Second Stone #34 - May/June 1994

Second Stone #34 - May/June 1994

34

1994

May/June 1994

OUR SIXTH YEAR MAY/JUNE, 1994 · ISSUE #34
Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like ·an everflowing stream. - Amos 5:24
RO AD T° R IP
In Latin America:
Seeking the
"other sheep"
John Doner and Pepe Hernandez, life partners
for over a dozen years, have just completed a
14-count:ry bus tour of Latin America. Their
purpose was to encourage the formation of new
Christian groups to minister to the gay and lesbian
_ community.
There are forty million Gays
and Lesbians in Latin
America. Specialists in missiology,
church . growth and
urban evangelism continue to pretend
that this large minority does not
even exist, says the l eader of an
organization dedicated to changing
ministry to Gays an d Lesbians in
Latin America.
Dr. Tom Hanks, a Bible scholar and
theologian in Latin America since
1963 and executiv e director of Other
Sheep ministries recognized this mission
field and has made Latin America
a priority for his ministry . His
organization recently sponsored a
14-country Latin American tour by
two missionaries, John Doner and
Pepe Hernandez.
"We help sexual minorities and
those who work with them to realize
their dreams," says Hanks, summing
up th e work of Other Sheep. "So
many dreams have been smas h ed: of
getting 'cured,' of happy traditional
marriages, of getting ordained to
serve God openly as a gay man or
lesbian , of defeating AIDS. Any human
organization inevitably smashes
some dreams as incompatible with its
goals and procedures, even those that
work to support sexua l minority
concerns ... I long to see people realize
in their lives the dreams God has
given them.,,
Other Sheep, also known as
Multicultural Ministries with Sexual
Minorities, is into its third year of
. evangelistic outreach, pasto ral care,
and educational programs with both
sexual minorities and homophobic
individuals and institutions in the
Americas, Europe and Africa. In
1993, the une xpected opening of networking
and evangelistic outreach in
South Africa and the establi shment of
a new center for ministry in San Jose,
Costa Rica were important steps for
the organization .
There are 57 cities in Latirt America
with populations of more than half a
million, but only in ten of those cities
do Christian ministries to Gays and
Lesbians exist, although one city in
Latin America has 102 gay bars. The
few gay and lesbian Christian groups
that do exist are isolated from each
other by hundreds or even thousands
of miles. They are separated econom ically
by extremely limited telephone
and travel budgets, linguistically by
the Spanish-English-Portuguese barriers
and theologically by the historic
Catholic-Protestant split _still common
in Latin America.
SEE COVER STORY, Page 10
P. 0 . Box 8340
John Doner, left, and Jose (Pepe) Hernandez
. ,,. ·, ; ' .
•J ii;
Whe_n h:isL0ry ls beilif1€J/ i;,;,ia,,te;,, b'tii it
Christian chuFch or sic·u/a,t:, :r-airely
ape -:the crowds Hned-t:i;p Jm:d a:ppl'i1iiJ1d-
J11g.. EspeciaJ;ly i!; t,h-at true :w:n~n tbe
hunible hist0,:y-rn:ak,ens a,re. dedkc.a,ted
rep re.sen ta'.five~, ·0f:gJ1.a,y:a·ntJ:-l~;$/bifm
· - · •sce:x11:J1a!h-,mii1[,J/@'fiiiit;ies·1 -" . · _· · · \ • .. -· ~~-~-~;iJ-if :·<ff ~•Li{:~ · :--\F._-· .. ,
New Orleans, lA 70182
Address Correction Requested
SUBSCRIBE NOW - ONE YEAR ONLY $15.00!• BOX 8340 • NEW ORLEANS, LA 70182
BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE
PA ID
NEW ORLEANS, LA
PERMIT No. 511
From the Editor ...................................
Unity between evangelicals,
Catholics not rooted in
compassion c:nd faith
By Jim Bailey I ecall sitting am.ong the congregation of a Southern Baptist
Convention church, of which I was a member during my high
school days, and hearing from the pulpit that no one was farther
rom the gate of heaven than a Roman Catholic. A decade later,
I was teaching Sunday School in the even more conservative Baptist
Missionary Association and, much to the chagrin of my pastor,
working for the "hell-bound" Romans as an assistant administrator of
an Associated Catholic Charities program. The closest this pastor
ever came to acknowledging any value at all of Catholicism was that
"the Catholics do build beautiful churches." The disdain that Baptists
and evangelicals have long held toward the Roman Catholic church
is well known.
But now, all that's changing.
The Catholic church is seeming a bit more Christian to evangelicals
these days. The church's steadfast stand against abortion, civil rights
for Gays and Lesbians, the teaching of safe sex to teenagers and
other "social ills" has not gone unnoticed by Baptists and
evangelicals, who are now apparently willing to award Roman
Catholics with some heavenly credit.
Catholic and evangelical leaders gathered in March to sign a
document entitled "Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The
Christian. Mission in the Third Millennium." The document, signed
near the end of March by about 40 church leaders, urged Catholics
and evangelicals to put centuries of theological differences behind
them and recognize each other's ·central beliefs in the resurrection
and divinity of Christ. Among those signing the document: the
heads of the Southern Baptist Convention's Christian Life
Commission and Home Mission Board, Bill Bright of Campus
Crusade for Christ, Pat Robertson and San Francisco's Archbishop
Carlos Sevilla. Odd bedfellows indeed.
Of course we've always known that politics makes odd bedfellows
and that's what this is ca powerful political action that has little to do
with bringing Christian people together in unity. The document
states that the new alliance is coming together to deal with the
"restoration of religion-based moral values ... "
And who might be in for a little overhaul in this restoration
process?
We inust pray for real unity among Christian people . And that
comes not when · we agree politically but when we agree on a faith
that recognizes the worthiness, dignity and sanctity of all people in a
radically 'inclusive way as Christ did. The signers of "Evangelicals
and Catholics Together" have not demonstrated this depth of
compassion. ·
SECOND STONE Newsjoumal, ISSN No. 1047-3971, is published every other
month by Bailey Communications, P. 0. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182.
Copyright 1994 by Second Stone, a registered trademark.
SUBSCRIPTIONS, U.S.A. $15.00\l'er year, six issues. Foreign subscribers add $10.00
for postage. All payments U.S. currency only.
ADVERTISING, For displa:, advertising information ca11{504)891-7555 or write to
P.O. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182.
EDITORIAL, send letters, .calendar announcements, noteworthy items to (Department
title) Second Stone, P.O. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182. Manuscripts to be .
returned ~hould be accompanied . by a stamped, self addressed envelope. Second Stone
1s otherwise not responsible for the return of any material. ·
SECOND STONE, a national ecumenical Christian ·social justice newsjoumal
With a specific outreach to sexual orientation minorities. •
PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Jim Bailey
CONTRIBUTORS FOR THIS ISSUE: Andrea L. T. Peterson, Brian Mayeda,
Rev. Janis K. Doleschal, Tom W. Kelly. Amy Adams Strongheart
rn Second Stone•May/June, 1994
THE NATIONAL ECUMENICAL CHRISTIAN
NEWSJOURNAL FOR LESBIANS, GAYS AND BISEXUALS
Contents ......... ........ " ....... .. . rn
[]]
[I]
[NJ
From The Editor.
"Unity" between evangelicals, Catholics
Commentary
On same-gender marriage
News Lines
Cover Story
On the road to ministry in Lalin America
1191 The Second Loss @) . A lesbian pastor survives an ouster vote
' What Makes a Family? [HJ I It's not Ward, June, Beaver and Wally anymore
. r.-~ In Print
! 15 I In the Courts of the Lord
l I • I I Reviewed bY. Andrea L T. Peterso,.;
~ What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality
Reviewed by Tom W. Kelly .
I 181 Calendar
I 19 I Noteworthy
· 120 I Classifl~s
Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A proposal of marriage
By Maggie Tanis
Guest Comment
W
. en his lover of 18 years
ad a heart attack and was
aken to the local hospital, a
ay man was told by .the
hospital staff that because he was "not
family" they w o uld not give him any
informati on about his lov er's condition
. They wouldn't even t ell him if
his life partner was dead or aliv e.
Only after he went hom e and · got
their pow er of attorney papers, which
were carefully examined by the
hospital administrators, was he told
that his lov er was going to survive. If
the religious se rvice that they had
had y e ars befo re had b ee n recognized
by the civil authorities as a
lega l marriag e, then the pain and
fear they suff ere d would not ha ve.
bee n compounded by having to
prove their status as. family to an uncaring
hospital bureauacracy. .
A lesbian couple in Honolulu who
have thr ee children worry that if one
of them was to die, th e children could
be taken away from the remaining
parent and lose the only famil y th ey
had ever known . This couple married
seven years ago, befor e having
children , so that their kids would be
born "in wedlock." But the state
refuses to recognize th eir marria ge.
We can gain vital civil rights
through th e legali zation of sa me gender
marriag e, rights that we curr entl y
hold only through piec emeal, and
often ineffectual , legal protection s.
Dom estic partner s hip , in the few
places that r ecognize it, often carri es
more symbolic than legal value. The
struggle for marriage rights is principally
a struggle for civil rights .
Yet some Gays and Les bian s
continue to think that this issu e is not
imp ortant to our community . Some
charge that the mov ement for s_ame
gender marri age is merel y copying
heterosexual values and is a goal
inconsistent with the pursuit of civil
rights for gay people . Th e m ove ment
for same gender marriage fundamentally
seeks to ensure that all
peop le hav e equal access · to the rights
granted in our society.
I believe that our s is a radical
movement that will str ike a s ignificant
blo w to th e fo rces of our
oppr ess ion by br ea kin g down th e
basti on of h e tero sex u al pri vilege :
marriag e. Society rewards peop le for
enterin g into het erosex u a l marriag e,
by granting l egally sa nct ion ed rights
and bene fits. Granting these rights t o
other mod e ls of family remo ves the
adv anta ge curr en tly enjoyed o nly by
h eterosex uals and the ir families. The
que stion of whether states ought lo
grant couples benefits not given to
singles is a diff erent question than
whether same gender coupl es should
be treated as equal to opposite gender
couples.
By n o t pursuing the right to marry ,
we are saying in effect that i I is
acceptable to treat gay and lesbian
couples differently than hetero sexual
couples . That is not acceptable to me .
Same gender couple s de serve bett er
than se cond cla ss citizenship. All
p eople are entitled to equal tr eatinent,
and that is why we are
pursuing the legal right to marry in
Hawa ii.
Legali ze d marriag es would give
gay and lesbian relation ships full
legal and· social l egitimacy for the first
time in history . Gay and lesbian
couples would be entitled to all legal
benefits that automatically accrue to
married couples, including child custody,
employment, inherit a nce and
survivor benefits. Gay and lesbian
couples would also receive all economic
b enefits of ma rria ge, including
ta x exem ption , fee wa iver s, dea th
ben efits and comm e rcial discounts .
Even those who have no int erest in
"Big Three" perpetuate homophobia
By The Ecumenical Catholic Church
Guest Comment
T hree unrelat ed rece nt acts
ha ve reinforced th e hom ophobia
of the Roman Catholic,
Lutheran , and Episcopal
churches. The trag edy is eve n furth
er troubl esome in that it represents
acts of worldw ide, national, and local
agents. · ·
In responding to le.aders of the
European Community moving toward
acceptance of gay mar riage and
Stonewall 25
By Nick Dowen
Guest Comment S ince 1969 a whole new generation
ha s grown up to
whom the Stonewall uprising
ma y seem as remote as
the War of 1812 . But I am old enough
to remember it as a cont emporary
event. In 1969 I already lived in New
York, as l had long wanted to do. On
the day after Stonewall when . I read
about ii in the new s paper s l
underst oo d in a flash what it was all
about: an oppre ssed group's struggl_e
for self-realization and self-determination.
This is not an original. them e.
It is as old as th e Bible and as ne,w as
tomorrow's newspapers. From the
adoption of children by same-sex
couples, Pope John Paul cautioned
them against taking such a s tand.
The bish op of Rome, ther efore, is
continuing to try to force his own
outd ated moral position through the
legal system. · •
Th e Evangelical Luth era n C hur ch
in A merica has expe lled o ne of its·
pastors in Oak land, Calif ., because he
acknowledges that he is an activ e
hom osex ual. We know that th e
clergy of nearly e very church body
hav e active homo sexual s among their
Pilgrims at Plimo uth Ro ck in 1620
onwards it is a central th eme in
American history . ·
Since 1969 I have n't changed my
.mind one bit about Stonewall. What
s urpris es m e is that not all Am erican s
hav e this unde rs tandin g of it. My
. und erstanding comes from my first
grade t eac he r, Miss Darlen e
Lansbury . She taught us about the
dehumani zing ins tituti on of s lavery .
She told u s about a black man
standing up in th e str eet to b e sold
like a stove, a thing , and I hav e that
frightening imag e ind elibly record ed
in my brain, pow erfully vivid and
pr esent to me this very day.
The central teaching of th e
Christian religion is that God becam e
ranks. The Lutheran mess ag e is
clea r: "Don't be honest about who you
are if yo u want to continue to be a
good pas tor." Obviously th e churches
ar e as goo d as the U.S. military when
it co mes to promoting dishonestly.
The rector of th e local Ep iscopa l
Church at the Russian River, in a
surprising and tremendously disappointing
move, h as put up a
roa dbl ock to our church s haring the
facilities that the Epi scopali ans lease
fr om th e Pr esbyte rian Church by
a human being. Af ter Jesu s Chri st,
we · believe, God can never be less
th an human . But Christians, to our
shame, have so metim es failed to live .
up to that id ea l, and hav e often
tr ea ted other human beings in a
d ehumani zing way. From the ea rly
church until today it hasn't been easy
to mak e the tran sition from beli eving
that Jes us is God to the more
important task, perhaps, of following .
Jesus' teachings.
Since 1969 the story of the lesbian
and gay community is largely about
growth: the growth of a tremendous
number of different organizations.
Our so ciety highl y prizes individual
initiativ e and achievem e nt, but
organized groups are stronger than
.............. .....
marri age will benefit from a v ictory
in this case becaus e it will represent
t he end of second class status and the
beginning of full eq ual citizenship for
Lesbians and Gays. ·
Same gender ma rriag e also is a
grave threat to the conservative antigay
movem ent. Those who oppos e
civil rights for Lesbians and gay men
rely h eavily on the stereotypes of
promiscuou s, leering men who pre y
upon young boys and hav e hundred s
o f sex partners ea ch yea r and of
Lesbians who parade naked down
Main Street. We are portrayed as the
bear ers of diseas e and thr e at s to
morality and the "traditional family."
Yet, o ur very d esire for marriag e
shatters th ese images. We ha ve
found in Hawaii that those who
opp ose same gender ma rriage ·argue
against hom osexua lity itse lf, rath er
than against gay m arr iag e because it
doe s not fit into their stereotypes.
After all, marriage conv eys the ideas
o f lov e, of commitment , of monogamy,
the o pposit es of what they
portray us to be.
Some h ave arg ued that we will
never · have marriage rights b ecaus e
they are too controversial. Th e
SEE PROPOSAL, Page 17
obje cting to the p ossibility of gay
weddings. This action demon st rat es
that even as nati ona l bodi es m ove to
deal positiv ely with sexual issues, the
cancer of homophobia mu st b e
erad icated a t each and every local
level as well.
It is exactly becau se of un°Christian
actions such as th ese that the Ecumenical
Catholi c and Sarum Episcopal
churches exist, carrying God"s messa
ge of all-inclusiv e love without the
sin of human bigo try and prejudice.
any individual. Our lesbian and gay
groups supply uur best prot ection
against bein g dehumani ze d ..
Excerpted fram Outlook, the newsletter
of Int eg,·ity /Ne w York, P.O. Box 5202,
New York, NY 10185-0043.
We welcome
your letters
and opinions
Write to Second Stone. All letters must
be original and signed by the writer.
Clearly indicate if your na!ne is to be
witltlteld. We reserve tlte rigl,t to edit .
Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182 or
FAX to (504)891-7555.
Second si~ne•M -ay-/-Ju_n_e_, -199_4_.[IJ
NewLsin es
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Ill •· • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Ministerdse nouncseig nv andals
M GROUP OF ALABAMA ministers has come out in support of the Auburn
Gay and Lesbian Association's battle to maintain its anti-litter sign. The
Auburn Mi.nisterial Association has condemned vandalism of the Adopt-a-Mile
highway sign, which has been defaced repeatedly since it was first erected in .
January. "There was a strong .consensus that there was something we could and
should say as representatives of fart of the religious community," said the Rev.
Howard W. Roberts, pastor o the. First Baptist Church, who signed the
statement. He said regardless of whether people approve of homosexuality,
:·what we need to try to do is to respond to all people with love," ·
- AssociatedP ress
Lutheragnr oups upportesx pellegda yp astor
LlLEADERS OF LUTHERANS CONCERNED/North America are publicly
denouncing the defrocking of the Rev. Ross Merkel, pastorofSt. Paul's Lutheran
Church in Oakland, Calif. on March 25. "We deplore the actions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for causing another talented gay
pastor to be removed from the clergy roster," said .Lynn Mickelson, co-chair of
Lutherans Concerned. "Both Pastor Merkel and the congregation of St. Paul's
have shown remarkable courage dunng this trying time. We pledge our
continuing support for Pastor Merkel and ·St. Paul's Church," .MicRelson said.
The ELCA hef<f a hearing and ruled thatRev. Merkel was to be removed from
the clergy roster for being in a relationship with another man.
Pastowr hol icensegda ym inistetro leaveB aptisct hurch
llTHE SENIOR PASTOR of Olin T. Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill,
North Carolina has decided to resign almost two years after a decision to
license a gay minister split the church and drew national attention. In a letter
mailed to the congregation, Linda Jordan, the church's first woman minister,
announced she would step down Aug. 31 from the post she has held more than
four years, reported The News & Obseruer of Raleigl,. During her tenure al the
church, the congregation voted to license John Blevins, a gay Duke University
divinity student, a decision that led to the church's expulsion from the Southern
Baptist Convention. The vote led seven of Binkley s 20 deacons to resign in
protest and caused many longtime members of the church to leave.
-Associated Press
MCCp astodr ismissed
LlAFTER SERVING THE Metropolitan Community Church of Baltimore as
pastor for only slightly more tfian a year, the Rev. Joseph Totten-Reid has
resigned at the request of the church's lay leadership. Totten-Reid's unexpected
departure, announced in early March, comes amid declining membership for the
21-year-old congregation. He was the fourth pastor to serve the Baltimore
congregation in as many years. There has been a growing decline in a number of
lesbian and gay religious organizations in Baltimore. 0The Altemative
Episcopaglr oupc ondemngsa ys tudentcso habitating
!:,A DEOSION BY THE General Theological Seminary, one of the country's
oldest and largest Episcopal seminaries, to allow gay and lesbian students to
live together in on-canifus housing has drawn a rebul<e from the nation's largest
traditionalist Episcopa group. Hie Rev. Samuel L. Edwards, executive director
of the Episcopal Synod of America, issued a statement blasting the new policy
as disgraceful. "The Episcopal Synod of America sees this new devek,pment as
further evidence of the moral decadence within the institutional Episcopal
Church," Edwards said.
Clergyg roups upportgsa yr ightsb ill
LlSAY ING SUPPORTF OR gay rights is consistent with their religious teachings,
14 ministers from across Rliode fsland gathered at the Statehouse on March 16
to voice their support for a gay rights bill, making its 10th appearance in the
state's legislature. "The time is overdue," said the Rev, H. Daehler Hayes, a
minister with the Rhode Island Conference of the United Church of Christ. ''The
time is now for passage of this legislation guaranteeing basic civil rights." Last
year, the gay rights biil passed the Senate before being voted down in the House
Judiciary Committee. - Southern Voice
ThreCe atholcicle rabva cka nti-discriminbatililo n
llTHE PASTOR OF one oTWashington state's largest parishes and two Seattle
nuns bucked the state's Roman Catholic leadersrup and urged that the
legislature ]>ass a gay anti-discrimination bill, At a March 13 rally at St. James
Cathedral, the Rev. Michael Ryan, F'astor of the cathedral parish, and Sisters
Eileen Delong and Andrea Nenzel pledged lo SU£porl the legislation next year.
The bill died in the state Senate after passing the House.
Right~winCgh ristiangso t o" booct amp"
t:,TJ-OLl AT.ESTA DDffiON to the influx of far-right fundamentalist l!roups that
continue to build up in Colorado Springs is_promising to open a boot-camp
training school" for what maJ well be real Christian soldiers in the religious
right's war on the gay and lesbian community. The Coalition on Reviva1 has
been around in Nortliern California for about a decade and adheres to not only
59~e of the _n_,ose!~ tremist vi.ews in the fundamentalist ~ight but also adopts a
distinctly m1htaristic structure and language. An unpublished COR "Manifesto"
calls on evangelical ministers to organize their CO!)gregations into small "home
cell groups" with parishioners (known as "sheep" m COR) agreeing to make a
"commitment to the other members of the group to the point of sacrifice." Among
the tenets COR espouses are replacing the court system with tribunals overseen
[jJS econdS tone-May/June1, 994
by church elders, abolishing the eublic school system, reinstating "indentured
servitude" (slavery), and establishing the death penalty for a wide array of "sins"·ranging
from adultery to homosexuality to blasphemy. - Outlines
Baptiscth urchg, ayp rideo fficialws orko utd ifferences
t:,THE FIRST BAPTIST Church of Charlotte, North Carolina, came out in
opposition lo the. scheduled June 5 lesbian and gay J>ride parade. and celebration
because the church campus is in the same block as Marshall Park, the rally site
and start/end point for the parade, which r,rompled one Charlotte City Council
member to remark that the event must be' targeting the church." The gay pride
steering committee offered to provide mom tors during the parade to 'keep
participants off church property and also to move activities back one hour. The
minister of the church, acknowledging the positive actions taken by the steering
committee, said he would not s~aK against the event. Said Sue Henry, co-chair of
the pride committee, " ... it's much better to address a possible area of contention
right away so that it can be kept within reasonable parameters," -Q Notes
Oslob ishopw on'ot rdaing ayp riest
llTHE BISHOP OF Oslo, Norway, has refused to accept Niels Jordan Riedl's
application for a vacant position as vicar with the Paulus congregation in Oslo.
The bishop, Andreas Aarflot, returned the application on the grounds that Rev.
Riedl lives with another man and that they have registered _ their partnership,
Riedl, who completed his theological studies last srring, must be ordained to
work as a _Priest i!" the State Church of N(?rway. Al Norwegian bishops refuse
to ordam 'practicing homosexuals." - Out/mes
Mormontask ea standa gainssta me-gendmera rriages
t.ENDING ITS SILENCE on any number of gay and lesbian issues, the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issue<l a public position on a gay rights
issue. In mid-February the First Presidency, the nighest ruling body of the church,
issued a statement against recognition of same-gender relationships. "The
principles of the gospe1 and the sacred responsibilities given us require that The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Samts oppose any efforts to give legal
authorization to marriages between persons of the same gender," the statement
said. "We encourage members to appeal to legislators, judges, and other
government officials lo preserve the purposes and sanctity of marriage between a
man and a woman ... " The managing news editor of the Mormon church-owned
CBS affiliate in Sall Lake City, Utan, killed the story for that day's broadcast
because he thought it would embarrass the church. - Diversity
Re-Imagininbga cklashhi tsc hurchw omen
llRECENT ALERTS BY the conservative wing within al least three
denominational bodies - the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
Presbyterian Church USA, and United Methodist Church - call for disciplinary
action, including possible dismissal, of national staff persons who attended
Re-Imagining, an evenfof the World Council of Churches' Decade in Solidaritv
with Women, held last November in Minneapolis, Minnesota. James V.
Heidinger ll, a conservative Methodist writing an editorial in Good News, refers
to the conference as "without question ... the most theologically aberrant I have
ever read about." Another conservative, United Methodist Bishop Earl G. Hunt
said of certain as)Jecls of the conference, "No comparable heresy has appeared in
the church in the last 15 centuries." In response to these statements, participants
at the 1994 Executive Staff Conference, an annual event sponsored by Cnurch
Women United, issued their own statement affirming "the absolute right of women
to develop theological understandings rooted in their own realities and
experiences." Patricia J. Rumer, general director of Church Women United,
described criticism of the c6nference as "the kind of response that emerges
whenever women attempt to create their own theology," adding that "women's
voices cannot be silenced." - Waves
P-FLAGm eetingisn terruptebdy f undamentalists
t:,TWO MEN WHO were members of an Assemblies of God congregation
disrupted a Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays meeting in the
rural town of Ephrata, Washington, and two women with ties to a right-wing
group disrupted a meeting in a · suburb of Portland, Oregon . With the
understanding that the two men were interested in the support P-FLAG offers,
they were warmly welcomed into .the home of Kay ancfErnie Swartout, the
organizers of the Grant County, Washington, chapter. After announcing their
affiliation with the church, the two men liegan arguing with P-FLAG members
about their salvation, equating the children of tlie P-FLAG parents that were
present to "AIDS carriers and spreaders of disease ." The intruders remained for
about 30 minutes. Ernie Swartout then closed the meeting and asked everyone to
leave. A year ago, the Swartout home was spray-painted with a swastika
~pparently in response to their active stan~ for justice for Gays and Lesbians. In
Poi'tland, the two right-wing women were ejected from the meeting when P-FLAG
members recognized them as Brenda Saunders, county sponsor of an anti-gay
ballot measure, and Ellen Brandt, a "recovering lesbian" and member of Help One
Person Escape [HOPE). "We're not going to stop speaking just because they're
trying lo harass us," said Mitzi Henderson, National P-FLA'G president.
- Seattle Gay News, Diversity
Gayra diost atiorne sumebsro adcaasfte r
beings hutd ownb yF CC
LlPRIDE RADIO 102.5 FM, a community service of St. Aelred's Parish, San
Bernardino, Calif. was shut down on January 7 by the Federal Communications
Commission for <J19rating above power. On February 2, the FCC issued a "notice
of apparent liability," recommeni:ling a fine of $8,00(}. The parish ape-,aled the
fine, which was wa1Ved, and was scheduled to resume broadcasting m March.
NewLsin esT f' • • e II II e II e • e II II • II II t • • II II • II II II • II II II e II II II • II
Rallyc hallenge"sR eclaiminAgm ericac"o nference
t.ABOUT 1,000 ACTIVISTS rallied against the conservative, anti-gay
"Reclaiming America" conference held at Dr. James Kennedy's Coral Springs
Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Said Rev. Grant Lynn Ford,
senior pastor of Sunshine Cathedral MCC, "The people inside would have you
believe America was founded by people who tliink as they do." In realil)r, he
Eointed out, "they were fleeing religious intolerance." Former Vice President Dan
Quayle was the conference's featured speaker." Southern Voice
Amnestsya ysG aysL, esbianvsu lnerabtloe rightsa buse
t.AMNESTY INTERN_ATIONAL has announced a six-month campaign to combat
rights abuses against Gays and Lesbians in the United States. The announcement
by Amnesty International USA, the U.S. branch of the London-based human
nghts organization, coincided with the release of a 24-nation survey on the
treatment of Gays and Lesbians. Amnesty called the survey a groundbreaking
report placing "government repression of gay men and_ Lesbians squarely on the
international human rights agenda." Mistreatment ofGaysand Lesbians by
police is frequently alleged in Britain and Northern Ireland, · the report said. In
Columbia, there are reports of G~;ys and Lesbians, val?rant children and petty
cnmmals bemg rounded up as social undesirables· and gunned down by
police-supported "death squads," the survey found. -Equal Time
Gayl,e sbianIt aliansu eP opefo rd efamation
t. THE LEAGUE FOR Sexual Rights of the Person, an Italian gay/ lesbian_
organization, has filed suit in Rome against Pope John Paul II charging the pontiff
with defamation and calumny against homosexuals. The suit came in reaction to
the Pope's attack against the European Parliament for its recent passage of a
non-binding resolution urging European countries to abolish anti-gar, laws and
legalize gay /lesbian marriage and adoption. The Pope said, 'With this
resolutio~ of the European .Parliament one i~ asked tp legitin1ize a moral
disorder. - S_eattle Gay News
Librarpyu tsa nti-gay/lesbbiaono kso ns helves
t.FAIRFAX COUNTY, Virgjnia libraries have purchased more than 100 copies
of 11 books critical of Gays and Lesbians after complaints by the religious right
that the library system's collection promotes a "gay /lesbian agenda." Julie
Pringle, coordinator of collection management for !he libraries, said the system
recently purchased the additional titles with names such as "You Don't Have to
Be Gay," and "Overcoming Homosexuality." Karen Jo Gounaud, leader of a group
of parents and conservative Christian activists · who tried unsuccessfully last
year to prevent the Washington Blade from being distributed in the county's 22
libraries, asked the library to.buy books from her list of anti-gay /lesbian htles.
- Associated Press ·
CatholiBc ishopssp litc hurchc ounciol ng ayr ightsb ill
t.THE CATHOLIC CHURCH in Washington state is part of the Washington
Church Council, but the two organizations took opposite sides on a bill to add
sexual orientation to the state's anti-discrimination protection clause. The WCC
offered testimony in strong support of gay /lesbian civil rights, but the Catholic
Church sent a letter directly to senators announcing their opposition to the bill.
"We do not support unjust discrimination of homosexual ina1viduals," the letter
stated. "However, this issue is not only about discrimination, but about societal
acceptance and public endorsement of homosexuality. We cannot lend support to
that effort." SupP.orters of the bill had expected the Catholic Church to remain
neutral on the bill as it has in the past; Fernando Macias, president of Dignity
Seattle, said that i,ay and lesbian Catholics are extremefy distressed by the
Church's attack. We were completely surprised," he said. "We were never
contacted and our views were never sought. We've been trying to meet with the
Archbishop [Thomas Murphy]-for two years ... We knew the Archbishop's views
on the bill but we never expected him to actively oppose it.- Seattle Gay News
SayN Ot o DomiNOpi zza
t.A SAN DIEGO group called the DomiNO Pizza Theory has officially asked the
. entire gay and [esbian community to boxcott and picket Domino's Pizza,
including all 5,000-)lus U.S. locations, any of the company's holdings or foreign
investments, and al of.the company's locations in some 23 countries worldwide.
Chief executive Tom Monaghan made the pizza company's position quite clear
when he awarded their Humanitarian Award to James Dobson, president of
Focus on the Family, which disseminates a large volume of anti-gay and ex-gay
propaganda across the nation. - Seattle Gay News
Hard-linefrlse eC hurcho f Englat:1d
t.SINCE THE GENERAL Synod of the Church of England voted in November
1992 to ordain women, ovet three dozen Anglican clergymen and several
hundred lay people have quit in protest. The Church officially_ ordained the first
women priests at Bristol cathedral on March 12. Many of those fleeing the
Church of England have sought comfort in the Roman Catholic Church.
Gaym enw elcomsea, ysle adeor f PromisKee epercsh apter
t.PROMISE KEEPERS, a group of Christian men. who seek to strengthen fathers
and encourage duty to God, with chapters all over the country ana a reputation
for being anti-gay, may be a bit more inclusive than expected. Richard
Froshiesfiar, leader of Promise Keepers of Idaho said that "If several hundred gay
men decided to attend our next conference,they would be welcome ... We believe
that God judges ,1nen, not that men should judge each other." Bill McCartney,
founder of the parent organization bf Promise Keepers in Boulder, Colorado, is
on record as saying that Fiomosexuality is an abomination against God.
- Diversity
Subscribe
Today.
AND . YO U1 LL NEVER
A FRIEND
JOURNEY.
WITHOUT
YOUR
BE
FOR
SecoSntdo ne The National Gay and · Lesbian
Christian Newsjournal
···YES!···.··.· ·.·.· · ·····.·.;·..· . ·.· ·····
Begin my subscription io
SECONDS TONEfo r:
[ ] One year (6 issues) $15.00
[ ] Two yrs. (12 issues) $25.Ci0
[ ] Three yrs. {18 issues) $36.00
NAME
ADDRESS.
CITY/ STATE/ZIPC ODE
CHECK HERE [· ] if a plain .envelope is required and cidd $2.00 per year. -Ailow 6-8
weeks for delivery of your first issue. International subscribers add $10.00 per year,
U.S. currency. · · · ·
Mail To: SECOND STONE, Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 701 B2
THANK YOU
for your subscription support!
SecondS tone•May/Jm1e1,9 94_ l}j
River City MCC loses building to fire
By The Latest Issue
AFTER THE EVENING service on
Palm Sunday, several members of
Sacramento's River City MCC began
moving the church's belongings out
of the sanctuary in preparation for the
move to their new church at Mather
Field in Sacramento. Re.becca Dezzi,
board member Kris Refsell, Rhonda
Poteet, Stedney Phillips and Viki
Delgado worked late into the evening
moving vestments,'books and other
accoutrements of the faith to the social
hall and activities center down the
block where they would be stored for
transport to the new church.
At 11:30 p.m., Dezzi noticed smoke
rising from the center of the social
building, and she notified other occupants
of buildings on the block,
which are connected. The fire department
responded quickly, but the fire
in the social building spread rapidly.
By 11:58 p.rn. it was a three alarm
fire. Flames roared from the roof and
out of second story windows. As
some of the congregation gathered,
neighbors from surrounding houses
began offering blankets and coffee.
By morning, the fire was out though
the building was virtually gutted.
Other buildings in the row were
saved by a fire wall. Inspectors
began rummaging through the ashes
L!J Second Stone-May/June, 1994
trying to find the cause of the fire. gut feeling is that it wasn't an
Many in the crowd wondered aloud if accident," Sherriff said. He also said
this was another in the string of hate that earlier in the day a car had been
crimes that has plagued Sacramento broken into and among the things
in the past year. taken w /IS a set of keys to the
Rev. Ed Sherri££ spoke of past building.
minor hate crimes against MCC. "My Rev. Freda Smith spoke of the rapid
Gay, lesbian Mormons to meet
AFFIRMATION, THE INTERNAtional
organization for gay and lesbian
Mormons and their families and
friends, has announced that it will
hold its annual conference September
16-18, 1994 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
.From its founding in 1977, the
association has grown to become the
largest support and resource group
for gay and lesbian Mormons around
the globe, with chapters worldwide.
The conference will be hosted at the
Alexis Park Hotel, an upscale, nongaming
resort near the Las Vegas
Strip.
The keynote speakers at the
conference are Dr. and Ms . Ron
Schow. Dr. Schow, one of the editors
of the 1991 best selling volume
Peculiar People: Mormons and Same Sex
Orientation, is a professor of audiology
at Idaho State University . Having
confronted homosexuality through the
experiences of a family member, the
Sd1ows have seen the struggles that
Gays and Lesbians face in a conservative
religious tradition.
Dr. Ron Schow, professor and
author, will speak at Mormon conference
Fashion
Li.,estyles
Travel
spread of the fire and also speculated
that it had been set. She mused
about the swastika"s that had been
painted on the church a few weeks
earlier. In the end, investigators from
SEE RIVER CITY, Page 17
Among the workshop topics fo be
addressed is the focused attention on
involvement of Lesbians and women's
issues. Heading the forum for
women"s concerns is Ms. Jennifer
Hatch, the 1993 conference chairperson.
"I want to make certain that
Lesbians feel comfortable in attending,"
says Hatch. "I would .Jike to
dispel the myth that Affirmation is a
men's organization.
The theme of the conference, "O,
Say What ls Truth?" was selected to
encourage insight, discussion and
examination of the tough questions of
how one. reconciles issues of homosexuality,
doctrine and spirituality.
"For many people, dealing with
same sex feelings and . being a
Mormon generates great stress," said
Greg Stephenson, public relations
chairperson. "Fear and hesitancy
. SEE MORMONS, Page 17
Politics
lntervleM's
Entertain,nent
.... .a Gay version or Esquire or GQ. ••
I/SAY-,,
GENRE magazine brings you the latest in men's fashion. exotic travel destinations.
exclusive celebrity interviews. advice on grooming. health. fitness and more.
to..,,._,,,_ call:
:L-BD0-576-9933
Demo.nstrators to demand justice for lesbian/gay
Chri.stians at lnterchurch Center --~.
AT NOON ON FRIDAY, June 24,
1994, hundreds of gay and lesbian
Christians and their friends will
gather at New York City's Interchurch
Center for "Hands Around the GodBox,"
a peaceful demonstration to
condemn the continuing exclusion of
lesbian and gay people from full
' participation in the life of the nation's
churches.
Sponsored by the Universal
Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
Churches and nine denominational
lesbian and gay organizations
representing the full range of Christian
'traditions, Protestant, Roman
Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, the
gathering will begin with a short
worship service outside the Interchurch
Center 's main entrance at 475
· Riverside Drive, four blocks north of
Columbia University in the Morningside
Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.
The Rev. Nancy Wilson,
Chief Ecumenical Officer of the
UFMCC, will deliver a brief sermon.
After prayer, music, and a call to
action, participants will form a human
chain around the building, commonly
nicknamed the "God-Box" because of
its harshly angular shape and occupancy
by religious organizations.
Demonstrators, linked by a "rainbow
rope" will fall into silent prayer once
the building has been completely
encircled. Entrances to the building
will not be blocked. After the formal
protest ends at 1:00 p .m., smaller
groups of demonstrators will attempt
to meet with representatives of
church-affiliated agencies housed in
the building to express their demand
for justice for le sbian/ gay p eople
within individual denominations and
ec\Jmenical organizations.
The God-Box is home to the main
offices of the National Council qf
Churches of Christ, the U.S. office of
the World Council of Churches, the
New York City Council of Churches,
and a host of offices representing
major American Christian denominations,
almost all of which continue to
exclude gay men and Lesbians from
the ordained ministry and officially to
prohibit commitment ceremonies for
same-sex couples. The National
Council of Churches has consistently
rejected the UFMCC's application for
membership or observer s tatus despite
the UFMCC's having all stipu-
Lutheran gathering will feature
Rev. Barbara Lundblad,
Lt. Dirk Selland
LUTHERANS CONCERNED/North
America has named two speakers for
a major international conference to be
held in Charlotte, N.C. from July 14 -
17. The Rev . Barbara Lundblad,
heard by millions of people as a
preacher on the Protestant Hour
Radio Network for ten years, will be
the keynote speaker for the entire
event, which proclaims the theme
"God's Own People. " Lt. Dirk
Selland, who testifiec\ at the U.S.
Senate hearing s to lift the ban on
Gays and Lesbians in the military,
will be the special guest speaker at
the closing banquet.
As a cum laude graduate of Yale
Divinity School, Pastor Lundblad has
become one of the most sought after
speakers on justice for lesbian, gay
and bisexual people in the Lutheran
church. She is currently pastor of Our
Savior's Atonement Lutheran Church
in New York City . During one of her ·
many speaking engagements across
North America, Pastor Lundblad
delivered a visionary sermon at a
special Lutheran-spon sored worship
service after the March on Washington.
During the upcoming assembly
in Charlotte, Lundblad will center her
messages of hope and challenges for
the future around the scriptural declaration
of all believers as "God's
Own People."
The banquet speaker, Dirk Se\land,
Rev. Barbara Lundblad, keynoter for
Lutheran gathering
is a U.S. submarine officer who came
out to his Navy chaplain as a res ult of
President Clinton's promis e to lift the
ban on Gays and Lesbians in the
military . He is one of only two openly
gay members of the armed services
to testify at the U.S. Senate
hearings last spring . As a lifelong
Lutheran, Selland and hi s partn er
joined a Lutheran congregation in
Virginia Beach, Va. last May. SeHand
will be telling the story of his congre-
SEE LUTHERANS, Page 17
lated qualifications for membership . versalists for. Lesbian/Bi/Gay /Transgender
Concerns); Int egrity (Episcopalian)
; Luth er ans Concerned/North
America and Presbyt erians for Lesbian
and Gay Concerns,
Besides the UFMCC, the "Hand s
Around the God-Box" demonstration 's
co-sponsors include American Baptists
Concern ed for Lesbian , Gay and
Bisexual People; Axios: Eastern and
Orthodox Christian Gay Men and
Women; CLOUT (Christian Les),ians
OUT Together); the Conf erence for
Catholic Lesbians; Dignity (Roman
Catholic): Interweave (Unitarian Uni-
"Hands · Around the God-.Box" is
being held in conjunction with Stonewall
25: The International March on
The United Nations to Affirm the
Human Rights of Lesbian and Gay
Peopl e.
Rev. Troy Perry to celebrate lesbian/gay
faith and freedom at Lincoln Center
"CELEBRATING STONEWALL 25: A rights revolution in America," said
Perry . "Celebrat ing Stonewall 25" is
being held in conjunction with
Stonewall 25: The International March
on the United Nations to Affirm the
Human Rights of ,Lesbian and Gay
People.
Gener ation of Faith and Freedom," a
worship service featuring gay activist
Rev. Troy Perry, will be held at 7 :30
p.m. on Saturda y, June 25 in Lincoln
Center' s Alice Tully Hall in New
York City.
Rev. Perry is the founder and moderator
of the Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community Churches, a
Christian denomination which has
grown to nearly 300 churches and
which has a primary outreach to the
gay and lesbian community.
"This is the UFMCC's way of
honoring the 25th anniversary of th e
Stonewall Riots, whicl1 we view as the
start of the gay and les bian civil
Participants in the program will
include Lesbians and gay men from
around the world, as well as representatives
of numerous lesbian and
gay Christian organizations such as
Dignity/USA and th e Unity Fellowship
Movement. Admission is free,
and seats are availabl e on a firstcome,
first-served basis .
A moving and personal account of an
issue that won't go away
James Fwy
1-------, In the Courts of the Lord
l ~ Tl! 11 rnnrrs
OF TIIE LOIW ...,., , ' ,n
Brother&. I.over
Aelr1:d of Rievaulx i.{it!I ~1 l~l f:i .
,;~
ii/ ,,
8RlAN PATRICK McGUIRE
At bookstores or call
1:800-937-5557
A Gay Priest's Story
Foreword by the Rt Rev. John S. Spong
T he story is a fami liar one. Gay members of the c lergy come
out of the closet and almost immediately either lose their jobs
or are de nied new ones. This is the story of one such pr iest,
James Ferry·of the Anglican Church of Canada, whose case
made international headl ines in 1992 wh en he was tried in a
church court for disobeying his bishop's order to leave a gay
relationship.
"James Ferry tells his story gently and cogently .. . .
It is both profound and moving , honest and loving ... .
He stands as a beacon of light, asking the Church to live
out what the Church says ii believes."
-THE AT. REV. JOHN S. SPONG. Bishop of Newark, New Jersey
"Poignant revelations of Mr. Ferry's spiritual senslbitlty ...
One comes away from t his tale of sexual and religious
intrigue with a certain admiration for the author's
resilience-and his virtue." - New York Times Book Review
$22.95
A charming study of one of the most
attractive figures of the twelfth century
Brian Patrick McGuire
Brother and Lover
Aelred of_Rievaulx
Aelred of Rievaul~ has been called the "patron saint of lriendship
." His belief in the pooer and possibilit ies of human love
distinguish him from almost all his medieval predecessors. In a
per iod of anarchy, not too unlike our own , Aelred believed in love.
As a brother and lover. he reaches out to us across the centuries.
$22.50
CROSSROAD
370 Lexington Avenue , New York, NY 10017
Second Stone•May/June, 1994 [ f j
Foundation awards grants, plans to "raise the rainbow"
THE ST ADTLANDERS FOU NDAti
on HIV/ AIDS Community Grant
Fund has announced the names of 43
AIDS service organizations which will
receive support for HIV/ AIDS treatment
information and nutrition programs.
In all, the foundation awarded
a total of $100,000.
26 as part of th e Stonewall 25 celebration,
with march ers making a
contributi on of $50 each to take part
in the historic event and rece ive a 30
foot wide comm em orative strip of the
flag following the event. Because all
costs for the flag are under written by
Stadtlanders Pharm acy, every dollar
donated by marchers will go directly
to the Stadtlanders Foundation HIV/
AIDS Communit y Grai1t fund, to be
awarded in grants to many more
AIDS service organizations this fall.
The orga nizations that ha ve already
received grant s come from all across
the nation and reflect th e many faces
of AIDS today, their service projects
ranging from meal delivery for
homebound PWAs to nutrition counseling,
treatm ent newsl etters , and
educational workshops . Over $1 million
in grant app lications from nearly
200 organi za tions were received by
the newly-formed foundation, stressing
tl\e desperate nee d for AIDS
funding at the grass root s level.
For information on the Stadtlanders
Foundation and the Raise Th e Rainbow
project, call 1-800-NYC-1994.
To further help meet the dramatic
ne eds of and provid e still greater
support to the HIV/ AIDS community,
the Stadtlanders Foundation has
launched the "Raise The Rainbow"
fundraising project. A mile-long rainbow
flag will be carried up 5th
A venue in New York City this June
New musical: Gays, Lesbians find "Home"
• "Maybe We're ■
Talking About a
Different God"
"HOME: A PARABLE of Beatrice and .
Neal," an original musical d'rama ,
will play in churches in 15 midwestern
cities this June in a gala
premiere tour. "HOME" dramatically
portrays the power of love to reconcile
Christian discord about homosexuality.
The tour is being produced ·by
the Reconciling Congregation Program
in celebration of its 10th
anniversary.
A half-hour documentary on the Rev.
Jane Spahr and her call to·the Downtown
Church in Rochester, protested and
brought to trial. Composer I director Timothy
McGinley explores the idea of the
church as "home " in this show.
Stirring music punctuates the stories
of six very different persons in need,
who are all seeking something ·more
from life. As these disparate
characters' lives intersect, they share
their struggles with each other and
discover a basis for communion
together.
Shows how confusion and fear ("What!
A woman and a lesbian? No way!")
can be transformed into understanding
and compassion. ("Then I met Janie!")
VHS Tape & Discussion Guide
■
SEND $32.35 TO:
Leonardo's Children, Inc.
26 Newport Bridge Rd.
Warwick, NY 10990
. (914)986-6888 ■
Recent finding by top biblical scholars
offer a radical new view on
the Bible and homosexuality.
What13ible the
Really Says
About
}loroosexuality
. I• r\e\minia\<., Ph .D·
oan1e ,..,,
Daniel A Helminiak, Ph .D.,
respected theologian and
Roman Catholic priest,
explains in a clear fashion
fascinating new insights .
" ... will help any reasonably open and
attentive reader see that the Bible says
some thin g qu ite different on this subj
ect from what is often clai~ed . 11
-L. William Countryman,
Author of Dirt, Greed and Sex
11
••• the most thoughtful, lucid and acces sible
summary I know of current biblical
scholarship relating to homosexual
iss ues ... eminently useful... 11
-James B. Nelson,
Author and Theology Professor
Order now from Second Stone Press
Quan.
□
WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY SA VS
ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY
By Daniel A. Helminiak, $9.95, paperbk
Postage/Handling $2.90 first book, $1.00 ea. additional -----TOTAL
AMOUNT ENCLOSED -----
NAME _____________________ _
ADDRESS _____________________ _
CITY/STATE/ZIP ___________________ _
ORDER FROM: SECOND STONE PRESS, P.O. BOX 8340, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70182
[[} Second Stone-May /~une, 1994
McGinley notes three key attribut es
of a home: "a place where one is
welcomed by others, wher .e one has
some sense of ownership, and where
one can be honest about oneself. "
McGinley cont ends that church es
have generally not been home for
gay and lesbian persons. "Churches
have said to Gays and Lesbians: 'You
are not welcome here,' or 'You can sit
in our pews but not speak,' or 'You
can come if you hide who you are.'
That's not what I believe God intends
the church to be." · McGinley anticipates
the show will help heterosexual
Christians reconsider some of their
traditional beliefs and stereotypes of
Gays and Lesbians . On the other
hand , his messa ge to Gays and
Lesbians is to not be discouraged by
the words of inhospitality they 've
heard from churches. 'Tm trying to
convey a glimmer of hope that
church es can rise above judgmental
exclusiveness and embrace loving
inclusiveness - that the Body of Christ
can truly become a 'home' for a
diversity of persons."
The Reconciling Congregati on
Program, which is producing the
show and tour, is a national netwo rk
of Unit ed Methodist churches and
organizations that publicly welcome
Gays and Lesbians. Over the past
decade, 73 congregations, four campus
ministri es, four reg ional conferences,
and numerous oth er gro ups
hav e joined this ever -expanding
mov ement.
'This gala tour is both a celebration
of the success of the Reconciling
Congregation mov ement over the
past ten years and a proclamation of
our ess ential message to the wider
church and so ciety ," said program
coordinator Mark Bowman. "Reconciling
Congregations are a vivid
illu s tration of cl\Urches that have
become a home for Gays and ·
Lesbians and many other so-called
'outcasts.' We are delighted by this
unique opportunity to inspire
thousands of persons with the passion
and drama of McGinley's "HOME."
Tour schdule: Preview, June 9: First
UMC, Chicago; Premiere, June 10:
Broadway UMC, Indianapolis; June
12: Edgehill UMC, Nashville; June
13: Louisville; June 14: East Liberty
Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh;
June 16: Church of the Rede emer,
Cleveland; June 17: Broadway Christian
Parish, South Bend; June 18:
Central UMC, Toledo; June 19: Third
Avenue Community Church, Columbus
; June 21: Trinity UMC, Springfield,
II.; June 22: Centenary UMC, St.
Louis; June 23: Faith UMC, Cedar
Rapids; June 24: Minneapolis; June
25: University UMC, Madiso n.
Gay, lesbian alumni of .
Wheaton College plan reunion
A REUN ION, to coincid e witl1 the
Stonewa ll 25 celebration in New York
City, has been planned for gay and
A Symbol of Today's Reality
and Tomorrow's Hope
Wearing thlf rtd anJ pink ribbon pin shows you care
about those uiho are HIV+ or have Breast Cancer.
RED=AIDS
1 IN 2:,0 PEOPIEARE HIV+ IN THE USA ATTHE CURRENT
RATE, THE STATISTIC Will BE1 IN 4BYTHEYEAR2010.
PINK = BREAST CANCER
1 IN 6 WOMEN (1 IN 3 LESBIANS) Will llE DIAGNOSED
WITH BREAST CANCER.
FOR ADDITIONAL PINS, CONTACT:
MCC LOUISVILLE
P. 0 . BOX 32474 • LOUISVILLE, KY 40232
50'2 775-6636
lesbian alumni of Whea ton College, a
leading Evangelical Christian college
based in Wheaton, Illinoi s. The
reu nion, planned for Jun e 25, is
intended to create a friend ly, pro-gay
environment, and a network of support
for gay and lesbian alumni and
students of the colleg e, which does
not formally recognize the existence
of Gays and Lesbians among it s
alumni. The event's planners, including
the group 's found er, Paul Phillips
(of Romanovsky & Phillips) expect
the meeting to attract hunc/reds of
gay and lesbian alumni.
The reunion will be held at St.
Clement's Episcopal Church, a
gay-friendly environment in New
York's theater district . For information,
Wheaton gay and les bian
alumni may call (212)807-5577. The
gay and lesbian group and its events
are not endorsed by Wheaton College.
·c.
INFACT: Get rid of Joe Camel
THE ACTIVIST organization INF ACT
recently announced the next step in
its Tobacco Industry Campaign, kicking
off two new tactics to challenge
the industry's aggressive promotion
of tobacco addiction around the world,
especially to children and young ·
people. On April 19, INFACT called
on consumers to boycott industry
leader Philip Morris' food products,
including Kraft, Oscar Mayer, and
Post, and called on retailers not to
display RJR Nabisco's Joe Camel
cartoon character in their stores.
"For years the tobacco industry has
been blasted for its powerful role in
promoting its deadly and addictive
product," said INFACT's executive
director Elaine Lamy. "Every day we
learn more about just how far this
industry goes to protect its profits -
manipulating levels of nicotine in
. cigarettes to keep people addicted,
adding dangerous chemical substances
during the manufacturing
process, suing the reporters, researchers
and health officials who expose
these abuses. It's time for people
around the world to take action and
hold companies like RJR Nabisco and
Philip Morris directly accountable."
INFACT's purpose is to stop
life -threatening abuses of transnational
corporations and increase
their accountability to people around
the . world. The organization is
widely known for its Nestle boycott,
the campaign that in 1984 won sig-
. ■
nific~t reforms in Nestle's marketing
of infant formula, and the General
Electric boycott, which last year
pushed industry leader GE out of the
nuclear weapons business.
The target marketing of tobacco
products to women is a global problem,
said Deborah L. Mclellan of the
International Network of Women
Against Tobacco. "In many countries
it has caused unacceptably high rates
of tobacco use. One of the biggest
challenges we face is to maintain the
low rates of tobacco use by women
and girls in much of Africa, Asia and
Latin America, while transnational
tobacco companies aggressively target
women and girls in these areas."
The targeting of the gay and lesbian
· community is also a significant pro],lem.
Organizers of gay and lesbian
events frequently seek tobacco indus try
dollars for sponsorship and often
such sppnsorship is hailed as the
"mainstreaming" of the gay and lesbian
community into the corporate
marketing mix:
•
Every year, 3 million people
around the world die from tobaccorelated
diseases. In the United States,
smoking is the leading preventable
cause of death, killing 419,000 people
in 1991. In spite of overwhelming
evidence demonstrating tobacco's
deadly effects, the tobacco industry
will spend over $4 billion this year to
advertise and promote its products
around the world.
■
Let a new light
shine for son1e·-
one you love.
Second Stone is a gift of love, comfort, inspiration antJ .·
resolution for friends and family who may be in doubt,
despair, isolation or suffering illness: Give the special
people in your lite the gift of Second Stone. We'll take
it from there.
FROM:
Yes ... MyNamt
Ple.ise send a gift -.
subscription and card ao ... .,
in my name to the Name
persOn(s) listed: Address
[ I One gift, $'15 a,,
I ] Two gifts, $29. Sl>le Zip
[ I Three gifts, $42 SlgnGikCan!
Add $10 for each N,me
foreign subscriber. hldress
U.S. currency. City
PAYM!Nf
ENCIDSED:
swe Lp
Sign Gift Card
\Jse additional sheet for more gifts. _Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182
■ -
U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn
Elders has pointed to Philip Morris '
Marlboro Man as a classic example · of
youth marketing, playing on the
themes of risk-taking and independence.
The cowboy image has also
been an incredibly effective tool for
Philip Morris to expand its reach into
new markets internationally . The
powerful global appeal of this
sophisticated advertising is reflected
in Philip Morris' sales figures:
Marlboro is the numi)er one cigarette
preferred by children in the United
States and the number one selling
cigarette around the world . ·
RJR Nabisco's Joe Camel character
has also had a devastating effect on
youth.
!~;Jt
'!,~:_-.,,,:: •'cf~
We
WiJ1t~!~!~;r pool, hot tub, skiing and more.
Innkeep:rs Judith Hall and
Grace Newman invite you to
write or ca11 for a brochur e.
P. 0 . Box 118 SL
Bethle.hem, NH 03S74
(603) 869-3978
RIVER OF LIFE
MINISTRIES
A Spirit-Filled Christian Outreach To ·The
Gay And Lesbian Community of Albuquerque
Offering:
Weekly Worship Services:
Sundays, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m.
134 Quincy NE
Albuquerque
•Contemporary Christian Praise &
Worship Music
•Weekly Healing Seroices
•A Positive Community Atmosphere
of Faith and Love
. Rev. Pamela White, Pastor
Call (505)260-2882
for other information.
Bulk Copies Available
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
OF THIS ISSUE OF SECOND STONE
For church/group distribution, conferences, bar ministry, etc
10 copies· $13 50 • 25 copies - $29.50 • 50 copies - $45 .00
100 copies - $67. 50 includes postage and handling
Limited quantity of back issues available FREE;
add $5.00 postage for every 50 copies.
Send ,your pre-paid order to Second Stone,
P.O. Box 834(), ·New Orleans, LA 70182
Second Stone•May/June, 1994
T Cover Story T . .......... . .................... . ....... .... ............. . ......... .. .. ...
Seeking the other sheep in Latin America
From Pag e 1
"Why now this trip?" asks Hanks.
"Here in a larg ely Roman Catholic
contin ent with a burgeoning pentecostal
charismatic movement, not just
Gays and Lesbians, but Christian
Gays and Lesbians are indeed to be
found everywhere, even in many
remote tribe s, where women Bible
translators, often lesbian, courageously
.assume a Jife1',tyte an<l ,wo;k
that very few men, of any sexual
orientation , feel up to. Hence, what is
most urgently needed are not 'missionari
es ' in the traditional sense, but
the sharing of ' a vision; improved .
networking , pastoral encouragement,
basic libraries, documentation centers,
and human rights work," said Hanks.
One gay pastor said the La tin
American tour was "crazy" according
to Hanks. "When history is being
mad e," Hanks said, "be it Christian
church or secular, rarely are the
crowds lined up . and applaud.ing.
Especially is that tr).ie when the
humble history-m;,_ker;.s are dedicated
representatives of gay and lesbian
sexual minorities.
Jose (Pepe) Hernandez and John
Doner have been life partners since Atlantic side, returning again
they m et in Pepe·s native Mexico City through Central America. The two
in 1982. Hernandez has been month trip started in early March and
involved in a v ariety of gay /lesbian was scheduled to be concluded in
activities and has traveled in Mexico, early May.
the USA and . Guatemala . Doner ha s Preparation for the South American
served as a Peace Corps volunteer in trip took much longer than anticiPeru
and is a lay pioneer in Christian pated and included delays such as
ministry to Lesbians and Gays in tim e r equjred for visits to eight
Mexico, Costa Rica .and Guatemala . different embassies to obtain visas.
Doner left a well-paying job in the Hernandez also developed · a serious
United States to establish the first eye infection and experienced some
Metropolitan Community Church in family problems.
Mexico City, for which he received a
special award from the UFMCC. He is "We have all along sensed our
· 11 f c I d d dependence on God," said Doner, origma y rom o ora o an >yent• to ...
Mexico City in 1981 in response to ''•"be.t as the time for departure
God's call and has lived there since approached we were made keenly
then. He recently returned to the aware of the importance of the task
United States to Dallas, Texas with before us and of our own limitations.
Hernand ez for a study sabbatical. One of my dear mother's favorite
sayings was 'Man's [sic) extremities
The missionaries set out to visit are God opportunities,' and God
every country in Lati11 Ameriq) by certainly has many opportunities in
bu s to encourage the 1ormation of this situation!"
new groups to minister to the gay Prior to de parture, Doner learn ed of
and lesbian community and to visit two examples of the injustice that
existing ministries . The trip started in rages toward Gays and Lesbians in
Dallas and took them through Central Latin America. He received a letter
America, down the Pacific side of from a gay priest in Cochabamba,
South America and back up the · Bolivia, one of the poorest and most
A moving and personal
account of an issue
that won't go away. A
best-seller in Canada
and soon to be a motion
picture.
It will make you think, it will make
you angry, and hopefully, it will
broaden your vision of what both
sexuality and Christianity at their
best can be
-Telegraph Journal,
.St. John, New Brunswick
James Ferry has given a voice to
these voiceless ones and is himself
a visible incarnation of their invisible
presence.
-The Rt. Rev . John S. Spong,
Bishop of Newark, New Jersey
conservative countries in Latin America.
The priest had been involved in
a "very nasty" extortion case. "A
friend of mine was robbed," he wrote.
Order now from Second Stone Press
'The young robber took some pictures
of a party at my friend's house .
Innocent stuff. But when caught this
young man ... used these pictures to
placat e the police, who then used
them, mixing their own incriminating
pictures of some other group into the
pile, to extort a large sum of money
from my friend who comes from a
prominent family and has a prominent
position in the city. When it
became clear that the police ... were
holding onto the pictures to extort
even more money, my friend called
me in to help ." The priest convinced
him to fight and the man finally
decided it was better to come out of
the closet than to allow further extortion
. When ·the victim in this case
defend e d . himself, the police then
tried to bring a charge ofdedophilia,
but their efforts failed an the police
thems e lves ended up being
punished.
Quan.
□ IN THE COURTS OF THE LORD
· By James Ferry, $22.95, hardcover
POl1lgetiandllng S2.91l ftrll book, $1.00 N. addltional
TOTAL AIIOUNT ENCLOSED
NAME ____________________ _
ADD RE.....,_ _________________ _
CITY/STATE/ZIP ________________ _
ORDER FROM: SECOND STONE PRESS,
P .0. BOX 8340, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70182
lmJ Second Stone•May/June, 1994
Doner received a letter from
Columbia from two gay men, Pedro
and Humberto, who had both
achieved a high level of leadership in
their large evangelical church, with
Pedro becoming a successful pastor .
"We are two homosexual Christians,"
they wrote, "and we have Jived the
difficult reality of being 'different,'
struggling all .the time ... We met
Jesus Christ about 11 years ago and
we have lived all this time with the
hope that someday God would
change us... and we have done
e verything the church and society
offer to ·heal' us and nothing changes,
down deep everything stays the
same." Eventua lly Humberto basically
went into the closet, married and
now tries to give the impression he is
no longer gay, and is miserable .
Pedro, however , was terminated ·from
his pa s torate several months ago
because he would not testify to a
"change."
"One of my dear
mother's favorite
sayings was 'Man's
[sic] extremities are
God's opportunities,'
and God certain! y
has many
opportu:rtites in this
situation!"
In every one of the first five
countries they visited, Doner and
Hernandez met, or learned of, potential
leaders for a Christian outreach to
the lesbian/gay community .
Through a gay Catholic friend in
Guatemala, Miguel Angel, the missionaries
met a former youth leader of
a large Pentecostal church who is no
longer active in ministry because of
his gayness. Now in his 40's, Luis
still feels God has a ministry for him,
though he doesn't have any idea
when, where, or how this might be .
So Doner and Hernandez left
Guatemala praying that Luis would
be called to develop a ministry for
Gays and Lesbians in that country
and also praying for Miguel Angel,
who is about to finish his ·Catholic
seminary studies and is seeking
God's guidance concerning his future
ministry.
In El Salvador, the two men learn ed
about Juan Antonio Diaz, who had
recently returned to his native San
Salvador, in part to begin work on a
church for Gays and Lesbians. A
former Assemblies of God pastor and
founder of two churches, Diaz went to
the United States when he was 23
years old and soon after began dealing
with his sexual orientation. Now
settling back into life in San Salvador,
Diaz and his North American partner
are building a house with a rather
large meeting area to use when the
SEE COVER STORY, Next Page
Cover Story
• • • • o • a • • e.• • • • • • • • o • • • • • • • • • • • • •
From Page 10
planned church becomes a reality.
Diaz currently works as a volunteer
in the count r y's only non-governmental
agency concerned with AIDS
and gay/ lesbian issues . The agency
is at this tim e evolving into a gay/
lesbian community center.
When Doner and Hernandez
visited Honduras, they were told by
the straight medical director of
Tegucigalpa's only AIDS clinic of a
former evangelical leader who is gay
and might be able to help start a
gay/ lesbian ministry. The doctor,
apparently an evangelical Christian
but affirming of Gays to at least some
extent, took information from the
missionaries and promised to try to
. set up a meeting with this man as
Doner and Hernandez returned
through Tegucigalpa on their way
back. The missionaries also met Jose
~tonio and Eddie Alberto, members
of a newly developed gay /lesbian
human rights group, AHHCOS. The
two men are both Catholic and
expressed much interest in the idea of
, a church for Gays and Lesbians and
provid ed nam es of two other potential
leaders for such an effort.
... the current political
crisis, provoked by
religious fundamentalists,
has made
sexual minorities and
sympathetic religious
communities in the
United States more
open to Biblical and
theological insights
from Latin America
and other third
world perspectives ...
ln Nicaragua, Doner and Hernandez
spent a day with Mario Gutierrez,
pastor of MCC/Managua. The MCC
is a very small group of about a
dozen people which is in part
severely impacted by the poverty
and economic crisis in Nicaragua ..
Unemployment is estimated at ne.ar
70 percent. Gutierrez, an architect, is
himself long-term unemployed and
some members of his church do n·ot
even hav e the money for bus fare to
get to church.
Several efforts have been made in
the past to develop a Christian ministry
to Gays and Lesbians in Costa
Rica. For a time, from 1987 to 1989, a
relatively strong church was developing,
but problems split the group,
and neither offshoot survived. But
now some members of these former
groups are interested in beginning
11new, starting with a weekly Bible
study involving both Catholics and
Protestai:its. The leader, Fadrique
Meza, is an ordained minister with a
fundamentalist background.
The missionaries' further itinerary
included slops in Panama City, Columbia,
Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile
and Argen tia.
Providentially, the shoestring
funding for the trip, about $5,000,
was contributed just in time to
encourage Latin American participation
in the Stonewall celebration ,
March to th e United Nations and
Int ernational Lesbian and Gay Association
meetings June 24 through July 3
in New York City . Recent translation
into Spanish of materials from
Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays has been another
encouragement for pastoral help to
desp erate families, mostly traditional
Roman Catholic and Protestant, who
could -not share their confusion and
pain in most churches .
At the same time the current
political crisis, provoked by religious
fundamentalists, has made sexual
_minorities and sympathetic religious
communities in the United States
more open to Biblical and theological
insights from Latin America and
other third world perspectives, where
oppression, poverty and authentic
freedom have long been fundamental
concerns, according to Hanks. ''The
Americas network tour represents a
significant step toward enabling the
USA to find a better theological
framework than its popular but outmoded
fundamentalisms, and encouraging
Latin American religious
leaders to apply their liberating
Biblical and theological insights to the
continent's 40 million sexual minori-
. ti~s," said Hanks.
Hanks said there were urgent
requests for more literature from
many countries in Latin America.
There is almost a total lack of books in
Spanish concerning Christianity and
homosexuality. Donations as small as
$5 to $10 help cover mailing costs to
s ·outh America or other ministries
around the world. Donations of $100
enables Other Sheep to publish 1000
new folders in Spanish .
For infonnation write to: Other Sheep -
Multicultural Ministries with Sexual
Minorities, 319 N. 4th St., Ste. 902, St.
Louis, MO 63102. (314)241-2400, FAX
(314)241-2403.
THE MOST
VALUABLE
N ·URTURING_
READABLE
RESOURCE
YET
New! Expanded 5th Edition
CHRISTIANS
AND
HOMOSEXUALITY
Since 1978, The Other Side has been speaking to
folks with clarity and compassion about questions of
homosexuality and Scripture.
Due to many requests for copies of some of our
earlier articles, we've put a group of them together in
booklet form. Included in this updated and expanded _64-
page booklet are articles on whether or not sexual
orientations can be "changed," what Scripture does and
does not say about homosexuality, reading Scripture
through gay eyes, gay and lesbian roles in the church, and
more . Equally ideal for group discussions or personal
reflection. Satisfaction guaranteed .
Order yours today!
♦ Single copy, $5 postpaid
♦ 10 or more , $4 each, postpaid
♦ 50 or more, $3 each, postpaid
Number requested _ _ _
Total enclosed: $ __ _
For tax, PA residents add 6%, Philadelphia res. 7%
Name _ __ _________ _
Address, __ _ __ ___ __ _
City, State, Zil-'---------Bonus
offer: Check here O and enclose an
ext-ra $1 for a sample copy o/The Other Side
magazine P0833A
Second Stone-May/June, 1994 l1I]
'' We're at a historic juncture. In
a pluralist democracy,. there's
a moment when a minority
obtains legitimacy and its
rights are taken seriously by the
other minorities that together make
up the majority. That's happening
. now for Gays and Lesbians. We're
winning and that gives things a
certain electricity."
- Tony Kushner, Tony award-winning
playwright, as quoted inTime magazine,
May 17, 1993
Inspiring words spoken by Tony
Kushner, one of the foremost playwrights
in America today, and author
of "Angels in America: Millennium
Approaches," the gay-themed play
that captured four Tony awards in
1993, including best play. Yet while
these words are · becoming true for
Gays and Lesbians in society at large
(the "Don 't Ask, Don't Tell" military
compromise notwithstanding), they
still remain a dream for Gays and
Lesbians in the church. Unfortunately,
that the church lags behind
the rest of society on civil liberties
issues is nothing new . In fact, this
phenomenon raises the larger question
of why the church - that entity
that in its inception "turned the world
upside down" (Acts 17:6) - is not only
remiss in providing leadership to
society, but, in the case of gay and
lesbian rights, is actually opposed to
it.
One reason: ignorance· and fear
have kept the majority of Biblebelieving
Christians bound to an
inflexible interpretation of the scriptures
that concern homosexuality .
Most of these believers do not know
the alternative interpretations of the
-controversial scriptures, interpretations
which take into account the
cultural and social contexts in which
these verses were . written. Rather
than presenting this historic backdrop
to believers, against which they can
make their own decisions concerning
these verses and their relationship to
homosexuality, conservative evangelicalism
dismisses these alternative
interpretations as "gross misinterpretation"
or as "moving away from a
high view of Scripture" (Stanton L.
Jones writing in Christianity Today,
July 19, 1993).
Since when has biblical exegesis
that explains scripture in the context
/12l Second Stone•Ma; 1iune, 1994 ·
I .. -~
ON BECOMING
LEGITIMATE
AS GAY AND LESBIAN CHRISTIANS
BY BRIAN MAYEDA
in which it was written been
considered "gross misinterpretation?"
And concerning the miscasting of
pro-gay theology as ''moving away
from a high view of Scripture," it
would be more correct to say that
pro-gay theology moves away from
evangelicalism's unwitting tendency
to worship the written word itself,
and to demand that every situation in
scripture be considered relevant to
today's society. ·
Conformity and control are two
other standards of conservative evangelicalism.
lndependeni thinking is
not encouraged in the church. On the
contrary, evangelicalism thrives by
controlling people through uniformity
of thought and doctrine. This rigidity
of thought stifles change, particularly
change brought about by new discoveries
that may discredit traditional
interpretation of portions of the Bible.
A reactionary thinker's only recourse
is to . trivialize, dismiss or suppress
knowledge. Such behavior never
serves the church well. This point is
well proven by the condemnation by
the church (albeit not Protestant) of
the Italian astronomer Galileo in 1633
for declaring that the sun, not the
earth, was the center of the solar
system . Not until 1992 did the church
finally exonerate Galileo for his
"heretical" stance - and this after an
exhaustive, 13-year investigation!
Now the church faces mounting
scientific evidence that points toward
biological and/ or genetic causes of
homosexuality . And what is the
church's response? In a July 26, 1993
Time magazine article entitled "Born
Gay?," which reported . on recent
studies by the National Cancer Institute
indicating a genetic basis for
male homosexuality, the Rev. Louis
Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional
Values Coalition, stated: 'The fact that
homosexuality may be genetically
based will not make much difference
for us from a public policy perspective."
If the Christian community
follows Sheldon's line of thinking,
then the church will not have
changed much since its condemnation
of Galileo. In view of the scriptural
admonition that "people are destroyed
-for lack of knowledge" (Hosea
4:6), it is a horrible irony that church
leaders such as Sheldon refuse to
rethink their theology in light of
scientific discovery.
But where does this iack of positive
and reinforcing leadership in the
church leave gay and lesbian Christians?
The answer is clear, if not
unsettling: To find a way on our own.
Whether or not we admit it, as gay
and. lesbian Christians our concepts of
faith and sexuality are informed and
influenced by both the religious right
and the gay civil rights movement.
Whether or not we
admit it, as gay and
lesbian Christians our
concepts of faith and
sexuality are
informed and
influenced by both
the religious right
and the gay civil
rights movement.
With the polarization
of these two groups,
it becomes
increasingly difficult
to remain in a neutral
position between
them.
With the polarization of these two
groups, it becomes increasingly difficult
to remain in a neutral position
between them. And because the
religious right's theological stand on
homose xuality is increasingly viewed
as archiac and irrelevant by much of
society, we as gay and lesbian Christians
have the heretofore undreamed
of possibility of demonstrating to
society that our spiritual and sexual
natures not only exist side by side,
but can be celebrated as that which
God deems good. How can this most
effectively be done? By living as
people who are fully integrated -
spiritually, sexually, intellectually,
emotionally - in all areas of our Ii ves.
For most of us, the process of
becoming integrated as people is not
an easy one - it requires that certain
steps be taken, steps which carry with
them challenging responsibilites.
You cannot make a persuasive
argument for the viability of being a
gay or lesbian Christian if you don't
know the basis for your belief. This
includes developing a well-researched,
well-understood theology.
Additionally, because -the question
of the immutability of homosexuality
is going to play a large part in the
debate over gay civil rights in the
1990's, it is undoubtedly in our
interest to find out what recent studies
on this topic have to say.
A t ecent U.S. News and World
Report poi! found that 46 percent of
Americans still believe that homosexuality
is a chosen lifestyle and not
an inborn characteristic. The process
of educating others, however, presupposes
t_hat you are out to them . The
act of coming out to one's family,
friends and coworkers is itself one of
the most myth-dispelling ways to
counter homophobia. Indeed,
Andrew Sullivan, editor of 77ze New
Republic, noted in his May 10, 1993
article on 'The Politics of Homosexuality:"
Far more subversive than
media-grabbing demonstrations on
the evening news has been the slow
effect of individual; private Americans
becoming more open about their
sexuality... Likewise, the greatest
public debate about homosexuality
yet - the military debate - took place
not because radicals besieged the
Pentagon, but because of the ordinary
and once-anonymous Americans
within the military who simply
·· refused to acquiesce in their own
humiliation any longer. Their courage
was illustrated not in taking to
the streets in rage but in facing their
families and col leagues with
integrity.
For Lesbians and Gays in the
church, educating straight Christians
becomes all the more urgent in the
light of such inaccurate and propa-
SEE LEGITIMATE, Page 17
The
Second Loss
BY REV. JAN .IS K. DOLESCHAL
fritz was a good dog, a cute
little . miniature schnauzer
who loved people and loved
life. But on that cold November
10th we made the final visit to the
vet to have him .put to sleep because
of kidney .failure. We brought him
home to bury him and the loss was
almost too much to bear. With no
children, he filled a void for companionship
and love and had always
been a devoted companion. Little did
I know on that. day that Fritz wasn't
going to be the only thing that I
would lose that November.
Two days later I sat in my church
office facing the president of the
church council. For the past eight
and a half years, I had been the
pastor of Brown Deer United Church
of Christ, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
I had known the man sitting across
from me and his wife for at least 15
years. He asked how I was doing,
then hesitated for a moment. He
recou1Hed that he had heard on at
least two different occasions that we
were the "church with the gay
minister." He asked me if it was true.
In those split seconds of time, I
knew that the answer I was about to
give would radically change the
course of my life. I chose the truth. I
said, "Yes." And with that answer I
also began to lose my privacy and
lose friends, both inside and outside
the church, that I thought I could
always count on for support, no
matter what.
I knew that the path I was choosing
would probably be one of the toughest
experiences of my life, but I also
knew that I had no desire to continue
to be forced into living a double life
by people who knew very many of
the myths of homosexuality and very
few of the facts. .
I was sick of listening to those aude
and · cruel comments perpetuated in
our society about Gays and Lesbians
when I knew them to be false. I was
sick of the stereotypes that were
being fueled by ignorance, hate, and
a sense of self-righteousness. I was
sick of being lumped into a category
of "all homos are child molesters." I
was sick of the.lie that this is a choice,
and the ridiculous Bible thumping,
literal interpretation of the fundamentalists
that leads people to believe that
all homosexuals are sinners damned
to eternal fire unless they "change" or
abstain. I was sick of those ridiculous
requests for celibacy that no sane
individual would make of a heterosexual,
but wl~ich seem perfectly
acceptable to make of those who have
been born with a sexual orientation
that leans more toward members of
their own sex than the opposite sex.
In the months that followed, it was
confirmed for me time and again that
even in this supposedly enlightened
age, people are stiU extremely frightened
of anything or anyone that is
different from them or from their
accepted norm. Some members of the
church would have been happy if I
had simply faded away into the mists
so that they could go on living as if
this had never happened.
In some cases, members of the
church families were on totally opposite
sides of the issue. Some members
invented performance issues that had
never before surfaced until the issue
of my sexual orientation arose. The
pastoral relations committee miraculously
grew from five members to
twelve members and shot-gunned
through a request that I be asked to
resign . That request, by our constitution,
held no weight at all, but did
serve as a recommendation strong
enough to force a congregational vote
the following April to decide whether
lo retain me as the pastor or not - a
vote that was to be decided in my
favor 46-37. ·
In effect what happened was that I
became th e issue, when the real issue
was whether or not the church and its
peopl e were ready to deal with the
issue .of homosexuahty within a Christian
context, given the contemporary
society we live in during these closing
years of the 20th century.
· What I found was actually better
than I expected. What I found also
bore out some of my worst nightmares.
Members of the church were
a constant surprise. On the days following
my announcement, letters
poured in stating their support. On
the other hand, as sad as it seems and
as ofte n happens, there were people
who immediately changed their
opinion of me as a person. Suddenly,
I no longer had the skills I possessed
before the announcement or new
interpretations were placed on situations
or sermons. The issue of
sexuality began to color issues and to
affect the way in which I was treated
by people who professed to be
Christian.
The issue didn't hit the papers until
March when a member of the church
sent an anonymous letter to the local
newspaper explaining what was
occurring. Because of my position
with the Milwaukee public schools as
commissioner of athletics, it not only
made front page headlines, but the
issue of my sexual orientation and the
upcoming vote were subsequently
highlighted in domestic and international
editions of USA Today.
After the first article in the paper,
individuals with whom I worked in
the Milwaukee public schools were
very supportive. Several prominent
.politicians sent letters of support, and
my association minister strongly supported
me. My mother and most of
my relatives immediately rallied to
support my partner and me and
readily accepted both of us into the
family circle,
On the other hand, some church
members .who had always been
supportive actively campaigned for
my dismissal. Some of my lesbian
friends retreated .and never even
called to ' lend support. In the case of
my l es bian friends, I believe they
may have felt that it would have
been "guilt by association " and
jealously guarded their own lives and
their own relationships. In the case of
the church members, perhaps some of
them were afraid, some just chose to
support my' opposition, and some felt
that they were genuinely correct in
actively seeking my dismissal.
I chose .to stay at Brown Deer UCC,
and four years later our congregation
is thriving and growing. To say that
is was not a struggle would be a lie.
It was a struggle . But for me there
was no other choice. I firmly believe
that the church must take a stand on
sexuality issues.
In my case, I felt that we needed to
try to rebuild with new members and
a new direction that would involve
the church much more actively in
community issues, mission activities,
and a theology that would accurately
reflect the changing society in which
we liv e as we approach the 21st
century.
We live .in a sodety that is still
ruled by fear and ignorance - fear of
the unknown, and ignorance of those
who are different from us. Yet the
world is populated with diversity,
and what sets people · apart is their
uniqueness . We have too long lived
with lies and need to start living with
the truth.
People with homosexual orientation
are unique creations intended to be
treated with _no less respect or dignity
than those who have a heterosexual
orientation. We are your friends,
your children, your doctors, your
lawyers, your teachers, your judges,
your politicians, your parents, and, .
yes, your pastors. Because we have
so often been hurt, we bring to our
jobs and our interactions with others a
deep understanding of the fragile
nature of human relationships and a
sensitivity for the hurts of others.
We bring to this society a deep
spirituality, for many of us have been
forced out of the churches and have
had to develop our own personal and
abiding relationships with God as we
know God to be, not as others would
have us believe God to be. The fact
that many of us are in long term
relationships without the benefits of
legal marriage contracts or partnership
laws attests to our devotion and
deeply abiding love and commitment.
·
I may have lost a l,ot during that
November of 1990, but I like to think
I gained more than I lost. If I had it to
do over again, I would make the
same decision, because I truly believe
that unless we are challenged to
change, we remain stagnant. The
church needs to effect change in this
area. And we, as people, need to
learn to include others, not exclude
any who have the slightest difference
from us.
We, as a people, can on longer
afford to discount the contributions
that homosexual people can offer the
world . We can no · longer afford to
force them to live a life of lies simply
because we do not want to be
challenged to accept someone whose
diversity and uniqueness happens to
be different from outs. And if change
will come, as come it must, it must
come .with all of us walking cooperatively
into the future, or the future
will drag us into it kicking and
screaming against change when
change is a function of all of our lives
- gay or straight.
. Excerpted with permisson from Waves,
the newsletter of the United Church
Coalition for Lesbian/G"!f Concerns.
Rev. Janis K. Dolescha/ is a
lesbian minister in the
United Church of Christ.
Size continues to serve lter
call at Brown Deer UCC,
Brown Deer, Wisconsin.
Second Stone-May/June, 1994 :[I[]
Families
0 .................... . .. .................................... . • ......... .
The true meaning of family
By Amy Adams Strongheart
ContributingWriter
L ast summer, a circuit court
judge in Richmond, Virginia
ruled to deny Sharon Bottoms
custody of her 2-year-old son
Tyler. Ms. Bottoms was refused custody
rights because she is a lesbian
living openly in a committed relationship
with her partner, and because
she had the audacity to admit to this
in court.
Stable lesbian and gay parents, like
Bottoms, and well-adjusted children of
lesbian and gay co-parents, like
Tyler, threaten the meticulously
preserved fallacy that only two married
people of the opposite sex and
2.2 children who share their DNA can
comprise a "real" family . Of course
this type of family unit, though
perfectly lovely, in actuality accounts
for but a small percentage of American
families.
Creating a family provides not only
a nurturing environment but also
standing in society. It isn't the single
people without children who get the
tax breaks, entitlements, and special
religious ceremonies that celebrate
their lives. It's the people who marry
and have children that warrant socie)
y's recognition . Heterosexists don't
want gay people to be recognized by
society. Witness the rash of anti-gay
amendment initiatives being proposed
in several s.tates. These
amendments will preclude Lesbians,
Gays and bisexuals (just to make sure
they get everyone) from having
equal access to housing and employment,
and from seeking legal redress
for discrimination. Fire a lesbi"an
from her job, refuse to rent her an
apartment, remand custody of her
child, refuse to legally recognize her
relationship, make her private sexual
relations with a consenting adult a
crime, and then deny her any means
to challenge these injustices, and you
have very effectively destroyed her
ability to either create or care for a
family. Dismantling people's lives in
this manner speaks contrary to profamily
rhetoric of the theocratic right ..
Removing a child from her or his
mother's care for no reason other than
unabashed bigotry does not reinforce
the value or importance of the family
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE:
CAUGHT C~ilans IN. '_"•.lpin.g m. E
HtmJOSP.iiality nm:
EditPdlw
Sall\ B.Geis &
l )onald E. i\!esser
Helping Christians
Debate Homosexualtiy
Few .other issues divide the
Christian community more
sharply than homosexuality .
In this new volume, writers
with divergent points of view
deal with questions at the
center of the debate between
pro-gay and anti-gay believers.
Edited by Sally 8. Geis, director, Iliff
Institute, Lay a11d Clergy Education. The
Iliff School of Theology. Denver. a11d
Do11ald E. Messer, president , The Iliff
School of Theology .
Order now from Second Stone Press
Quan.
□ CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
By Geis/Messer, $12.95, paperbk ___ _
Postage/Handling $2.90 first book, $1.00 ea. additional ------
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED -----
NAME ______________________ _
ADDRESS _____________________ _
CITY/STATE/ZIP ___________________ _
ORDER FROM: SECOND STONE PRESS, P.O. BOX 8340, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70182
[14] Second Stone-May/June, 1994
in society.
The religious right is not all wrong,
however. Its assertion that families
are the backbone of our social structure
is absolutely correct . Good
families are places where we learn to
love ourselves, communicate honestly
and openly with others, and resolve
conflicts in mutually beneficial ways.
Rejection has taught
us how to create
family and how to be
family . It has shown
us how to open our
minds and our
hearts.
A family models for us how to have
nurturing relationships. We can then
take this knowledge with us out into
the world and use it to become
compassionate and productive citizens
who know how to and are willing to
help our neighbors.
When AIDS began to ravage our
people, we looked to our families for
the strength and support to endure
this painful and perplexing plague .
Sadly, though, for far too many of us,
the biological connection proved to be
an inadequate definition of family.
Many of our families, upon learning
of our sexual orientation and/ or HIV
status, turned their backs on us. So
we became family for each other,
banding together to care for one
another . We became buddies . We
fed and bathed one another . We
gave injections and inserted catheters.
We prayed for and wept with one
another . We went to the funerals' of
those who died, when their own
relatives would not.
It hasn't just been AIDS that has
taught us what family means. The
discrimination and rejection that
sexual minorities have long endured
have also been our unwitting teachers.
When my life partner married
me, her parents promptly disowned
her. Like all marginalized peoples,
we Lesbians and Gays must use our
ingenuity if we are to survive. So my
life partner chose two people from our
church to be her "chosen" parents.
She calls my mother her "mother-inlove,"
and she calls me her "life
partner." (Of course, she also calls me
a lot of really cute pet names, too, but
for the sake of my dignity, I'll just
mention "life partner" here .) She
understands how vital families are
and has exercised her prerogative to
define and create her own.
Rejection has taught us how to
create family and how to be family.
It has shown us how to open our
minds and our hearts . We have
learn ed how to love one another
without reservation or judgment. We
now understand that families are
those people who will love you
unconditionally through prosperity
and adversity. True family has no
color, gender, class, or sexual orientation
because love cannot be bound by·
any of these things.
We must challenge any laws,
policies, and court decisions that deny
this simple but profound truth.
■ Amy Adams Squire Strongheart
is a freelance writer
whose ·com men ts on gay/
lesbian issues appe~r regularly
,n the St. Louis PostDispatch
and gay/lesbian
newspapers across thecountry.
MALCHUS
Lesbian & Gay Christian Monthly
Celebrating Faith
&
Spirituality Through our Diversity
6036 Richmond Hwy., #301
Alexandria, VA 22303
Subscriptions $18.00 Per Year
In Print y ............... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • .. ~
A Gay Priest's Story
In the Courts of the Lord
By Andrea L. T. Peterson
ContributingW riter
James Ferry, author. Crossroad; 1994;
HB; 256 pp.; $22.95 ''I have written about my
early life," says James Ferry
in the preface to his new
book, In the Courts of the
Lord, "not because I think it unusual
or interesting, but precisely because it
is not." Ferry's story is not un_usual.
He is correct when he says that his
story "is typical of many millions of
Gays and Lesbians around the world .
We 'are born into ordinary families,
and lead normal lives, except in one
respect: as we grow up we discover
we are gay, not straight."
In the Courts of the Lord is the
author's story of how he came to realize
and to accept his sexuality, and
how the church eventually came to
reject him for being honest about his
sexuality. It's a classic coming out
story of a young man who did
everything in his power, including
entering a disastrous marriage, to try
to cl1ange his sexual orientation. The
young priest threw himself into his
work and served his people faithfully
for 11 years as he moved discreetly
toward self-acceptance. The book is
also a gripping courtroom drama with
widespread implications. As Ferry's
lawyer said at the trial, 'Th.is case is
not only about Jim Ferry. He provides
the human face but the
fundamental issue is the role of Gays
and Lesbians as lay people and
clergy."
If there is one thread that runs
through In the Courts of the Lord ,
aside from Ferry's refusal to choose
between the two loves of his life - the
church and his male companion,
Ahmad - it would be the realization
that our modern society more often
punishes honesty and integrity and
rewards lies, secrecy, and misrepresentation.
Ferry's presentation of both his
personal struggle to remain an ordained
priest in the Anglican Church
of Toronto and that church's struggle
to find a way to lovingly accept gay
men and Lesbians while still clinging
to the belief that homosexual acts. are
sinful is moving and insightful.
Ferry had served as a priest long
before the question of his private life
became an international media event.
In fact, many of his colleagues -
including his bishop - and many of
the parishioners. to whom he ministered
knew he was gay.
Among his parishioners, however,
was one woman who would prove to
be the thorn in Ferry's flesh, and the
instrumental player in his being
"inhibited" [ essentially stripped of his
priestly duties] by the Bishop of
Toronto. ·
Fearing the potential of one
homophobic congregant, Ferry went
to his bishop, aware that the unspoken
rule within the church was, as
Ferry says, essentially "Don't ask,
Don't tell, Don't pursue. Just like
Gays in the military in the U.S."
More concerned about scandal within
his church, and confident that his
bishop . would exercise his right to
interpret Anglican Canon Law in
Ferry's favor, Ferry came out to
Bishop Finlay.
Finlay had, after all, just a few years
earlier at a memorial service for a
man who had died from AIDS, read
the passage in scripture where Paul
writes, "there is no longer Jew or
Greek, there is no longer slave or
free, there is no longer male and
female" and offered his conviction
that today "Paul would no doubt have
added to that list 'there is no longer
straight or gay.' For all of you are one
in Christ Jesus."
Ferry had every reason to hope in
Bishop Finlay, and every reason to be
both shocked and dismayed when
Finlay responded to his revelation by
firing him!
The convoluted series of events
leading up to Ferry's appeal in the
Diocese of Toronto's Bishop's Court is
· too complex to recount here, .though
Ferry does a good job in his book.
Suffice it to say that the very
occasion of the court was referred to
by the New York Times as "an ecclesiastical
tribunal, ... an archaic forum
used by Anglicans to hunt down
heretics and other miscreants since
the time of King Henry VIII."
This event, the first of its kind in
more than 40 years, proved to be
grueling and exhausting. Interestingly,
the charge against Ferry was
wilful disobedience, in that he would
not give up his relationship with the
man he loved, Ahmad, to preserve
his ordination.
In fact, Finlay had never "ordered"
Ferry to give up Ahmad. But it
seemed that the process the church
would put Ferry through would cost
him his relationship and his vocation.
It's hard to imagine Ferry not being
bitter. But sadness, more than anytlung
else, seems to characterize how
he feels about the whole thing.
'The book," says Ferry, more than
a year after completing the manuscript,
"ends on a rather down note . I
don't have any debt now," he says,
referring to the more than $20,000 he
·owed his lawyer at the end of the
Bishop's Court . "She [his lawyer] had
a really good year and was able to
write it off," he adds.
And not only had the weight of
indebtedness been lifted, the pain of
having lost the man he truly loved
was also alleviated. He and Ahmad
have managed to get back together.
Readers will discover that cultural
differences and a strong fear of
'disgracing' his family by having his
sexuality discovered forced Ferry and
Ahmad to terminate their relationship
when Ferry's case became so public.
With time, it seems, Ahmad has
in a series of gay murders in Montreal,
says Ferry. What is significant
here is that "Eling was the first priest
to phone after I was fired. One
reason he moved to Montreal," Ferry
explains, "was that Toronto was no
longer a safe place to be. The church
in Toronto [where Eling had ministered
for 25 years] was no longer safe
for him." '
The Bishop, by virtue of their
determination in Ferry's case, maintains
Ferry, "declared it open season
on gays." And, he adds, ''Now [gay]
: clergy know this bishop will turf
them out . The previous bishop,
Bishop Garnsworthy, pretty much
protected gay clergy.
'The big difference [is that] now
gay clergy know where they stand.
They'll be offered up to the wolves if
they are honest."
After Eling's murder, Finlay - of all
people - remarked at the church's
annual synod that some suggest this
murder is the result of the secrecy
around Gays and Lesbians [laity and
clergy, says Ferry] in the church. If
this is the case, Finlay continues, I call
on each one of us to end the charade.
Let's make the church a safe place.
Although this is Ferry's paraphrase
of the bishop's remarks, even a hint
at such a statement is astounding,
considering the fact it comes from the
same man who fired Ferry, not once,
Finlay ... read the passage ... "there is no longer
Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free,
there is no longer male and female" and
offered his convlction that today "Paul would
no doubt have added to that list 'there is no
longer straight or gay ... "' Ferry had every
reason to hope in Bishop Finlay, and every
reason to be both shocked and dismayed
when Finlay responded to his revelation
by firing him!
managed not to come out himself, but
to "be willing to live with" Ferry's
being out. The two have been
together for about a year now •
happily .
Not too much significant has
happened to Ferry since the Bishop's
Court pronounced its verdict.
"One significant event a lot of
people have made a connection
with ... is the murder of Warren Eling,
-a gay man who was an .Anglican
priest." Eling's murder was the 14th
but twice.
Finlay is obviously ambivalent,
unlike Ferry, who knows what he
wants and what he must do. He is
currently a bit more committed to his
relationship with Ahmad, because of
■ SEE COURTS, Page 20
Andrea L. T. Peterson
is a freelance writer
from Woodbridge, Virginia.
She is a frequent
contributotro Second
Stone.
Second Stone-May/June, 1994
In Print ~
• • • •••• • • • • 8 • ••• • •• •• ••••• • . •••• • •••• • ••••••••••• , • • • •• • •••••••••••• •• •••
Homosexuality and the Bible
By Tom W. Kelly ~ -
ContributingW riter
What the Bible Really Says About
Homosexuality . by Daniel A.
Helminiak, Ph.D., Alamo Square
Press, 1994, 12B pages, $9.95, paperback.
w~B;:ible
At last, a pro-gay, intelligent ·
and easy-to-read interpretation
of the Bible's references
to homosexuality is now
available. Respected theologian and
Roman Catholic priest, Daniel A.
Helminiak, Ph.D., keeps the language
simple, the concepts organized,
and the mood upbeat in his
new book What the Bible Really Says
About Homosexuality published by
Alamo Square Press. His purpose in
writing this book is clear:
Really Says
Recenl f i11digns by top s:l1o!ars
offera radcialn w 1i1ew
'This information needs to be
shared. Lesbian and gay people, condemned
on the basis of Bible quotes,
need to be able to respond intelligently,
knowing they are not rejecting
God's word. People raised in a
strict Bible tradition, struggling with
the literal text, need to be able, in
good conscience, to find compassionate
teaching on homosexuality in
the Bible." [p. 13]
Danie\ A. Helminiak, Ph.D.
Foreword by
Johns. Spong
The author takes a stand in favor of
love and, what may surprise some,
sex. As he offers:
"Sexuality is part and parcel of the
human capacity for love. For we are
not just intellectual beings, making
calculated decisions to cherish somebody;
we are emotional and physical,
too. All this is what it means to be a
human being, and all this comes into
play when human love is on the
scene." [p.18]
Helminiak asserts that for a volume
the size of the Bible, it says very little
about homosexuality in the first place.
Perhaps it was not of much concern to
those drafting a book dealing with
more vital issues.
.,.. -
He explains that the Bible may be
interpreted using two very different
methods with amazingly disparate
results: the -literal reading (used by
fundamentalists) and the historicalcritical
reading (endorsed by the
author). The latter approaches Biblical
passages from the viewpoint of
"whatever it meant to the people who
wrote it. long ago." With thoroughness
and simplicity, he examines each
reference to homosexuality, analyzing
the use of words that could be translated
in several different ways, and
Accommodations,A IDS/HIVre sourcu , bars, books101N1 vartoua buslnusas , health care, logat
Hr'Vlcal . organizations, publlcatlonl, n• gtous groups, awttchboarda, thtraplst 11 travel agents, &
much mo,. , tor gay woman and men .
All pricesb elow INCLUDEF IRST CLASS POSTAGEr , USA, Canada & Mexico,I n sa,Joo, ciscreet
envelopes. Mllling lists are s1rictlyo onftdentlal.
orders ~om ousldo USA( lncjudlngc anada & Mexico):p aymentm ust be In US Fundsp ayableo n a us bank,
« by PostOfflceor American Exi;ress money crda'. (We suggestyou-..y alocal bookst>re first. to avoid
passtbleC ustansp roblemsQ
' USICANADA.Canadam USAtor women & men. Cltyl!ydtylnlonnatlon tor all USS!atos,canadlan
PR>/lnMC, 1M lhe us Vrgln Islandsp, lusr e1lol'IW1rdeeS OU'c:Iensc ludingh eallqU&'lS!cst national
(IC: i)s Md caucuses; ~lfons; ~I ader mmpanles, ate .. $12.00; CHAs lcle N. America $11
NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY. NY & NJ; separate Wtmen's Secliai; Mlnhattan bar notes by Jerry Fitzpatrick.
$5.00; oulll dl N. America $8 (almlal~ .
SOIITHERN/Soulhom Midwest. 64 pages. Al, AZ.AFRL,.G A, KS, I«, LA, MS. MO,N M,N C, OK, PR, SC,
TN, TX, US Virgin Islands, VA. $5.00; outside N .• AIMrlca $8 (airmail)
NORTHEAST. CT, DE, DC, l',lE, MA, NH, OH, PA, RI, VT, WV. $5.00; ouslde N. America $8 (airmail)
RENAISSANCE'HOBUOSEX5, 33-SSV ILLAGSET ATIONN;E WY ORKN, Y1 0014-02.(9 2212)674-0120
Second Stone•May/June, 1994
consequently arriving at extremely
different interpr etations. If the same
word appears more clearly elsewhere
in the text, he applies that meaning to
the ambiguous phras:es. And not too
surprisingly, each time the issue at
stake shifts away from a condemnation
of Gays and Lesbians. Instead
"across the board in sexual matters;
the_ Bible calls for mutual respect,
carmg and responsible sharing - in a
loaded word, love." [p.99] To many
readers, this underE;tanding of the
Bible will parallel . the themes of
acceptance and compassion of Jesus
Christ himself.
Point by point, reference by
reference, H~lminiak eliminates any
veshges of B1bhcal homophobia. The
overall sin of Sodom was inhospitality,
"hardheartedness and abuse ...
male-male rape, not male-male sex."
The "abomination" of lying with a
man as with a woman described in
Leviticus calls for death . Yet
Leviticus is filled with man y, mariy
stringent admonitions to follow
then~timely social conventions which
have_ since changed as people hav e
applied to their lives and lifestyles
"openness, intellig ence, reasoned
judgment, and good will..." Paul's
letter to the Romans, the longest
treatment of the matter, "suggests
that, in themselves, homogenital acts
have no ethical significance whatsoever
." By, examining the sexual
references in the context of the letter
as a whole, he constructs an argument
that Paul was using irony in his
supposed acceptance of bigotry based
on purity issues, only to theri attack
prejudice and smugness by the
document's end. And finally,
Helminiak qualifies 1 Corinthians
and 1 Timothy as generally admonishing
against abusive forms of
male-male sex and of male-female
sex. He summarizes with "So the
Bible takes no direct stand on the
morality of homogenital acts as such
nor on the morality of gay and
lesbian relationships ." [p.112)
Point by point,
reference by
reference, Helminiak
eliminates any
vestiges of Biblical
homop hobia.
As a delightful bonus Helminiak
includes an all-too-short section titled
"Biblical Endorsement of Homosexual
Relationships ." These admittedly
vague but possibly pro-gay and
lesbian texts include the examination
of the relationships between Jonathan
and David (First Book of Samuel),
Ruth and Naomi (Book of Ruth), and
Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar's chief
eunuch (Book of Daniel).
The more scholarly reader will
appreciate Helminiak's research base
of well-respected and published
historians and/ or theologians. He
relied most heavily on the work of
John Boswell, Professor of History at
Yale University, and L. William
Countryman, Professor of New
Testament at the Church Divinity
School of the Pacific.
The author 's viewpoin t and goals
are clearly realized throughout his
book, but perhaps most simply stated
in his own words:
"If people would still seek to know
outright if gay or lesbian sex in itself
is good or evil, if homogenital acts
per se are right or wrong, they will
have to look somewh ere else for an
answer. For the fact of the matt er is
simple enough. The Bible never
addresses the question. More than
that, the Bible seems deliberately
unconcerned about it."
Tom W. Kelly is. a freelance
wrifrr and playwright livmg
111 San Francisco. His
work hos aT7Peareind Lambda
Book Report, Geme and
RFD.
RIVER CITY,
From Pa~e 6
the city, the state fire marshall's office -
- and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms were unable to
establish the cause of the fire .
One bystander, however, had little
doubt about the cause. "It's about
time that hell-hole burned down,"
said Abdullah Fard Muhammad, who
had just come from a nearby food
closet with his wife and child. "I feel
that God came and did what he had
to do. How could God have a pastor
and a reverend who participates in
LEGITIMATE,
From Page 12
gandistic media tools as The Gay
Agenda, an anti-gay video produced
by the religious right. Ignorance
breeds irrational fears. Hostility
plays upon the se fears to the point
where reason flies out the window,
and · reasonable dialogue becomes an
all but impossible endeavor. The
antidote for this ignorance and hostility
is not, however, to engage in
the same tactics. Rather, the most
effective countermeasure is to declare
the truth in love and with a firm
sense of conviction . As straight
Christians see the reality of our love
for God, as well as the integrity in
which we walk, it will free them to
understand that the majority of Gays
and Lesbians cannot be caricatured as
media stereotypes.
Consider the impact your life has
on others: In view of the hostility of
much of the evangelical church
toward Gays and -Lesbians, and in
light of the failure of "ex-gay"
min istries to "cure" them, we may be
the only viable witnesses to the
nonbelieving in our community. In
marked contrast to the antagonistic
spokespersons of the religious right,
we have the enormous potential ,to
demonstrate the love and graciousness
of Jesus Christ towards those
alienated by the church.
The question remains. In the
absence of leadership from the
church, - will we as gay and lesbian
Christians take the steps necessary to -
PROPOSAL,
From Page 3
Hawaii Supreme Court has proven
that impression wrong. Because of
Hawaii's long tradition of civil rights
and tolerance of cultural diversity, we
have a unique opportunity to expand
the civil rights of gay and lesbian
Americans. We can turn back the
tide of anti-gay sentiment and
broaden the scope of the gay and
lesbian civil rights movement.
On the eve of the 25th anniversary
of the Stonewall riots, I believe that
we stand at an equally critical
moment. When we are granted the
homosexual activity? I'm glad God
burned down that gay hell-hole."
Others in the Oak Park community
were less glad . Many had benefitted
from the programs there, such as free
meals, AA meetings and support
groups and social activities. The
building had been used seven days a
week for years.
The damage was estimated to be
between $400,000 and $600,000.
On Easter _Sunday, however, the
message in the Cathedral of Promise,
the former Chapel One of Mather Air
Force Base and River City MCC's new
home, was of renewal, rebirth and
legitimize ourselves as part ·of the
larger community of believers and as
part of society as a whole? In contrast
to the secular gay and lesbian
community, the gay and lesbian
Christian community only now is
taking on form and substance . We
have much catching up to do. Our
task will be even more challenging as
we face not only institutionalized
homophobia in the church - homophobia
sanctioned by centuries of
traditional, inflexible interpretation of
the Bible. Don't be discouraged.
Thirty years ago, in the midst of
another minority's struggle for
equality, the Rev. Martin Luther
King, Jr. proclaimed:
"The deep rumbling of discontent
that we hear today is the thunder of
disinherited masses, rising from
dungeons of oppression to the bright
hills of freedom, in one majestic
chorus the rising masses singing, in
the words of our freedom song, 'Ain-'t
gonna let nobody turn us around.'"
Excerpted witlt permission from The
Cable, the newsletter of Evangelicals
Concerned/Western Region. i Brian Mayeda attended conservative
evangelical
churches for 17 years and
w~s. illvolved in an ex-gay
mmtSlry_ for four of tliose
rear§! I-le is a member of
Evangelicals Concerned
and oJ All Sairits Episcop_al
Church ill Pasadena, Calif.
right to marry and our intimate and
loving relationships are treated
equally to all others, the barriers
which stand between us and our full
and equal participation in society will
fall. We invite you to join us in
making that happen.
Maggie Tanis is the pastor of Ho~oluiu's
Metropolitan Community Church and a
member of the Steering Committee of the
Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project,
1820 University Ave., #208, Honolulu,
H/96822.
resurrection. Light painted pastel by
stained glass joined the spring colors
of flowers and clothing as River City
MCC settled into its new sanctuary .
The children were invited into a side
hall for an Easter party.
Despite the fire, there was an
atmosphere of hope and celebration
in the church. Mark Hoffman spoke
of being excited to be a part of MCC's
new growth and subsequent move
into the new -church. Connie, a
--LUTHERANS,
From Page 7
gation's reactions and their eventual
renewal.
Another special part of the
conference will be a concert by One
Voice, the Charlotte-based mixed chorus
serving the lesbian and gay community
. The selection of Charlotte,
called the "Queen City," marks the
first time the biennial assembly has
MORMONS,
From Page 6
keep many individuals from investigating
and attending events likes
Affirmation conferences. Discretion,
trust and anonymity can be assured
to all interested parties."
For information on the conference,
secretary at the church mentioned
-that insurance would cover the
material losses of the fire and added,
"And our office furniture will match
now!"
The church's mail and phone contact
in the aftermath of the fire is P .O. Box
245125, Sacramento, CA 95824,
(916)558-0209.
been held in the deep South.
Assembly '94 will also feature a
celebration of the 20th anniversary of
Lutherans Concerned/North America.
Other program events include workshops,
six worship services, discussions
on new ministry opportunities
and adopting of policy statements for
the future. See calendar.
readers may call (702)228-0121 or
write 8949 Clairton Court, Las Vegas,
NV 89117. A specific telephone number
has been dedicated for inquiries
by women, (619)283-8810.
The goal was peacemaking
between evangelicals and
liberals. But then there
was a murder ... and a gay
Quaker activist is the
prime suspect.
"I never suspected a Quaker mystery
could be such a page turner. Great
fun."
-Mark Hulbert, Publisher
Hulbert Financial Digest
" . .. an intoxicating witches' brew of
sexual politics and unFriendly
inlrigue ... Prophetic and scary!"
-A.Ian Pell Crawford, author
Thunder On the Right
Order now from Second Stone Press
Quan.
□ MURDER AMONG FRIENDS
By Chuck Fager, $13.95
P~ling $2.90 fillt book, $1.00 ea. additional ___ _
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED ___ _
NAME ________________ _
ADORE • ...._ __________________ _
CITYISTATE/ZJP-______________ _
ORDER FROM: SECOND STONE PRESS,
P.O. BOX 8340, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70182
Sc0ond ~May/June, 1994 !ill
--------- - -----------~-- - - - --- - --- ------
• Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............ .
More Light Churches
Conference
MAY 7-8, This gathering of members
of Presbyterian congregations who
welcome and affirm gay and lesb ian
members has met annual ly since 1985
for worship , fellowship, educat ion,
sharing of resources and models of
ministry, and planning for evange- .
!ism and outreach. St. Luke Presbyterian
Church, Minneapolis-St. Paul;
Minn., is the host. The theme of the
conference is "From Dialogue to
Ministry: A Positive and Practi cal
Approach to This Historical Moment."
For information, call St. Luke Presb yterian
Church, (612)474-7378 or Dick
Hasbany, (503)757-8243.
Turning the Century
MAY 13-15, A conference of communication,
coalition, and change in
an environment increasingly hostile
to Lesbians, Gays and bisexuals, to be
held on the campus of the University
of Utah in Salt Lake City. Keynote
speakers include Torie Osborn, Tom
Stoddard, Carmen Vazquez and Phil
Wilson. Workshops includ e 'Th e
Religious Right and the Gay Rights
Movement." For information contact
the ACLU of Utah, Exchange Pl.,
Boston Bldg., #715, Salt Lak e City,
UT 84111-2850, (801)521-9862.
CMI Retreats
MAY 20-22, Communication
Ministry, Inc., a organization of_
Catholic lesbian nuns and gay
brothers and priests sponsors the
Gentle Warrior Retreat (men only) .
For information write to Steven
Botkin, Men's Resource Center, 30
Boltwood Walk, Amherst, MA 01002.
JUNE 20-24,Emmaus House, Perth
Amboy, N.J., is the setting for this
retreat held in conjunction with the
celebrations of Stonewall 25 in New
YorkCity. JUNE27-JULY1,CMI
hosts a retreat at the Marian ist Center
in Cupertino, Calif. For information
write to Communication Ministry,
P.O. Box 60125, Chicago, IL
60660-0125.
Spiritfest '94 . ·
·MAY 27-30, This annualgathering of
gay and le.sbian Pentecostals features
worship, music, prayer and workshops.
The conference will be held in
Arkansas . For information contact
Linda Harris, (817)520-7919.
Mercy of God
' Community Retreat
JUNE 3-5, The Mercy of God
Community sponsors its Third
Annua!,Religious Life Weekend and
Retreat at the LaSalette Shrine and
Retreat Center in Attleboro, Mass.
The gathering offers an opportunity
to explore religious vocation and
enrich one's prayer life. For information
contact Br. Ron Francis ,---·--, 118:. Second Stone-May/Jnne, 1994
I..:! ...
. . . . . -- -- --- ---~ -- - - -
Creapeau-Cross, MGC, Mercy of God
Com mun ity, P.O. Box 41055,
Providence, RI 02940-1055.
14th Annual EC
East Conference
JUNE 3-5, Kirkridge retreat facility in
eastern Pennsylvania is the setting for
the 14th annual eastern summer conference
of Evangelicals Concerned.
Keynoters include pl1ilosopher
Hendrik Hart and EC founder Ralph
Blair. Contralto Pamela WarrickSmith
will give a special recital. For
information contact Dr. Ralph Blair,
311 East 72nd St., New York, NY
10021.
Gay/Lesbian
and Christian:
Our Journey in Truth
JUNE 9-12, This 18th annual event for
Lesbians, gay men, and •bisexuals of
all colors, their families and friends,
continues t o exp lore issue s of sexuality
in the context of Christian faith
and practic e. The process includes
daily worship, prese ntations, small
group sharing, workshops, play and
celebration. Leaders are Mary Hunt,
John McNeill, Herbert Evans, Jane
Spahr and Coni Staff. Cost is $295.
For information contact Kirkridge
Retreat and Stucjy Center, Bangor,
PA 18013, (610)588-1793.
Western Regional
ACTS Weekend
JUNE 10-12, Aptos, Calif., just outside
of San Jose, is the setting for this con ference,
themed 'T he Fullness of the
Spirit." Cost, which includes all
meals , lodging and material s, is $70.
For information contact Pastor Paul
Doyle, Christ Chapel of the Desert,
940 Vella Rd., Palm Springs, CA
92264, (619)327-2795.
Ecumenical Institute of
· Sacred Choral Music
JUNE 19s21, Th e United Church
Coalition for Lesbian and Gay
Concerns sponsors a11 ecumenical
choir camp for gay, lesbian and
_bisexual Christians. The camp will
precede the UCCL/GC 14th Annual
N<itional Gathering on the Rutgers
campus in Newark, N.J. and will
culminate with a major concert on
June 23rd at a nationally known
church. The event will unite the
voices of 200 gay, lesbian, and
bisexual Christians as part of Gay
Pride Week in New York City. For
information contact Rev . Christine
Leslie, (908)598-0862, 125 Summit
Ave., #4, Summit, NJ 07901.
Eighth Annual
Golden Threads
JUNE 24-26, Lesb\al) women from all
over the United States, and some
from other countries, will gather at
the -Provincetown Inn in Provincetown,
Mass., to celebrate what they
are and their age, whatever it is .
Entertainment will be provided by
Heather Bishop. Golden Threads is a
worldwide social network of lesbian
women over 50, and women who are
interested in older woinen .' For
reservation information write to
Christine Burton, Golden Threads,
· P.O. Box 60475, Northampton, MA
01060-0475.
American Baptists
Concerned National
Retreat
JUNE 27-30, Madison Avenue Baptist
Church in New York City will host
this retreat, themed "A Celebration of
Stonewall and Our Wholeness" in
commemoration of the 25th anniversary
of Stonewall. Attendees will
have the opportunity of participating
in the many activities of New York's
Gay Pride Week. Retreat leader is
Dr. William R. Stayton. For information
contact American Baptists Concerned,
872 Erie St., Oak1and, CA
94610, (510)465-8652.
connECtion '94
JULY 1-4, "Speaking the Truth in
Love" is the theme of Evangelicals
Concerned Western Region's annual
gathering to be held on the campus of
Chapman University in Orange,
Calif. Speakers include Dr. Mel
White, author of Stranger at tlte Gate,
and recently featured on 60 Minutes,
Peggy Campolo, a Christian gay
rights advocate and wife of Christian
author Tony Campolo, and Dr . Ralph
Blair, founder of Evangelicals
Concerned. For information contact
ECWR, P.O . Box 66906, Phoenix, AZ
85082-6906.
Lutherans Concerned
20th Anniversary
Gathering
JULY 14-17, "God's Own People" is
the theme of Luth erans Concerned/
North America's 20th anniversary
conference, which will be held on the
campus of the University of North
Carolina in Charlotte. Rev. Barbara
Lundblad, pastor of Our Savior 's
Atonement Lutheran Church in New
York City , ahd a regular speake r on
the Protestant Hour radio program,
will be the keynote speaker. For
information contact LC/NA, P.O. Box
10461, Chicago, IL 60610-0461.
National Association
of Black and White
Men Together
cultural/social events. NABWMT was
formed in 1980 as a "gay, multi-racial,
, multi-cultural organization committed
to fostering supportive environments
wherein racial and cultural barriers
can be overcome and the goal of
human equality realized." For information
contact NABWMT, 1747
Connecticut Ave. N.W., 3rd Floor,
Washington, DC 20009-1108,
(202)462-3599, (800)NA4-BWMT.
Evangelical &
Ecumenical
Women's Caucus
JULY 21-24, "Wind and Fire, Spirituality
in Action" is the theme of the
EEWC Biennial Conference to be held
at North Park College in Chicago.
The group celebrates 20 years of
Christian feminist ministry with
presentations by Virginia Ramey
Mollenkott, Miriam Therese Winter,
Nancy Hardesty and others. For
information contact the EEWC
Conference Office, 6124 N. Byron,
Rosemont, IL 60018.
Gay Pentecostal
District Conference
AUGUST 4-7, The Northeastern
District of the National Gay
Pentecostal Alliance holds its first
district conference at the Holiday Inn
Holidome and Meeting Center in
downtown Schenectady, New York.
Pastor Sandy Lewis of Casa de la
Paloma Church in Tucson, Ariz. is
guest preacher. The conference is
being _sponsored by the Lighthouse
Apostolic Church of Schenectady. For
information contact NGPA, P.O . Box
1391, Schenectday, NY 12301:1391,
(518)372-o00l.
JULY 16-24, Over 200 people are
expected to attend this organization's
14th Annua l Convention to be held at
the Sheraton National Hotel in
Arlington, Va. The theme ''Breaking
the ·Chains of ISMS" will be a<ldressed
via workshops, guest speakers, and
UFMCC conferences
AUGUST 2-4, Church Leadership,
AUGUST 5-7, People of Color
Conference. New worship styles that
reflect the emerging traditions of
women in leadership will b e featured
at the lea dership confer.ence, which
will feature Dr. Mary Hunt. "Con necting,
Celebrating and Commun icating"
is the theme of the People.of
Color conference, which aims to
stimulate and inspire people of colors
and white people with a variety of
activities which include a presentation
by Dr . Elias Farajaje-Jones, associate
prof essor at Howard University
School of Divinity in Washing ton,
D.C., and Ms. Letticia Gomez of the
Latino Lesbian and Gay Organization
. Both conferences will be held in
Dallas, Texas . For information contact
the UFMCC, 5300 Santa Monica
Blvd., #304, Los Angeles, CA 90029,
(213)464-5100.
1994 GLAD Event
AUGUST 12-15, 'The Wisdom of the
Body" is the theme of the 1994 gath-
SEE CALENDAR, Next Page
Noteworthy ........................................................................
Goss named co-chair of
American Academy of
Religion study group
LI.ROBERT GOSS, of St. Louis, Missouri,
has been appointed co-chair of
the gay men's religious issues group
of The American Academy of Religion.
Dr. Goss is the author of Jesus
Acted Up: A Gay and Lesbian Manifesto.
The purpose of the committee is to
solicit papers and develop a program
on the issues facing gay men in
religion . Goss was ordained a Jesuit
priest in 1976, and received his
Doctorate of Theology in comparative
religion from Harvard University in
1993. He is the co-founder of Food
Outreach, St. Louis, a food service
organization which provides meals
and nutritional supplements to persons
with HIV and AIDS. The American
Academy of Religion is a professional
association of teachers and
researchers in religion and religious
studies, with over 7,000 members
across the country.
100th Lutheran Church
adopts welcome to lesbian
and gay members ·
flTHE NUMBER OF active Lutheran
worshipping communities that have
been designated as "Reconciled in
CALENDAR,
From Preceding Page
ering of the Gay, Lesbian and
Affirming Disciples Alliance to be
held at Mercy Center in Burlingame,
Calif., near the San Francisco airport.
Facilitators are Cynthia WintonHenry
and Phil Porter. For information
on this Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) event contact
GLAD, P.O. Box 19223, Indianapolis,
IN 46219-0223, (206)324-6231.
Second International
TEN Conference
SEPTEMBER 2-4, The. Evangelical
Network will meet in Vancouver,
Canada on Labor Day weekend. The
focus of the conference, themed
'Together - We Belong," is on
interpersonal relationships. For
information contact Liberty Community
Church, #201 _ - 6380
Clarendon St., Vancouver, B.C.,
Canada VSS 2J9, (604)321-4633.
Conference for
Catholic parents of
Gays, Lesbians
SEPTEMBER 30-0CTOBER 2,
'Turning the Key," the first national
retreat for Catholic parents of gay and
lesbian children which will support
Christ" has now topped the 100 mark;
according to officials of Lutherans
Concerned/North America. To be
recognized as Reconciled in Christ,
Lutheran congregations adopt a formal
affirmation of welcome to gay
and lesbian Christians. 'This is a real
landmark in the movement for justice
within the Lutheran church," said
Brian Knittel of Oakland, Calif., director
of the Reconciled in Christ program.
'The best part is the trend is
accelerating." According to Bob
Gibeling of Atlanta, program executive
for Lutheran Concerned/North
America, the timing of reaching the
100 mark is• significant, especially in
light of the ongoing discussion about
the Sexuality Statement of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America .
"At last people are talking about
issues of human sexuality in many
Lutheran congregations," Gibeling
said.
Stephenson new pastor
for Montgomery church
llTHE MEfROPOLITAN COMMUNIty
Church of Montgomery has elected
Beverly M. Stephenson of San Antonio,
Texas as its new pastor .
Stephenson recently completed her
student clergy training. and the
12-year-old Montgomery MCC is her
first pastorate. She was installed as
parents in their _key roles of promotmg
understandmg and empathy ih
the church, will be held at the
LaSalette Center for Christian Living
m Attleboro, Mass. Facilitators will
be Sr. Jeannine Gramick, SSND, and
Fr. Robert Nugent . The weekend will
involve story-telling, presentations,
filJ:l, discussions, ~ommunal prayer,
quiet time, worslup and socializing.
For information contact Fr. Robert
Nugent, 637 Dover St., Baltimore,
MD 21230, (301)864-8954.
LGCM Retreat
NOVEMBER 11-12, England's
Lesbian and Gay Christian
Movement sponsors a retreat led by
Helen Loder, SSM and Rev. Malcolm
Johnson. This is a unique weekend
opportunity of meditative reflection in
, an affirming community, during
which there will be talks, discussions,
some silence and lots of relaxation .
The Royal Foundation of St.
Katherine in London is the setting.
For information contact LGCM,
Oxford House, Derbyshire St.,
London, E2 6HG, UK.
Announcements of interest to gay, lesbian
and bisexual Christians are welcome
and will be included free of charge,
Send to Second Stone, P.O. Box 8340,
New Orleans, LA 70182 vr FAX to
(504)891-7555.
pastor during a ceremony and worship
service on March 6.' .
Bohache to serve MCC NOVA
llREV. THOMAS BOHACHE was appointed
by unan imous vote to serve
MCC Northern Virginia as assistant
pastor . Bohache previously served as
pastor of MCC of the Blue Ridge in
Roanoke, Virginia. He was born in
Los Angeles in 1955, raised Roman
Catholic and attended Catholic
schools. He left the church after high.
schoo.l and did not return until 1981,
when he began to attend MCC of the
Pomona Valley.
MCC lay leader nominated
for service award
LI.DARLENE HARRYMAN, a lay
minister for MCC/Boise, Idaho, was
nominated for an Elm Award by the
gay and lesbian community of Boise
as the "Lesbian who did the most" for
the community . Harryman says the
focus of her work as a spiritual leader
and administrator of the -MCC is to
help "provide a sense of religious
community for the people of greater
Boise."
Rev. Troy Perry receives
board appointment
LI.REV. ELDER TROY PERRY,
UFMCC founder and moderator, is a
member of the advisory board of
Christianity for the Third Millenium,
Inc., a new non-profit .organization
formed to produce videos presenting
competent Bible scholarship, under
the direction of Episcopal Bishop John
Spong.
Cathedral of Hope
breaks ground for
new counseling center
llHAVING MOVED INTO their new
$3.2 million facility only a little over a
year ago, the Cathedral of Hope Metropolitan
Community Church in
Dallas, Texas has embarked on a
second phase of construction with a
groundbreaking ceremony for a
multi-faceted counseling center. The
facility will consist of four staff offices,
six counse ling rooms, a therapist
work room, two meeting rooms and
a reception area. The ·church already
offers a variety of counseling services
including individual, group, couples,
adolescent, HIV and crisis counsefing.
13th anniversary for
Birmingham church
!1COVENANT METROPOLITAN
Community Church of Birmingham,
Alabama, celebrated its 13th anniversary
earlier this year. The church
was once known as "the church of the
moving door" because of difficulty
finding meeting places but is now
known throughout the Gulf Lower
Atlantic District for its powerful music
ministry and children's ministries .
Cliff Morrison serves as Senior Pastor
and the Rev. Marge Ragona is
Associate Pastor.
Huntsville church a
Welcoming Congregation
l1THE UNIT ARIAN UNIVERSALIST
Church of Huntsville, Ala. has been
recognized by the Unitarian Universalist
Association as a Welcoming
Congregation, havi11g made a public
commitment to welcome gay men,
Lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered
persons into the fellowship of
the church and to affirm the validity
of their personal relationships.
North Carolina church
buys new building
LI.ST. JOHN 'S MCC, Raleigh, No.
Carolin,1, has purchased a worship
facility valued at more than half a
million dollars. Says pastor Wayne
Lindsey, 'This place will stand as a
concrete, visible beacon of hope to
those who hide in invisibility and
fear." The new sanctuary will seat
over 200.
Dignity/Baton Rouge reactivates
!!.DIGNITY /BATON ROUGE, Louisiana
is meeting again beginning with
a feminist spirituality discussion
series, which has been challenging
and renewing, according to acting
chapter president Joe McCarty . The
renewal comes after "a long period of
discouragment and inactivity," says
McCarty.
Books for gay and
lesbian families
llJOINED BY LOVE, a catalog a b0oks
for lesbian and gay_ families, features
more than 30 publications on a host of
topics of interest to lesbian and gay
parents and their children. For gay
and lesbian households with children,
and for Gays and Lesbians considering
parenting, Joined By Love offers a
storehouse of informative titles. The
catalog is available for $1.00 from
Tapestry Books, P.O. Box 359,
Ringoes, NJ 08551, (800)765-2367.
Sweeting installed as pastor
!!.REV. TYRONE SWEEfING has
been installed as pastor of MCC/
Boise, Idaho. Prior to this call,
Sweeting was an assistant pastor at
Key West MCC and founder of
Lafayette MCC. "I am a fundamentalist,"
said Sweeting. "I believe
in the fundamental love of God for
everyone."
Send noteworthy items to Second Stone,
P.O. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA
70182, or FAX to (504)891-7555.
Second Stone-May/June, 1994 [I[l
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .............C....l.a...s.si.f.i..e..d...s ·T···· ···· ·• •it••···· -----------------L7
"WONDERFUL DIVERSITY," "Heartily Classified Order Form Please place my ad in these
issues: [] Jan/Feb [] Mar/Apr
[ J May/Jun [ J jul/Aug
[ ] Sept/Oct [] Nov/Dec
recommended, 11 11Philosophicall)' intrig -
uing,1 1 11Ex<;ellent1.1 Why do reviewers
highly esteem CHRISTIAN*NEW AGE
QUARTERLY? Great articles and lively
columns make this bridge of dialogue
between Christians and New Agers as
entertaining as it is substantive. Subscribe
for only $12.50/yr. Or sample us for $3.50.
CHRlSTIAN*NEW AGE QUARTERLY, P.O.
Box. 276. Clifton,' NJ 07011-0276. TF
FOR ONLY
35¢ per word,
your classified ad will
reach readers from
Sitka, Alaska to
Amherst, Maine and
everywhere in between.
Business .or personal ...
try a classified ad in
our next edition!
Mail To:
Second Stone
Box 8340
New Orleans, LA 70182
.Name _____________ _
Address __________ _
Citr/St./Zip _______ _
AD COPY _______ _
------------------------------------------
--------------------
__ words X .35= $ ____ _
20 wotd minimum. All classifieds
must be pre-paid. Deadline one month
prior to cover date. We will mail you a
copy of the edition(s) in which your ad
appears
CLASSIFICATIONS
[ ] Books & Publications
[ J Business Opportunities
[ ] Employment
[ J Friends/Relationships
[ l General Interest
[ ] Mail Order
[ l Merchandise
[ J Organizations
[ J Professional Services
[ J Real Estate
[] Retreats
[ ] Roommates
[ ]Travel
A GAY DIARY 1975-1982 by Donald
Vining is the latest in the series of intimate,
personal diaries of which critics have said,
11Unquestionably the richest historical document
of gay male life in the United States"
"The fairly detailed look at the day-to-day
development of a 'long-term' gay couple
relationship is only one valuable aspect' of
this intriguing chronicle. 11 "Humor, narrative
sense, interest in the foibles of others.
Deep honesty." 474 pages. paperback
$11.95 hardcover $16.95. Also available A
GAY DIARY 1946-1954 $9.95 and $14.95,
1954-1967' paperback only, $9.95, 1967-
1975, $11.95 and $16.95. The Pepys Press.
1270 Fifth Avenue. New York, NY 10029
6/94
----------- --------------- - ---------------------------------
OPEN HANDS, an ecumenical quarterly
magazine on ministries with gays. lesbians
and bisexuals. $16/year. Free sample. 3801
N. Keeler Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641.
312/736-5526. FAX-312/736-5475. 10/95
l®~TI~!"l®1~~~~?n~~l
LEARN HOW TO resolve conflicts in a
conciliatory manner for only $19.95. Order
"Mediation: The Book" by Leonard. The
hottest Christian-based career of the 1990s. A
must! Call 1-800-594-5190. 10/94
28 years old. I am looking for a lasting
relationship with an older sincere gentleman.
I graduated vocational auto body and I am
presently working on my Associate Degree. I
love all animals. outdoors. and quiet times at
home. I w_ill be released Feb .. l 99~. Danny
Meredith #83982 D-1, Northpoint Training
Center. P.O. Box 479, Burgin, KY 40310.
6/94
NEW YORK CITY GAY Spirit-filled Christian
group now forming for support, fellowship,
Bible study, and worship. Ultimate
goal is to start new Christ-centered church.
Call Kevin at (718)267-0773 6/94
Ira.. f tr.1~>!f~111\Jll\'ill\~rts:Ar,:,b,e:,w.J ''AIDS AWARENESS" stamp pins. $3.50.
'llf.ij~~~ -\~.ll.l~~\/).IU~-~j Quality made of solid brass. Proceeds benefit
· ,.,., PWAs. Volume discounts. Eastern Maine
WARNING REGARDING PRISON COR- AIDS Network PO Box 2038 Bangor ME
RESPONDENCE: While most prisoners 04402. 8/94 ' . . ' '
seeking correspondence are genuine m
~h,;~~ioi~~el"·t:
0
;:ot~~~ ~~~m~:r:ee;s /::n H@nrt1l@p '.~1¥• "~' '. ' ,·: ·
scams: 1. Do nol send checks or money
orders to prisoners and do not cash checks
or money orders from prisoners. Persons
cashing altered checks or money orders are
responsible for the difference between the
issue amount and the altered amount. 2. Do
not reveal personal informalion about
yourself that would be harmful to you if
passed on to employer. family or others.
ACTIVE CATHOLIC-(Orthodox, Anglican,
or Roman Catholic) male wanted. Serious
but jovial and sensual anP masculine! .. .in
the Southwest or San Diego. Weight in
proportion to height. Music and animal
lover. Around my age range: 53. No smoke
or dope, moderate drink! Frank B .. P.O. Box
62, Blue Springs, MO 64013 6/94
GWM SEEKING NEW PARTNER 37,
honest, loving "healthy, wealth¥, ~nd wise,"
and recently lost my partner of 11 years to
AIDS. I'm 5'9". blonde/blue, mustache.
financially/emotionally secure, educated,
and a Christian minister and an electrical
engineer. I own a big house on. the Russian
River, but travel nationally. You are probably
25-45. GWM. tall, masculine, drug-free,
a 11leather/levi," "cowboy," construction
worker or blue-collar type looking for love
and adventure. Send letter and picture to
Mark Shirilau, P.O. Box 32, Villa Grande,
CA 95486 6194
LONELY. incarcerated GWM. straight
acting, blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'8, 150 lbs.,
12(Se}coln d Stone•May/June1, 994 I_~
CREMATION URNS: Introducing the
Lambda Pride Urn. Celebrate Life with an
um that reflects personality and style. Call
for free brochure. LifeStyle Urns
1-800-685-URNS. 8/95.
GAY PRIDE FLAGS, Banners, Lapel Pins,
Wall Clocks, Tote Bags. Bumper Stickers,
Wind Socks & More. Free Catalog.
1-800-854-1438. (24 hrs. - 7 days .) Retail &
Wholesale. B
PIANO FOR SALE. Responsible party
wanted to take on low monthly payments on
beautiful console piano. No down payment
needed. Call 1-800-782-0943. 10/94
LIVE OPERA performances on audio /video
casette. Incredible selection since 1930 1s,
world-wide. Over 7400 items. Magnificent
free computerized catalogue. Live Opera,
P.O. Box 3141, Steinway Station, Long
Island City. NY 11103. 12/95
PSYCHOTHERAPIST with long term experience
_working with gay and lesbian individuals
and couples. (603)431-1900. Con-
1'.':1_P~~n. Ju!ith Pal~, MS_':': BCD. 1019<!_
REV. N. A. LLOYD, C.M .• spiritual medium
and advisor. Spiritual counseling. Call
(516)736-1058. 12/94.
CARIBBEAN VA CATION. Spend a week at
the only gay owned beach resort in the U.S.
Virgin Islands. Perfect place for lovers. One
low price includes room, car and ·$100 bar
credit. Low air also. Call for details.
800-524-2018. 10/94
''MAYBE WE'RE TALKING About a
Different God" A half-hour video documentary
on Rev. Jane Spahr, and her call to
the Downtown Church in Rochester, protested
and · brought to trial. Shows how
confusion and fear can be transformed into
understanding and compassiori. VHS tape
and discussion guide. Send $32 . .35 to
Leonardo's Children, Inc., 26 Newport
Bridge Rd., Warwick, NY 10990.
COURTS,
From ·Page 15
the unique demands their present
circumstances put on them, than
being reinstated in the church. But
he is certain with time things in the
church will change.
Meanwhile, he is an AIDS educator
with the AIDS Committee of Toronto
where he presents workshops to
organizations and associations that
provide services to persons with
AIDS.
His faith, he says, has been
"refined" as a result to this particular
fire he has been put through. As
Bishop Garnsworthy has been heard
to say, Ferry believes that "the older I
get the fewer things I believe, but I
believe them more deeply."
In the Courts of the Lord may not
prove to be where justice is served,
but it should prove to be a valuable
resource for those exploring the issues
surrounding Gays and Lesbians in
the church - as laity and as clergy.
ARE YOU
MOVING?
The Post Office will not
forward The Second Stone.
You must notify us for
uninterrupted service if you move.
Please notify us four weeks. in advance for
uninterrupted delivery. Send both old and new
addresses. If possible attach mailing la_beiln
space provided.
PRINT
NEW ADDRESS
N
"O
0
0 :;-
Send completed form to:
THES ECONDS TONE
Box8340
New Orleans,L A 70182