician to visit Chicago

Dayton Edmonds, a full-blooded Native American of the Caddo nation,
will visit Chicago's Broadway United Methodist Church on October 10-
12, 2003.   The weekend's events are sponsored by Broadway's
Reconciling Ministries Committee, Religion and Race Committee, and
Children's Education program.

Edmonds will give multiple presentations over the weekend.  On Friday
night from 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm, Edmonds will spin classic Native
American Stories of "The Inclusive and Diverse Community."  On
Saturday at 11 am, he will lead a workshop for children's educators.
This will be followed by a 1:00 – 2:30 pm story telling session
geared especially for elementary children and youth.  At 7 pm on
Saturday night, Edmonds will speak on Multiculturalism and the Native
American experience, focusing on the assault of Columbus Day.  On
Sunday morning, Edmonds will preach at Broadway United Methodist
Church's 9:15 and 11:15 am worship services.

Dayton Edmonds is a professional community developer in Southern
Oregon and North Central Washington.  He is also a retired missionary
of the United Methodist Church with 25 years experience.  Using
storytelling, puppetry, music, visual art, and positive imaging,
Dayton teaches sensitivity and awareness.  Dayton has studied the
lessons of nature, learned his philosophy from native peoples, and
been formally schooled in music, business, theater, and art
education.  He draws his expertise from both an intrinsic
understanding of the old values, customs, and stories which comprise
the collective memories of his culture and the experiences of his
past and present work.  His lifestyle and daily work immerse him in
community life and affairs, helping children, youth, elders, women,
families, and people of color.  He writes of his art: "My purpose is
to tell the story, to pass it on so that others may hear, see, feel,
and enjoy.  As a storyteller, I strive to give a voice to the
voiceless.  As an artist, I seek to give a perspective from a
different part of life's circle.  The stories I tell and the artwork
I create are to gently challenge people to grow."

For More Information Contact:

Todd Cheatham, Communications Committee Chair, Broadway United
Methodist Church
Tel: 1-773-348-2679; e-mail: lewis34@...

Sep. 9, 2003
Anglican Journal news:
Toronto same-sex blessing passes quietly
Parish will urge diocesan synod to allow blessings
JOHN SCHOFIELD
The Anglican Church of Canada


This story is a corrected version of a story that appeared on the
Anglican Journal Web site on Sept. 9.


A Toronto parish has performed what may be the first public blessing
of a same-sex union in Canada's largest diocese.

       Alison Kemper and Joyce Barnett, two Anglican deacons who have
worked actively for the recognition of same-sex marriage, had their
recent civil marriage formally blessed on Sept. 6 at Toronto's Church
of the Holy Trinity, a downtown parish with close ties to the city's
gay and lesbian community.

       The couple, who have two children and have been together for
almost 20 years, were married in a civil ceremony at Toronto City Hall
in June, just days after a ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeals
allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Ms. Kemper and Ms. Barnett
were among the eight same-sex couples who initiated the court
challenge.

       "What happened to us was substantial and something of great joy,
and we wanted to celebrate that with our religious community and our
friends and neighbours," said Ms. Kemper, who is executive director of
the 519 Church Street Community Centre, a Toronto agency that provides
support and advocacy for gays and lesbians. She estimated that about
200 people attended the service.

       "We're deeply grateful that we had that opportunity," she
said. "I felt that it really expressed the big tent of the Anglican
Church."

       As the diocese of Toronto has not endorsed the blessing of
same-sex relationships, the incumbent at Holy Trinity, Rev. Sara
Boyles, asked Archbishop Terry Finlay for permission to perform the
blessing, which he said he declined. "Holy Trinity welcomes gays and
lesbians and has been requesting permission for this for some time,"
said the archbishop in an interview. "In terms of this particular
situation, I'm not surprised, but I certainly did not give permission
for this blessing to take place ... Now that I know this has
happened, I will be asking the incumbent to have a conversation with
me."

       Archbishop Finlay allowed that similar same-sex blessings may
have happened in the past in the diocese without his knowledge.

       He did not specify whether the parish would be sanctioned but
the archbishop has publicly stated his support for the so-called local
option, which would allow individual parishes to decide whether or not
to bless faithful, monogamous, same-sex relationships. The
Vancouver-based diocese of New Westminster, where in May Michael
Kalmuk and Kelly Montfort became the first same-sex couple to have
their union blessed in a Canadian Anglican church, is the only
Anglican diocese so far to endorse formally the blessing of same-
gender relationships.

       Ms. Boyles said the parish is very aware of the sensitivity of
the issue of same-sex blessings in the Anglican church, and
emphasized that the September blessing was in no way intended to be
political. "We did it with an awareness of the consequences," she
told the Journal. "But it was really a pastoral thing we were doing,
and I guess we want to keep it that way as best as we're able."

       She said she used a liturgy for the service that was developed
by the parish a few years ago to celebrate the love between two
people. "For us, it seems quite natural that we would welcome people
and bless their relationships," she said. "I know there are people
who use Scripture to exclude others. In my understanding of the
Gospel, it's about inclusion, so I think this is one of the ways that
Holy Trinity works with inclusion."

       Holy Trinity will bring a motion to the Toronto diocesan synod
in late November requesting that any parish be allowed to ask the
bishop for permission to bless same-sex unions, and that granting that
permission be at the discretion of the bishop.

       In June, bishops of the diocese of Toronto released a public
statement in response to the Ontario court ruling saying
that "Marriage in the historic tradition of the Anglican church
continues to be between a male and a female. This basic teaching has
not changed and is not affected by recent court rulings or proposed
legislation."

John Schofield is a Toronto freelance writer

September 11, 2003
ELCA Issues Study Guide on 'The Church and Homosexuality'
ELCA News Service

      CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) mailed about 18,000 copies of "Journey Together
Faithfully, Part Two: The Church and Homosexuality" on Sept. 5 to
the pastors and lay leaders of the church.  A task force for ELCA
Studies on Sexuality compiled the 49-page study guide and its
background essays to help the ELCA's 5 million members consider
how the church will respond in 2005 to specific questions about
blessing same-sex relationships and accepting lay and ordained
ministers in such relationships.

      In 2001 the ELCA Churchwide Assembly asked the church to
enter into a process of study on homosexuality.  The churchwide
assembly is the ELCA's chief legislative authority.  The 2001
assembly requested a final report with recommendations for
presentation to the 2005 Churchwide Assembly.

      Current ELCA policy expects ministers to refrain from all
sexual relations outside marriage.  Since the church has no
official policy on ceremonies blessing same-gender relationships,
this precludes homosexuals in relationships from ordained
ministry.  In 1993 the ELCA Conference of Bishops, an advisory
body to the church, stated it does not approve of such
ceremonies.

      The six-session study guide included the bishops' statement,
as well as a summary of current ELCA policies and practices, the
2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly resolutions, relevant excerpts from
statements of earlier Lutheran churches, a list of related
resources, tips on how to use the study guide, answers to
frequently asked questions, a brief glossary and a response form.

      "For each of us, whatever our personal opinions, this
resource is an invitation to conversation," the Rev. Mark S.
Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, wrote in a letter that
accompanies the study guide.  The guide "can help this church
consider matters that have elicited intense debate within and
beyond this church," he wrote.

      "Journey Together Faithfully, Part Two, is a remarkably
balanced presentation of the key issues in the study of
homosexuality," said the Rev. Margaret G. Payne, chair of the
task force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality and bishop of the ELCA
New England Synod, Worcester, Mass.  "It is unique in its careful
articulation of the various viewpoints, so that the strength of
each position can be studied and evaluated," she said.

      "My main hope is that all ELCA members will take part in
this study, listen carefully to one another and provide feedback
to the task force.  If we approach this task in a prayerful and
open manner, respecting each viewpoint, the church will not be
divided, but will grow in its ability to tackle tough issues and
will be strengthened in its unity," Payne said.

      A message from the 13-member task force said, "In each
session of this study guide, we have made every effort to provide
examples of the various views people of the church hold.  We
cannot be exhaustive, but we hope that we have been discerning in
our selection."

      "It is important that matters of serious dialogue and
deliberation in the church take place in an environment of
worship and prayer.  We seek God's guidance and blessing on our
efforts at every step of the way," said the task force message.

      The task force wrote that each session of the study guide
"emphasizes one of the major themes of our faith:"

1. Our Identity
    - Sexuality and Faithfulness: Our Experiences
    - The Bible and Experience
    - Biblical Authority and Interpretation: Lutheran Perspectives
2. Our Community
    - The Creation Accounts
    - Specific Passages Regarding Same-Sex Intercourse
3. Our Participation
    - Christian Tradition, Sexuality and Marriage
    - Bible, Tradition and Change
4. Our Center
    - A Biblically Based Christian Ethic
    - Christian Ethics and the Question of Blessing Same-Sex
Unions
5. Baptismal Vocation and Moral Deliberation
    - Scientific Research: Limits and Contributions
    - Scientific Research and the Bible
    - Scientific Research and Tradition
6. Gospel Mission
    - Possible Positions Regarding the Blessing of Same-Sex Unions
and the Ordaining, Consecrating and Commissioning of People in
Committed Same-Sex Unions
    - The Nature of Disagreement Among Us

      "I am not aware of another study document of this kind that
seeks to set forth in this comprehensive a manner the essential
features of the discussion on blessing gay and lesbian unions and
the rostering of persons in such unions," said the Rev. James M.
Childs Jr., director, ELCA Studies on Sexuality.  "Rostered"
people are those whose names appear on the ELCA's rosters of lay
and ordained ministers.

      "It is a document that seeks to represent accurately and
fairly all voices and to give participants an opportunity not
only to respond to the discussion as presented, but to add
additional insights and data they feel are important," Childs
said.

      The study guide includes a response form for ELCA members to
return to the task force by Nov. 1, 2004.  The form asks the
question: "Given what you have learned from this study about the
various views among members of the ELCA, what course do you think
our church should follow?"

      The Rev. Arland J. Hultgren and the Rev. Walter F. Taylor
prepared a "Background Essay on Biblical Texts," which the ELCA
mailed with the study guide.  Hultgren is a professor of New
Testament, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and Taylor is a
professor of New Testament studies, Trinity Lutheran Seminary,
Columbus, Ohio.  Luther and Trinity are two of the ELCA's eight
seminaries.

      In addition to the study guide and background essay, the Web
site of the ELCA Studies on Sexuality --
http://www.elca.org/faithfuljourney/resources.html -- provides
background papers on sociological research by Wendy Cadge,
assistant professor of sociology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick,
Maine, and on scientific research by Dr. Thomas J. Kiresuk,
professor of clinical psychology, University of Minnesota Medical
School, Minneapolis.

      The ELCA issued "Journey Together Faithfully, Part One: ELCA
Studies on Sexuality" in Spring 2002.  That study guide presented
a four-session discussion of the ELCA's "Message on Sexuality:
Some Common Convictions."

-- -- --
"Journey Together Faithfully, Part Two: The Church and Homosexuality"
is available at http://www.elca.org/faithfuljourney/ on the Web.  It
is possible for ELCA members to respond to study guide online.

Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA, sells
printed copies of the documents by calling 1-800-328-4648 with
the publication number 6-0001-6848-9.

Purchases are also possible through
http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/
on the publisher's Web site.


For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@...
http://www.elca.org/news/

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE
Pacific Northwest Regional Office
814 NE 40th,  Seattle, WA  98105
(206) 632-0500 - (206) 632-0976 (fax)
Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker
organization which includes people of various faiths who are
committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service. Its
work is based on the Quaker belief in the worth of every person, and
faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE:    Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning
(GLBTQ) Youth Program Intern
LOCATION:  Seattle, Washington
SUPERVISION:  This position is supervised by the GLBTQ Youth Program
Director
HOURS:   9-19 hours per week
Duration:  6 months to 1 year

Summary of Major Responsibilities:

GLBTQ Youth Program Interns educate the public about the lives of
GLBTQ youth through Speakers Bureau presentations; maintain the Youth
Info Line; maintain a webpage resource listing for GLBTQ youth in the
city of Seattle; develop and provide peer leadership through
involvement in community projects.

Responsibilities:

Operate and maintain the GLBTQ Youth Info Line. (9-12 hours/week)
1.  Interns meet as a group at least two times a week.
2.  Interns research, write and record messages for the Youth Info
Line.
3.  Interns update special events on the Info Line at least once a
week.
4.  Interns ensure that the information on the Info Line is complete,
accurate and understandable.
5.  Interns evaluate, and change as needed, current information
listed on the Youth Info Line. Interns redesign and update how the
information and resources are presented.

Provide information to educate others (youth and adults) about the
needs of QLBTQ youth and the resources that are available for this
population.  (2-4 hours per week)

1.  Interns participate in trainings and educational presentations
through the GLBTQ Youth Speakers Bureau.
2.  Interns design posters and fliers about opportunities for queer
youth.
3.  Interns distribute fliers, posters and cards to queer youth,
agencies/businesses and places youth hang out.
4.  Interns make copies, put together information packets, and send
out mailings.
Represent and advocate for queer youth visibility through involvement
in youth an/or adult community programs/projects.  (4-8 hours per
week)
1.  Meet once a month with the GLBTQ Youth Program Committee.
2.  Interns work on community projects independently and as a group
(examples: identify housing and employment opportunities, planning
events, coordinating Seattle Police Department trainings, serving on
agency boards.)
3.  Interns meet with supervisor to develop and monitor their
commitments to community projects.
4.  Interns check-in with supervisor and other interns on a weekly
basis.
5.  Interns meet with supervisor at least once a month to evaluate
outside projects.
Maintain GLBTQ Youth Program webpage, a resource listing for GLBTQ
youth.  (2-4 hours per week)
1.  Interns attend instructional sessions to learn about webpage
design and maintenance.
2.  Interns maintain and update information on the AFSC GLBTQ Youth
Program webpage.
Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

1.  14-22 years of age, low income, City of Seattle resident. (Grant
requirements)
2.  Desire and willingness to educate others about the lives of GLBTQ
youth.
3.   Identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning.
(Grant requirements)
4.  Ability to work independently and in a group.
5.  Openness to working with people from diverse backgrounds.
6.  Willingness to learn operation of computers, Info. Line system
and office equipment.
7.   Interest in being involved in community projects.
Identification with AFSC values
1.   Identification with the goals and values of the AFSC, a
religiously based, pacifist organization which is committed to social
justice and to seeking nonviolent solutions to conflict.
2.   Commitment to work in an organization which is highly
consultative in style, in which committees and volunteer task groups
play key roles and make decisions by consensus, and in which there
are multiple lines of staff accountability.
3.   Ability to work effectively with supervisor.  Commitment to AFSC
Affirmative Action goals of inclusion of Third World, feminist, GLBT,
and differently-abled people.  Ability to work in the context of an
organization whose programs address a broad range of community and
global issues.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:
This position is non-exempt. Starting salary range for this position
starts at $ 7.00/hour.  Benefits are not included in this position.


AFSC IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.  PEOPLE OF
COLOR, WOMEN, DIFFERENTLY-ABLED AND LESBIAN AND GAY PEOPLE ARE
ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

Anglicans, Episcopalians Still Weighing General Convention Decisions
by James Solheim
9/11/2003

(Episcopal News Service) One month after the Episcopal Church's
General Convention adjourned on August 8 in Minneapolis, reactions to
several of its decisions on sexuality issues continue to ripple
through the church and across the Internet.
Bishops and deputies have been meeting with parishes in an effort to
explain the convention's decision to accept the election of the Rev.
Gene Robinson as the bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. Robinson
has been in a committed relationship with another man for 13 years.

Although the convention backed away from resolutions calling for
preparation of a liturgy for blessing same-gender relationships, it
did recognize that such blessings are taking place in some dioceses
and that "local faith communities are operating within the bounds of
our common life" when they do so. The convention asked Presiding
Bishop Frank T. Griswold to appoint a commission to facilitate "as
wide a conversation of discernment as possible" on the issue of same-
gender blessings.

Some of the primates of the worldwide Anglican Communion had
previously warned the Episcopal Church and General Convention that
there would be a "dramatic realignment" in response. At a meeting in
Fairfax, Virginia, prior to the convention, participants predicted
that parishes would attempt to break away from dioceses, refuse to
recognize the authority of their bishops, and withhold funds in
protest. That has been happening in some parts of the church,
although it is not yet clear how widespread such actions are.


Anglicans at crossroads?

"We have come to what I might describe as a crossroads and these
events are going to determine the future and fate of our Communion,"
predicted Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria at a press conference
following the Fairfax meeting.

Following the vote on Robinson's election, Bishop Mouneer Anis of
Egypt released a statement saying that the decision "showed great
disrespect to the majority of the members of the Anglican Communion
and the church worldwide" and could damage interfaith relations.
Archbishop Bernard Malango, primate of the Province of Central
Africa, declared that the decision "has shattered the Anglican
Communion. Deep pain has been inflicted upon us all. We are now
experiencing an overwhelming sense of loss of direction of the
Anglican Communion."

In a September 2 statement, Archbishop Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo
of the Church of Uganda opined that the decision meant the American
church was "separating themselves from the Anglican Communion
family...leading your people astray into satanic ways." "We condemn
this decision as bishops and on your behalf, Ugandans," Nkoyoyo
wrote, "and we further state that we shall make sure that it never
will happen in the life of the Church of Uganda and never condone it
anywhere in Christendom."

But Archbishop Winston Ndungane, primate of the church in Southern
Africa, called for restraint and understanding. "Adopting a hard-line
stance does nothing to enhance church unity, he said. "Dialogue,
sharing stories and experiences are the ways to understanding the
complexities of our humanity."

In an August 19 letter addressed to his fellow primates, Griswold
said, "My own sense is that one of our Anglican gifts is to contain
different theological perspectives within a context of common
prayer." He said that his ministry now is one of "helping our church
to find a way forward that both preserves the unity of the church and
honors the deeply held divergent points of view among us." He added
that "it is my firm conviction that in the open space of God's mercy
the present moment may yield a blessing."

Special meeting of primates

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams called a meeting of the
primates in London October 15-16 to discuss the consequences of the
convention actions. "I hope that in our deliberations we will find
that there are ways forward in this situation which can preserve our
respect for one another and for the bonds that unite us." Some of the
African church leaders said that they will hold their own meeting
prior to the one in London.

The American Anglican Council has also called for a special October 7-
9 meeting of "faithful orthodox members of the Episcopal Church" One
of the announced goals is "to prepare our congregations and
ministries for possible realignment to insure an orthodox and vital
Anglican/Episcopal presence in the United States."

A number of conservative dioceses have also called special meetings.

Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh said that the special convention
September 27 will be asked "to reject the unbiblical, anti-ecumenical
and unconstitutional actions of the recent General Convention"
and "begin to build a protected place for our witness." The diocese
is holding open hearings in parishes prior to the convention.
A special September 27 convention of the Diocese of Ft. Worth will
consider similar resolutions to "repudiate and disassociate" from the
convention decisions and "reaffirm" the practice to allow
congregations to determine what percentage of diocesan funds would be
sent to support the program of the national church. In a pastoral
letter, Bishop Jack Kier said, "These decisions have wounded the Body
of Christ and left us more divided and broken than ever before."
In an August 18 meeting with clergy, Bishop Edward Salmon of South
Carolina said that "the ball game has changed. And it's on an
international level now rather than a local fight among dioceses,
between liberals and conservatives." He added, "The issue is what's
the church in the United States, who's in communion with the
archbishop of Canterbury? We as a church and as a Communion are in a
deadly serious situation."

A pastoral letter by Bishop John Howe in Central Florida said that
the convention decisions "plunge us into a constitutional crisis"
because they no longer uphold the historic faith and order expressed
in the Preamble to the church's Constitution. He called a special
convention for September 20 to "consider together what all of this
means to us."

Other bishops, on both sides of the issues, addressed the situation
in more moderate tones. In the Diocese of Virginia, for example,
Bishop Peter James Lee announced a series of meetings around the
diocese "to weigh the effects of the convention on our congregations
and our diocese." He urged church members to "give thanks for our
tolerant expression of difference and for the love of Christ that
bridges all gaps and holds us together." Lee and the deputies voted
for confirmation of Robinson's election.

In meetings with clergy and church members in the diocese of Western
Louisiana, Bishop Bruce McPherson warned against overreacting to the
convention decisions, encouraging them not to get so lost in the
controversy that they lose sight of their mission as
Christians. "Don't give up because that's when the devil has us
doomed. MacPherson, who voted against confirmation of Robinson's
election, said at a meeting at St. Mark's Cathedral in Shreveport
attended by more than 300 people, "We are a people of faith. We are
seeking to know God's will."

Bishop James Stanton of Dallas said that the Episcopal Church "is a
welcoming church" where the "apostolic teaching is the foundation of
our common life." By its actions the Episcopal Church "has not been
true to its calling to 'uphold and propagate the historic Faith and
Order' of the Christian Church," instead provoking a crisis. "The
General Convention has erred. We will wait patiently and expectantly
for the rest of the Communion of which we are a part to render
judgment on what we have done."

Holding together

"There are people who are predicting that these decisions will cause
irreparable division in the Episcopal Church," said Bishop Neil
Alexander in a pastoral letter to the Diocese of Atlanta. "I do not
believe that because what I know, that most of the media does not, is
how much Episcopalians love their church. We are a church that was
born in conflict and we have stayed together when nearly all of our
sister churches have split apart. It is of the nature of our Anglican
heritage to hold together...."

In describing the dynamics of the debate in the House of Bishops,
Bishop Clifton Daniel II of East Carolina said that "the conversation
was respectful, calm, impassioned at times, prayerful and
considerate. At the end of the day, with the results of the voting
announced, the divisions were still there, as was some pain. But
there was a spirit in the House of Bishops that while we were not all
of one mind, we are of one heart in our devotion to our Lord, his
church, and the mission of reconciliation entrusted to us." He
concluded, "As Episcopalians and as part of the Anglican Communion,
we are well-equipped by our heritage and traditions to face openly
and honestly into the controversies each new generation brings."

A similar note was sounded by Bishop Larry Maze of Arkansas, who
said, "The Episcopal Church has a rich history of being willing to
enter difficult conversations in order to bring our own insights to
the table... Some have said that General Convention was simply being
politically correct in its actions. Those who prayed and deliberated
and listened to one another at convention know otherwise. This is a
long conversation and by joining it with honesty and integrity we
find ourselves in disagreement. We're learning much by listening and,
I pray, we're offering much by letting our voices be heard."

A separate province?

Some of those voices are renewing long-standing calls for a separate,
non-geographic jurisdiction, one that is recognized by the archbishop
of Canterbury and therefore a member of the Anglican Communion,
to "protect" traditionalists. That possibility seems to have received
a boost from the archbishop himself. The British press has called
attention to an article by Rowan Williams in the magazine New
Directions, published by Forward in Faith UK, an organization opposed
to the ordination of women. In it, Williams stated that the primates
have said that "unity becomes finally unintelligible and unworthwhile
when it itself ceases to be a theological category. Staying together
is pointless unless it is staying together because of the Body of
Christ." He concluded that it is "worth working at structures in
Anglicanism that don't either commit us to a meaningless structural
uniformity or leave us in mutual isolation."

In the article, written before the American convention, Williams
said, "I suspect that those who speak of new alignments and new
patterns, of the weakening of territorial jurisdiction and the like,
are seeing the situation pretty accurately....I don't expect the next
few years to be anything other than messy as far as all this is
concerned. The question is not whether we can avoid mess but whether
we can hang on to common convictions about divine grace and
initiative."

Some primates have already stated that they will go to the London
meeting with the goal of seeking to discipline the Episcopal Church,
calling on it to repudiate its decisions-or else. Archbishop Drexel
Gomez, primate of the West Indies, said that the American church
could "choose whether it wishes to remain with us or not." According
to the London Telegraph, Drexel said that he would be "very
disappointed" if the primates didn't join efforts for a "showdown"
over sexuality issues that could foster efforts to expel the
Episcopal Church USA or reduce its status in the Anglican Communion.

Wholeness not fractions

Confessing some confusion over the call to establish a new "orthodox"
province, Gary Kriss, former dean of Nashotah House, said in an
article in The Living Church that "what they really seem to want is
for a substantial portion of the Episcopal Church to be booted out of
the Anglican Communion but apparently they will settle for a separate
but equal province."

Faced with the prospect of division, "one has to wonder whether the
proposed solution makes any kind of sense, even under the rubric of
Anglican ambiguity: two provinces within the same geographical
boundaries, both claiming to be 'the real thing,' both in communion
with the same international fellowship but not in communion with one
another," Kriss said.

Describing himself "as one who has stood firmly on the Anglo-Catholic
side on these issues," Kriss concluded that "a new province does not
seem like an honest or viable solution" because it would be "an
alliance of opposites which would inevitably fracture, sooner or
later. Christ's one, holy, catholic and apostolic church is about
wholeness, not fractions."

--James Solheim is director of Episcopal News Service.

Together In Faith
====================================================================

You Must Come!
The American Friends Service Committee Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Issues Program's Faith Action Network presents a
National Multiracial, Multigenerational Conference for People of All
Religions and Spiritualities Creating LGBT-Affirming Communities:

Together in Faith: Journey into Inclusiveness

May 22, 2004
8:00 am-7:30 p.m.
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Eastern Michigan University

Together in Faith will bring together LGBT and Ally people from
around the country for skill-enhancing workshops led by nationally
renowned activists and community-building activities with
like-minded progressive People of Faith/Spirit/Conscience. Attendees
will leave with new information, tools and networks to help them
create LGBT-affirming cities and faith communities.


Presenters include:

Rev. Dr. Mel White
Co-Founder of
Soulforce, Inc.
www.soulforce.org

Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Director of Equal Partners in Faith and
Co-Producer of the Film, "All God's Children"

Deb Kolodny, activist and author of Blessed Bi Spirit:
Bisexual People of Faith

Kay Whitlock, National Coordinator of The American
Friends Service Committee's LGBT Programs

K. Godfrey Easter, author of Love Lifted Me: In Spite of
the Church

Cat Chapin-Bishop, Pagan teacher and writer

Raven Kaldera, FTM Transgendered Activist and Shaman

Dr. John Corvino, editor of Same Sex: Debating the
Ethics, Science and Culture of Homosexuality

Acharya Swami Durga Das-
Acharya Durga Kali Jaya Saraswati Das has been a student of Ma Jaya
Sati Bhagavati for thirty years.  He is one of    two Senior
Acharya¹s
of the Dattatreya Kali Saraswati Order of Monks and Sanyassin. The
philosophy of his Shaivite Lineage is to live in the world serving
humanity, but not to be of the world.

The Reverend John L. Selders, Jr.
Pastor of Amistad Community Church in Hartford, member of the
National Relgious Leadership Roundtable

M. Macha NightMare, Priestess & Witch, is an author, teacher and
ritualist, with a penchant for collaboration.  Among the founders
of, Reclaiming Tradition Witchcraft, and an initiate of  Faery/Feri
Tradition as well, Macha holds Elder and ministerial credentials
through The Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), the oldest and largest
non-denominational organization of Witches in the USA.

Faisal Alam, Founder of Al-Fatiha, the first organization for out
LGBTQ Muslims.

Mandy Carter, Social justice activist, currently working for
Southerners On New Ground (SONG)

Plus many other presenters from other groups and organizations!


For more information on attending or sponsoring Together in Faith,
email conference@..., call (734) 260-0517 or visit
http://www.togetherinfaith.com

For September, Reconciling Kansas brings Reconciling worship directly
to you.

http://community.webtv.net/reconcilingkans/RK/

--------

Photos and Reports from WOW2003 event in Philadelphia

Being an Instrument of Peace
Some Reflections on WOW 2003
by Candace Chellew-Hodge
Whosoever, September/October  2003
http://www.whosoever.org/v8i2/wow.shtml

See also:
http://www.wow2k.org/wow2003_photo_gallery.htm
http://www.wow2k.org/photodisplay.htm
http://www.wow2k.org/dailyupdates.htm

  ---------------------------------


Monday, September 15, 2003
Gay Clergy: Cracks Appear in African Front at Lambeth
By MWANGI GITHAHU
East African, Uganda
http://www.nationaudio.com/News/EastAfrican/current/Regional/Regional1
509200330.html

As 38 Anglican primates from all over the world gather in London this
week, it seems that the divisions within the Worldwide Anglican
Community are not as clear cut as they appeared to be at the
beginning of the ongoing debate on gay clergy.
<MORE>
--------

Saturday, September 13, 2003
Lesbians 'have higher heart disease risk'
Health messages may not be getting through to lesbians
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3100702.stm

Lesbians are generally fatter and have a higher risk of heart disease
compared to other women, a study suggests.  Researchers in the United
States based their findings on a study of 324 lesbians living in
California. <MORE>
--------

Friday, September 12, 2003
Trying to Make His Special Students Feel Ordinary
By KATHERINE ZOEPF
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/12/nyregion/12PROF.html

AFTER what surely is one of the most taxing summers he has
ever faced, Bill Salzman shows remarkably little sign of
wear. As the new principal of the Harvey Milk High School, the
nation's first publicly financed school for gay, lesbian
and transgender students, Mr. Salzman has helped to oversee
Harvey Milk's rapid transition from a small high school
program with 50 students to a full public high school
serving 91 students in eight classrooms. <MORE>

--------

Thursday, September 11, 2003
LGBT clergy declare it 'ok to be gay'
By Jason Michael
http://www.pridesource.com/cgi-bin/article?article=3844528&frames=no

DETROIT - They stood at the foot of the impressively bold Spirit of
Detroit monument outside the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in
downtown Detroit donned in their crisp, freshly pressed cleric's
clothing. But behind all the pomp and circumstance of their
presentation lay a painfully simple message: It's ok to be gay.

"We're here today because for years the only audible spirit-centered
voice speaking out on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues
has been the religious right shouting their tired old line
about 'love the sinner hate the sin,' 'gays can change' and 'threats
to the family' to anyone who will listen," said Michael Gibson-Faith
of the American Friends Service Committee. "With our new
show, 'Whosoever,' and this new initiative from the American Friends
Service Committee's Faith Action Network and these Detroit area
churches, we say 'no more.'" <MORE>
-----------------------------------

Tuesday, September 9, 2003
Protests Mar Opening of Expanded Harvey Milk School
By KATHERINE ZOEPF
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/09/education/09MILK.html

For the 75 students who attend the Harvey Milk High School,
the first day of classes yesterday included not just the
usual confusion over new classrooms and new electives, but
also a walk past a crowd of chanting demonstrators.
<SNIP>
The Harvey Milk High School was established in 1985 as an
alternative program for gay and lesbian teenagers, and
other students suffering from violence or intolerance in
New York City public schools. Before this summer, it had
generated little controversy. <MORE>

[CORNET Note: The high school's first home was at Washington Square
United Methodist Church in New York City & there was controversy in
1985 about both the school and its location.]
-----------------------------------

Tuesday, September 9, 2003
Men Marry, With and Without a Church Blessing
By SETH MYDANS
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/09/international/europe/09RUSS.html

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia, Sept. 5 - Standing at solemn
attention with embroidered bridal crowns on their heads,
two young men were married here this week by a Russian
Orthodox priest, defying both religious and state law in
this conservative country.

Nothing like this had happened in the church's 1,000-year
history, said a spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate,
Viktor Malukhin, and it was blasphemy. <MORE>
-----------------------------------

Tuesday, September 9, 2003
Movies: A Star's Real Life Upstages His Films
By BERNARD WEINRAUB
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/09/movies/09TAB.html

At 72, Tab Hunter has decided to write a memoir covering his years
as an  archetypal Hollywood star and his struggle to hide his
homosexuality.      <MORE>
-----------------------------------

Friday, September 5, 2003
SA Advised To Recognize Gay Marriage
by Mark Levy
365Gay.com Newscenter
Cape Town, South Africa Bureau
http://www.365gay.com/NewsContent/090503safMarriage.htm

(Cape Town, South Africa)  An advisory group to the South African
government is proposing the legalization of same-sex marriage.  In a
report to the government the South African Law Reform Commission has
made seven proposals, addressing both same-sexl and heterosexual
relationships, and invited public comment. The proposals address
legal problems faced by a growing number of people who are not
married but are in dependent or committed relationships. <MORE>
-----------------------------------

Friday, September 5, 2003
Missing the Point on Gays
By Alan Simpson
Washington Post; Page A21
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28071-2003Sep4.html

For several weeks now a storm has been brewing in the Senate over
just how homosexuals fit into the mainstream of American life. First,
an honest debate on the criminalization of gay sex in Texas somehow
gave rise to baseless fears about permitting bestiality and incest.
Then, after the Supreme Court's reasonable ruling in Lawrence v.
Texas that the government had no business policing people in their
bedrooms, a panic developed. Some worried that the decision would
lead to gay marriage, thus posing a threat to the survival of the
American family.

In the view of this old Senate hand, it's time for everyone to take a
deep breath, calm down and wait for this storm to head out to sea.
But no such luck: Several Senate members want to create more anguish
by pushing a proposal to amend the Constitution. It would set a
federal definition of marriage as being a union between a man and a
woman. <MORE>
-----------------------------------

September 2, 2003
Big Brothers Pro-Gay Policy Challenged by Christian Law Group
Michael Christopher Bryan
http://www.gfn.com/archives/story.phtml?sid=14332

The Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based law firm that supports
conservative Christian issues, released letters to school districts
and parents last week, warning that the Big Brother Mentoring Program
could be liable for millions of dollars in legal costs if the
organization places a child with a gay mentor without the consent of
the child's parents.
<MORE>
-----------------------------------

August 2003
The Harvey Milk School
by Andy Humm
Gotham Gazette
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/civilrights/20030805/3/484

The Harvey Milk School, a public school primarily for gay students,
is the subject of tabloid attention and conservative attacks once
again. But it is also receiving scrutiny from civil libertarians, who
frame the debate as a matter of civil liberties - for the non-gay
students that  they fear might be excluded from the school. Andy
Humm, who
used to work there, offers his analysis.<MORE>
-----------------------------------

The following petion is online at:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ManCath/

"To:  Manchester Cathedral Authorities
We regret the inhospitable action of Manchester Cathedral, in
withdrawing permission for an act of worship for the Lesbian and Gay
Christian Movement, to be held at the Cathedral. We invite the
Cathedral authorities to explain their action clearly, and to
consider  seriously the message that their action gives to lesbian
and gay people."

See also OPEN LETTER
http://www.dws.ndirect.co.uk/openletter.htm

Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Canadian Legislators Narrowly Reject Move Against Gay Unions
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/17/international/americas/17CANA.html

The Canadian government won an important but narrow victory
in its efforts to extend marriage rights to same-sex
couples. <MORE>
--------------------------------

Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Canada's House of Commons Debates Definition of Marriage
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/16/international/americas/16CND-
CANA.html

The vote, scheduled for late in the day, was expected to be
close and a crucial test for the Liberal government's
effort to extend marriage rights nationwide to same-sex
couples. <MORE>
--------------------------------

[full article below]

Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Vote reveals sharp divide on same-sex 'marriage' in Canada
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press (Southern Baptist Convention)

OTTAWA (BP)--The move toward legalizing same-sex "marriage" in Canada
may not be a done deal as previously thought.

A sharp divide within the Canadian Parliament was exposed Sept. 16
when a non-binding motion defending the traditional definition of
marriage was defeated narrowly, 137-132.

While it was a loss for social conservatives, it showed that the
future of same-sex "marriage" within the country is not a foregone
conclusion. Even though it was non-binding it was the first real test
for Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who has proposed legislation
legalizing same-sex "marriage" nationwide. Court rulings this summer
made it legal in two provinces -- Ontario and British Columbia -- and
Chretien's government chose not to appeal the case to the Canadian
Supreme Court.

Parliament likely will vote on the legislation either late this fall
or sometime next year.

Members of the Canadian Alliance -- the conservative party that
presented the resolution -- were encouraged for several reasons.
First, some 50 members of the Liberal party -- Prime Minister
Chretien's party -- voted for the resolution. Second, around 30
members of Parliament did not vote at all. It is not known how they
will vote on the legislation.

The resolution stated in part that "marriage is and should remain the
union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others" and
that Parliament should "take all necessary steps within the
jurisdiction of the Parliament of Canada to preserve this definition
of marriage in Canada."

The Canadian Alliance also was heartened by the fact that prior to
the final vote, an amended version of the motion -- which also
defended traditional marriage -- ended in a 134-134 tie. The
Parliament speaker cast the deciding vote against it.

The split in Parliament reflects the split among the nation's
citizens. The latest poll showed that 46 percent of Canada's adults
were against legalizing same-sex "marriage," 46 percent for it. The
issue could be monumental in next year's election. The man favored to
succeed Chretien, Paul Martin, supports same-sex "marriage."

The arguments for and against the resolution reflected the arguments
that have been made this summer in America on the issue.

In introducing the resolution, Canadian Alliance leader Stephen
Harper argued that same-sex "marriage" has been advanced through the
courts in a "highly undemocratic manner." He said same-sex "marriage"
supporters should have taken their case to the Canadian people and
told them why it is "desirable and socially necessary" to abolish the
definition of marriage.

"But opponents of traditional marriage have refused to do that," he
said. "So they have gone to the courts to turn this, to contort this,
into a human rights issue."

In fact, the resolution is virtually identical to one passed 216-55
by Parliament in 1999 and supported by Prime Minister Chretien. Asked
about his reversal on the issue, Chretien said that society "has
evolved," according to the Associated Press.

In other marriage-related news:

NEW DEFINITION -- Canadian court rulings for same-sex "marriage" now
have impacted the dictionary. The new Canadian Oxford Dictionary will
change its definition of marriage to read, "The legal or religious
union of two people," editor-in-chief Katherine Barber told CanWest
News Service. It will say nothing about a husband and wife.

She said that if "the law changes, or society changed" then "we just
change the definition." She criticized those who are opposed to the
change. "They don't want to admit that gay people can have
relationships that are just like their ideal heterosexual
relationship," Barber told the news service.

CAROLINIANS OPPOSED -- By a margin of 66-24 percent, adults in North
and South Carolina are opposed to the legalization of Vermont-type
same-sex unions, according to a poll of 908 people by The Charlotte
Observer and Charlotte TV station NBC 6.

However, 36 percent said they are more accepting of the homosexual
lifestyle than they were five years ago, 35 percent said less and 22
said they were the same.

Same-sex unions give homosexual couples many of the benefits of
marriage without labeling it "marriage."

CALIFORNIANS POLLED -- Fifty percent of California voters are opposed
to the legalization of same-sex "marriage," according to an August
Field Poll of 629 registered voters. Forty-two percent of voters in
the state support the idea.

But just five years ago, 55 percent were opposed to same-
sex "marriage."

Voters in the latest poll were lukewarm to the idea of a U.S.
Constitutional amendment banning homosexual "marriage." By a 50-42
margin the state's voters said they opposed such a move.

BISHOPS SUPPORT AMENDMENT -- The administrative committee of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops gave its support Sept. 10 to a
proposed Federal Marriage Amendment that would ban same-
sex "marriage" within the U.S. Constitution.

"We offer general support for a Federal Marriage Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution as we continue to work to protect marriage in state
legislatures, the courts, the Congress and other appropriate forums,"
the statement read.
--30--

Oral History, Why It Is Important?

PLEASE ACCEPT OUR INVITATION TO THIS EXCITING EXPERIENTIAL EVENT
ORAL HISTORY -- YOU CAN HELP IT HAPPEN !!!


LED BY CERTIFIED ORAL ARCHIVIST DALE PATTERSON
Since 1994 a staff member of the General Commission on Archives and
History of The United Methodist Church, Drew University, Madison, NJ;
currently teacher of history and archival courses at Drew University
and previously at the  University of Louisville


Date: Sunday, October 12th
Time: 2:00p.m. - 4:00p.m.
Place: Chatham United Methodist Church
460 Main St., Chatham, NJ, ph. 973-635-7740

Hosted by Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and  Transgendered Concerns, meeting for its Fall 2003 Council
Session at the  History and Archives Center

This event focuses on why oral history is important.  It will help
each of us  learn how to collect the memories and stories of
individuals so that they can  be preserved for the future – for
our local congregations, our favorite  organizations or our
families.

You may want to become part of preserving oral history as an
individual or as  part of a larger group project – whatever the
case, this event will be one  of  learning through the experience of
listening to and telling stories.


For more information contact: umaffirmation@...

---------

Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &
Transgender Concerns is an independent voice of LGBT people and their
allies who affirm full participation of all persons in the church and
society and who relentlessly pursue policies and processes to that
end. Together we proclaim a Gospel of respect, love, justice and
mercy for all. Affirmation is an activist, not-for-profit
organization with no official ties to The United Methodist Church.

How to Contact Us:
Affirmation email: umaffirmation@...
Affirmation web: http://www.umaffirm.org
Snail-Mail: Affirmation, P.O. Box 1021, Evanston, IL 60204.

Dear friends of Affirmation:

We need your help. We need to know who you are. We want to discover
what you need, what you hope, and what you dream. Affirmation is not
a voice in the wilderness. . . It is the voice of a community. So,
before we plan, we want to know the people who are part of that
community. We want to know you.

For thirty years, Affirmation has been an advocate for gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender concerns within The United Methodist Church.
It has been the Church's queer voice. In 1989, Affirmation developed
a long-range plan to guide its movement into the future. That plan
served us well for more than a decade. Now, however, as we face new
challenges and opportunities within the world and the Church, we need
to plan again. The time has come for Affirmation to take a fresh look
at its history, challenges, capabilities and environment to create a
vision that will empower and guide its future work.

The deadline for filling out Affirmation's Constituent Survey has
been extended to October 15, 2003.

Please take a few minutes to help us create a clear vision so that we
can speak with a strong voice for the Transgender, Bisexual, Lesbian
and Gay community in The United Methodist Church.

The survey is available at
http://www.umaffirm.org/docs/affirmationsurvey.html

Please return surveys by mail to:
Affirmation/United Methodists for LGBT Concerns
900 Hilgard Avenue, Room 316
Los Angeles, CA 90024-3009
or e-mail to: res03ytz@...

Sunday, September 21, 2003
Gay Couples In California Are Granted Wide Rights
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20 (AP) - Gov. Gray Davis signed a
domestic partner bill that closes the legal gap, to the
extent possible under federal law, that separates gay and
straight couples.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/21/national/21PART.html

-----------

Monday, September 22, 2003
Gray Davis signs bill giving same-sex couples marriage rights
By Staff, Baptist Press (Southern Baptist Convention)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--California became the second state to award
homosexual couples most of the rights of married couples when
Governor Gray Davis signed a domestic partner bill into law Sept. 21.

The bill, which won't take effect until January 2005, doesn't use the
words "marriage" or "civil union" but nonetheless grants homosexual
couples who are registered with the state dozens of rights and
responsibilities previously given only to married couples.

Vermont also awards most of the rights of married couples through
what it terms "civil unions."

The California law covers a wide range of areas, including health
coverage and parental status. For example, homosexual couples will
now be able to take extended unpaid leave to care for an ill partner.

Davis, already facing an Oct. 7 recall that is in doubt because of a
court ruling, signed the bill before a large crowd at San Francisco's
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender center.

"I am strongly committed to extending human rights and equal rights
to everyone," he said, according to the Associated Press. "A family
is a family not because of gender but because of values, like
commitment, trust and love."

Political observers in California say Davis is attempting to solidify
the homosexual vote.

"Gray Davis and [Lieutenant Governor] Cruz Bustamante have conspired
to bring homosexual 'marriage' to California, disobeying the clear
orders of the people," Randy Thomasson, executive director of
Campaign for California Families, said in a news release. "They have
trashed the vote of the people and perverted the sacred institution
of marriage."

Neither Vermont's civil unions nor California's domestic partnerships
include federal benefits such as Social Security and Medicare.

California's law also differs slightly from Vermont's in several
aspects. Unlike in Vermont, California homosexual couples won't be
able to file joint tax returns with the state. Also, California
couples will be able to register as partners by filling out an
application and paying a small fee. Vermont's law requires a civil
ceremony, according to AP.

The question now is how couples in Vermont will be recognized in
California, and vice versa. Lambda Legal -- a homosexual advocacy
group -- asserts that couples who have a Vermont civil union but
aren't registered in California nonetheless will have all the rights
of a California domestic partnership.

"[I]f you have entered a civil union in Vermont, you should be
protected under this new California law, but you might still want to
register here," a statement on Lambda Legal's website said.

A few politicians and pro-family supporters in California say they
will file litigation against the new law, arguing it conflicts with a
2000 ballot initiative that defined marriage as solely between a man
and a woman.
--30--

The Southern Baptists continue to escalate their attacks on lesbian
and gay people. Their latest news release follows.

----------------

Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Marriage Protection Week announced; Southern Baptists in key
partnership
By Dwayne Hastings
Baptist Press, Southern Baptist Convention

Marriage initiative announced Sept. 23.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Southern Baptists are partnering with a host
of notable evangelical ministries to help churches get involved in
the work to preserve the divine institution of marriage, Richard Land
reported to the SBC Executive Committee Sept. 23.

In announcing Marriage Protection Week
(www.marriageprotectionweek.com), Land said the SBC Ethics &
Religious Liberty Commission which he leads has worked with concerned
ministries, such as Focus on the Family, the American Family
Association and Prison Fellowship, "to develop a cohesive and
workable plan to aid and assist churches in responding to the well-
organized and well-funded effort to redefine marriage." Churches are
being asked to mark Marriage Protection Week Oct. 12-18.

The Marriage Protection Week website includes downloadable resources
such as a sample poster; commentary on Scriptures related to the
issue; a sermon outline by Ronnie Floyd, pastor of First Baptist
Church of Springdale, Ark.; and bulletin inserts with action steps to
get the amendment moving through Congress and out to state
legislatures.

Land also noted the ERLC has drafted a model resolution on the issue
that can be used by churches, local Baptist associations and state
conventions, available on the Web at www.faithandfamily.com

America is at a critical juncture in her history, Land told the
Executive Committee, saying there is "titanic clash of values"
reflected in the battle to redefine marriage as something other than
what God intended -- the union of one man and one woman.

There are two vastly different visions of what America's future
should be, Land said. "There is a tremendous and titanic clash of
values and morals that is taking place in our society between the
Judeo-Christian understanding of truth and the neo-pagan
understanding of truth," he explained, underscoring the importance of
Southern Baptists becoming engaged in the struggle to preserve the
biblical model of marriage.

"The best legal minds in the country have come to the conclusion that
the only way we can protect ourselves from having the judiciary force
same-sex 'marriage' upon an unwilling nation is to have a
constitutional amendment that says specifically that nothing in the
U.S. Constitution or any of the state constitutions shall be
construed as requiring that marriage be anything other than the union
of a man and a woman," Land said.

The federal judiciary resembles a "runaway freight train" intent on
enforcing a "secular bias on all of our public places and all of our
public institutions," Land said, calling on Southern Baptist churches
and seminaries to use resources developed in support of Marriage
Protection Week to create an awareness within their church and their
community of the issue and of the desperate need for passage of the
Federal Marriage Amendment.

"I can think of nothing that would have a more chilling effect on the
federal judiciary in this country than for the people of this country
to rise up and say enough is enough and urge their elected
representatives to pass this amendment," Land said.

"We are going to do our best to make certain that everyone knows
Southern Baptists are opposed to same-sex 'marriage' and that
Southern Baptists support what needs to be done to protect the
sanctity of marriage in the United States," Land promised.

Tom Elliff, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Del City,
Okla., and chairman of the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life,
added his support to the effort to make Southern Baptists aware of
the push to legalize same-sex "marriages" and thereby normalize
homosexual behavior.

The resolution in support of Marriage Protection Week is especially
noteworthy, Elliff said, noting it clearly enunciated what Southern
Baptists have been saying for years. "It calls upon us to
courageously align ourselves with the biblical position that
homosexuality is a sin. It further addresses the absolute legal
nightmare that would be caused by affirming same-sex unions
as 'marriages,'" he continued, calling Southern Baptists to pray for
those who feel they are "trapped in a homosexual lifestyle."

"For too long, 97 percent of our nation's citizens have been denied
an appropriate voice as the courts, media and Congress have allowed
the avowedly gay 3 percent of our population to assert their agenda,"
Elliff said, citing the fall TV lineup as an example, such as
ABC's "It's All Relative."

Southern Baptists are key in the effort to preserve the traditional
and proper model of marriage and to turn back the efforts to cast
homosexuality as just another lifestyle choice, Land said. "If we can
turn back this assault on the most basic, foundational institution in
our society, we will have been used by God to win a tremendous
victory in this spiritual struggle for the hearts and minds of our
citizens," he said, noting that the time for hand-wringing has passed
and the time for action is at hand.

While Land said he doesn't expect Congress to vote on the Federal
Marriage Amendment until 2004, he said a state court ruling that
legalizes same-sex "marriage," such as in Massachusetts or New Jersey
where such cases are already before the states' Supreme Courts, will
necessitate accelerated action on the Federal Marriage Amendment.

"The problem is that once same-sex 'marriage' is sanctioned in one
state, homosexual activists will immediately go into some federal
court to argue that the Defense of Marriage Acts that have been
passed by 37 state legislatures and Congress are null and void
because of the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution,"
Land warned.

Land said while he is hopeful, he is not optimistic that opponents of
same-sex "marriage" will prevail in the short run. He said
the "sweeping and unimaginable scope" of the Supreme Court's decision
in Lawrence v. Texas might have strengthened the case for those on
the Massachusetts Supreme Court who were arguing for not just civil
unions but full-blown same-sex "marriages." The Lawrence ruling on
Texas' anti-sodomy statutes went far beyond even what the homosexual
lobby had anticipated, Land said. "It was a truly awful decision."

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To learn more about Marriage Protection Week and access a
downloadable model resolution pertaining to this issue, visit
www.faithandfamily.com.