Second Stone #28 - May/June 1993

Second Stone #28 - May/June 1993

AMERICA 'S GAY & LESBIAN CHRISTIAN NEWSJOURNAL
MA Y / J U N E, 1 9 9 3 ISSUE #28
_ HEARTFELT LOVE
Couples participating in a mass blessing of rel ationships chalked their
names on the street, encircled by hearts. Photo: Rev. Kittredge Cherry
March was political,
spiritual milestone
BY REV. K IT T RED G E C H ERR Y
L esbians and gay men made a
spiritual and political breakthrough
at the 1993 March on
Washington for Lesbian, Gay
and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation.
We saw ourselves in a new way: an
estimated one million strong, in all
our diversity, proud to claim our
identity and our rights. At the April
25 march we tested our wings and felt
our power, and ·that exp erience will
continue to transform and build lesbian
and gay community globally in
ways that we are just beginn ing to
imagine .
The rest of the world saw us in a
new way too. The mainstream news
media covered the March and related
events extensively and with remark•
able fairness, balancing images of
doctors and drag queens. The reli•
gious right ranted against us, this
lime noting our organizational ability.
For the first lime in history, a U.
S. president sent a letter of support to
a march for lesbian and gay rights .
Almost every person who talked
with me, every face I saw, glowed
with a kind of wonder . It began
when I boarded a plane to Washing·
ton, D.C. 'The whole plane's queer!"
exult ed a fellow passenger. On t he
plane , on the subway, On the str eets
of D.C., strangers greeted each other.
Or, more accurately, we were not
strangers to each other.
My most memorable moment came
during the March, when I stepped
onto the main afternoon stage on the
Mall wit h Rev. Troy Perry, founder
SEE COVER STORY, Page 10
Thousands circle Capitol grounds
to demand action on AIDS crisis ·:
WASHINGTON, D.C. • More than
30,000 people join ed ACT UP /DC's
"Ha nds Around the Cap itol" dem on·
stration on th e day prior to the March
on Wash ingt on, joining hand s to
s urround the Capit ol build ing, de•
mandin g Congressional action on the
AIDS cr isis. Stretching thousand s of
feet of red ribb on a round the Capito l
grounds, the protestors formed tw o
complete human rings w hile chanting
"AIDS cure now!" and "Act up ! Fight
back! Fight AIDS!"
Fo llowi ng th e d em ons tratio n,
. aut hor and AIDS activis t La r ry
Kramer spoke to the cr owd from the
steps of the Capitol building. Also
speaki ng w e re Cornelius Baker, cofounder
of Brother Help Thysel4 Bill
Freeman, executive director of Na·
tional Asso ciation of People with
AIDS, Chr istopher fjates, director of
t he DC CARE Consort ium, Vivian
Torres , New Jer sey Womans AIDS
Network, Tommy Fabregas, board
member of the San Francisco AIDS
Founda tion, and Jennifer Chamb ers,
ACT UP LobbyCorps coordinator_.
"Han ds Around the Capito l" wiis
th e largest AIDS-specific action dur·
ing the weekend. During the March
on Su nday, hund reds of ACT UP
me mb ers staged a "d ie-in" a t _the
White House along the march route .
More March
stories on
Page 11
BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE •
PA I D
NEW ORLEANS, LA
PERMIT No.' 511
From the Editor •· ......................... .
Liars silenced for a day
By Jim Bailey -yhe 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights
and Liberation was about truth - being true to ourselves, our families,
our communities and our nation. "We have come to speak the truth of
our -lives and silence the liars," said Urvashi Vaid, former director of the
National Gay and Lesbirui Task Force, in an address to demonstrators.
So, what did the liars have to .say about that? Less than 16 hours after the
conclusion ofihe March, Pat Robertson cautioned his 700 Club viewers to
send their children out of the room bec.ause there was video corning up that
they su~ely wouldn't want the kids to see. The show's strategy in dealing
with gay and lesbian issues is to disgust and scare, usually in that order.
Disgust then scare. Of course the disgusting scenes are predictably the same_.
(Some of us were not dressed in our Sunday clothes and were not at our best
behavior.)
Vaid is a powerful speaker. A tape of a portion of.her speech was the scary
part of the 700 Club segment. When you listen to her, you are sure you are
hearing the truth, you feel the urgency of correcting wrongs, and you feel
aware of your personal power to work for justice. The March was a bridge,
Vaid said . " ... on this day, with love in our hearts, we have come out, and we
have come out to build a bridge of understanding, a bridge of progress, a
bridge as solid as steel, a bridge to a tand where no one suffers prejudice
because of their sexual orientation, their race, their gender, their religion, or
their human difference."
Yes, that was the scary part for the religous right. As we build our bridge
to freedom, we see their construction on the· other side . They build toward
power, s.ocial control, and a theocratic government. They are skilled at
organizing, putting their numbers together and getting to work. On April
25th, they discovered that we are skilled at organizing, putting our numbers
together and getting to work. Both bridges are being built on the same site,
and only one can stand.
'To defeat the right politically is our challenge when we leave this march,"
said Vaid. "We've got to march from Washington into action at home." But
with their recent failure in the national political arena, the . wounded religious
right is also renewing concentration on action at home, with the more fanatical
condeming mainstream politics and mumbling ·about recons\ructionism again.
Vaid concluded by saying, '"When all of us who believe in freedom and
diversity see this gathering, we see beauty and power. When our enemies
see this gathering, they see the millennium . Perhaps the religious right is
right about something. We call today for the end of the world ... as we know
it. We call for the end of racism, sexism, bigotry, violence, discrimination and
homophobia."
On this day the viewers of the 700 Club were not· so disgusted by a man
dressed in a nun's habit as they were scared of a woman dressed in .armor.
SECOND STONE Newsjm1rnal, ISSN No. 1047-3971, is published every other
month by Bailey Communications, P. 0. Box 8340, New Orleans, LA. 70182.
Copyright 1993 by Second Stone,a ·registered trademark .
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SECOND STONE, an ecumenical Christian newsjournal for the national gay and
lesQian community.
PUBLISHERIEDfTOR: Jim Bailey
CONTRIBUTORS FOR THIS ISSUE: Rev, Kit Cherry. Rev. Richard B. Gilbert,
P . D. Sterling, Christine . Coughlan. Toby Johnson, J. Russell Kieffer, Kevin Gepford,
Texas Fitzgerald, Kenny Dayton, Br. Ron Crepeau-Cross , B.M.G.
Contents
m lj! _J
From The Editor
March speech scares religious right
Commentary/Letters
Could it be? Jerry Falwell right about something?
News Lines
Into Africa
P. D. Sterling gets a first hand look at
a beautiful -but troubled - land
Gay People as Monks and Mystics
We are especially suited to the roles,
says Toby Johnson
Cover Story
Gay and lesbian Christians at the March
By Rev. Kit Che_rry
Volunteer Follows His Heart
J. Russell Kieffer on his volunteer
experiences at Benedict House in Buffalo
The P-ath of the Journey .
The risk, the joy, the gilt and the growth
By Christine Coughlan
On Video
Walk Me To The Water
Reviewed by Rev. Richard B. Gilbert
1.1·-5-7 In Print
: : Someone You Know L~ Reviewed by Kevin Gepford i----7
i 16 J Calendar
, - ;;;;-i
I lu Noteworthy
~ -7
U19 Resource Guide
~
I 20 I Classifieds
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[_....:,_,
T .Comment T ................................. ........................................ (
Maybe Jerry Falwell is right
By Kenny Dayton
Guest Opinion
The morning after President
Clinton's inauguration, I awoke
very early in front of my television
where I had fallen asleep
watching the festivities in Washington
honoring our new leadership.
Just viewing the parties and people
and attitudes the night before made
me feel good about my country
again. And as a gay man, it gave me
hope for our future. Maybe with our
efforts and President Clinton's commitments,
we can change attitudes in
the United States . It won't be easy
and it won't happen overnight, but
we all have to agree that the best
opportunity in years is at hand!
My elation soon turned to
pessimism, as my eyes focused on the
television screen and I recognized the
self-appointed voice of the ultraright...
Jerry Falwell. For 45 minutes
I sat and listened to him spout off
about abortion and homosexuals, with
a very heavy emphasis on the latter.
As a Christian who happens to be
gay, I have always found it interesting
to listen to people such as
Falwell, Robertson, Wildmon and the
like tell us about God, and the way
they interpret the Bible. Almost
without fail, they all preach to
thousands of listeners who accept
what they say without question or
research of their own. Let's face facts.
Many members of religious organizations
are the proverbial sheep who
follow their leader without question.
They will mail letters to a television
network about what they are told is
an offensive show without ever having
seen the program ... because the
minister said to do so! They will ·
boycott the sponsor's product ...
because the minister said to do so!
They will vote for ballot issues like
Amendment 2 in · Colorado not
because of how they feel... but
because they were told to do so by
someone they trust and respect. Unfortunately
for us, and the Christian
community as a whole, generations of
misinformation and prejudice are
being furthered by people of God
who refuse to examine the scriptures
and search for the truth about such
YourTurn ............... ....... . • ...... • ....... .
Praise for
Hugman's
essay
Apple Valley,.California
Dear Second Stone,
Your March/ April issue contained
some of the best articles I have ever
read concerning Christianity and
Gays. Nancy Hugman's "The Price of
Freedom" addressed the subject of just
how far we should go from the pulpit
on political issues. Very informative.
Joe Miller's article on Germantown
Mennonite Church in Philadelphia
brought tears . It struck a very deep
place. Our minister of music, Merlin
Schrock, who is a Mennonite, is
visiting his home in the midwest and
intends to have a visit with his pastor
there to address some iss.ues concerning
Gays and their church. A
friend of the family who had attended
the church just passed away with
AIDS and Merlin does not approve of
the way the church handled .it.
Hopefully, he will have some success
raising their consciousness a little.
Thanks so very much for such an
informative publication.
In His Love,
Donna R. Campbell, Pastor
Ligl1t of the Desert Church
Commentary
lacking in
Christian
attitude
Long Beach, California
Dear Second Stone,
I am renewing my subscription
without as much enthusiasm as in the
past.
Having just caught up with my
reading, I was surprised to find the
Commentary by Ivy Young in the
September/October issue. Her essay
was lacking totally in Christian
content, let alone attitude. That you
would print something so hateful, so
plainly political is dismaying.
How ironic that we who have been
the victims of hate would think that
we can win rights, let alone love, by
exhibiting the same kind of hate once
used against us! Is that really what it
means to be a gay Christian? What
happened to "love your neighbor as
yourself" and all the other related
teachings of Jesus?
Sincerely,
Don Karvelis
issues as homosexuality.
This particular morning, the good
Mr. Falwell had a speech impediment
tI{at would not permit him to mention
homosexuals without hyphenating
Sodom and Gomorrah to it. You can
only imagine how many times in 45
minutes he used "homosexualitySodom-&-
Gomorrah" in his message.
Regardless of what he says about
"loving the sinner ," his message that
morning was filled with bigotry and
hate-mongering. We are what is
wrong with this country! We are
responsible for every social ill from
AI~S to the breakup of the family . .
And now we have the audacity to
want to be treated as any other
functioning member of society and
treated as equals as the constitution of
this great country guarantees ... · and
even serve · in its military to defend
those rights. This country is on the
edge of becoming Sodom & Gomorrah
according to Mr. Falwell.
If the good Mr. Falwell would
examine the scriptures with an open
mind, he would find that "on the
edge" is not quite accurate. According
to Ezekiel 16:49 it appears as if
SEE COMMENT ARY, Page 6
First Galileo, then Gays?
By Br. Ron Crepeau-Cross. B.M.G.
Guest Opinion The unprecedented pronouncement
by Pope John Paul II last
fall, stating that the Church was
wrong when it condemned
Galileo in the 17th century, has major
theological and pastoral implications
and gives new hope to millions of
· gay and lesbian Christians and to
those who minister to them.
In 1633; the Roman Catholic Church
found Galileo "guilty of vehement
suspicion of heresy," for teaching that
the earth rotates around the sun, not
the other way around. Of course, the
astronomer was right, but the
Inquisition nevertheless threatened to
burn him at the stake unless he
recanted his proof'of the Copernican
theory . -
The pope said the Galileo case was
an example of "tragic, mutual incomprehension"
that showed the limits of
theology and science. He said the
ecclesiastical judges acted in good
faith, but were "incapable of disassociating
faith from an age-old
cosmology."
John Paul attributed the Church 's
error to an overly literal interpretation
of the Bible. He said that
science, with its methods and freedom
of research, obliges theologians to
examine the way they interpret
scripture, but that "most of them did· ·
not know how to do · so." He
emphasized · that scriptural interpretation
must go beyond literal meaning.
·
The Pope acknowledged that the
Church has learned from the Galileo
case and said it illustrates "the duty
for theologians ' to keep themselves
regularly informed of scientific advances"
so they can determine
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whether there is cause for "introducing
changes in their teachings."
The Church already admits that
affectional orientation is "not freely
chosen," but persists in stating that
homosexual acts are "intrinsically
morally disordered." In other words,
"It's okay tci be a bird, but it's a sin to
fly." There is growing evidence, in
the antropological and behavioral
sciences, and the psychiatric and
psychological professions long ago
concluded; that affectional orientation
is genetic and natural, and it follows
.that its expression, whether heterosexual
or homosexual, likewise
sho11ld be considered ·normal and
morally acceptable.
The Church's position on this issue is
based largely on the interpretation of
certain biblical passages . Jesus
Himself never said a ·single word
about it, but ancient traditions, such
as the Levitical code, do list same-sex
relations among the prohibited
"abominations," and the · New
Testament proceeds on the same
assumption.
Now that the pope, in reversing the
Galileo verdict 359 years later, has so
clearly advised that once-believed
exegetes and tlieologians can be in
error, and that they must conform
their teachings to scientific findings, is
it only a matter of time before
Cardinal Ratzinger and his contemporary
inquisitors catch up with
the reality of sexual orientation and
admit that they have been wrong on
this issue as well?
While we wait for another Vatican
acknowledgement, ten percent of the
entire human family, not unlike
Galileo, remains violated by the
Church . Fortunately, many of us
have found the truth as revealed to us
in our lived experience, , and . the
primacy of our consciences already
has exonerated us.
These developments have given a
whole new impetus to our ministry to
our lesbian sisters and gay brothers. ·
Second Stone-May/June, 1993 w
News Lines ........... •·.• ..................... ................... ' .................. .
Clergy group refuses MCC membership
6MCC'i<EY WESr has been denied membership in the local ministerial association. "We
didn't meet the moral standard that they came up with because we're queers," said Rey .
Steve Torrence, eastor .of MCC Key West. "They didn 't let the Jewisn rabbi in, either,
because he wasn t Christian." The recent hiring of Rev. Julia Seward enabled MCC Key
West-to respond by forming a new ministerial association, Rev. Torrence said. "We
began by contacting the loc~I clergy who ·weren't active in the other group," he said.
Since then, some mempers of the older association have switched membership to the new
organization , the .Key We sflnferfaith Council.'-Keeping in Touch
Mother Teresa to open AIDS hospice in Atlanta.
6MOTHER TERFSA hopes to open a hospice in Atlanta, primarily for people with
AIDS. Four sisters of her Missionaries of Charity are living in Atlanta and have started
meeting clients at Grad}" Memorial Hospital's Infectious Disease Clinic who may need
their care. Grady officials said that the sisters, with help of the Catholic Archdioce,;e of
Atlanta, are searching for a building for the proposed hospice . Dr . Shame _ Sheehey , a
doctor at the IDC, got the ball rolling for the hospice by sending a letter a year ago to
Mother Theresa in Calcutta. - Southern Voice
Students protest at Marquette .
6THE TOP ADMINISTRATOR of Marquette University, Milwaukee , agreed to meet
with a J)rotest group that conducted a sit-in objecting to the-school's stance toward Gays
and Lesbians. About 18 students and one alumnus approached the Rev. Albert) . DiUlio,
president of Marquette, in a hallway March 15 as the demonstration began . Ther,
presented him with a letter asking for-a meeting on the issue and also on the university s
·refusal to adopt a policy that would include sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination
policy. DiUlio was advised that the group planned to sit down -and wait for a response
to the -d;,mand_s. '.',Well, then :y:ou will nave a _long wait, and you will probably be
arrested, he said . Sit _down and make yourselves -comfortable." About 50 minutes fater,
however , DiUlio addressed the students and presented -them with a letter sa:y:ing the
Roman Catholic school, for legal reasons, could not include the words "sexual
orientation" in its anti-discrimination policy . -Associated Press
Plan to prevent HIV transmission submitted
6THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of Physicians for .Human Rights, the national
organization of lesbian and gay physicians .and medical students, has called upon the
Clmton administration to implement a three-part plan to reduce .the .spread of AIDS
among gay and bisexual men. The group urged the government to launch innovative
initiatives in the areas of educational campaigns aimed at gay and bisexual men,
increased funding for scientific research, and funding for innovative and intensive
support erograms for gay men and other high risk individuals that provide the ongoing
emotional sustenance for difficult behavioral changes.
Homosexuality not a sin, theologians say
6GOD APPROVES OF homosexuality as well as pf gay and lesbian marriages and
parenting. That is the 1revailing belief of 19 distinguished theologians and religious
leaders of ten differen faiths surveyed nationwide. Their answers , published in a
booklet "Is Homosexuality a Sin?" were given"in response to a survey conducted by the
Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays in conjunction with the
Metropolitan Washington Chapter of P-FLAG. "The enlightened answers from prominent
Christian and Jewisn leaders will now help families reconcile their love of God and of
their gay or lesbian loved one," said Mitzi Henderson, Federation President. Religious
leaders and scholars surveyed include Bishop John S. Spong (Episcopal), Bishop Stanley
E. Olson (Lutheran), Bishop Melvin Wheatley, Jr. (United Methodist), and Rabbi Dr.
David Teutsch(Judaism-Reconstructionist). The booklet may be purchased from P-FLAG,
P.O. Box 27605, Washington, DC 20038-7605 for 75¢ each.
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Gays protest at Falwell's church
MBOUT 35 PEOPLE picketed in front of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, the church of
anti-gay crusader Jerry Falwell . The demonstration was sponsored by Lxnchburg,
Virginia-based Gays and Lesbians United for Equality, with others joining in the protest
from Richmond and Roanoke. Demonstrators wore. pink lapel tags saymg "Yes, Jesus
loves me!" "They are not bad people. The}' need the Lord," Falwell told the congregation.
"They've got every right to oppose us ancl ·they're doing it peacefully ." ()_rganizer Kelly
McHugh, a former Lynchburg resident now living in Richmond, said she and others were
outraged by Falwell's persistent attacks on Lesbians and Gays. Ms, McHugh accused
Falwell of perpetrating hatred and violence toward people base<! on their sexual
orientation. -Associatea Press · ·
Chicaao Presbyterians support gay ordination
6THE CHICAGO-AREA governing body of the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted
199-131 to ask the nationaf church to overturn the denomination's policy panning gay
and lesbian ordinations.
MCC's $3 million cathedral a "sad commentary" says Forum leader
6THE 1000-MEMBER Cathedral of Hope Metropolitan Community Church of Dallas,
with it's sparklin~ new $3 million building, has upset some Texas conservatives. "It's a
sad commentary' that a gay and lesbian church exists in "the buckle of the Bible Belt, "
said Cathie Adams, president of the Dallas Eaple Forum. "We want to help them recognize
their lifestyle as a habitual problem to them,' Adams said. ''They have not accepted that
message ." - Southern Voice.
Anti-gay activist says anti-gay tactics too extreme
6TONY MARCO, co-founder of Colorado for Family Values , the organization which
Sf)onsored Amendment 2, resigned from the organization and condemnecl it for extremism,
-which he fears will aid the gay movement. ~arco ·is disgusted by CFV's widespread use
of the propaganda video Tfie Gay Agenda, a 20 minute film which gay and lesbian
observers condemn ·as outrageously slanderous. Marco sa;ys use of the film will fuel
hysteria and violence against Lesbians and Gays, which will in tum cause a backlash
against-CFV and further the cause of gay /lesbian civil rights. CFV wuld self-destruct by
"rubbing the faces of the state's l'eople in repulsive, extremist homosexual behavior;"
Marco wrote in a letter to Will Perkins, the oilier co-founder of CFV. "You risk giving the
gay activists ammunition to make their charge that Amendment 2 is what they've saicf it is:
a hateful, fear-mongering and mean-spirited eiece of work," he continued. "You risk
arousing violent animosity towards Gays, to-which Gay militants will react in kind, as
extremists on both sides come out of ilie woodwork ... Yes, it is easier to nauseate than
educate ." - Associated Press
Chaos in ~nesset over claim King Davidwas gay
MCCORDING TO THE Los Angeles Times, the Israeli Knesset exploded Feb 10, when
Yael Dayan, one of the country's most controversial liberals, began insisting on equal
protections for Gays and Lesbians in the Israeli army by implying that the biolical King
David, considered the ideal Jewish leader, inay have had a homosexual relationship with
Jonathan, a son of King Saul. Conservative members of Knesset interrupted Dayan,
accusing her of blasphemy. One member of the conservative National Religious Party
called Uayan "a foul and dirty creature" who "must take her filth and go." - GayNet
Activists gather at "Fight the Right" summit
MBOUT 250 GAY, lesbian and bisexual activists from ten states gathered in Denver,
Colo., in March to strategize around countering far right attacks and discuss tactics for
repelling Colorado-style anti-gay initiatives. "Fighting fhe Ri~ht: A Regional Strategy and
Networking Conference,'' was held March 13-14 at Denvers Executive Town Inn. The
conference was targeted for activists in the Northwest and Rock}' Motintain•regions, and
was hosted by Equality Colorado . Currently, Oregon, Idaho, Washington , Michigan ,
California and Florida are facing some kind of anti-gay initiative, many similar to
Colorado's Amendment 2. The Amendment passed last November and repeals an existing
gay rights ordinance . Anchorage, Alaska, is facing a local gay rights repeal measure . A
Midwest "Fight the Right" regional summit is planned for September . "For information
contact the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 1734 14th St. NW, Washington, DC,
(202)332-6483.
Bishop cancels homosexuality seminar ·
6CATHOLIC BISHOP WILLIAM HUGHES of the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky ,
canceled a seminar about homosexuality, saying that "the timing was wrong ." One of tfie
priests of the diocese who is now retired, Father Earl Bierman, was recent!}" accused of
sexually abusing several young boys . Ed Stieritz, director of the Maryclale Retreat
Center who helped organize the seminar , ~aid the bishop had receiv~d some ')~~alive
comments about the J>lanned event. Greg Lmk, co-faahtator of the semmar, said I a like
to go throu~h with 11 because it would show that homosexuality is not connected to
pedophilia. - Associated Press
Kansas minister leads anti-gay campaign
L'IPOLICE ARE MONITORING protests by a minister who crusades against gay rights
after he claimed to have received death threats. Rev. Fred W. Phelps , Sr., pastor of the
Westb oro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, is leading a series of protests which
include carrying signs that read "Gays Deserve To Die." Officers were assigned to protect
picketers affer a brawl broke out on a sidewalk. - Southern Voice
Name change for Lutherans Concerned?
6LAUGHTER IS THE best medicine, they say .Membersof Lutherans Concerned/Seattle,
apparently unhappy with the slow progress the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America has made toward justice for Gays and Lesbians , has suggested that the
oganization's name be changed to,''~utherans Worried Sick." In selecting a one word
name like ''Dignity" or "Integnty" the1.utherans considered "Anxiety."
News Lines
•••• ft ••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Pope tells youths that chastity is the only way to fight AIDS
Af'OPE JOHN PAULH told an audience .of youths in Uganda that chastity is the only
proper way to stop th~ spread ·of AIDS. According to sol!le estimates, .one of eignt
Ugandans 1s infected with the HIV-virus. The country's Anglican and Catholic bishops -
Uganda is-40 percent Catholic - have fought efforts by the government and aid .groups to
promote condom use to fight AIDS. 'The sexual restraint of chastity is the only safe and
virtuous wa y to put an end to the -tragic plague of AIDS," the pope told thousands of_
singing and cheering young people. -Assoc,a1£d Press ,
Windstorm the "wrath of God" says gay rights opponent
LIFORMER WASHINGTON STATE Senator Ellen Craswell , founder of a new lobbying
organization called "Family in Touch," said that a wind storm that hit Washington.state
on the day of President Clinton's inauguration was a sign from God. Craswell 1s a bitter
opponent of gay/ lesbian people ana an activist in the "traditional famil}' values"
movement. "It was the stormy wind that cut off power, man's power, closed clown thg
legislature,". Craswell told the Seattle Times. "We believe it Was a significant sign that
our all powerful Father, who raiseth the stormy wind, did so on In_auguration Day . The
angry gusts seem to whip at everything in the1r-path, including the giant American flag
over ilie KIRO studio - and the flag was rent in two. Oh, but that we might reach our
wit's end and cry unto the 'Lord, .that he might bring us out of this darkness."
-Seattle Gay News
Religious right opponent attacked in office
LIRUTH WILLIAMS, 48, a Colorado Springs therapist who opposes the religious right
movement was attacked in her office by an mtruder . She was !m()Cked unconscious , and
crosses were cut into her hands and clothing. She was sprayed with tear gas. Her office
was ransacked and .her walls were spray painted with slogans "Seek Goo," "Stop Evil"
and "Repent." -TWN
Bishop: Don't teach "basic disorder" to students
LITHE CATHOLIC BISHOP ofBrooklyn, describing homosexuality as a "basic.disorder,"
said city school leaders show a lack of "moral leadership" when they advocate its
acceptance. In a telev-ised interview last week, Bishop Thomas Daily said he thought the
avowed purpose-of the New York City school's "Children of the Rairibow" curriculum -
which teacn es tolerance for Gays and Lesbians - was being obscured by an effort to
"legitimize" gay lifestyles. In calling homosexuality a disorder, Daily said, ''Just look at
them. I don't think you'll argue with me." -Southern Voice
Alabama Episcopal bishop doesni-like church policy on Gays
LIALABAMA EPISCOPAL churches will research sexuality while continuing to not
ordain openly gay or lesbian ministers or aerrove same-sex marriages , the bishop said .
'
The Right Re_v . Robert 0 . Miller said he w1J :upholi:f the ch91:ch's st~nd on Gays until
there is a change. "I may not like it, but I'm a pretty 'obedient p_ersori,"ne said. Miller said
he strongly believes Gays are entitled to the same rights as anyone else, although he does
not "conaone _h◊mosexual activity. " -Soutlzern Voice - .
KKK still mad about racial integration into the military ·
LICHAIR OF THE JOINT Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell, might be surprised to find
the Ku Klu x Klan agreeing with him on the issue of Gays and Lesb ians in the military.
The Grand Dragon of the Northwest Knights of th e Ku Klux Klan , headquartered in
Tacoma, Washin g ton, had _this to say in a recorded message: "The KKK, which has many
military veterans and oth er white .Chri stian patriots, -were morall :ir and scripturally
correct when opposed to the abomination of race mixing in our armed forces. We are also
rnorally and scripturally correct in our -current opposition to homosexuals in the
military. The Hofy Bible is quite clear on both issues . We urge all members to contact
their elected officials on the federal level and demand that all homo sexual pervert s be
purged from the military. " -Seattle Gay News
Church must apoloaize to gav pastor
LIA SPECIAL REVIEW TEAM of the United Church of Christ"has re commended that a
Chicago church writ e a ·1etter of apology _ to Rev . Dr . Timm Peters on, who filed a
complaint with the Chicago Human Rights Commission against St. Nicholai UCC after he
was refus ed employment as their interi"ril p astor when they learned he wa y gay . Th e
Human Rights Commission will co ntinue its investigation.
· Zap a fundamentalist on your Macintosh
LIIF YOU'VE EVER DREAMED of vaporizing a rabid fundamentalist , your day has
arrived. Gays, Lesbians .and others cart do just that with the introduction of GayBlade ,
the first fantasy role-playing game for gay and lesbian Macintosh computer user s. A
product ofRJBest, a San Francisco based computer game company, the game is the firs t in
a-selection of flames with gay and lesbian characters - and anti-gay villains . For
information ca (415)206-1985.
Former ex-gays sought for interviews
Af'EOPLE WHO HA VE been involved in ex-gay ministries and who are inter ested in
telling their stor ies are being sought for interviews for a book project . For information
contact Restoration Ministries, P.O. Box-1123, Schenectady, NY 12301-1123.
Anthology seeksubmissions
LIBEDSIDE COMP ANIONS, Essex Hemehill's forthcoming anthology of short fiction by
black gay rnen, is accepting s ubmissions. Hemphill hopes the anthology will challenge tne
invisi6ility and silences that surround the lives and experiences of black gay men. For
information send a stamped, self addressed e nvelope to Essex Hemphill, Aritliology 1993,
401 Wilshire Blvd.,.Ste. 700, Santa Monica, CA 90401-1455.
Subscribe
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Second Stone-May/June, 1993 l]J
Hate, Lies arid . Videotape:
Group witt·battle bigots with agressive media campaign
A NEW GROUP has formed to fight
anti-gay hale crusades and has kicked
off its media campaign with the
premier of "Hale, Lies and Videos
tape," a _new videotape that exposes
the propaganda tactics of the religious
right. .
The Gay and Lesbian Em_ergency
Media Campaign (GLEMC) will
produce . and distribute media that
exposes the agerida of the religious
right and promotes lesbian and gay
visibility. GLEMC is a project of Testing
the Limits, an -~ward-winning
fih11making group based in New
York City.
One of GLEMC's first projects was
the premiere of a new video, "Hate,
Lies and Videotape." The video
vividly compares ''The Gay Agenda"
- a slick 19-minute documentary-style
video that feeds on gay and lesbian
stereotypes - with other hate propaganda
films . such as ''The E.ternal
Jew," a 1940 Nazi propaganda film.
GLEMC charg(ld that Congressional
and Pentagon resistance lo lifting the
ban against Gays in the military is
being fueled by 'The Gay-Ag~nda ."
The videotape has been distributed to
U.S. Senators, Representatives and to
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and is being
shown . in military establishments
around the country and abroad. Gay
activists were . outraged to hear
recently that Gen. Cir! Mundy Jr.,
· Commandant of • the Marines, ,had
provided copies to the Joint C~efs.
.''The Gay Agenda'' includes
sensationalist images from gay pride
events taken out of context and
combined with statements from
people purporting to be "medical
authorities." The video is one of the .
major weapons -in the Far Right's
declared :Holy War" against Lesbians
and Gays.
· T1ie Washington Post described 'The
Gay Agenda"-as, "Men in G-strings
gyrate to pulsating music on the back
of a flatbed truck rolling slowly down
an American street. Bare-breasted
women parade by children sitting on
their parents' shoulders. A medical
doctor explicitly describes what he
says are the . unhealthy sexual acts
practiced by homosexuals."
The official viewings of ''The Gay
Agenda" are "a 'disgusting and outrageous
misuse of taxpayer time and
mo_ney," said Am1 Northrop, executive
clirector of GLEMC and former
CBS producer . "We will fight the
religious right with an information
campaign fo show America that
attacks on Gays and Lesbians are
attacks on human clignily and
freedom."
"The Gay Agenda" video was
. produced by the Springs of Life
. charismatic Christian church in
Lancaster, Calif., the same church that
made news for re-ordaining Jim
Baker . after he had been accused of
stealing rriillions of dollars from
unsuspecting followers. The tape was
· GE sells aerospace division
INFACT calls off GE boycott
AFTER SEVEN years of growing
public pressure, General Electric, th e
corporate giant which owns NBC-TV
ai\d sells home appliances, decided to
get rid of its nuclear weapons division
- despite the fact that it was a
moneymaker.
INF ACT, .the international corporate
accountability group that waged a
seven year boycott of the General
Electric Co. declared victory on
Friday, April 2, when GE closed the
sale of-its aerospace division to Martin
Marietta . "GE has reacted to the
concerns of millions of people," said
INF ACT Executive Director Elaine
QUOTABLE
"Your silence will not
protect you."
-Audre Lorde
, . []J Second Stone-May/June, 1993
Lamy, who called for an end to the
boycott.
Over 4 million individuals and 500
organizations _worldwide . joined the
boycott launched by INFACT, the
-group best known for its effective
1984 boycott of Nestle, which forced -
that company to change its unethical
mark eting of infant formula in
developing countries.
"Clearly, the success of the GE
boycott shows that grassroots efforts
can mak e a difference," said Lamy. In
just over two · years, GE's medical
division lost more than -$50 million in
medical e.quipment sales. The pressur
e on GE increased last year when
INFACT won an Academy Award for
_its hard hitfing documentary,
"Deadly Deception: General Electric,
. Nuclear Weapons, ·anu Our Environment.
" Countless TV viewers -worldwide
were urged to ·"Boycott GE"
during the Oscars.
Included among the 500 organizations
that endorsed the boycott are
Methodist Federation for Social
Action, New Jewish Agenda, the
Gray Panthers, and Clergy and Laity
Concerned.
released last October, with thousands
of copies delivered lo Oregon and
Colorado in time for those states'
anti-gay initiatives. The tape is
endorsed and promoted by Pal
Robertson's Christian Coalition, and is ·
sold for $13.95 over Robertson's "700
Club" cable show.
The Rev. Jerry Sloan of Sacramento
told T11e Latest Issue, "Our community
· does not take the film seriously
enough: We don't see ourselves in
the film," he sa'id and therefore do not
think anyone could take it seriously.
"I've seen films like this before," ·Rev.
Sloan continued . ''But this is sensa'
tional because this video was willingly
and enthusiastically accerted
and distributed by the Pentagon .
GLEMC produced "Hate, Lies and
Videotape" to expose and counter the
fear-mongering tactics of the Far
Right. It contains compelling compar- ·
isons between 'The Gay Agenda"
COMMENT ARY From Page 3
th e greatest country in the world has
already achieved its status · as the
modern day Sodom & Gomorrah .
We have not arrived at this turning
point because of sexuality issues but
rather because in the 1980's we
duplica ted the sins that spelled the
downfall of Sodom. "Now this was the
sin of your sister Sodom: She .and h er
daughters were arrogant, overfed,
and · unconcerned; they did not help
the · poor and needy ;" (Ezekiel 1(,:49.
NIV) Arrogant - overfed . - unconcerned
.... sounds a · lot like the "me
·first" attitude that prevailed in the
Reagan era.
and propaganda tactics of the Ku Klux
Klan and the German Nazi movemen,.
The tape also contains dramatic
footage of gay-bashing victims
and their attackers. Copies of the
tape were distributed to the Joint
Chiefs of Staff and the · major
television networks, with more copies
slated for distribution to the U.S.
Congress .
Loretta Ross, program director of the
Center for Democratic Renewal,
underscored GLEMC's contention that
the religious right, whlch sparked
campaigns against Jews and Blacks, is
engaged in a campaign of bigotry
against Gays. "When you're talking
about the Christian Coalition, you're
talking about the ones [Klan members]
that don't wear the sheets."
For more information about GLEMC
and the videotapes, contact GLEMC,
(212)229-2863, 39 West 14th St ., #402,
New York, NY 10011.
from the same sins specified in
Ezekiel, our great land may indeed
be doomed. We need to learn to care
about others and their needs . We
have to realize that many peopl e are
in trouble and we who are better off
are required to help them. We, as
the wealthy nation we are, need to
get concerned, squelch ciur arrogance,
· ai1d share our abundance.
Mr. Falwell, you · are correct: We
must not allow our .country to fall any
further into the Sodom & Gomorral1
pit. But to prevent that from happening
we must first recogniz e the
"Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:
She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed,
and unconcerned; they did not help the poor
and needy ." (Ezekiel 16:49 NIV) Arrogant -
overfed - unconcerned .. . sounds a lot like the
"me first " attitude that prevailed in the
Reagan era.
Consider the possibilites that exist
. for change ... change for the better if
we recognize that according to
scripture the true sin of Sodom &
Gomorrah was that they were the
original yuppies , "Me and mine ...
but none for thine!" ''The homeless
want to be that way!" "But I have bills
to pay ... I can't help anyone out!"
There is always an excuse. And I'm
sure that the residents of Sodom &
Gomorrah has theirs too.
Yes; Mr. Falwell, I too believe that
Sodom & Gomorrah is at hand. · I
· think that as a country where the
majority claim to follow the teachings
of Christ and the scriptures we need
to recognize that if we do not turn
true sin_s ai1d then join together to
heal our errors. Continuing to dispense
a very opinionated interpretation
of the story of Sodom &
Gomorrah will not bring us together
tis Christians, nor .will it ever prevent
those true sins from being dup1icated.
Jerry, why don't you do the same
thing that many of us out here who
are gay have done. . Go into your
closet, shut .the door, get down on
your knees, and in faith ask God to
. provide understanding . The answer .
will give you either affirmation that
you are correct or a whole new
outlook.
We are told to trust in God, not in
man. I trust the answer I received.
- .
Centennial observance of original worldwide interfaith dialogue
Chicago hosts Parliament of World's Religions
LEADERS REPRESENTING man y of
th e world 's religions and interfaith
groups will gather in Chicago later
this year for the Parliam ent of the
World 's Religions, a week-long gathering
which seeks to foster cooperation
among the world 's religious
communities and institutions .
Th e conclave, which will be held
Aug. 28 - Sept. 5 at the Palmer House
Hotel in downtown Chicago and at
other sites throughout the city, marks
the centennial of the first World's
Parliament of Religions held in
Chicago in September, 1893.
"At a time of increasing anxiety and
strife, interfaith dialogue offers a way
to unite people in working for peace
and the relief of suffering,'' said Rev.
Dr. David Ramage, Chairman of the
Board of Trustees of the Council for a
Parliament of the World 's Religions.
"In particular, we must work to lessen
religious conflict around the world."
The goals of the Parliament of the
World's Religions'are to promote understanding
and cooperation among
the world 's religious communities and
institution s, assess and renew the role
of the. religions of the world in relation
to personal spiritual growth and
th e challenges facing the global community,
and develop and encourage
interfaith groups and programs which
will continue inter-religious cooperation
into the 21st century.
The Chicago observance will
.includ e thousands of people representing
all of the world's religions,
including Baha'i, Buddist, Christian
(Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican,
Protestant and others), Confucian,
Hindu, Indigenous, Jain, Jewish,
Muslim, Native Am erican, Shinto ,
Sikh, Taoist, Unitarian and Zoroa strain
. Many of the world 's spiritual
leader s will participate in t11e 1993
Parliament, inc_luding Nobel Peace
Prize winners, the Dali Lama and
Mother Teresa.
The 1893 event , held during the
Columbian .Exposition, was the first
time that representatives of the
world's major religions had ever held
a formal meeting. The first Parliament
marked the birth of the interfaith
dialogue movement in the
modern world, introduced Eastern
· religions to .the West, established
Catholicism and · Judaism as mainstr
e~m American religions, and
affirmed African-Americans and
women as spiritual leaders.
"In our time, the distinctions
betweeri community and planet seem
to have disappeared," said Daniel
Gomez-Ibanez, Council Executive
Director . • 'The health of the world
depei"lds more than ever on the
strength of communities and . their .
. ability to live in harmony. During
this summer's Parliament of the
World Religions, we are committed !o
building ways to live wisely
together ."
The Council for a Parliament of the
World's Religions is a non-profit
organization supported by more than
125 co-sponsoring organizations.
Group joins in battle for gay/lesbian ordination
WITH VIRTUALLY NO ONE in opposition,
members of the Presbyterian
Health, Education and Welfare Association
vot ed to join the front lines in
the battle for ordination rights for gay
and lesbian Presbyterians.
In giving near unanimous approval
to four resolutions relat ed to the
prolonged struggle for gay and
lesbian ordination in the Presbyterian
Church, the association brus hed aside
concern s that taking such actions
might jeopardize the association's
structural relationship with its parent
Social Justice and Peacemaking Ministry
Unit. .
A memo of understanding between
the two groups gives the association
the right to "responsible dissent"
while working within the framework
of the church's General Assembly
policy. The executive director of the
association is an employe e of the
General Assembly. The. association
receives about $80,000 from the
ministry unit's budget. .
Under ari agreement worked out
INTEGRITY, From Page 11
Bishop of Utah. A large group from
the Oasis, the gay and _ lesbian
ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of
Newark, also marched with Integrity .
When the Integrity contingent
reached the small group of anti-gay
PLGC, From Page 11
Janie Spahr's partner, read Luke 7.
Worsfoppers dedicated their offering
to the Mautner Project. Directed by
Marianne Thatcher, with-Susan Hester
as president, the project serves
lesbian women who have breast cancer.
A biblical. self defense course on
lesbian, gay and bisexual concerns
was sponsored by the National Capital
Chapter of PLGC on Saturday
preceding the March. _Led by the
betw een the association's board of
directors and SJP officials, no money
from the unit or staff time by PHEW A
executive director Rev. Mark Wendorf
will be committed to the associatiot1'
s effort to change the denomination's
ordination policy.
Prior to the vote on the resolutions,
former PHEW A interim executive
director Rev. John Scotland sketched .
the hi.story of the r elationship
between PHEW A and the denomina
tion·· and outlin~d the dangers of
takin g actions that run counter to
current General Assembly policy.
'Ther e are those in the church who
are waiting for us to make a· mistake.
If we choose to give up our life on
this, let's know it going in."
During floor ·debate , Rev. Jane
Spahr, director of a ministry v;:ith gay
and lesbian persons and their families
in San Rafael, Calif., rose and said,
'The cost to PHEW A may be 'money,
but the cost to gay and lesbian people
is death."
Laurene Lafontaine of Denver,
ptotestors across f~om the Treasury
Building on Pennsylvania Ave., the
homophobic taunts were drowned out
by "We're here, w e 're · queer, we're
Anglican, get used to it!"
Rev. Lindsay Louise Biddle, the
course examined passages commonly
used to condemn homo sexuality,
highlighted modern scholarship and
incorporated several real life scenarios
· that participants role-played. The
course attracted over 70 people from
many denominations and faith traditions.
The Rev. Biddle is a member
of th e Twin Cities Area Presbytery in
Minnesota and is a former Student
Associate at Westminster Churci1.
Colo., added "If we kow-tow on this
issue, then our commitment to justice
is empty. If we act out of fear, then
we are standing on sand . If we stand
on the rock of justice, God will take
care of us."
its board of directors to monitor the
introduction of similar legislation in
other states and to alert synods and
presbyteries in those states where
such legislation is introduced . The
In a related action, the association
approved a resolution urging the
overturning of Amendment 2 in
Colorado. The association also asked
· group also approved a resolution
supporting President Clinton's deci.
sion to / nd the ban on gay and
lesbian persons in the military.
-More flight Update/News
N
\ ~ \
\ \
Featuring '~
three key- ,
\
\
· \
\
\
I
no te sp eakers, ',
g~ea r music, spe- · ', ', This year's ConnECtion takes place in the San
c1al workshops and \
small groups where ',
you ci~ discussyourp er- ',
', Francisco Bay Area of California and runs
, from:
sonal issues as a lesbian or \
gay Christian. ',
\
\
\ Workshops include topics, like:
• Coming out
• Living with HIV/AIDS
• The "ex-gay" movement
• Dating-and relatio nships .
• Dealing with parent s and family
\
\
\
\
' \
', Friday, July 2 to Mo11day, July 5
\
\ • ', Keynote speakers:
\ • Rev. M. Mahan Sil~r, Jr.
", • Ms. Patricia V. Long
\ , , • Dr. Ralph Blair
\
\ • \ • • A great place to
• Understanding spiritualio/ and sexuality
\
\
\
• \ meet friends!
\ \
Also ... BayAreaauthorarrdcomposerJackPanraleo, • \ • \ .. will present the. musical: The Gospel According to the _ ''- __
Angel Julius! \ \
For ·more i nformation plC~se ~end
your name and address to:
.ECWR
P.O. B~x 4750, • Denver, CO 80204
ConnECcion '93 is produced by Evangelicals Concerned
Westerri Region, a non·profit 9rganizarion that positively
unites lesbian/gay-sexual!ty with Biblical Christianity.
\
•
'93
Christian visitor feels a
burden for a troubled land
INTO
AFRICA
BY P. D. STERLING
In North America we are far from
the pr_ oblems and _opporturu· ties in
South Africa. We depend upo!l
second-hand information. My
rec~nt visit was an eye-opener as
much as it was a blessing. One reason
I am so convicted of the need for
people to learn about South Africa is
that I think the problems there can
and will be · overcome. I urge everyone
to study or visit.. ,
In addition to the ongoing injustice
toward ethnic groups, there is hatred
aimed at Gays and Lesbians as well.
Recently, a gay restaurant in
Johannesburg was firebombed and
activists say rightest extremists are
responsible. The restaurant had been
the subject of intense harassment by
police, neighbors and a white supremacist
group.
To prepare for writing this article, I
called a friend who • is a native of
South Africa. They recommended a
movie called 'The Power of One," to
focus my thoughts. It was so shockingly
violent, I did not sleep well for
a couple of nights.
I am not going to discuss the movie
in depth, but you may be interested
in renting it. The plot deals with the
life of a protagonist and his unique
experiences, which raise his consciousness
to the needs _ of ·humankind.
How he develops coping skills
is the thread tha.t weaves thoughout
the story. And there isn't the happy
ending .I would like to see, but there
is an ending of strong hope for
tomorrow. The reason it bothered me
was that,: rather than being able 'to
say, "It's only a movie," I felt .
convinced the events were 100 percent
plausible and did, in fact, happen
to sqmeone, if not the characters
portray~d ..
My entire stay in South Africa was a
time of blessing, even when I was
bickering with my host. The first
cultural opportunity I had was with
language differences. I got a sml!ll
book to learn a few words of
Afrikaans. When I arrived in
Durban I found that the province of
Natal is the most British of the four
and I did not need to know any
Afrikaans. Then my host informed
me I had been billeted in a neighbor's
home, to act as house-sitter
'while they were away. I'm not
underfoot, can come and go, and I
have two · domestic workers to cook
and care for my clothes. Ah, but they
don't speak English!
People who know me understand
what I mean when I say I don't intend
to spend several weeks of grunting
and pointing as a means of communication.
Immediately, I began learning
basic words and phrases in Zulu.
For instance, I learned that when you
leave home you say "Sala Kahle," but
the one you are leaving behind
replies, ''Hamba Kahle." .
Regardless of the language struggle,
I have many happy memories. My
first day trip from Durban was to the
Valley of a Thousand Hills, where I
~wewcwwwowoo wo,vw;w
M>tMtOM at oooco ee1tt o♦ :Nl>Mea O!Mt\lG>ertOQ . '
L8.SJeco ndS tone-May/June1, 993
got my first opportunity to witness.
I met two Christians who operate a
small restaurant by the side of a busy
highway (most highways are busy,
given the relative lack of interstatetype
roads.) They related information
about their small prayer circle, and
asked Rev. Joan Wakeford to come for
services in their area, 25 miles out in
· the hills.
A two-day retreat to the
Drakensberg was one highlight of
my trip . Since I didn't know exactly
how far it was, it seemed like an
interminable drive, maybe 125 miles
from Durban. We stayed at the
Royal Natal National Park for two
nights .
Another cultural experience was
learning about the Ned Kerk, as the
Dutch Reformed Church or Neder
·duits Gereformeerde Kerk, is called.
It is the most prevalent in three
provinces other than Natal (Cape,
Orange Free State, Transvaa~.) Of
course, there are more Anglicans in
Natal. Unfortunately, I got the impression
that these denominations
have the same problems as others
world-wide.
Some are so institutionalized, they
no longer respond to individual
needs, and many free churches, small
prayer circles and show-biz fellowships
have been organized. The
group I visited inDurban was a small
prayer circle. At the time I was there,
it was all women. However, I have
received ·word that they have been
successful in expanding to new
. people of both genders.
Just before my arrival, the first ever
gay pride march in Durban took
place. The concept of 100 men and .
women marching for gay rights, in a
city the same size as Daflas, was
noted with surprise by many - 23
years after Stonewall!
In Johannesburg, I had .the privilege
to atten.d GCBJGCC. You have to get
used to all acronyms in Afrikaans/
English. The gay Christian community
is a full-fledged congregation with
about sixty in services when I
attended. Their services are bilingual,
aithough the sermon is in
English three out of four Sundays. I
felt at home and at ease, though I was
too self conscious to sing very loudly
in Afrikaans. I didn't know if my host
would be kind about my hatcl1eting
his native language.
The group has a professional
approach to their worship committee,
drawing fro!ll local talent. in various
' denominations. The Sunday I was
there, , a Major from their local Salvation
Army brought a warm and
· stirring message of the all-inclusive
love of God.
Later, I visited Methodist and Ned
Kerk bookshops as wejl as secular
booksellers. Nothing by Boswell,
Kushner, Mollenkott, Pennington, or
Perry. I didn't expect a wide selection,
but was surprised to see nothing
at all. For this reason, I have been
appealing for donations of books on
theology, philosophy and grief
management. Some folks in Africa
may be bilingual, but they are still
bound by a literal translation of
Romans 1 and can't break away.
I made a point to visit the
Voortrekker Monument. It is awesome,
indescribable in a few words.
It tells the history of Afrikaner people
and can give you a sense of their
struggle. Voortrekker is usually translated
as pioneer, however, that does
not adequately compare or contrast
the pioneers of the American West
with those of Southern Africa.
As citizens in a federal republic, I
sometimes think people in the United
States have no ken of what it means
to be tribal. People in South Africa
are tribal. This means their first
Joy alty is to family and tribe. They
may feel some sense of national
loyalty, but they are often far
removed from national differences.
Most official signs one might read in
public are bilingual, in Afrikaans and
English. However, I noticed that
signs put up by individuals were in
English and Zulu. In the Post Office,
I noticed posters were in Afrikaans,
English, Shona, Sotho, Venda, Xhosa
and Zulu plus a couple of languages I
· couldn't figure out.
To understand the political climate,
one must recognize that Mr.
Buthulezi heads the Zulus and Mr.
Mandela heads the Xhosas. These are
the largest black tribes. Most members
of these groups are not well
educated. In a general election today,
they would merely vote in blocs, on
advice of their leaders. The possibilites
for unethical manipulation
are unlimited. Various people claim
to lead the Afrikaners, however I
don't think anybody can claim
leadership of the English. For this
reason, it is difficult to establish
coalitions needed for national government.
In 'The Power of One," part of the
plot line deals with the legend of the
rainmaker. The rainmaker is one
who is able to bring the rain, to cool
the earth as well as its peoples, and to
help people of all tribes live together
in harmony.
My concern is more about a
predatory bird called the lammergeyer.
This is araptor, large enough
to snatch away a lamb, and is the
South African equivalent of the North
American coyote. I see the forces of
evil in the world snatching away
blessings for S.outh Africans, and feel
that political solutions will _ never
really work. _ The Spirit of God is the
ohly force which can heal the tension.
I hope to enlist people I meet to feel
a burden for world missions and for
South Africa ill particular. Perhaps
somewhere in our missions, we will
come across a rainmaker for that
nation.
P. D. Ster/ins is director of Silent
Harvest Ministries. He may be contacted
at Box 190511, Dallas, TX
75219-0511.
'' I haven't had sex with anyone
since December '84," an
attractive gay man remarked
to me recently. "It just isn't
worth the risk."
Perhaps unwittingly, a major
consequence of the AIDS tragedy in
gay culture has been an awakening
of what might be called spiritual concerns.
AIDS has resulted for many
gay people in a premature acquaintance
with death and a consciousness
of the importance of serving the sick
and the needy. Such awareness of
the fragility and transitoriness of life
has long been considered a foundation
for spiritual development.
The fact is that, regardless of what
miracle cures may be found in the
future, AIDS has changed gay life.
The "ol' days" are never coming back.
And the generation that championed
them is growing older and with
aging sex has a way of naturally
becomi11g less important. But there
has always been more to gay life than
sex.
"I've practically become a monk,"
the attractive gay man continued .
As a former 'monk' myself, having
been • 'like a·•disproportionately large
percentage of gay men and women -
in Catholic religious life for several
years after high school, I was especially
sensitive to his meaning. For .
many years I've noticed that among
openly gay people, especially activists,
there have been a surprising
number of ex-religious. It makes
sense, of course; the gay movement
has almost always been one of
abstract principles of justice and
fairplay, and the thankless devotion
demanded by being open, resem_bles
pure religious zeal. (During the late
'70s, when hooded sweatshirts were
an integral_part -oUhe gay costume, al
least on Castro Street, it seemed like
deep-seated monastic tendencies were
showing up in fashion.)
Today, "celibacy," a word imported
from the monastic tradition, has become
current among gay men to
mean the decision not to be sexually
active. Because we've grown up with
Christian sex-negative attitudes, we
tend to see "celibacy" as a great
sacrifice . . But for homosexuals of the
past, it may often have seemed like a
real escape. from social pressures and
a wonderful opportunity to develop
personal interests. (For some today,
like the sexually inactive _man I was
talking with, "celibacy" may seem
like a real escape from life-threatening
pressures.)
Technically, celibacy does not mean
abstaining from sex. In terms of
Catholic religious life, celibacy (the
Gay People as -
Monks &
· Mystics
BY TOBY JOHNSON
obligation imposed by the vow of
chastity and by ordination) is the obligation
not to marry. -Of course, since
that tradition taught that sex should
only be enjoyed within marriage,
celibacy de facto excluded sexual activity,
including masturbation. Certainly
that tradition was (and is)
sex-negative, BUT the emphasis in
celibacy was not avoiding sex but on
avoiding marriage and family:
Priests, monks, and nuns were
enjoined to celibacy out of the observation
that spiritual ideals were more
likely to flourish freed from the
dreams of the cycle of coupling and
reproduction. (Could Jesus, for instance,
have maintained his integrity
and risked crucifixion if he'd had a
wife and kids?) The .spiritual insight
is that family values are deceptive -
important, yes, but ultimately incomplete;
the truth is that life is fleeting,
immortality through offspring illusory,
and material success is just dust
in the wind. Celibacy and its sister
virtue, poverty, were intended to pro-_
pel the spiritually-minded mdividual
outside the concerns of normalcy.
Historically, monasticism probably
developed, in part, to provide a place
for people . who 'didn't belong,' who
had little or no interest in marrying
and having children. In the Dark
Ages, the clan/family (with the
economic strength of primogeniture)
was the center of everything. In the
agrarian economy beset with constant
warfare, offspring were everything.
Men and worrien who didn'.t feel
sexually driven lei marry and have
children - who with insight we might
guess were homqsexual - needed a
place iii sodety.
The monastery and convent gave
them a legitimate role in society-- in ·
many -cases doing what gay people
are still · espedally good at; teaching .
children, i1ursing the sick, counseling
the troubled, developing philosophical
insights, brewing liqueurs,
creating .art, and defining sensibilities
and tastes·-. and providing them with
an opportunity to develop same-sex
communal relationships . It should
not be surprising that in a world that
by our standards was pretty hung-up
on sex, these relationships would not
be defined as sexual. At the same
time, _the status of "non-breeders"
allowed the monks a spiritual/
philosophical perspective, a critical
stance, on society fro·m which - at least
in theory - they could lead the masses
in constructive direction (by developing
universities, for instance.)
In the book Ordi11ary People as
Mo11ks and Mystics, northern Californian
organizational psychologist
Marsha Sinetar presents a contemporary
reevaluation of the
monastic identity. From interviews
with modern day individuals who've
opted out of the mainstream to live
simple, ordered, perhaps solitary, but
contributive lives, she distinguishes
two motivations for choosing such an
unconventional lifestyle. These
correlate with the terms in her title:
monks and mystics.
The monks choose to free
\hemselves of the pressure of financial,
material - and sexual - pursuit.
The mystics choose, in addition, to
facilitate heightened aesthetic sensibilities
ariccrri lfcal'stani:e on reality .
(Obviously', there is ·overlap between
the two.) Though the people Sinetar
interviewed chose, rather un-monklike,
to live alone, such like-minded
individuals might join together -
permanently or occasionally - in
loose-knit community to support one
another in a life of simplicity and
consciousness development.
Sinetar reminds us that simplicity of
life, solitude, and silence have long
· aided individuals in confronting the
significant spiritual issues raised by
personal isolation and the realization
of impermanence and mortality . In
very rough fashion, her categories
correlate with major changes in gay
life; the shift in sexual and relationship
patterns and the concern
with death and spiritual matters.
Perhaps the tragedy of AIDS
demands a major reevaluation of
modern society with all its sexual
demands, skewed values, pathogenic
. pre.ssures ; a11d health-threatening
emotional stress. Perhaps it might _
··make-some of us ready to retire from
the world in an age~old tradition and
se.ek a simpler, saner life, "'
For those of us who were;religious
in our youths (even though, often,
our real motive was to avoid having
to deal with heterosexuality) monastic
life may still be appealing. I think an
awful lot of us would really like to go
back if we could bring our gay
identities and sophistication with us
SEE MONKS, Page 20
. Second Stone•MaylJune, 1993 [I]
'- .
T Cover Story T ............................................................. . • ......... .
-.Marching toward freedom
From Page 1
and moderator of the Universal Fellowship
of Metropolitan .Community
Churches; his lover; Philip; Rev. Paul
Sherry, president · of the United
Church of Christ; and his wife, Mary .
The crowd stretched as far as I could
see, engulfing the Washington Monument.
Tears came tomy eyes.
I felt like I was also standing with
my gay male friends who had died of
AIDS and my earliest lesbian friends .
who had been imprisoned in mental
hospitals to be "cured" of homosexuality.
So many of us once lived in
hiding. So many of us once believed
we were sinners. So many of us once
thought 'Tm the only one in the
world ." The shame and pain of that
isolation melted and · were replaced
by this new image: Marching , to -·
gether, a million strong.
"This is the defining moment ·in
· history for us," Rev. Perry said many
times that weekend . "I look out today
and think, we truly are the rainbow
tribe . We're the minority that comes
in all colors. We realize that prejudice
still exists in our culture, but
we gladly challenge such prejudice
rather than retreat into the shadows of
despair and ignorance. We will not
be stopped as we take our rightful
place as · children of America and
children of God."
The only other denomination heads
al the March were Rev . Sherry and
Rev. William Schultz, president of the
Unitarian Universalist Association.
Both spoke at a Sunday morning
communion service at the Lincoln
Memorial, sponsored by UFMCC.
"We want to share with you, yes,
your anger and your pain, but also
your shimmering expectation of God's
future," Rev. Sherry sai.d to more
than 1,000 worshipers gathered that
morning. "We commit ourselves to
walk the walk with you and talk the
talk with you until justice flows down
like a mighty river."
Rev. ,William Schultz proclaimed,
'The dam is breaking, freedom is
coming, and we're all here.to give it a
push.' '. Many other speakers made
similar statements throughout the
weekend, but the words · always
seemed fresh and poignant ·coming
from people who had lived by them.
Thousands from the lesbian and
gay religious community were visible
at the March and the more than 300
related events. The official schedule
included gatherings of Lutherans,
Presbyterians, Unitarians, UCCers
and Radical Faeries, as well as many
interfaith worship services and Jewish
shabbat and Havdallah services.
Religious groups, number 44 in the
marching order, all met at noon
· 001 _s~μ~ Stone•May/Jun~, 1993· ·
Sunday in the same area under the
hot sun near the Washington Monument
to wait to join the March. This
may well have been the largest
. gathering ever of lesbian and gay
people of faith, with at least 3,000 of
us.
At ten minutes past noon, a voice
called from the morning stage, "We
are marching! One ·million queers
take over D.C.!" The crowd began to
dance as music played, "You gotta
have faith in the power of love." This
was just one of countless times during
the weekend when the language of
faith was used by secular and political
leaders. Religious leaders also used
political language, focusing especially
'This is the defining moment in history for
us," Rev. Perry said many times that weekend.
"I look out today and think, we truly
are the rainbow tribe. We're the minority
that comes in all colors... We will not be
stopped as we take our rightful place as
childrett of America and children of God."
on .fighting the religious right .and
lifting the ban on Lesbians and Gays
in the U.S. military. The gathering of
religious groups was like a huge
party, where people milled, mingled
and met countless friends and colleagues
for four hours before it was
our tum to marcl1. The last marchers
strode past the White House at 6:00
p.m.
Joy was the prevailing emotion, but
much justifiable anger was expressed
during the weekend, too . Larry
Kramer, founder of ACT UP, was the
most voca l critic of the government's
failure to take action. At one point,
hundreds of marchers dropped to the
sidewalk in front of. the White House
for a seven-minute "die in" symbolizing
the tradedy of AIDS. The
crowd booed when it was announced
that the U.S. Park Service estimated
that only 300,000 people attended the
March. Arguments over actual attendance
will continue for weeks.
The main counter-protestors of the
March were, as usual, a handful of
Christian fundamentalists . Marcl1ers
w,:ilked past them, responding · with
chants such as "Stop the hate!"
Overall, the March was peaceful, with
police reporting only four arrests.
In addition to the March itself, the
event that touched me most deeply
was "The Wedding;" a massive
blessing of relationships and de!llonstration
for the civil rights of lesbian
and gay couples. An estimated 8,000
people attended the April 24 event,
including 2,100 couples who registered
to receive certificates. Since The
Wedding was sponsored by UFMCC,
I ,had been involved in planning it for
five months. Still, ·I was overwhelmed
by the solemnity and joy of
seeing thousands of lesbian and gay
couples pledge their love. I felt
deeply honored to meet couples
UFMCC found through a nationwide
search for the longest lesbian and gay
relationships: Kay .Thompson, 69 · and
Bob!,ie-Smith, 69, of Tampa, Florida,
, together 33 years; and Du.sty Keyes,
66, and Jim Busby, 71, of Arlington,
Virginia, together 46 years . I was
delighted when couples spontaneously
chalked their names on the
street, encircled by hearts - a childhood
ritual from which we were
excluded. .
As I reflect on the March, the words
- of Psalm 118 come to me: 'The stone
which the builders rejected has become
the head of the corner. This is
God's doing; it is .marvelous in our
eyes. This is the day which God has
made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Rev. Kittredge Cherry is U.S.
National Ecumenical Officer for the
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches. .
.. • ," -- :- - - :- :- - .- - - • r - ,
\
.. •O◄ffi•~iffi;JH=l•HPbJ-1=0Hdl•Hsishop
Jane Holmes Dixon leads Eucharist
Integritym emberst urn out
THE RT. REV. JANE Holmes Dixon,
Suffragan Bishop of Washington,
celebrated and preached at a Eucharist
sponsored by Integrity /Washington
on April 23 as part of the
March on Washington activities. Gay
and J.esbian Episcopalians came from
all parts of the country to attend the
March. Bishop Dixon, the second female
bishop in the Episcopal Church,
USA and the third woman Anglican
bishop worldwide, preached a strongly
supportive sermon which was
frequently interrupted with the usually
un-Anglican sound of "Amen!"
St. Thomas Church near Dupont
Circle was filled beyond capacity and
numerous people stood throughout
the service. The bishop began her
sermon by telling of the support she
received in coming to the Integrity
service from the diocesan bishop, the
Rt. Rev. Ronald H. Haines. She also
said that while having tea at the St.
Thomas Rectory prior to the service,
she wondered, "Was this a new
beginning for the Church of God?
There we sat in Jim Holmes· rectory: a
woman bishop and an openly gay
priest. Tl1ank God!" She was interrupted
.with sustained applause.
. The day of the March, many
Integrity members joined for Eucharist
at the historic St. John's Church,
across Lafayette Square from the
White House. · At the march, members
of 27 of Integrity's 70 chapt ers
marched with Integrity, while
members of at least 20 other chapters
marched with their state or other
affinity groups. About 30 ordained
Integrity members were part of the
group, most wearing clerical collars.
Also marching separately were
students from the Episcopal Divinity
School irt Cambridge, Mass., the
church's most gay /lesbian-friendly
seminary. Marching with them was
their retiring dean and president, the
Rt. Rev. Otis Charles, sometime
SEE INTEGRITY, Page 7
Prer ~.ring to march with Integrity, left to right, Ernest Clay, life partner of
D;. !..auie Crew, Dr. Crew, founder of Integrity and professor at Rutgers
University, the Rt. Rev. Otis Charles, bishop and Dean of the Episcopal
Divinity School, the Rev. Barry Stopfel, ordained as an openly gay man
in 1991 and recently elected Rector of St. George's Church, Maplewood,
N.J., and the Rev. David Norgard, ordained as an_ openly gay man in
1984 and Executive Director of the Oasis, the lesbian/gay ministry of the
Diocese of Newark
Presbyterians march to a new tune
PRESBYTERIANFSO R LESBIANa nd
Gay Concerns (PLGC) were well represented
at the March on Washington.
Members, elders, deacons and ministers
from across the Presbyterian
Church (USA) rallied with songs,
"Jesus Loves Me" and "We Are A
Gentle Angry People." They also
sang a familiar hymn with fresh
lyrics:
uO nward Cl1ristians oldiers, marching
for gay_r ights,
From the mainstream
With · (he cfos~4 J~sus, briif~ing forth
more light. ·
Like a royal banner, leads us on the way,
Forward• intoj ustice, lesbian, bi, gay."
The Rev. Janie Spahr, a Presbyterian
lesbian evangelist, preached
prededing ·the March at Westminster
Presbyterian Church in Washington.
Hundre ·ds of worshipers gathered
with thti More Light congregation .to
hear her sermon, "Celebrating - Com0
ing Out/Coming In/Coming Home."
The F.ev. Spa& was recently denied
by the denomination 's highest court
from serving as co-pastor of the
Downtown . United Presbyterian
Church in Rochester, New York.
Westminster 's pastor, the Rev.
• Jeanne MacKenzie, and Elder Charlie
Hunnicutt welcomed visitors to the
service. Members Bob Yeargan, Ron
Willett, Jeff Mintzer and Charlie
Bishop-sang Rhea's arrangement of
the "One Hundredth Psalm," electri-
Religious leaders s·upported March
REPRESENTATIVEOS F THE nation's
religious community were supportive
of the March on Washington -for Lesbian,
Gay and Bi Equal Rights and
Liberation held in Washington on
April 25. _
A spokesperson for the Evangelical
Lutheran Chutch in America said that.
the ELCA had committed itself to
in its support for civil rights and in its
solidarity with those who have. too
long endured the burden of fear,
ignorance, hatred and . violence_. . We
strongly supporf the Mar_cI1.. . in the
hope that the day will soon come
when all.Americans will enjoy equal0
ly the rights of their citizenship." ·
"particpate in God's mission by advo~ Rabbi Lynne F. Landsberg of the
eating dignity and justice" for all peo- Union of American Hebrew Cpt;1greple.
Kay Dowhower said the ELCA gations .discussed the need for- relsupported
the Civil Rights '.Amend- igious people everywhere to , fight
ment Act for Gay and Lesbian Civil discrimination against Lesbians !Ind
Rights. "We urge swift passage of Gays, particularly in the mirfrary,
this legislation. We look .upon the _ saying, "We recognize that religious
March on Washington as one way:in antag9pism_ towards homosexuals has
which }hose supportive of the' civil cqnttibuted to the acceptance of antirights
for all persons, regar-dless of gay bias, but ju~.t as such acts of hate
sexual orientation, can join together to . have no place in. communities of faith,
support one another in that effort." -- neither may we tolerate them in the
Robert F. Glover of the Christian centr?l institutions of our national
Church (Disciples of Christ) agreed,,, ✓- life .. : Yet our country, founded upon
saying 'The church stands firm today -· · the ideals of equality and democracy,
obstinately adheres to the tactics of a
totalitarian regime ... We are here
today to say, _loudly and clearly, that
the real traditional values of
American life - if not always of Amer-·
ican history - are those of freedom,
liberty and equality.
Robert A. Alpern, Director of the
Washington Office of the Unitarian
Universalist Association of Congregations
in North America, spoke of
the long history of many religious
groups in support of gay and lesbian
rights, saying, "After passage of the .
anti-civil rights initiative in Colorado,
the Unitarian Universalist General
Assembly Planning Committee withdrew
its reservation for the $3 million
1997 General Assembly in Colorado.
So it is in this spirit... that we have for
months urged Unitarian Universalists
from across the ·continent to come to
Washington and joi11-this historic
manifestation to reverse the cruel
fying the crowd with · their harmony
and use of female pronouns for God.
The Rev. Bob Davidson, pastor of
West Park Church, New York, read a
portion of the Second Helvetic Confession.
Elder Robin Alexander read
Exodus 14 and 15. Elder Mark Palermo,
Co-Moderator of the More Light
Churches Network, read Romans 8.
The Rev. Coni Staff of the UFMCC,
SEE PLGC, Page 7
discrimination practiced agafr1st 25
million or more of our relatives,
friends and others we do not know.
Billy Hileman, National .Co-Chair of
the March, expressed his gratitude to
the religious community fof,!their
support in an ,emotional statement,
saying "While more than 100 organizatfons
have already endorsed the
March, this support from the religious
community is perhaps the !llOSt
heartening to ·us. Our .community
has a dual relationship with religion -
at the same time some religious
groups have been sowing the seeds of
hatred that result in harassment and
even death for some of us, many of us
have also turned to religious organizations
to sustain our spiritual lives.
So it is with great emotion that we
welcome all people of faith to our
fight for full civil rights. ·
VOLUNTEER often lose sight of the role I play in
· this drama.
. · "Y 011 know, I was sitting .;n the kitchen
0 Ows THE CA
.L earlyonSaturdaywaitingonaride,and F LL · . · L suddenly it hit me. This is what my life
has been reduced to: sitting here waiting
·on someone else to take me to the
OF His HEART S/1riner's Cirt11s."
.
_ Th,s is a function of poverty; grown
men who have been robbed of
BY J. RUSSELL KIEFFER
control. To whom did Jesus speak
when he said, "Blessed are you who
are poor?" The Hebrew word for
poor was ani, which, among other
things, referred to those who are
without clout, those who are helpless
and easily exploited; men, women,
children, lovers, Christians, and
.grandparents who are dying from a
pandemic called AIDS. Blessed are
they.
"A patlz with lzeart is one that we feel
called to take. Tlze sense of being called
can come fronz tile quiet, inner voice of
our own yearnings, or from a loud,
insistent one that challengesu s from the
newscast of a pulpit, from the curses of
the downtrodden, or tlze waiting of a
child." - Passion For Life
lam not certain if it was a sincere
desire to serve, or -the fear of
having to find a "real" job that led
me on a path with heart . Nonetheless,
the decision to work as a
fulltime volunteer is part of my deliberate
journey, and its realness has
been a progenitor of fear.
As a college sh.1dent in a
conservative southeastern town in
New Mexico, I decided that the year
after my graduation would be spent
in service to those in need . After
many months of research, I applied to
the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. and was
accepted to the program. - ·
The JVC is a nationwide organization
likened to a domestic Peace
Corps. The volunteer Works in an
agency that would not otherwise be
able to afford a full-time staff person.
He or she lives in a four to seven
member community with fellow
volunteers, and must be committed to
work for social change. Additionally,
the volunteer lives on an $85 monthly
shpend and is asked to explore
spiritual issues.
Through a process of elimination,
impetuous decision making, and a
strong sense of calling, I wound up in
Buffalo, New York, where I would
Work in a residence for those dying,
or rather, living with AIDS:
"When something goes wrong in life,
you can always go on a diet, or get your
hair done or buy yourself some new
clotlze.s.. anything to makey ourselfl ook
better. Only I can't d0 that. I can eat
'ti II tlie cows come' home and· never gain a
pound. So I decided to put everything
into my job, until I lost it. Bu,t time
heals all wounds you_ know. Only it
doesn'tb ecausel don't havea ny time. .."
Walk into Benedict House and just
listen. The voice of the past speaks
clearly in the mellow croak of nineteenth-
century wooden floors. Enlivening
stained glass, intricately
fashioned woodwork, and a towering
brick turret join in the genteel
serenade to a Victorian yesteryear.
Where are your tired? Where are rm Second Stone-May/Jm1e1, 993
l. _ . _,
your poor?
Walk into Benedict House and open
your eyes. Behold the contradiction .
Love is in the air. This is where we
eat well, sleep well, recreaie well and
pray well. This is where we come to
live with AIDS when there is no place
else to go; this is where ·the justice is
served; this is where we wiH probably
die;
Tony came to Benedict House in the
early faUfrom a local hospital. Gaunt
and withdrawn, he was literally
dropped on the door step by his family.
Here he waited for his belongings,
his clothing - his familiarity. He
was eventually dressed in the clothes
of a man who died at our house
The only reason Al ever came to
Buffalo was because he slept through
the stop in Rochester. One city is as
good as another when you have
nowhere to live. After spending
several weeks in a detox unit trying
to kick a chronic alcohol problem, Al
came to live at Benedict House. -On
Thanksgiving day, I spent the
morning taking Al to the airpor!'to
greet his mother. We were well on
The author, right, counsels . a client at Benedict House in Buffalo, New York
before Tony even came here to live.
He remained a quiet resident and
didn't require much more than
. chocolate candy and the company of
his favorite stuffed animal. Tony
never saw his wife and children
again., He died in late February and
was cremated without a service or
funeral. The only acknowledgement
of Tony's life or death was is a small
·memorial service in our house chapel.
Here are the poor.
One function of my job includes
coordinating resident activities. I
our way when I discovered that not
only did Al not know what time his
mother was arriving, he had also
failed to find out ori what airline she
would be flying and in which
terminal the plane would be landing.
While waiting on Al to find his
mother, vactioners got in and out of
our van, mistaking me for the guy
from the Holiday Inn. Al had only
lived here for two weeks when we
discovered more than 50 empty
king-sized liquor bottles in his
bedroom. How can you encourage a
man to sober up when he probably
won't see next Thanksgiving? Here
are the !ired.
On Valentine's day the Girl Scouts
brought cookies and candy over to
the house. John politely welcomed
the 10 year-old philanthropists by
saying, "Hi, my name is John. I have
AIDS. Thank you for the goodies ...
we'll eat all of you up ... I have
demenita you know!"
"T11sea ddestt hing aboutl iving in this
place is the size of this bed, because I
.know there's no way two people could
everf it in it! Now don't get me wrong. ..
it's just that when you have AIDS people
don't really want to touch you anymore.
And I miss tlzal."
As director of volunteer" services it
is my responsibility to integrate tl~e
neighboring community into our
community; to, in the words of Victor
Frankl, remind others that "man finds
meaning by creating a work or doing
a deed, by experiencing something or
encountering someone, or through
the attitude we _take toward unavoidable
suffering;" to encourage
others to take part in what Tolstoy
deems "the transfiguration of ·suf-
. fering ."
All is not loss, though, and here we
are among the living. My greatest
lesson from those who -are dying is
learning how to live. Benedict House
is a place of joy, where all are
accepted. Here is where members of
the gay community come to share in
the .comraderie . _the-y - create; to
remember their pasts, celebrate the
present, and discover the future.
Greg was living in Florida when
his parents brought him, kicking and
screaming, to Buffalo. He had been
arrested there after walking outside
one night in his underwear. He was
institutionalized, heavily drugged,
and given electric shock treatment.
No one realized that he had PML, a
neurological disorder associated with
AIDS which generates lesions on the
brain and causes rapid dementia.
Greg was a 4.0 graduate from a local
university and had two degrees. The
world could be his. Instead, he wears
Christmas ornaments on his ears and
thinks he's going to have a baby.
I believe that _ when Jesus would
touch the lives of broken people, he
used his own mortality for a basis of
relation. He would ·touch others with
his humanity, and in the context of
humanness, something devine
occurred. We have all been left that
legacy. We are all called to create
divinity out of our brokenness and in
our humanity. The faith response is
not sp much a yes or no to a fact, but
a yes or no to a process of living
within a mystery that is always more
knowable. To live with this understanding
is to constantly discover new
sources of strength, new sources of
hope, new ways and reasons to be,
even in the midst of. laughter or
tragedy.
In the Gospel of the woman at
the well, we encounter two people
from completely different
worlds. They cross each other's
paths in their journeys and make a
substantial difference in each other's
lives. Jesus, a tired , thirsty traveler,
stops for water, rest, and so~tude at
Jacob's Well before resummg his
journey and mission of teaching about
the life of the Spirit and the worlds
beyond and within. While Jesus
rests a Samaritan, a woman, arrives.
She ~eems to be bent solely on fulfilling
her concrete daily tasks in her
realistic world-at-hand. Jesus breaks
all cultural rules of the times and
talks to this Samaritan woman and
asks her; somewhat bluntly, for a
drink of water. · She, being a Samaritan
and taught to iiespise Jews, could
easily have refused his ·request, but
instead, she complies, perhaps irritably,
but generously. He _sees her
openness to generosity as a_n
opportunity to touch her soul. Their
conversation is one of banter, challenges,
and answers. Both vacillate
between arrogance and gentleness.
He is touched by her steadfast
stances, her spunk and spontaneity,
and her undaunted longing for liberation
and a more meaningful life.
She is touched not only by Jesus
knowing her personal past, but _ by
his nonjudgme11tal statements and
penchant for seeing deeper meanings.
He learns that he must see each
person as unique and he must respect
and welcome challenges as valid, in
order for his message to be fully
heard and in·_ order to fully relate.
She learns to see deeper meanings
and becomes a vehicle for furthering
not only her own person~! ~nd
spiritual growth, but also Jes~s ~mstry
in Samaria. They were s1gmficant
to one another and to us. He teaches
us to love the marginalized, to take
risks, to be open to differences, and to
look for deeper meanings even in
every day substances such as water.
She teaches us to question authority,
even messiahs, to hold firmly to our
own perspective and dignity, but to
be open to new perspectives and
deeper meanings beyond the obvious
and ·concrete. They eacll gave freely
and generously and received in
return. · After their encounter, they
each continued on their own journeys,
significantly changed.·
What exactly is our journey in our
modern-day lives? Most trips, for me,
involve some level of risk and varying
degrees of ambivalence, quest!oning,
excitement, and preparahon.
Why am I going? Do I have anything
to offer? Will I meet new
people or see new sights? Should I
stay home -where it is familiar and
easy? Am I open to loving, giving,
and supporting?
The Rath· of the Journey:
.Risk, Joy,
Giff, and
Growth
BY CHRISTINE COUGHLAN
Webster's Dictionary defines
"journey" as travel from one ·place to
another or something that suggests .
travel, like a journey through life.
.Sometimes a journey can have a conscious,
well planned purpose. These
travelers can say "I know what I
want; I know how to get it, so I'm on
·my way." Other travelers can have a
purpose but be unsure about how to
fulfill it. They might say, "I think I
can, I think I can," or like a good
Catholic, possibly, "I know I should, I
know I should." The response might
hopefully ·become "I know I can, I'm
blessed ." And there's another group
· of travelers who just panic, "I don't
care, I'm out -of here, maybe I'll be
back." But no matter what type of
journeyer we may be, spontaneous,
perhaps unconsciously connected
events do happen. Both plarmed and
spontaneous events add dimension,
meaning, and depth to our hves,
These events, moments, periods of
time help us to more clearly define or
further become who we are. This can
occur as blissful. or tumultuous, alone
or with others, in conflict or harmony,
and apart from or within challenging
communities. ·
Whether by ourselvesor with
others, continuing life's journeys of
growth involves taking chances on
ourselves, on others, and .on God. It
involves making ourselves . vulnerable,
setting limits, accepting differences,
forgiving ourselves and oth~rs,
enjoying similarities, challengmg
stagnation, having fun, being open to
new life, and letting _ourselves love
ourselves and others.
The same questions we ask ourselves
before business trips and
vacations can be asked again, in a
deeper context, about life journeys.
"Am I prepared or preparing?_ Am I
trying? What will I win or lose by
going or not going, by choosing cir
not choosing? Am I fully being me?
Am I encouraging others to be fully
themselves? Am I open to risks?
Am I enjoying myself? Am I accepting?
Am I willing to face fear and
pain in order to grow? How do I
resolve conflict and ambivalence? Do
I pray or do I ask myself why not?
How else am I naturally spiritual?
Do I appreciate my gifts? Am I
willing to share them and let them
grow to full potential? Am I at least
trying to relate to others with
tolerance, if not with love? Do I have
goals? Do I truly value my .friends
and my families? Am I willing to
. give up selfcenteredness even if
: slowly, so to give freely and serv:e
others, in whatever way service 1s
most natural? Am I forgiving? Do I
sometimes give in? Am I trying to
-let go of some controls and let life be,
let life in? How well do I care about
the Earth and its peoples? · Can I
really look at me in a courageous,
deeply probing way? Can I · create
my own _safety and security by
depending on myself yet bemg able
to reacll out? Do I Tove me? Do I see
God in my life, in my relationships,
in me?" Asking these questions and
finding or waiting for the answers can
be very painful, but they are part ~f
growth filled journeying. An_d this
journeying can, hopefully, bring us
closer to each other and foster deeper
friendships . It can present to us relationships
that will allow us to see God
more tangibly in our lives and
encourage us to participate more fully
in creative, real, life-affirming community.
_
We are Spirit-filled individuals into
one · community - our community.
We have journeyed as a community,
withstanding countless trials and
growing pains, controversial internal
conflict and painful external ass,iults,
potentially humiliating-and ironically
growth producing insults. We have
been jeered, misunderstood, imposed
upon, emotionally and physically ·
bashed and some of . this we have
done most brutally to ourselves. -At
the same time, however, we have
been blessed and led by prophets
and disciples, realistic and reactionary,
some of whom are now
deceased. We have endured the
pain, the Jesus-like suffering, and the
toll of AIDS, making so many of us so
much more appreciative of the gifts of
life, of the courage of our suffering
brothers and sisters, and of the deep
beauty of care-giving. We have been
plagued by Ratzingers and lauded
by Hunthausens. We have been
inspired by Ruethers, Gram1cks,
McNeills, Nugents, and Gormans.
We have been, and are, leaders and
mentors for one another. We ·are
community. We are church.·
But what is this church? What is
our continued purpose? What is our
deeper meaning? What are our
goals for the future as we continue on
our journey? How well do we truly
serve one another and celebrate our
gifts? How well do we look at
ourselves, learn from our mistakes,
and act with humility and charity?
What can we do to create and
perpetuate Spirit-filled and inclusive
community, without which we are not
a community? How can we attempt
to continue to recreate the church of
the early Christians, one which was
much less impeded by structure and
rules? How do we continue to have
church be a rri.eans for all its people to
better know God within and beyond,
to learn to pray and to acknowledge
the spiritual dimensions that alre~dy
exist in ourselves rather than havmg
the institution of the church be the
end in itself?
I believe, so I speak out. I would
like to offer some -suggestions, some .
of which are already living well, and
others which need to be strongly
considered. I believe first, that we
.are a blessed and chosen people, that
we are God to one another, and
therefore the means to becoming
closer to God. I believe that I can and
must affirm not only my gifts, pain,
and dignity but that of others as we
are called to do and be for each other.
I believe in a genderless Creator who
is the highest epitome of -love,
forgiveness, and forgiving. I believe
in a Holy Spirit - who sanctifies and
enlightens, and in Jesus, the redeeming
friend who taug~t us lovmg and
healing ways. I believe that. we are
all .potential healers and that we !oo
are · Jesus' . loving and healing
disciples . . I b.elieve in lay-led liturs
_ gies, shared homilies, the or~!nahon
of women literally and experienhally,
in -inclusive language and genderless
images .of God. I believe many of us,
μnbeknownst to even ourSelv~s, ~re
·apostles, healers, presiders_, m1msters,
homilists, counselors, leaders, lovers,
directors, financial wizards, and
organizers. I believe _we are a wellsp
r ing _ of untapped gifts rea~y to be
-SEE JOURNEY, Page_ 20
Second Stone-May/Jun~, 1993 (llJ
Videos . ~ ...................................... •· .......... ·-·. ~ .................. .
Walk Me to the Water: Three People in Their Time of Dying
By Rev. Richard B. Gilbert
Contributing Writer
Presented by John Seakwood, in
association with St. Peter's Hospice,
Albany, New York
It is very clear why the flier for
this video lists it as an award
winning video, including the
"President's Award for .Excellence';
from the National Hospice
Organization. It is gripping, yet ten-
■
J,ii;;t;
~t·~~ :,. ~~f ~ • •'\ : "-L.
'We Cfl~1t;.~J;~'.' r pool, hot tub, skiing and more .
· Innkeepers Judith Ha11 and
Grace Newman invite you to
write or Cali for a brochure.
P. 0. Box 118 SL
·Bethlehem, NH 03574
(603) 869-3978
-
der, letting shine the harsh realities of
death as experienced by people, yet
surrounded by the opportunites for
gentle care, love and peace. ·
The video is described as a "special
half hour film that intimately portrays
the experiences of three terminally ill
cancer patients being cared for at
home." No talk about denial, anger
or fear .. No, not words ... experiences.
"I drank a lot." "I kepi smoking."
Shared . frustrations with various
visitors who ask stupid questions.
"How are you? ... How the hell do you
think I'm doing? I have cancer ... " Or
the volunteer who sits in front of the
television and insists ori talking
"when I want to watch the World
Series."
It is a penetrating look at people
struggling to die with dignity, to
claim life even in the midst of dying,
to maximize the moments of life,
however few there may be left, yet
often having to fight not only the
disease, but the caregivers who steal
away even more of those pr .ecious
moments of time and life.
We meet Joe, strugg ling to survive
his moments of time. Then there is
Ann, having to deal with many
■
Let.a new light
shine for someone
you· love.
Second Stone is a gift of love, comfort, inspiration and
resolution for friends and family who may be in doubt,
despair, isolation or suffering illness. Give the special
people in your life the gift of Second Stone. · We'll take
it from there.
FROM,
Yes ... Mj Name
Please send a gift """"'
subscription and card o" '""· 7Jp
in my name to the Name
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■ ■
. [Ji] Second Stone-May/June, 1993
/
health care needs and systems. Maintaining
dignity in the midst of
medicine's endless intrusions. She
shares her stories well. With Marion,
we meet patient and family, struggling
together with the experiences of
life and death .
Each perso.n offers an important line
or .thought for us: Says Joe, "How
precious life was, each and every
moment of it. We take it for
. granted ... " Ann adds, " ... (and) that's
what you need, the voices and faces
of your family." Finally, from a
member of Marion's family, '.There
was a lot of hard times and it wasn't
easy, but a lot of good came out of
that too ... I wasn't sure if I had it in
me to take care of her and I found out
I did and a lot more."
"H ? ow are you .. ;.
How the hell do
you think I'm
doing? I have
" cancer ...
The content is excellent, the didactic
help, and the message of the desire
for hope in the midst of dying comes
through clearly. It is offered .as a
series of black and white still
photographs, moving along through
its theme with helpful narrative,
mostly in the first person. It isn't
easy, and it reminds us that _ death
often is very difficult, very painful,
and a battle that seems more
frustrated by family and systems than
the disease. In viewing this video will
come a new awareness of the patient,
of the family; cf the helpful ways of
caregiving, and of the wonderful gifts
of life (and an appreciation for life),
hope and eternity that patients will
give us if we allow them.
This video is strongly recommended
for health care professionals
working with the terminaIJ.y ill,
hospice volunteers, home health
agencies, visiting nurses, clergy,
social workers, and caregivers. It also
has a special message and insight for
the friends and families who could,
with some redirection and education,
become more effective in their
presence.
For information on this video write
to Box 258, Bird Rd., New Lebanon,
NY 12125. (
The Rev. Richard Gilbert is Director of
Pastoral Services, Porter Memorial Hospital,
Valparaiso, Indiana.
On Video, briefly ...
Three videos from
Willowgreen Productions:
Nothing is Permanent
Except Change: Learning
to Manage Transition
in Your Life
This video, offered in small segments
wit.h time for reflection, accepts the
reality of change, but moves us to
explore and manage the transitions in
our lives. An excellent experience of
endings and beginnings. .
-Listen to Your Sadness
Hopelessness strikes all of us al
various limes, and it touches every
corner of our lives. This video en•
ables you to face your pain, not
escape it. In the "facing" we take the
first slep toward finding hope again.
How Do I Go On?
This video hils hard on feelings as the
experience and the pathway, gently
moving us foiward to peace. It fs for
"people whose futures seem limited
by circumstance, accident or illness."
·All three videos available from Wil·
/owgreen Productions, P.O. Box 25180,
Fort Wayne, IN 46825. (219)424-7916.
-Rev. Richard 8. Gilbert
Men and women vets
sought for documentary
Authur Dong, an independent film
producer, is currently in production for
the documentary Coming Out Under
Fire for PBS, based on the book by
Allan Berube. The film's research
staff is actively looking for lesbian, gay
and bisexual World War II veterans.
They want to talk to women who
served in any branch, including the
Nurse Corps. Especially sought are
those who served in the 100th/442nd
Regiment, the 2nd Calvary Division,
the 92 and 93rd Infantry Division, men
of color and women of color. Contact
Deep Focus Productions, 4506 Palm•
ero Dr., Los Angeles, -CA 90065 (213)
254-m3, FAX (213)254-7974.
InP rint ............................................... ~ .. • ..... ~ .... • ............ .
Someone You.Know·
By Kevin Gepford
ContributinWg riter
Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, author.
Wakefield Press, Kent Town, South
Australia. 188 pages, paperback,
$14.95.
Th~ stories we love - the best of
stories - are about people's
lives, the ups and downs, the
conflicts and the enduring
friendships. Such a story comes from
Australia in the new book Someone
You Know.
Do you know this man, or someone
like him? He's a gay Seventh-day
Adventist who suddenly faces his
own mortality when he learns he is
HIV positive. And . his friend - the
book's author, Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli
- becomes his closest companion as he
develops AIDS. .
Storyteller Pallotta-Chiarolli gives a
first-person account of Jon, an outgoing
and well-loved teacher in her
Adelaide school. Her account is well
In Print,b riefly.. .
WhenH ateG roups
Cometo T own
Thel atestp ublicatiofnro mt ~eC enter.
for DemocratRice newaclo versv irtuallye
verya specot f thel egal,s trategic
and tacticali ssuest hat surroundo rganizing
to counter hate groups.
WhenH ateG roupsC omet o TownA:
Handbooko f EffectiveC ommunity
Responsesis beingm arketeda s a
trainingto ol as well as an individual
resource.
-Fori nformatiocno ntacLt orettaR oss,
(404)221-(XJ25.
Homoaffectionalism:
MaleB ondinfgro m
Gilgamestoht heP resent
PaulD . Hardmanh,i storiana ndl egal
scholar, has worked for nearly ten
years on this book about the rela·
tionshipb etweemn eno f notet houghoutt
heh istoryo f thew orld.T hereis a
speciasl ectiono n the military,f rom
Roman emperors to 1992, giving
namesa ndd atesa ndr eferences.
-FromG LBPul:iishePrs.,O .B ox7 8212,
SanF ranciscCo,A 9 4107
PaganB abies
Thisn ovelb y GregJ ohnsonis about
two. friends,d escribeda s "Catholic
misfits"g rowingu p togetherJ. anice
Rungrena nd CliffordB annonm eet
as third-gradeirns Catholics chooli n
Texasd uringt he early1 960s. From
there their relationshipsp anst hree
decadesa nd encompassevsa rious
attractionasn dc onflictsin, cludingfa l·
lingi n lovew itht hes amem an.
-FrollJD utton
told with . good insights into Jon's
mind. The book does suffer from confusing
chronology and sometimes
inauthenic dialogue; however - faults
that detract from the book's overall
worth but do not destroy it.
Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli's friendship
with Jon grows as she learns more
about his life and his lover, Kevin.
She and Jon take trips together, and
share notes about being members of
minority groups: she, _of Italian
descent, and he, a homosexual.
The author gives great care to
describe Jon's personal conflicts - of
being Seventh-day Adventist and
gay, of coming from a rigidly conservative
home, and of falling away
from the church that could not love
him. Pallotta-Chiarolli shares her
own insights into Jon's life as she
struggles to understand his feeling of
alienation. ·
Finally, AIDS enters the stage.
Maria is the one friend Jon chooses to
accompany him to find out the results
of the HIV test. -She has a hard time
comforting him as he begins to
morbidly dwell on the future.
Maria keeps in touch with Jon as he
moves away, breaks up with Kevin,
dabbles with a new job and faces
declining health. She and some of his
fellow teachers from Adelaide visit
him at last on his deathbed, where
they meet his parents who have
arrived to sing hymns and pray by
his bedside. Although the parents -
unused to sharing their'emotions -
never accept Jon's homosexuality,
they come to realize that he was
_loved and respected by his friends
and colleagues.
Much of the book is dedicated to the
· final moments of Jon's life as he fades
in and out of consciousness and
friends and family drop by. In the
end, only Maria, Kevin and · a third
close friend are present to witness his
passing.
The book's main failing is in how it
presents the sequence of events. It
gets off to a confusing start with
chapters alternating from past to
present like a time warp gone awry.
The author gives few clues to help the
reader uncferstand this tortuous
chronology. And it takes several
chapters before Pallotta-Chiarolli
reveals the point of the whole book -
that her dear friend is dying ,from a
terrible disease.
Someone You Know is filled with
dialogue, some of which seems unnatural
and a little stilted, as if overedited.
All the characters come out
sounding the same; their personalities
seem a bit flat - a problem that
BuildingB ridges,G ay and Lesbian
Reality and the Catholic Church
By Texas FitzGerald
ContributingW riter
Authors Robert Nugent and
Jeannine Gramick have. been
involved in educational and
pastoral ministry involving
homosexuality and the Catholic
Church for two decades. They have
counseled · gay /lesbian Catholic
. youth, gay /lesbian Catholics who are
married, lesbian nuns in mid-life
crisis, gay priests with AIDS, and
others. They, have conducted seminars
on homophobia in three quartei;s
of the diocese in the United States.
Building Bridges, Gay and Lesbian
Reality and the Catliolic Chu-rch is a
readable, comprehensive book on the
issue of lesbian and gay people in the
Catholic Church.
Nugent and Gramick document the
liberalness of the American branch of
the Catholic ·Church while acknow- ·
!edging the orthodox stance of the
Vatican. Various Catholic groups
have made positive statements on
. lesbian and gay civil rights. Polls ·
indicate a majority of American Catholics
support equal civil rights for
Lesbians and Gays, ,and support
legalization of homosexual acts. between
consenting adults in private.
Approximately one third believe
homosexual behavior is not necessarily
sinful and that homosexuality is
a valid alternative lifestyle. Various ·
gay and/ or lesbian Catholic groups
have been formed.
Seemingly in reaction to this
liberalness, the Vatican has issued letters
characterizing homosexual orientation
as an objective di_sorder, has
• appointed more conservative bishops,
. and has caused the eviction of
Dignity chapters . In July, 1992,
according to the Associated Press, the
Vatican advocated exclusion of homo'
sexuals from adoption, teaching, and
military positions.
Building Bridges, Gay and Lesbian
Reality and the Catholic Church
attempts to span this chasm. The
chapters include updated articles
published in journals, plus additional
material. The book has four major
sections.
"Education and Social Concerns"
justifies Catholic support for equal
civil rights for Lesbians and Gays.
The arguments are thoroughly reasoned
and appeal to theology, church
plagues reconstructed conven,ati_ons,
as these seem to be. · ·
However, PallottaaChiarolli's crisp
use of language and descriptions of
places and people give the book a
rich feeling of reality. Through her
lens you see what is important to her
and her relationship with Jon. You
discern the paradoxes of religion and
the quandry of parents trapped
between love of their son and
loathing of his lifestyle.
Someone You Know is an excellent
first book, and a delightful story
comfng from Australia. Concerned
Christians in North America will be
able to relate to its message, plus get
a glimpse of how AIDS is affecting
the lives of people like us in
Australia.
Someone You Know, published in
Australia, is not likely to be found in
your . local bookstore. Contact the
Inland Book Co., 1-800-243-0138P, .O.
Box 120261, East Haven, CT 06512, to
find out if a bookstore near you has
this title.
Kevin Gepfordi s a graduates tudent in
the school of journalism at Columbia
University in New York. He is the
former editor of the SDA Kinship Conne~
tion, a journal-for gay and lesbian
Seventh;dayA dventists.
statements ·prior to July, 1992, science,
and philosophy.
"Counseling and Pastoral Issues"
describes problems of family acceptance
of Lesbians and Gays, lesbian
women in the church, and married
Gays and Lesbians. Although there
are some recommendations in this
section, much is vague perhaps . due
to the dilemmas posed.
"Religious and Clerical Life" tackles
homophobia in sexually segregated
orders, HIV testing and candidates,
. mid-life crisis of nuns who recognize
they are lesbian, and discussions on
the meaning of celibacy.
"Evolving Theological Perspectives"
documents various Catholic state.ments
on homosexuality and discusses
clearly labeled alternative
theology, including examples of
lesbian and gay theology. ·
Building Bridges attempts . to offer
personal support for Lesbians and
Gays who remain in the Catholic
Church, while attempting to inform·
the wider church on this topic,
Texas FitzGerald is an elder in tlte
CumberlandP resbyteriand enomination.
Second Stone-May/June, 1993 ~
Calendar . . . . . . . ·• ....... ~ .................... ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Jo/lawing announcements have bew
submitted by sponsoring or affiliated
groups.
Healing From
Where We Are
MAY 3-7, This retreat, offered by
Kairos, at the Marianist Center in
Cupertino, Calif., is a sharing . '
experience for HlV + priests and male
religious. For information contact
John McGrann, 114 Douglass St., San
foirlciso, CA 94114, (415)861-0877 or
David Eidem, ·1534 Arch St.,
Berkeley, CA 94708, (510)841-2229.
More Light
Churches
Network Meets
MAY 7•9, the 9th Annual National
Conference of the More Light
Churches Network meets at the
Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church
in San Francisco. "Reclaiming Justice,
Rekindling Love, Reforming the
Church" is the theme. Planned
workshop topics include how to
become a More Light church,
evangelism, polity issues, AIDS
ministries · and Bible defense. For
information contact Richard Sprott,
3900 Harrison St., #301, Oakfand, CA
94611. ,
Dialogue on the
· Bible and .
Homosexuality
MAY 23, The Piedmont Religious
Network for Gay and Lesbian
Equality sponsors a group discussion
at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
in Winston-Salem, North
Carolina. Presenters include Rev.
Jimmy Creech and John Blevins . For
information call (919)766-9501 or
(919)748-3488.
Earl M. Willits
Conference
MAY 22, Author Chris Glaser is the
presenter for this one day conference
themed "Making 1t Work: Reconciling
the Church with Gay, Lesbian and
Bisexual Christians" to be held at
Plymouth Congregational Church,
4126 Ingersoll, Des Moines, IA 50312.
Call (515)255-3149 for information . .
SpiritFest '93
MAY 28-31, Th e Catholic Formation
Center , Irving, Texas is the se tting for
this Memorial Day weekend
· gathering , Fee of $120 includes room
and meals . For information contact
Rev. Terry Enloe, (504)944-9836.
East Coast
ACTS Weekend
JUNE 4-6, the gathering, themed
"Building Bridges" will explore
building connections between
believers. The weekend will be held
at a campground at Sandy Lake,
Penn. The meeting will center on
biblical teaching , worship and
fellowship. For information cc;mtact
Pastor Sam Kader, (513)228-8000.
Evangelicals
Concerned
Eastern
connECtion
JUNE 4-6, The 14th annual eastern
summer retreat of Evangelicals
Concerned, Inc. will be held at
Kirkridge, a mountain retreat center
in eastern Pennsylvania. Keynoters
will be Peggy Campolo, Nicholas
Wolterstorff and Ralph Blair. For
information write to Evangelicals
Concerned, Inc., Ste. G-1, 311 East
72nd St., New York, NY 10021.
Accommodatlorw, AIDSMIV resourcu, bara1 bookstores, vartousbuslnasses, Mltth care, llgal
urvlcN, organizations, publlcatlona, r9l91c>Us groups, swttchboarda, therapists, tnivel agents, •
much mora, 1or gay women and men. ·
All 11lces below INCLUDE FIRST·CLASS POSTAGE r, USA, C&na<l8 & Meleo , In sealed, dsaeet
envelopes. PlaiHng lists B'O srlcdy ccnftdenlal.
Order• ~om ooslda USA (lricludlng C8nada & Meleo): pal'fflantmuslbe In US Funds payable on a .US bank,
ar by Pco!Offlcear American Ex11ess money crdB' , (WesuggestyouYy alocal booksr,,e firs~ IDavcld
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US/CANADA. C&nada8'1d USA tor women & men. City bydty lnlormallonlor all us Slates, C&nadian
PIIHlnees, and the us Vi gin-. plus relOnWlde r8SCU'ces lricludi'll haadqu8'1efs or national
arga,lza!lons 8'ld caucuses: ptblicalcns: mail ardor companies, elC. $12.00; outside N. America $17
(airman)
NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY. NY & NJ; separata Women's Socllon; Manhallan bar "'tes by Je,ry Fitzpafiek ,
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lliiJ Second Stone-May/June, 1993
Pastoral Care
and AIDS
JUNE 4-6, Retreat, JUNE 6-10,
Institute. An interfaith retreat and
institute for pastoral caregivers for
persons living with AIDS, sponsored
by the Center for Ministries,
Merrimack College. Major presenters
include Rev. Douglas Graydon, Sr.
Teres .ita Weind , Rabbi J.B. Sacks,
Rev. Ann Showalter and Dr. Terry
Tafoya . For information contact the
college at 31.5 Turnpike St., North
Andover, MA 01845, (508)837-5347.
17th Annual Gay &
Lesbian Christian
Retreat
JUNE 10-13, This event for Lesbians,
gay men and bisexuals of all colors,
their family and friends, continues to
explore issues of sexuality in the
context of Christian faith and practice .
Facilitators include Mary E. Hunt,
JolmMcNeill; Virginia Ramey
Mollenkott and William Smith.
Kirkridge, a mountain . retreat center
in Eastern Pennsylvania is the
.setting. For information contact
Kirkridge, Bangor, PA 18013-9359,
(215)588-1793.
BMG AnnuaJ
Retreat
JUNE 24-27, The Brothers of the
Mercy of God invite all to join them at
their host Monastery by the .Sea. The
conference, themed "Religious Life,"
promises a time of prayer and
sharing. For information writ e to .
Bros. of the Mercy of God, 341 E.
Center St., Manchester, CT 06040 or
call 1-800-253-5506. (At the beep press
11903 and leave message.)
Seventh Annual
Golden Threads
JUNE 25-27, The Provincetown Inn in
Provincetown, Mass. will be the loca-
. lion for this gathering of a ·worldwide
social network of lesbian women over
50, and women who are interested in
older wom en. Julie Woods is the
featured entertainer. Attendance is
limited to 250. For information contact
Christine Burton, Golden Threads,
P.O . Box 60475, Northampton , MA
01060-0475
America Baptists
Concerned
National Retreat
JUNE 26-29, The Isis Oa sis in the
Russian River area of Northern
C~liforina will be the site of the
annual retr ea t of American Baptists
Concerned . Cost, including meals and
lodging, is $175. The retreat will
include a trip to San Francisco for the
annual Gay /Lesbian Pride parade.
For information contact American
Baptists Concerned, 872 Erie St.,
Oakland, CA 94610.
Gay and Lesbian
Parents Meet
JULY 2-4, Hundreds of lesbian moms,
gay dads and their children will meet
in Orlando, Florida for the 14th
annual confer ence of the Gay and '
Lesbian Parents Coalition. "Share the
Love ... Share the Magi~!" is .the
theme . The Clarion Hotel is the
setting , providing opportunity lo visit
the Disney attractions. For in:formation
contact GLPCI '93, Box 561504,
Orlando, FL 32856-1504,
·(407)420-2191.
connECtion '93
JULY 2-5, Evangelicals Concerned
hosts its annual gathering. Keynote
speakers include Rev. M. Mahan
Siler, Jr., Dr . Ralph Blair, and Patricia
V. Long. The conference will be held
in the San Francisco Bay Area. For
information write to ECWR, P.O. Box .
4750, Denver , CO 80204.
National ) .-.
Convocation of
Reconciling
Congregations
JULY 8-11, The Reconciling Congregations
Program . hosts its 3rd National
Convocation . "Borne of the Breath of
God: Remembering, Ren ewing,
Reforming , Returning" is the them. e.
George Washington University in
Washington, D.C. is th f location.
Twenty workshops will be offered .
Leaders are Dr . Sally Brown Geis, Iliff
School ofTheology and Dr. Tex
Sample, St. Paul School of Theology.
. For information write . to tl1e RCP,
3801 N. Keeler Ave., Chicago, IL
60641, (312)736-5526.
UCCLJGC
National
Gathering 13
JULY 12-15, Washington University
in St. Louis, Missouri, is the setting
for the 13th annual meeting of the
United Church Coalition for Lesbian/
Gay Concerns. "Unity & Diversity:
Gifts to Celebrate, Obstacles to
Overcome" is the theme . For information
contact UCCL/GC, 18 N.
College St., Athens, OH 45701,
. (614)593-7301.
SEE CALENDAR, Next Page
T Noteworthy T ..................................................................... ....
Rev. Jane Spahr to serve as
evangelist for Rochester church
LiHA YING BEEN DENIED their selection
of Rev. Jane Spahr as co-pastor of
their church, the congregation of
Downtown Unite!1 Presbyterian
· Church, Rochester, New York, has
hired her as an evangelist. The High
Court of the Presbyterian Church
(USA) had ruled earlier against the
church's call of Spahr as co-pastor
because she is a lesbian. As an
evangelist, Spahr will travel throughout
the denomination to speak on
behalf of gay and lesbian Presby-
CALENDAR, From Page 16
"Partners for the
Glory of God" ·
JULY 15-20, The Gay and Lesbian
Affirming Disciples Alliance and the
United Church Coalition for Lesbian/
Gay Concerns will sponsor joint
activities during the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) and the United
Church of Christ biennial General
Assembly (Disciples) and General
Synod (UCC) at the Cervantes
Convention Center in St. Louis.
Michael and Katherine Kinnamon are
scheduled to speak at a Saturday
evening banquet. For infomation,
contact Randy Palmer at
(319)332-0245.
4th Annual
Northampton
Lesbian Festival
JULY 23-25, the popular festival
expands to 3 days this year . The
location is the Swift River Inn in
Cummington, Mass. For information
contact W,OW Productions, 160 Main
St., Northampton, MA 01060,
(413)586-8251.
UFMCC's
16th General
Conference
JULY 18-25, "For All The Nation s" is
the theme of th.is conference celebrating
the Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community Church's .25
years of ministry. The conference
returns to The Pointe at Tapatio Cliffs
in Phoenix, Arizona, site of the
immediate past UFMCC General
Conference. For registration information
write to the UFMCC, 5300
Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 304, Los
Angeles, CA 90029.
Dignity/USA
Convention
JULY 28-AUGUST 1, The national
terians and the congregations who
value their leadership . The goal of
her work will be the overturn of the
denomination's "definitive guidance."
This policy, adopted by General
Assemblies 1978 and 1979 forbids
chur .ches and presbyteries from
ordaining "self-affirming, practicing
homosexual persons. " Contributions
to support Spahr's ministry, payable
to DUPC, may be sent to ·•That All
May Freely Serve," Downtown
United Presbyterian Church, 121 ·N.
Fitzhugh St., Rochester, NY 14614.
-More Light Update
gay and lesbian Catholic organization
holds its 11th biennial convention at
· the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans.
"Celebrate a Living Church" is the
theme of the gathering, to which
attendees are encouraged to wear ·
Mardi Gras colors of green, gold and
purple. Brian McNaught is the
featured speaker. For information ·
contact Dignity/USA, 1500 ·
Massachusetts Ave., NW, Ste.11,
Washington, DC 20005,
1 °800-877-8797.
BMG
Hospitality- House
AUGUST 1M21, The Brothers of the
Mercy of God sponsor a week by the
ocean, summer fun, and sharing life's
experience. The setting is an authentic
New England fal'll}house in
Matunuck, R.l. The atmosphere is -
relaxed, prayerful and joyous . For
information write to Bros. of the
Mercy of God, 341 E. Center St.,
Manchester, CT 06040 or call
1-800-253-5506. (At the beep press
11903 and leave message.)
Parliament of the
World's Religions
AUGUST 28-SEPfEMBER 5, a major
interfaith gathering with many of the
world 's religions represented.
Exhibits, performances, lectures and
presentations, interfaith dialogues,
children's programs and meetings of
specialized groups . The Council for a
Parliament of the World's Religions
says "All are welcome to g;i,ther in . ·
Chicago in 1993 to listen to one ·
another, to be challenged to find new
ways of livirig together, and to seek
new visions for the future." For
information write to: Parliament of
the World's Religions, P.O. Box 1630,
Chicago, IL 60690.
P-FLAG Annual
Convention
SEPTEMBER 3-6, The 12th Annual
International Parents and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays gathering will be
BrethrervMennonite parents
document concerns
.,ip ARENTS OF GAY and lesbian
members of the Brethren and Mennonite
churches recently sent an open
letter to their respective churches
expressing concern about the lack of
acceptance of their sons and daughters
by the church. Over two dozen
parents came together at a recent
w eekend meeting to share the stories
of their families' pilgrimages. Mennonite
parents confronted the church
about the disbanding of the Listening
Committee and Brethren parents
held in New Orleans Labor Day
weekend at the Sheraton Hotel on
Canal Street. "Celebrating Family -
New Orleans Style" is the theme . For
information contact New Orleans
P-FLAG, P.O. Box 15485,New
Orleans, LA 70175.
Tour of Israel
SEPTEMBER 22-OCTOBER 8, Royal
Menorah Adventures coordinates a
tour of Israel for gay and lesbian
travelers, escorted by Bible s~udent.
and .previous Israeli resident Daniel
Mark. $2850 per person, sharing twin
accommodations . Contact Royal
Tours, 1742 E. Broadway; Long
Beach, CA 90802, {310)983-7370.
Skills Building
Conference
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3, The
AIDS National Interfaith Network,
National Association of People with
AIDS and National. Minority AIDS
Council sponosor their annual
gathering . New Orleans, on
Halloween weekend, is the setting .
For information contact ANIN, 110
Maryland Ave., NE, Ste. 504,
Washington, DC 20002.
RE-imagining/
Churches in
Solidarity with
Women
NOVEMBER 4-7, A global theological
conference by women for
women and men. Re-imagining
God, creation, Jesus, church as
spiritual institution, arts/ church,
language/ word, ethics/work/ ministry,
community, sexuality/family,
church as worshipping community .
Featuring many presenters including
Mary E. Hunt and Virginia Ramey
Mollenkott. The Minneapolis Convention
Center is the setting. Contact
Rev. Sally Hill, 122 W. Franklin
Ave., Room 100, Minneapolis, MN
55404, ( 612)870-3600, fax
(612)870-3663.
expressed concern over their church's
Annual Conference Program and .
Arrangements Committee's denial of
booth . space for the Brethren/
Mennonite Council at the Annual
Conference. Parents called on both
churches to become a "courageous
voice for justice." Parents interested
in joining the movement may write to
P.O . Box 1708, Lima, OH 45802.
Fellowship forming for Seattle
area gay and lesbian clergy .
LiPASTOR RON SHONK is coordinating
efforts to provide support for
networking among gay and lesbian
clergy of any denomination in Northwest
Washington . Shonk is chaplain
and director of OpeffDoor Ministries,
a Lutheran ministry of consultation
and pastoral care for AIDS and · gay
and lesbian concerns. For information
call (206)628-0946.
New GLAD chapter
for Central Iowa
LiTHE GAY, LESBIAN, and Affirming
Disciples Alliance has a new
chapter in the Des Moines area .
GLAD-Central Iowa is the first
Alliance chapter to be formed as the
· result of the direction of a congregational
committee. The Ministry in
Society Committee of the First
Christian Church of Des Moines
initiated the chapter format.ion process.
For information about the new
group contact GLAD-Central Iowa,
c/ o First Christian Church, 2500
University Ave., Des · Moines , IA
50311, (515)255-2181.
New Open and Affirming
church for UCC • .
LiTHE -FIRST CONGREGATIONAL
Church of Pasadena, United Church
of Chri.st, has become an Open and
Affirming congregation, according to
the Rev. Byron Hiller Light, Senior
Minister . The California church has a
long history of aligning itself with
groups marginali2:ed by society or
religion : At the turn of the ' century,
the church ministered to Asian
immigrants and now, First
Congregatiorial Church houses over
tw.o dozen homeless people nightly.
Regarding the Open and Affirming
decision, Rev. Light said, "After a
year of intensive biblical study,
teaching, discussion .and reflection the
congregation voted overwhelmingly
at its winter business meeting to not
only welcome homosexuals and
bisexuals to First Congregational, but
also to actively affirm their worth and
presence as individuals, gifted by a
loving God." The cllurch is located at .
464 East Walnut St., (818)795-0696.
SEE NOTEWORTHY, Page 18
Second Stone-May/June,_ 1993 .IJll
NOTEWORTHY From Page 17
Ministry plans trip
to Latin America
LI.OTHER SHEEP Multicultural Ministries
is planning a four-month trip
through some 20 countries in Latin
America to develop and support
ministries with a specific outreach to
Gays and Lesbians. The trip will
begin in Dallas and take them
through Central America, down the
Pacific side of South America and
back up the Atlantic side, returning
again through Central America. For
information on Other Sheep Ministries
or this trip write to John Doner,
5105 Belmont Ave., Dallas, TX 75206
or call (214)827-0804.
Reconciling pastors to
advocate lesbian/gay ministries
AA RECONCILING PASTORS' Action
Network has been launched to
advocate the full inclusion of lesbian,
gay and bisexual persons within the
United Methodist Church. This new
network is being organized by the
Reconciling Congregation Program, a
national movement of 63 United
Methodist congregations that publicly
welcome all persons, including
Lesbians and Gays. "While the focus
of the RCP continues to be the local
church," said Mark Bowman, pro-
Coming Out
means telling the truth
about our lives ...
a family value
we can live with.
Please give generously to the most
effective campaign ·
01,r community will ever wage.
NATI0NALC0MI,NGOUTOAY·
OCT0BER11
PO Box 8270, SANTA FE, NM 87504-8270
• 505-982-2558
Yourcontnbutlon is"tu:-deductlble
gram coordinator, "we need to build a
network of church profes~ionals who
wish to publicly identify with our
growing movement." The spark to
initiate RP AN came during the
February meeting of the RCP board
of directors in response to reports of
United Mehtodist pastors being
threatened or reprimanded for carrying
out ministries with Lesbians
and gay men. It will be a network of
activists confronting homophobia
within the United. Methodist Church
and advocating the removal of all
bars to full participation of lesbian,
gay and bisexual persons. United
Methodist church professionals interested
in RP AN should contact the
RCP, 3801 N . Keeler Ave., Chicago,
IL 60641, (312)736-5526.
Restoration Ministries helps
Gays, Lesbians with first step
LI.REV. ALLEN PHILLIPS has formed
a ministry in Schenectady, New York,
to help gay and lesbian Christians,
especially those from Pentecostal,
evangelical and fundamentalist backgrounds,
accept their homosexuality.
Phillips also .plans to minister to
people with AIDS, with a special
focus on newly-diagnosed HIV+
people. Restoration has published a
brochure entitled "Help! I'm HIV+!
Now What" which is available free by
sending a stamped, self-addressed
For your convenience
you may now FAX: ·
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envelope to P .O. Box 1123,
Sd1enectady, NY 12301-1123. Pastor
Phillips may be reach ed at (518)
372-6001. .
Dignity chapter started in Hawaii
LI.DIGNITY /MAUI was scheduled to
have its first meeting at high noon on
th e . first day of spring. Gay and
lesbian Catholics who are interested
in gathering with Dignity for
fellowship and worship may contact
Kihei, (808)874-3950.
Christthe Redeemer
fACC installs new pastor
LI.REV. LEE CAMPBELL was installed
on March 7 as pastor of Christ the
Redeemer MCC, Evanston, Illinois.
The church is located' at 933 Chicago
Ave., (312)262-0099.
Ministry announces
logo contest
LI.THE OPEN AND AFFIRMING Ministries
Program of the Gay, Lesbian,
and Affirming Disciples Alliance is
seeking submissions in a contest to
select a logo for "O&A Ministries. "
The contest is open to members and
friends of GLAD Alliance. Entries ·
must be postmarked by June 15th,
1993. For information contact Allen
Harris, 1010 Park Ave., New York,
NY 10028-0991.
Affirmation chapter provides
support for gay and
lesbian Mormons
LI.GAY AND LESBIAN MORMONS in
the Alexandria, Virginia; area, have a
very active chapter of Affirmation for
support and fellowship. The group
offers a Mormon support group and a
monthly chapter meeting. For
information, call (202)828-3096 and
leave a message for Fred or Kirn.
Wheaton College gay
and lesbian alums organize
Ll.P AUL PHILLIPS, of the entertainment
team Rornanovsky & Phillips, is
organizing a gay and lesbian alumni
group for his alma mater, Wheaton
College, a conservative, non-denomination
evangelical Christian school
located 30 miles west of Chicago.
Phillips says that he was motivated to
form the group after hearing about a
young student on the Wh eat on
campus who had taken his own life
due in part to his inablility to come to
terms with his sexual identity. "It is
my hope that there will finally be
some open dialogue about Gays and
Lesbians at Wheaton," said Phillips . "I
was in the class of '76 and I came out
of th e closet in my freshman year at
Wheaton. At the time, I was the only
'out' gay person there. The campus
was in complete denial that there
were other gay and lesbian people in
their midst. " In just a few month s,
more . than 60 other gay/ lesbian
alums from throughout the U.S. and
abroad have signed up. Wheaton
alumni include Rev. Billy Graham
and conservative Republican Senator
Dan Coats. For information about th e
Wheaton Gay & Lesbian Alumni
Association, contact Paul Phillips, 369
Montezuma #209, Santa Fe, NM
87501.
Atlanta congregation votes to
purchase new building
LI.FIRST MCC of Atlanta members
vote<! on March 21 to purchase a new
church building. The 164-rnernber
church recently celebrated its 21st
charter anniversary. The building ,
located at North Druid Hills and
Tully Road, will house a 500 seat
sanctuary, multiple offices for
ministerial and counseling staff, a
kitchen, a dining area and four large
meeting rooms.
r
Network provides support
for lesbian mothers
Ll.MOMAZONS, A NATIONAL
organization for lesbian mothers and
for -Lesbians who want children in
their lives, has been formed to
provide an opportunity for Lesbian s
to explore options in bearing,
: adopting, raising or being involved
with children.
"We've been organizing here in
. Central Ohio for more than 5 years,
and over 100 local w·ornen and their
children have been participating in
Momazon meetings," said Mornazoris'
founder . and director, Dr. Kelly
McCormick. Mornazons produces a
bimonthly newsletter, faciiitating a
national dialogue about Lesbians'
experiences and opinions about
considering children, creating a
family , blending families, child
rearing, and other issues of significance
to lesbian mothers and their
families. For information · on Momazons,
write to P .O . Box· 02069,
Columbus, OH 43202 or call (614)
267-0193.
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Resource Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Listings in the Resource Guide are free .to
churches, organizations, publications and
community services. Send information to
Second Stone, Box 8340, New Orleans, LA ,
70182 or FAX to (504)891-7555.
National
EVANGELICALS CONCERNED, c/o Dr. Ralph Blair, 311 Easl
7200 SI .. New York, NY 10021. (212)517-3171. Pul>icalions:
Review aoo Record.
CONFERENCE FOR CATHOLIC LESBIANS, P.O. Box 436
P~netarium Sin,~ York, NY 10024. (607)432-9295.
RELIGION WATCH, P.O. Box 652, North Bellmore, NY 11710. A
CTi'f~iie;~~~~~~~~ /~~~~~~l~~:g~ 10461,
........... ~ ...
Box 7331, Lousville, KY 40257. (502)893-0783. .
FEDERATION OF PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LESBIANS
AND GAYS;INC. P.O. Box 27605, Washingon, DC 20038. Seoo
~<ficJWc'~!~ 0
it~;~~TAL AWANCE (also Pentecoslal
Bible· lnslitute !Ministerial training!) P.O. Box 1391,
Scheneclact,,, NY 12301-1391 .. (518)372-6001. PLIJlicalion: The
Aposlolic Voice.
DIGNITY/USA, ·1500 Massachusells Ave., rm, Sle. 11,
Washington, DC 20005. (800)8'7-8797. Gay and lesbian
Calholics and !heir lriends.
MORE LIGHT CHURCHES NEN.ORK, 600 W. Fullerton Pkwy.,
Chicago, IL 60614-2690, (312)338-0452. Resource packet, $12 . .
Pul>icalion: More Lighl Churches Netv.ork Newsleller
Alabama
Fort DeartxJm Slalion, Chicago, IL 60610-046l . PtJJlicalion: BIRMINGHAM . THE ALABAMA FORUM, P.O. Box 55894,
i~ii~~E~ANSFOR LESBIAN& GAY CONCERNS, P.O. Box 35255-5894. (~)328-9228.
38, New Brunsv.ick, NJ 08903·0038. Pul>icalion: More Ughl
~~~~SAL FELLOIMlHIP OF METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCHES 5300 Sanla Monica Blvd, ~4. Los Angeles, CA
~lfh~mt~l~~~~~~~irJs':tNANDGAY
CONCERNS, Box 65724, Washington, DC 20035. Pul>icalion:
8~1
1¥~~• CHURCH COALITION FOR LESBIAN I GAY
CONCERNS, 18 N. College, Alhens, OH45701, (614) 593-7301.
~~~~nbX'v~VENTISTS KINSHIP INTER NA TIONAI., Box
3840, Los Angeles, CA 90078, (213)876-2076. Publicalion:
Connectipn
RECONCILING CONGREGATION PROGRAM, P.O. Box 23636,
Washington, DC 20026, (202)863-1586. Pul>icalion: Open
11:ri~RITY, INC., P.O. Box 19561, Washngon,_.DC20036-0561,
lfcim:ii~l\';_'f~Jr~Rb°tP~b
1t~ . Villa Grar<le,
CA 95486·0032. Holy Spirt Church,. Easl Moline, IL,
(309)792-6188. SI. Michael's Church, Russian River, CA, (707)
865-0119. PtJJlicalion: The Table!.
LIVING STREAMS, P.O. Box 178, Concord, CA 94522-0178.
Bi-monthly publication.
AIDS NATIONAL INTERFAITH NETWORK, 300 I St., NE, Ste.
400, Washifl!1on, DC 20002 .. (800)288-9619, FAX (202)546-5103.
Publication: lnteraction.
NATIONAL CENTER FOR LESBIAN RIGHTS • 1663 Mission St,
51h Fir., San Frardsco, CA 94103.
GAY AND LESBIAN PARENT COALITION, P.O. Box 50360,
Washington, DC 20091. Publicaiion: Nelwork. . . .
THE 1'141NESS, Published ti/ the Episcopal Church Pul>rshng
Co., 1249 Washingon Blvd, Ste. 3115, Delrorl, Ml 48226-1868.
fm~:~NAL GAY ANO LESBIAN ARCHIVES, The Nalalie
Barney Edward Carpenler library, P.O. Box 38100, Hollywood, g~m~s (=~112';:7
~J;:!/;~~l;\~e~~ess, Inc, PO Box
~c?oi~M~~ ~1
~tCX:ure 1ravel lor women, 25 W.
Diamond lake Rd., Minneapolis, MN 55419, (800)279-0555,
(612)822-3809, FM (612)822-3814.
DAUGHTERS OF SARAH : The magazine for Chrislian
Femi~sts, 3801 No. Keeler, Chicago, IL 60641, (312)736-3399 ..
CHI RHO PRESS - A special work of lhe UFMCC M1d-Allanl1c
Dislricl. Publisher of religious oooks aoo malenals. P.O. Box
. bt~~~m1:tn'8NM~1t'll,~R~
1
1~~
1
i~ior,ie and SU rt
group for gay and lesl>an Calholic cler!l)'. and religous. 'rci.
Box 60125, Chicago, IL 60660-0125. Publicalron: Communication
WOMENS ALLIANCE FOR THEOLOGY, ETHICS AND RITUAL,
8035 131h SI., Silver Sprii MD 20910 (301)589-2509, FM
f ~~:J,;}]5°iJj~~~"'/;A T~Ei tid6~MUMON, 258 Aspen
St., 811, Arroyo Grar<le, CA 93420. (805)473-2510. Pul>ical1on:
The Free Calholic Communicant. .
INDEPENDENT CHURCH OF RELIGIOUS SCIENCE, 4102 Easl
mf~ms~'.&8
~~-g~PJ~i~ltr~:~TISTS . Box
2171, 256 So. Roberlson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90213.
(818)700-0827.
AFFIRMATION: Gax & Lesbian MDfmons, P.O. Box 46022, Los
Ang,les, CA 00046. (213)255-7251.
AFFIRMATION/United Methocisls for Gay & lesbian Concerns,
P.O. Box 1022, Evarolo~ IL 00204. .
ST. TABITHA'S· AIDS APOSTOLA TE, Chrisliari AIDS Nelwork of
lhe Merican Orthocllx Calholic Church ol SI. Gregonos, P.O.
ti 1
~M~:J~~~~~.f:~~o:~\i 1e Rock, AA 72200. ·
(501)372-5113. Workshops on women's issues, social juslice,
racism and homophobia. . . .
EMERGENCE International: A Community of Christian
Scientists .Supporting Lesbians and Gay Men. P.O. Box ~161,
San Ralael, CA94912-9161. (415)485-1881. PtJJlicalion: Emerge!
GAYELLOWPAGES • P.O. Box 292, VIiiage Sin., NewYDf~ NY
~~8/fbt:>ti~ATION CONFERENCE, PO Box 2693,
Fairlax, VA22001-0693. (703)352-1006.
GAY, LESBIAN AND AFFIRMING DISCIPLES ALLIANCE, P.O.
Box 19223, lndianapoHs, _IN 46219-0223 .. (319)324-6231. _For
members ot lhe Chnst,an ·church (D,scrples o1 Chnsl).
Publication: Crossbeams. _
NEW DIRECTION Magazine lor gaynesbian Mormons, 6520
Selma Ave., Ste. RS-440, Los Angeles, CA 90028.
BLK Magazine, Box 83912, Los Angeles, CA 90083-0912.
~JW~~MINISTRY, 4012291hSI., Ml. Rainier;MD20712, 1:~~2
~
7
·
55
[!n:u~ay;~r~n~o~i~r::1rc r~~~h~ !he
HONESW, Soulhern tptist Acllocates for Equal Rights, P.O.
Arizona
PHOENIX • lion ol Judah Minislries, P.O. Box 26531,
85068-6531. (602)997-5372. Chuck Shamblin, Bert Miller,
~g~r\:ornerslone Fellow.;hip, 2902 N. Geronimo, 85705.
(602)622-4626. Rada Schatt, Paslor.
MESA - Bouooless love Communily Church, 431 S. Stapley
'Dr., 85204. (602)439-0224. P.J. Fousek-Grega~ paslor. SUnday,
10:00arn
TUCSON - Casa De la Paloma Aposlolic Churcl\ 1122 N.
Jones Blvd, P.O. Box 14003, 85732-4003. (602)323-6855. Rev.
Margaret 'Sanct,,• Lev.is, paslor.
California
SAN LUIS OBISPO-MCC ol lhe Central Coast, P.O. Box 1117,
Grover Cily, 93483-1117, (805)481•9376. SUnday, 10:30a.m. Rev.
Ranct,, A. Lester, Pastor.
SACRAMENTO - Koinonia Chrislian Fellowship, P.O. Box
189444, 95818. (916)452-5736. Tom Ross, Pastor.
SACRAMENTO- THE LATEST ISSUE, P.O. Box 160584, 95816.
~fi~b~YWOOD - Eva~gelicals To lher, Su;te 109-Box
16 7985 Sanla Monica Blvd., Wesl ~lywood, CA 90046,
(213)656-8570. PLl:licalion: ET New.;
SAN FRANCISCO· LUlherans Concerned, 566 Vallejo SI., 1125,
94133-4033 (415)956-2069. PtJJlication: Acllenl.
SAN FRANCISCO • Gay and Lesbian Hislorical Sociely ol
Northern California, P.O. Box 42126, 94142. (415)626·0980.
POO!ication: Our Stories.
SAN FRANCISCO • The Parsonage, 555-A Caslro SI.,
94114-0293. Publication: The Parsonage New.;
ARROYO GRANDE • SI. Breooan Free Calholic Church
. Aposlo~le 258 Aspen St., Nll,-93420. (805)473-2510
CONCORD =·Free Calholic Aposlolale ol lhe Redeemer, 1440
DelroitAve 1/'J, 94520. (510)798-5281.
SAN FRANCISCO • DIGNITY, 208 Dolores St, , 94103.
(415)255-9244. Pttllicalion: Bndges. . .
GLENDALE. Divine Redeemer MCC, 346 Riverdale Dr., 91204.
Suooay, 10:45 a.m, Wed, Fn., 7:30 p.m. Rev. S1an Harns,
paslor. Publicalion: From Mary's Shrine.
APPLE VALLEY - li<111 of lhe Desert Church, Inc., P.O. Box 247,
92307. (619)247-2512. Sunday, 6:30 p.m. Non-denominalional
Christian church.
SAN JOSE· Hosanna Church of Praise, 24 No. 51h SI., 95112.
Publication: _Celebralirg His Lile; Sharing His Love
Colorado
DENVER - Evangelicals Reconciled, P.O. Box 200111,'80220,
(303)331-2839. Colorac!J ~ings : (719)488-3158. .
DENVER • Evangelicals Concerned I Weslem Region, P.O.
Box 4750, 80204. Pul>ication: Ttl:Cal>e.
Connecticut
HARTFORD-MCC, P.O. Box 514, 06016, (203)724-4605. SLOO!y,
7:00 p.m. The Meeting House, 50 Bloomheld Ave.
D1Strrct of Columbia
lntegity/Washington, Inc., P.O. Box 19561, 20036-0561.
(301 )953-9421. Publ~alion: Gay'!)ling.
MCC of Weshington, DC, 415.M St., N.W., 20001. Rev. l arryJ.
Uhrig, paslor.
ALEXANDRIA, VA. - St. Gyril's Easlern Chnslian Fellowship,
6036 Richmooo tt,,y., ~1, 22303, (703)329-7896. A Byzanline
Christian· community.
Florrda
ST. PETERSBURG - King of Peace MCC, 4825 91h Ave. N.,
33713-6135. (813)323-5857. Sundir{, 10:00a.rn & 7:30 p.rn Rev.
Dr. Fred C. WIiiams, Sr., Paslor. .
CLEARWATER - Free Catholic Church of the Resurrecl1on, 303
N. tMle Ave., 34615. (813)442-3867. .
WEST PALM BEACH - MCC, 3500 45th SI., #2A, 33409:
(407)687-3943. Sunday, 9:15 & 11:00 a.m. Services also in Fl.
P~rce, (407)687•3943 and Pt. st. Luce, (407)340-0421.
FORT MYERS • St. John lhe Aposlle MCC, 2209 Unily al lhe
corner o1 Broacl.vay. (813)278-5181. Suooay, 10:00 a.m., 7:00
p.m. Rev. James lynch.
Georgia
ATLANTA - SOUTHERN .VOICE, ·P.O. Box 18215, 30316.
(404)876-1819.
ATLANTA. All Sainls Metropolilan Communily Church, P.O ..
Box 13968, 30024. (404)822-1154
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~
Hawaii
KAHULUI • BOTH SIDES NOW Newsleller, P.O. Box 5042, . 96~ .
Illinois
CHICAGO • OUTLINES, Published by lambda Publicalions,
3059N. Solltp011, 60657. (312)871-7610. FM (312)871-7609.
Louisiana
W'Jrcl~~J; ?fu.r:0,0r:R::~i:1J:~~~°iv
Box 3768, 10m.
NEW ORLEANS-Vieux Carre MCC, 1128 St. Roel\ 70117-7716.
(~ )945-5390. SUnday, 10:00 a.m Shelley Hamitton, Pastor.
Maryland
THE BALTIMORE Al TERNA TIVE, P.O. Box 2351, Balli more, Mp
21200. (301)235,3401. FAA(301)889-5665.
Massachusetts
CHERRY VALLEY· Morning S1ar MCC, 231 Main St., 01611.
(508) 892-4320. Publicalion: Morning Star IMlness.
Michigan
DETROIT.· CRUISE Mag:,zine, 19136 Wocx!.vard North, 48203.
(313)369,1901.
FUNT. Redeemer MCC, 1665 N. Chevrolel Ave., 48504·3164.
~~~l~~~~'.~J~~f t~~rRev Linda J. Stoner, Paslor.
ANN ARBOR • Huron Valley Communily Church meels at
Glacier Way UMC, 1001 Green Rd., Ann Arbor, 48105-2896.
(313)741-1174. SLOO!y, 2:00 p.m.
DETROIT -lrlegily, 98011.!ilmore, '205, 48203.
GRAND RAPIDS • Belhel Chr~lian Assembly, 920 Cherry SE,
P.O. Box 6935, 49516. (616)459-8262 Rev, Bruce Rol~r-P~lcher,
pastor. Plblicalion: Bethel Beacon Television: Channel 23,
~i'r 1i~mi I Lansing - Ecclesia. Affirming church meels al
People's Church, 200 W. Grand River. Sunday, 8:15 p.m. .
ANN ARBOR • Tree o1 Lile MCC, meels at Frrsl
Con9"egalional Church, 218 N. Adams, Ypsilanli. P,O. Box
2598, 48106. (313)665-6163. Su"day, 6:00 p.rn
DETROIT • Men of Color Motivalional Grol.l) meets Tuesdays
at 7:00 p.m. al St. Mallhevls and St. Joseph's Episcopal
Chlrch, 8850 Wocx!.vard (313)871-4750.
Minnesota
MINl'EAPOLIS • EQUAL TIME, 310 E. 381h St., Room 207, 55409.
(612) 823-3836. PtJJli- ti/ lavendar, Inc.
MINNEAPOLIS • All Gods €hildren Melropolilan Communily
Church, 3100 Park Ave. S. (612)824-2673. Pul>icalion: The
Discir>e.
Mississippi
JACKSON •. St. Stephen's Uniled Community Church, 4872 N.
?teKfot~J.;frJ;TJ~!~?~:
1
io<:e'.
1~~
71:6x 7737,
392PA-n37, (601)373-8610.
JACKSON· Phoenix Coalilion, Inc., P.O. Box 7737, 39284-7737.
Counseling services. (601 )373-8611Y(601)939-7181.
New Jersey
HOBOKEN· The Oasis, 707 Westin(ton St., P.O. Box 5149,
01cm. (201) 792-0340.
New Mexico
SANTA FE - THE GATSBY OONNECTION, 551 W. Corc!Jva,
Ste. DiE, 87501. (505)986-1794.
New York
NEW YORK • Lesbian and Gay Communily Services Genier,
Inc., 208 W. 131h St., 10011. (212)620-7310. Ptijicalions: Genier
~i\g~t~rl~~~~. PO Box 5202, 10185-0043. Pul>icalion:
Oullook.
ROCHESTER - THE EMPTY CLOSET, 179 Allanlic Ave.,
l1Ji°l;N:5eo~:~~i ~'~r'J~~iJl':r.1\:;;"'~~x Church,
P.O. Box 9073, 12209. -(518)346-0207. Falher Herman, CSJn,
Guardian. Plblicalion: Metanoia.
..................
(513)252-8855. Penlecostal, charis,;.,lic meels Sunday, 10:00
a.m. 546 Xenia Ave. samuel Kader, Pastor.
COLUMBUS.• Melropolilan Community Church, 1253 North
High Street, 43201. (614)294-3026. Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
Publicalion: The Beacon New.;.
COLUMBUS - STONEWALL UNION REPORTS, Box 10814,
43201-7814, (614)299-7764.
Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY - Holy T rinily Ecumenical 9alholic Church,
2328 N. MacArthur, P.O. Box 25425, 73125, (405)942-2604. Fr.
. Marty Martin, paslor.
Oregon
PORTI.AND • American Friend» Service Committee Gay and
lesbian Progam, 2249 E. Burnside, 97214, (503)230-9427.
Contact Dan.
Pennsy Iva ma
ALLENT0\1,1',J - GraceCovenanl Fellow.;hip, 247 N. lOlh St.,
18102. (215)740-0247. · Bryon Rowe, Paslor. Thom Ritter,
Minister of Music.-
Tennessee
NASHVILLE· Dayspring Fellow.;hip,. 120-B So. 111h SI., Box
68073, 37206. (615)227-1446. PtJJlicat~n: Son Shine.
NASHVILLE· lnlfl!J'ily of Middle Tennessee, Inc .. P.O. Box
121172, 37212-1172 (615)383-6008. Nev,sleller. •
Texas
DALLAS· Whle Rock Communilv Church, P.O. Box 180063,
75218. (214)285-2831, (214)327-9157. Surday, 10:30 a.m. Jerry
Coo~ Paslor.
~~~i~~rl~~ PO Box 190051, 75219-0351. (214)520-0912
AUSTIN • Joan ·Wakelord Minislries, Inc., 9401·8 Grouse Meaoow Ln., 78758-6348, (512)835-7354.
DALLAS • Silent Harvest Minislries, P.O. Box 190511,
75219-0511. (214)52().tl,55,
MIDLAND _. Holy Trinily Community Church, 1607 S. Main,
79701. (915)570-4822. Rev. Glenn E. Hammell, Pastor.
Publication:Trinitv Tribune
DALLAS • Holy 1rinilv Communilv Church, 4402 Roseland,
75204. (214)827-5088. Rev. Frederick Wrighl, Pastor.
Pul>icalion: The Chariot
HOUSTON • Community Gospel Church, 501 E. 181h al
Columbia. (713)880-9235. Sunday, 11:00 a.m. Chris Chiles,
Pastor.
HOUSTON • Houslon Mission Church, 1633 Marshall, 77006
Sunday, 10:30 a.m. Rev. Rebert L Carter, Pas!Of.
HOUSTON • MCC/Resurreclion, 1919 Decatur, 77007.
(713)861-9149. Rev. John Gill, Paslor. Publicalion: The Good
News
HOUSTON. Oignily, 1307 Yale, #H, P.O. Box 66821, 77266.
(713)880-2872 Salurday, 7:30p.m
HOUSTON - Kingdom Community Church, 614 E. 191h St.,
77008. (713)862-7533(713)748-6251. SL001y, 11:00 am.
LUBBOCK - Lesbian/Gay Alliance, Inc., P.O. Box 64746,
79464-4746. (806)791-4499. PtJJlicaUon: larrlxl! Times.
Virginia
ROANOKE. MCC of lhe Blue Ai~,' P.O. Box 20495, 24018,
(703)366-0839. Pul>icalion: The Blue Ric)Qe Banner
fiOANOKE • BLUE RIDGE LAMBDA PAESS, P.O. Box 237,
2®2 , (700)890-3184
FALLS CHURCH - MCC ol Northern Virginia, 7245_lee
~lrsaycfi2S~H . Aflirmalion Gay & Lesbian Mormons, P.O.
~~IfFch~~~1:~~s. PO Box 3390, 22043.
(703)560-2680. Baplist gro4>.
Washington
SEATTLE GAY NEIMl, 704 E. Pike, 98122. (206)324-4297. FAA
(206)322-7188
SEATTLE - Grace Gospel Chapel, 2052 NW 641h St., 98107.
(206)784-8495. Sunday, 11 :00 am. & 7:00 p.rn, Wedlesday, 7:30
~l~H~ L:'~~'/;;,;~ !j)5 McMunay, 00352 (509)943-3927
Open and affirming cong-egation. ·
TACOMA • Hillside Communily Church, 2508 SoUlh 391h St.,
98<m. (206)475-2388.
West Virginia NEW YORK - AXIOS Eastern and Orthooox Christians, P.O.
Box 756, Village Sin., 10014. Secooo Friday, 8:00 p.m., MORGANT0\1,1',J. Freedom Fellow.llip Church, P.O. Box 1552,
Communily Center, 208 West 131h St. · 26505 (304)291-6940 ·
SCHENECTADY • lighlhouse Aposlolic Church, 38 Columbia . . · .
St., P.O. Box 1391, 12301-1391. (518)372-6001. Rev: IMlliam H.
Carey, pastor.
LONG ISLAND/NEW. YORK • International Free C_alholic
Churcl\iGood Shepherd Church, P.O. Box 436, Cenlral Islip,
11722, (516)723-0348. Rev. Ms!J'. Rdlert J. Al,nen, paslor.
North Carolina
CHARLOTTE· Melroliira Sv.ilctlloard, (704)535-6277. P.O. Box
~\.t:1~6N - GROW Communily Service Corporation, P.O.
Box 4535; 28406. (919)675-9222. Ymih ootreach: ALIVE ID! r;,y,
lesbian, bisexual youlli. .
RALEIGH - Raleigh Religious Network for Gay aoo Lesbian
Eq,afrty, P.O. Box5961, 27650-5961. (919)781-2525.
v.\NSTON-SALEM ·• Pieanonl Religious Nelwork for Gay and
Lesbian EqJal!y, P.O. Box 15104, 27113-0104. (919)766-9501.
Ohro
DAYTON - Community Gospel Church, P.O. Box 1634, 45401
International
LONDON • Lesbian and .Gay Christian Movement, Oxlo~d
House, Defyshire St., Loooon E2 6HG, UK, 071-739-1249.
Listings are free at the
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Send to Second
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JOURNEY, From Page 13
shared and riurtured so we can
remain and become even more of a
vibrant ; life-affirming, all-inclusive,
welcoming, life-model community for
ourselves, the institutional church,
and for other spiritual groups .
If we believe, we must speak out.
. If we ·believe, we must decide whether
to stay, restate our needs, and be
responsible for. helping to fulfill them·
- here or elsewhere. If we believe in
inclusivity and feminist perspective,
indeed if we believe in creating
women -welcome space, we must
continue our drive toward inclusivity
jn all areas for · all peopleand ·move
away from condescendingly discrimi-
~.ft] Second Stone-May/June, 1993
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MONKS, From Page 9
and not have to deal with obdurate,
righteous ecclesiastical superiors
waiting to slam shut the closet doors.
Maybe it's lime we start to look for
creative, insightful, "gay" ways of
recreating monasticism.
Perhaps some of us will decide we'd
be much happier and live fuller,
longer lives if we exercised our
freedom and chose to liquidate our
possessions and move 'into collective
farms and communes and artist
colonies in the countryside, the sort ·
I've written about in my novel,
Getting Life in Perspective. After all;
gay liberation developed out of the
sixties' counter-culture with its
idealized notions of such alternatives.
Now with the twenty years of
maturation and economic sophistication
and practical knowchow gained
since the Summer of Love, a battlescarred
generation might be ready to
re-embrace those teenage utopian
ideals.
_ Perhaps many of us will find that
natory rituals and structures. We
must be creative Christians moved by
the Spirit, not co-dependent Christians
imprisoned by shame . Let us
listen to the gifts and visions of our
women and ·our men. We ,must
continue to promote social justice ·
through our various ministries,
through academic research, through
education, spiritual ' · development,
social interaction, and individual and
communal affirmation of ourselves as
gay men and Lesbians. We must
continue to reach out to the marginalized
in our own community and in
the larger community . We must
emulate the personhood of Jesus as
the answers to the devastation ot
. AIDS will lie in discovering solitude
and examining the big questions
aboμt life arid death. There is
certainly a continued need for
political action, lobbying for scientific
research, and experimentation with .
medical solutions. We have reason to
be outraged. But what's the point of
going to the grave · outraged?
Requiescant in pace. .
I, for one, hope to find a big house
for my lover and me somewhere in
the woods. Around us I'd like . to ·
develop a community of old and new
friends involved in in'editation and
exercises for the raising and merging
of consciousness, a community , engaged
in a variety of cottage industries
such as bee-keeping, psy~ho- .
therapy, creative arts, and most
specifically, -gay tourism . Indeed,
providing lodging for travelers and
retreatants has almost always been
one of the functions of the monastery.
With our gay ingenuity we certainly
ought to be _able to recreate the best
parts _of an otherwise disappearing
institution, while simultaneously
cultivating our. so1,1ls and growing old
gracefully. _
androgynous loving friend, gifted
healer, believing child, and builder
of community, We can then
rightfully be called Christian. and be
spirited mentors and loving, healing
friends for each other. In this way,
we can help to continue the vibrant,
crucial holy journey of our own gifted
lives and of our liberating community
.
Christine Coughlan is chair of the
Committee for • Women's Concerns,
Dignity/USA . . This is an excerpt of a
homily offered at the 1991 Dignity Convention-
in Washington, D.C. Reprinted
from the Dignity/USA Journal.
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28

1993

May/June 1993