Second Stone #45 - Mar/Apr 1996

Second Stone #45 - Mar/Apr 1996

45

1996

Mar/Apr 1996

THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER FOR GAY/LESBIAN/BISEXUAL CHRISTIANS 2.95
P.Q.Box 8340
New Orleans, LA 70182
ADDRESS CORRECTION
REQUESTED .
TIME DATED MATERIAL
DONOTDELAY
1996
Distribution in some areaspon·
sored by Outreach Partners
Court holIB hearing to determine
F.piscoJxll Church's doctrine
on ordination
By James Solheim Cathedral Church of St. John in Wil-
Episcopal News Service mington, Delaware, amidst a crush of
FOR THE FIRST time in 75 years, and media and observers, the nine·bishops bisnop of Iowa, sought to establ-ish
whether there is a doctrinal basis for
charges brought against Righter of
"holding and teaching . . . doctrine
contrary to that held by this church"
only the second time in the Episcopal of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop
Church's history, a court of bishops heard a. full day of arguments on the
gathered Feb. 27 to consider charges doctrine of the church as it relates to
that a colleague had taught false the ordination of non-celibate gays.
doctrine. The hearing, a first step in the .
eked into the Great Hall of the trial of Walter · Righter, retired SEE HEARING, Page 9
· ,I\IW'ffllifi "1~/JPi !'tl
orni Ra' .. rs approve Cl VI '• gay marnages .
By Michael Raphael
Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A group of
Reform rabbis endorsed the legalization
of homosexual marriages March
28 but stopped short of re1=ommending•
that rabbis perform the ceremonies.
The 1,750-member Centr.al Confer- .
ence of Ameri<Jan Rabbis is the first
major group of Jewish-leade_rs to formally
oppose . governme)lt ban s on ·:
same-sex marriages.
. , . . ~F
; BU.K RATE
U.S.POSTAGE
., PAID
' NEW ORLEANS, LA
. PERMIT No. 511
- 1
"As Jews, and specifically in the allow these m·arriages and ·then
reform movement, we 've always ·refuse to perform the marriage," said
expressed concerr for those we feel : Rabbi Eric B. Wisnia of . Princeton
aren't treated fairly," said Rabbi Junction, New Jersey.
_Robert Kleilsin of Arnold, Maryland, But Rabbi Simeon J. Maslin, the conbefore
an overwhelming voice vote. ference president, said the -resolution
Most of the comments during the "is a matter of civil rights. It is cervigorous
debate ·centered on an tainly not connected to any question of
amendment specifying that the -group rabbinic officiation."
was not deciding the controversial Maslin said the organization
issue of rabbis· officiating over single- expects to vote on single-sex marriage
sex ceremonies. officiation at next year's meeting in
"You cannot call upon the state to Denver.
,_,_. __ _ Im -~~"'~ . ~ ~~ lifi,,l · .~ 11J!:\'.~/r~
Queen's choir says baritone can't join -
because she's not a man
READING, England (AP) - Webster's
Dictionary defines baritone as the
range of a male voice between tenor
and bass. Joan McDonough is a bari- ·
tone but she's not a man.
And that's .why she's lost her case
' against the queen's Windsor Castle
chapel choir at a jobs disputes court
at.Reading 35 miles west of London.
Dr. McDonough, 38, the wife of a
Church of England vicar, is a member
of the choir at Leeds University in
northern England where she's a
theology student. Her voice is so deep
she sometimes stands in as bass voice
in the choir and - high honor - she's
been invited on occasions to sing with
the Royal Choral Society.
Last year, she saw an ad in the
church newspaper the Church Times
. for the _post of baritone chorister at
St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle,
Queen Elizabeth H's weekend .
home near Reading.
Dr. McDonough and 13 men applied
for the job, which pays 4,000 pounds
($6,080) a year, involves singing at
services attended by the queen and
comes with a rent-free .apartment.
· In her .application she signed herself
J. McDonough. She didn't reveal
her gender and not imagining a
woman would ever apply, the choir
SEE CHOIR, Page 3
Welcome!
IF YOU FOUND this copy of Second Stone at a gay
pride event, a P-FLAG meeting, or. some other event
or location, there's a-Second Stone Outreach Partner .
in yonr area. Their brochure is enclosed. They are a
Christian_chwch or.organization with a specific .outreach
to gays and lesbians. We encourage you to visit
them for their next service: or meeting. In the meantime,
you may be asking some questions like the
ones that follc:>w. '
When I told iny church pastor l
was gay, I was referred to an exgay
pi'ogram. What's that all
about? .
Recent scientific research is indicating that sexual ori- ·
entation is innate and cannot be changed, Ex-gay programs
are effective in redirecting a heterosexual person
who.has experimented with homosexual activity
back to heterosexual relationships. For a gay or lesbian
person, however, an ex-gay ministry can only
teach one how to "act as if' heterosexual, often with
painfql-resulis: Au ex-gay prpgr~caniiot change
yq~ -~exualorientation. Rem¢mqer that niost ex-gay
i:hurcl).'.couuselors are heter9sexria! _and i:ainiot speak
fr\)lp:tlie'.eiperience of being:gay.: Also, imy psychologist
oi psy¢hiatrist wlro offer; '.'trealinen:t?' forhcimosexwtlity
:i:s not following guide1in¢s established by
the Ame:ri~ Psychological Associ.ation or the Ameriwill
Medical Association. • · ·
Aft~; _aU the rejectfon. I got from ·.
my church, why should I even care
_ about Cod? ·
· Y oui church may have ·rejected you, but God ·never
has. God ' s nature is to draw _you closer to Him, not
· to reject you. The church is administered by pastors,
bishops, lay people, committees; people like you and
me - sometimes connected ·wiih God at work among
us, and sometimes not. Sometimes the people who
run the church, because of fear, selfishness or other
reasons, are. not able to follow as God leads. In the
past, the church failed Ito speak out against the Holocaust
and slavery . At some point in the future, the
church's present failure to affirm gay and lesbian peo-
. pie and its failure to speak outagain:st ihe homophobia
that leads to discrimination and violence will be
seen as a terrible wrong. As Episcopal Bishop Barbara
Harris once said, the church is a follower of society,
not a leader. ·
Does this mean I shouldn't go to
church?
Absolutely not! (It means the church needs you probably
more than you need the church.) There is a place
for you in a church in your neighborhood. Th.ere are
many Christian churches and organizations :around ihe
country that .have a specific ministry to gay and lesbian
people. Even in the mainstream ·denominations
gay and lesbian people have prominent, alihough
sometimes closeted, places in the church as pastors,
y01,1th leaders, choir masters, lay. leaders, and so on .
Many mainstream churches ·across the couqtry have
moved info positions of welcoming and affinning gay ·
and lesbian_~ple . ·
How do I know that God doesn't
re}ecl me?
.Even.if you've never set fopt in a church cir thought
m~ch about _God, you were created by a ioving God
PAGE 2 • SECOND STONE . • MARCH/APRIL. 1996
who seeks you out. If there 's ·a barrier between yourself
and God, it is not Gocl'-s responsibility. Blackaby
and King in Experiencing GQd say there are seven
realities of a relationship with God: I. God is always
at work around you. 2. God pursues a continuing love
relationship with you that is real and personal. 3. God ·
invites you to become involved with Him in His
work. 4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the
Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal
Himself, His purposes, and His ways. 5. God's invitation
for you to work with Him always leads you to
a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. 6. You
must make major adjustments in your life to join
·God in what He is doing. 7. You come to know God
by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes
His work through you.
If you've never really believed in God, and
want to know more, ask a friend or pastor
·to talk to you. He or she may l!e able to -
recommend· a reading resource, a video, a
Bible study group or a church. And don't
be afraid or embarrassed to ask. Such a
friend or pastor will be glad you asked. It
is how God works among us. If you've
never read the Bible before, start with
Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10; and
10: 13.
But can I really be gay and Christian?
Sexual orientation - either gay or straight - is a good,
God-given part of your being. A homosexual_ orientation
is not a sinful state. The Bible condemns some
heterosexual activity and some homosexual 11ctivity;
when someone gets used or hurt rather than loved.
The Bible supports commitment and fidelity in loving
relationships .
Doesn't the Bible say homosexual
activity is a sin?
Daniel Helminiak in What ihe Bible Really Says
About Homosexuality says: TI1e sin of Sod.om was
[not homosexuality.] Jude condemns sex with angels,
not sex between men. Not a single Bible text clearly
·refers to lesbian sex ... Only five texts surely refer to
male-male sex, Leviticus 18:22 and 20: 13, Romans
1:27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1: 10. All
these texts are concerned with something other than
homosexual activity itself... If people would still
seek to know outright if gay or lesbian sex in itsdf is
good or evil... they wi)l have to loolc elsewhere for an
answer ... The Bible never addresses that question.
More than ihat, the Bible seems deliberately uncoqcemed
about it.
I would .like explm.:e further. What
can I do now?
While t11ere are many good books and videos available,
there's something powerful in being-"where two
or more are gathered.'·' You may want to check out a
tninistry in your area with a specific outreach to gays
and lesbians, including Second Stone's Outreach
Partner. The worship style may not be what you're
used to, but ihe point is to connect wit11 gay and lesbian
Christians with whom you can have discussions
about where you are. Or you may want to try a variety
of churches in your neighborhood, even those of
other denominations . (lbere is no "one true church.")
There are gay and lesbian people in almost every
church and God, who is always at work around yon,
will connect you to the people you need to know - if
you take the first step.
Wouldn't it just be easier to keep
my sexual life a secret?
Some gay and lesbian people who are happy, whole
and fully integrated may have to be silent about their
sexuality because of their job or other circumstances.
(lbe day will come when that is no longer the case.)
But a gay or lesbian person who ~ot integrate their
sexuality wit11 the rest of iheir being faces a difficult
strnggle indeed. to deny one's sexuality to oneself
while in church or at work or wiU1 straight friends,
and then to engage in periodic sexual activity is not a
self-loving, esteem-building experience. An inability
-to weave your sexuality into U1e fabric of your life in
a way that makes you feel good about yourself and
allows you to develop relationships with 0U1ers is a
cause for concern and should be discussed with
someone slcilled in gay and lesbian issues.
.- r,r •• .,. ,·,·r,1,. .. ._ .. ~- ~r, · r tl"Jl'J."r" .. •rlf" .r.r ,."':' ~'"..,..r,~..-, ... ~L'
the other MM@Ni!Mk @'i#:U Mi,'iiMMMiit-&:r• ;;g@ A®!;.$@@ wti t@MWii~t? Mf:ii.iWM\WffiiiiViMfStl
Front Page
cover items continued & late stories
Vatican condemns same:..sex maniages
VATICAN CITY (A.Pl· The Vatican
has appealed to voters not to support
·politicians who endorse same-sex
marriages, such as the mass wedding
ceremony in San Francisco .
Moral theologian Gino Concetti
wrote in the Vatican's official newspaper
that homosexual marriages
• would "undermine th e foundation of
the family model upon which humai:i
civilization was built."
He recalled that Pope John Paul II
denounced in 1994 a European Parlia-
CHOIR,
From Pagel
managers wrote seeking references .for
"this . gentleman."
When they found she wasn't a man
they flatly turned her down without
hearing her sing :
Claiming sex discrimination, Dr.
the NEWS continues
onPage8
ment resolution that declared that
homosexual couples should be
allowed to marry and adopt children .
The pope said at the time ·such a
development would legitimize
"moral disorder."
Also open for "moral censure" is
"the action of that citizen, who, with
his choice, favors the election of the
candidate who has formally promised
to translate into law the homosexual
demand," he wrote.
McDonough took her case to Reading
Industrial Tribunal.
But on March . 5, tribunal chairman
Neil Jenkins ruled that as a religious
institution founded for charitable
purposes, the chapel was exempt
from terms of Britain's 1975 Sex Discrimination
Act .
Dr. McDonough denounced the ruling
as a cop-out. "This means that th e
chapel has the right to discriminate,"
she told reporters after the
ruling.
Get listed in . ·
Second Stone's ·
1996
Resource
Guide
All churches and organizations
with a specific
outreach to gays and lesbians
will be listed free.
Your ministry information will be published
in an upcoming issue of Second
Stone and will be made available on the
World Wide Web. IN ORDER TO BE
LISTID YOU MUST CONFIRM YOUR
MINISTRY NAME,LCCATION AND
PHONE NUMBER. We will print one line
of additional information for you.
You can also advertise
in Second Stone's
resource guide.
By adverti sing in our resource guide.
you capture even more exposure for
your ministry - and you support our outreach
as well! Call 504-891-7555 - or
check the box in your listing confirmation
below - and we'll help you with
your ad.
Get a FREE AD in the
resource guide by
becoming an
Outreach Partner.
Second Stone makes copies available
for just the cost of printing and shipping
to churches and organizations providing
literature ministry at bars and
gay pride events. Become an Outreach
Partner - and increase your ministry's
visibility in your community!
HERE'S OUR.INFORMATION FOR THE RESOURCE GUIDE:
ChurcM3roup Name, ____________________ _
Address _______________________ _
Phone ________________________ _
Other informatio11 _____________ -,- _______ _
Please contact us about [ ] advertising [ ]becoming an Outreach Partner
MAIL TO: .Box 8340, New O~eans, LA 70182 OR FAX TO (504)891-7555
OR E- MAIL TO: secstone@aoLcom
Dignity/Pittsburgh kicked off
· church property
LEADERS OF . THE Pittsburgh
chapter of Dignity met with parish
and diocesan officials on Jan. 23 to be.
told that the group could no longer
meet at St. Pamphilus Church. The
meeting · was requested by the
Church's pastor, Fr. James Merlino,
OFM and was also attended by Fr.:
Ronald Li,mgwin, s~cretary for Pastoral
Life, representing the diocese .
Reciting church doctrine that
"homosexual persons are c;,lled to
chastity," Merlino said that because
Dignity /Pittsburgh' s position is
directly opposed to church teaching,
he could no longer allow the group to
use St. Pamphilus for Sunday masses
and meetings .
Lengwin said the Diocese of Pittsburgh
supported Merlino's action
which was necessary because of the •
"unsuccessful" dialogue between
Dignity and the diocese. The diocese
wanted Dignity members to join the
local chapter of Courage, a group of
. homosexual Catholics who claim to
abstain · from sexual •actixity; and
recant their written policy that members
can express their sexuality physically
"in a unitive manner that is
loving, life giving and life affirming."
Merlino and Lengwin · agre .ed to
allow · Dignify to have one final
meeting at St. Pamphilus.
Distribution of Second Stone in some
communities is sponsored by our
Outreach Partners. We invite you to
visit them for worship.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
CltNrclt of tlte Rts11rrectio11
. ·, II ~ .
MET~O.POLITAN COMMU.NITY CHURCH
5540 South Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637-1621
"Serving Chicago's gay
and lesbian community
for 15 years. "
Worship · services
Sundays l Q:30 a.m.
Sunday school
Sundays l 0 :30 a.m.
Ask us about our house groups .
Give us d call at 312/288-1535
DAYTON, OHIO
CAmmunity ·
u;Q.Spel
vhurch
"Gay positive, people
friendly House of
Prayer for all people!"
Sunday, 10 a.m.
546 Xenia Ave
Call (513)252-8855
DES MOINES, IOWA
·Church of the Holy Spirit.·
Metropolitan Community Church
.
· PO Box 8426.
Des Moines
IA50301
Tel.(515)284-7940
Visit.us this Sunday at 6pm. Our
worship & ,office location is at
1548 8th Street, Des Moines, Iowa.
Calling people · to new life.
Confronting the injustice .
Creating a community.
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL.' CHURCH
LONG BEACH
. UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST ·
An Open and Affirming Congregation
We welcome you to worship
in a nurturing environment.
241 Cedar Ave • Long Beach, CA.90802
(310) 436-2256 • Fa.~ (310) 436-301!!
http:/ /users .aol.com/revmek(index/html
PAGE 3 • SECOND STONE. • MARCH/APRIL, 1996
MCC pastor one of many
choosing artific~al ins,mif anlily
By Deborah Bradley
The qallas Morning News
On the floor in a ,room strewn
with toys, Rev. Michael Piazza sits ·
with Bill _Eure, his mate of 15 years,
cuddling their towhead daughter.
"All I ever wanted was to be a
Methodist minister, to have one person
in my life and to have a family,"
says Piazza, senior pastor of Cathedral
of Hope Metropolitan Community
Church jn Dallas, the largest
Catch Up
on the
newsyou
missed!
,New subscribers can order a complete set
. of six back issues - and read up on a year's
worth of information of 'interest to gay
and lesbian Christians, See the ord~r ·
·rorm · ?n _ Page 22.
church in the UFMCC. "Now, I've got
that."
. . With legal adoptions nearly impossible
for gay and lesbian couples,
more and more lesbian and a few gay
couples such as Piazza and Eure are
turning to artificial insemination.
At Cathedral of Hope the number of
baptisms from births through artificial
insemination has been increasing
over the past few years. In 1993,
there were three. There were five in
1994 and in 1995 that figure doubled.
"In most churd1es, there are about
· equal number of deaths as births "
says Piazza,41."That's not the case\n
homosexual churches. We average
about 182 funerals per year (95 percent
AIDS related deaths). So performing
a baptism is a real pleasure ."
One baptism does stand out for Piazza
. On Dec. 19, 1993, he performed
the ritual for his biological daugl_lter
Michelle (not her real name), who
with hair that stands straight up, is
the spitting image of Piazza.
_ ~i_a~za and Eure share the respons1b1hhes
of parenthood with two other
people: a lesbian couple who have
been together for 12 years, Marie, a
health professional, and Stella, an
educator. (The women requested that
their names be changed to protect
their pnvacy and the identity of the
· . Pa!v,~!~. H~ H~~ .. Gay
: Order from·
Second Stone Press.
See page 22. ·
Although more and more parishioners are
comfortable with coming out at church, many
pastors still aren't equipped to hear the words,
"I am gay." This remarkable book chronicles a
Baptist pastor's first fumbling encounter with
those words to his deep and compassionate
, understanding of what is means to be a gay
·Christian.
An extraordinary book... a prophetic
witness to the church ...
-James B. Ashbrook,
Garrett 'Ei>a11gelical Theological Semi11ary
PAGE 4 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRiL, 1996
. j MifiN PftMiiWWN i~ j wdlii¼/Mii/iiMffii!ifMIA¥ ,i, rJ Ni i¥i1ii!fMiiiiiisi'i@Ri
child. Mich,dle has taken her mother's
.last name.)
The couples, who have been friends
for six years ; own homes in Oak Cliff
and attend the same church.
Marie, 37, and · Stella, 38, had b(len
waiting to adopt for two years and
say they were frustrated. Piazza and
Eure, who's 41 and a senior. systems
analyst, say they were ready for
fatherhood.
After months of consideration, the
f~ursome decided to become parents.
Piazza would be the biological father
and Stella would be the mother.
'There weren't any rules to go by,"
Marie says. Eure adds, "So, we've
. been inventing them as we go."
It took five months for Stella to get
pregnant.
Shortly afterward; the foursome
went before the congregation and
made the announcement. ·
'Tm probably the only preacher in
town who could announce he had ·an
illegitimate child and get a standing
ovation," Piazza says laughing.
All four were present in the
delivery room.
They remember ·the fear when
Michelle was born with the umbilical
cord wrapped around her . neck. She
wasn't breathing and had no heartbeat.
They all felt the elation when
~he doctors revived the 7-pound, 21-
mch baby girl.
Ever since, the foursome has shared
t~~ ~ay-to-day and financial responsib1hhes
that come with .parenthood.
Stella and Eure are confessed pushovers
for 'the baby, and Piazza and
Marie are the strictest.
All four are on the emergency card
at the day-care center and pediatrician's
office.
And while the couples keep their
separate residences, they share the
d1r~ diapers, the late nights and
p1ckmg up and dropping her off at
day-care. Michelle lives with the two
mothers . and visits the fathers regularly.
And they all gather as much as
possible for holidays, birthdays and
periodic dinners .
"(Michelle) will be told that (Stella)
and I are her legal and biological
parents and that Bill and (Marie) are
to be respected and minded," Piazza
says.
Marie will be referred to as "ma
mere," which means mother in
French, and Eure has chosen to be
called Uncle Bill.
"We _aren't naive," Piazza says. "We
know 1t will be hard on her having
gay parents . Love will compensate .
The bottom line is how much kids are
loved."
Plus, Eure says, "By the time she's
13 or 14 years old, it will be a dif•
ferent world."
Stella continues, "She's going to be
more concerned with how much
allowanc e she gets and if we 'll buy
her new jeans."
Over time, Gays and Lesbians have
bought into the myth that they would
make bad ·parents, Piazza says. "But
Rev. Michael Piazza
: there's no studies to show that."
, In fact, studies by national scholars
and researchers have shown that
there are no differences in psychological
or gender · development in children
who are raised in homosexual or
heterosexual households. And there is
no higher rate of homosexuality in
the children than in the general
population.
Robert Dain, a Dallas
psychiatrist, says these families are
like any other family .
''.Homosexual relationships are
considered less likely to stay together,
but researd1 doesn't show this " he
says. ''.Heterosexual couples split 'up at
alarmmg rates."
Many homosexual couples have
turned to artificial insemination because
the system has left them few
options, Piazza says. It's almost
impossible for same-sex couples to
adopt.
While legal adoptions have
occurred, they're rare. In September
~993, a Tarrant 5=ounty family law
Judge allowed a lesbian couple to
adopt. _Similar cases also have been
made m 13 other states including
New York and California.
In Vermont and Massachusetts,
cases have had to go before the state
supreme courts before it was determined
that same-sex couples could
adopt.
In T~xas, "for the most part, you're
not gomg to have same-sex adoptions
under the current statues," says Karen
Whitt, a Dallas lawyer. "I'd be hard
pressed to recommend adoption. It's
tantamount to jousting with a
win~mill - it's just going to keep
commg around and hitting you in the
head."
SEE FAMILY, Next Page
Faith 1n Daily Life
·Minister's Lenten fast calls attention to
church's treatment of gays
INDIANAPOLIS (AP.) - The Rev. churches that condemn their sexual
Howard Warren has prayed for peo- orientation .
pie with HIV and AIDS, counseled Warren, 61, fasted throughout the
them through fear and pain, and 40 days of Lent. He is infected with
simply been with them at their bed- HIV, so doctors monitored his partial
sides. More than 500 men and women fast closely.
have died of AIDS knowing that
Warren considered them his brothers
and sisters in Christ.
The openly gay Indianapolis Presbyterian
preacher and gay-tights
activist fasted in their memory and
for Christians who feel isolated from
Warren also wanted to attract the
attention of the l.eaders of his own
denomination. For nearly 20 years,
clergy and laity in the Presbyterian
Church U.S.A. have been debating
whether openly gay and lesbian peo-
Hate crime spurs loving response
GREAT FALLS (AP) - Hate graffiti
painted on a predominantly black
Great Falls church · in .November
resulted in an outpouring of love
from people around Montana .
'The person who did that meant it
for evil, but God has made it a blessing,"
said the Rev. Phillip Caldwell
of Mount Olive Christian Fellowship
Church.
FAMILY,
From Previous Page
About 90 to 95 percent of gays and
lesbians will not be allowed to adopt,
Ms. Whitt says. "It takes very 'special
circumstances for an openly
homosexual person to be able to
adopt.
Having a biological child gives the
mother or father the safest insurance
for keeping par ental rights in a court
battle, Ms. Whitt says.
With homosexual couples using
artificial insemination, the courts are
being challenged to fashion r,ulings
that are applicable to their unique
situations.
For Piazza's family, the state of the
law is a concern.
QUOTABLE
"WE WILL HA VE to
repent in this generation
not merely for the hateful
words and actions of the
bad people but for the
appalling silenc? of the
good people.
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On Sunday, Nov. 5, parishioners
arriving for services found scrawled
grafitti - "666 No Niggers, " "Satan"
and several inverted, 5-pointed stars
painted on the door and entryway of
the church. ·
But individuals and other churches
around the state shared the congregation's
outrage, Caldwell said.
Attendance Nov. 12 swelled from
"I'm frustrated that I can't be
(Miche,lle's) legal g9ardian; I feel like
· her mother," Marie says. "I care for
her, I support her emotionally and
financially."
During Stella's pregnancy, Marie
says she even had sympathy pains . "I
thought men who did were wimps.
But I had the cravings and sore
breasts and everything."
Piazza, Eure, Marie and Stella have
drawn up wills, papers giving power
of attorney and other documents to
ensure the child's safety and wellbeing.
But ultimately, lawyers say
the only person with concrete rights
to a child by artificial insemination is
the biological mother.
"If a woman has a child by artificial
insemination , the man has no legal
standing unless he is the husband ,"
says Cynde Horne, a lawyer in
Dallas.
But he gets closer to it if h e is
acknowledged by the mother, and
he's named on the birth certificate,
she says.
Regardless of the complications,
Piazza says having a child with a
group is best.
'Two sets of parents relieves the
other parents," he explains. "So when
I see (Michelle) I'm completely available
because I haven't had her for 14
days straight."
_ Stella says her family structure is
closer to how it was before World War
II, when families Jived in the same
neighborhood.
'Two people weren't islands who
were expected to make it on their.
own."
pie can be ordained. Like many mainline
Protestant denominations, the
Presbyterian Church currently forbids
the ordination of practicing homosexuals
as elders, d eacons or ministers.
"I feel that the Presbyterian
. Church is filled with fear and that it
is being manipulated by the religious
right," Warren said. "As a result, a
mean spirit of law . and order has
replaced the Holy Spirit. I would
like the Holy Spirit to reclaim the
Presbyterian Church ."
the usual 100 or so to about 170, said
Caldwell. A rally brought out about
200 supporters, roughly $900 in contributions
for repairs and dozens of
cards and letters · of support arrived at
the church.
"Dear friends," wrote Dave
Christensen from Big Timber . "I support
you,. and send you - prayers of
love and courage. This country is full
of good white people who would
stand by you, any place, any time, as
you would for us."
A fifth-grade class at Blessed Trinity
School in Great Ralls sent a poster
with sev!(ral of -the children's comments
.- _
"I think what happened was
wrong," wrote one student. "Whoever
did this must not think very good of
themselves if they have to tear down
others to make them feel good about
themselves."
On Nov. 13, Caldwell said he gave
his monthly service at Great Falls'
Rescue Mission. Afterward, a homeless
man gave him $20. "He said -'I
want you to have this,"' said
Caldwell. 'Th e way God has touched
the hearts of so many people .... "
Gov. Marc Racicot wrote: 'Theresa
and I _were deeply saddened to learn
of the ugly incident at your church. It
ill important, always, to keep
repeating to ourselves and to others
UNCOMMON
CALLING:A
Gay Christian's
Struggle to
Serve the
Church
BY CHRIS GLASER
Expanded and with a new
introduction, conclusion , and
photographs. In this book, Chris
Glaser describes his personal
journey of coming o.ut to his family,
friends, church - and to himself
In response . to lingering division
within the denomination, . church
leaders will again take up · the issue
during their anriual general assembly
meeting to be held in Albuquerque,
N:.M., in June. . .
"Maybe .this fasting }Viii be ~.sign of
the spirit"at work," Warren · said. "I
hope to just op@n myself ·each.day to
that spirit and pray for each of the
people who will . be . at general
assembly."
who do not share our belief in
· tolerance that Montana was mad~ big
to embra~e it~ wondrous · d/-~r_ersity.
But that diversity must never .mclμde ·
racial, religious or sexual preJ4dice."
· "Somebody asked n\e if I .. was
S'urprised" by the response, Caldwell
said: 'Tm not s.urprised . · It's heartwarming
to see it, ·but I'm not
surprised. That's the kind ·of place we
live in. They will not put up with that
kind .of thing."
Police are investigating the
vandalism, but have made no arrests.
Uncommon Calling, $19.99, paperback
Order from Second Stone Press, Page 22.
PAGE 5 • SECOND STONE• MARCH/APRIL. 1996 .
Faith in Daily Life
m
Grace is
something you
can never get
but only
be given.
Grace be Unto You
-Galatians 1:3
"AFTER CENTURIES of handling
and mishandling, most religious
· words have become so shopworn,
nobody's much interested any more.
Not so with grace, for some reason.
Mysteriously, even derivatives like
gracious and graceful still have some
of the bloom left.
Grace is something you can never get
but only be given. There's no way to
earn it or deserve it or bring it about
any more than you can deserve the
taste of raspberries and cream or earn
good looks or bring about your own
birth.
A good sleep is grace and so are good
dreams. Most tears are grace. The
smell of rain is grace: . Somebody loving
you is grace. Loving somebody is
grace.... .
There 1s only one catch. Like any
other gift, the gift of grace can be
yours only if you'll reach out and take
it." (Frederick Buechner, Listening to
my Life, p. 288, 289) .
PAGE 6 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL, 1996
litiH
We need to be
guided by
something more
than the need for
guidance.
The Yoke is Easy, the Burden is Light
-Matthew 11:30
~HEN JESUS CAME into people's
hves, t~ey felt appreciated. They
felt noticed. They felt like they mattered.
He did not issue awards, or
patronage, or monetary gifts . He
issued appreciation. He issued comfort.
He issued a sense of belonging to
life, and to God, and to living by a
deep keel. A deep keel is what a big
sailboat needs: it needs more than just
a little one.
Jesus did not belittle the need for
wine at weddings, or com on the Sab?
ath, or workers to get paid for pickmg
grapes. He did not make normal
life and food look ridiculous on
behalf of a large and grandiose spirituality.
Instead he honored
"things" sacramentally: he showed
their connection to a deeper keel. It is
hard to even imagine Jesus as tired .
We know him as frustrated and
grieving, and angry. But tir~d he
wasn't. He simply rested in the one
he called his heavenly Father .
If we want to feel less tired, all we
have to do is deepen our keel. We
need to be guided by something more
than the need for guidance . We need
to_ befriend Jesus' message and his
witness to rest in God.
It is important to remember how
simple the appreciations are that are
our own responsibility. It is not our
task to save or appreciate the whole
world. We only do our small part.
Heavy water becomes light, with
many hands and hearts. Yoke: Easy.
Burden : Light.
rm
Weariness
creeps up
on us
much
too often .
... they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint
-Isaiah 40: 31
FATIGUE CAN BE a friend. It is also
a part of our holy way.
When Julia Ward Howe wrote in
the las.I. century that · she was "tired,
tired, tired, way down into the next
century," she was talking about the
struggle to abolish slavery. Now,
many of us can identify with that
statement but we are not talking
about so obviously grand a mission.
We .!Ire talking about the shrinking
economy, lengthy commutes, a.nd a
near Sabbathlessness. My aunt used
to do 24 claims a day as an insurance
agent; now she is required to do 70.
She is not alone in overwork.
Many just want to "get through the
day." We want to "make it" through
the day. Weariness creeps up on us
much too often. Even at breakfast
some of us are tired. By lunch we need
a nap. When both men and women
now start our second shift at home, we
are often quite bleary eyed. We let
the children watch the television
because we know they want "off"
time as much as we do. We tum on to
turn off.
One good way to turn off is to
remember the promises of God. We
will get tired! And we will also get
untired. We will get beyond weariness.
~ven the youths will faint. But
then they will walk again.
---Wedo
not
become
weary1n
well doing.
Let us Not be W~a,y in Well Doing
-Galatians 6:9
THERE ARE PLENTY .of reasons for
increased fatigue . The causes include
at least the shrinking economy, the
need for two or more incomes to support
a household, increasing stimuli
for more expensive life styles, a
desire for college educations, and a
myriad of other interacting economic,
political, social issues. None of these
will be changed by words . They can
and should be humanized! We
humanize ourselves and our fatigue
by using wonis.
Words are well doings. They are
mighty beginnings for humanizing
the world of work.
We can use wise words to befriend
fatigue. In this strategy, we welcome
its warning. We accept our limits .
We can't do any more daims than we
can do! We are, after all, human
beings, not human doings . Befriending
fatigue as a welcome warning is a
way to live beyond tired into time .
Now time is the destination. Being
tired is a result of packing too much
into too small a unit of time. It is like
a size 14 woman wearing size 12 jeans.
The fit is not quite right. Bulges
occur. The bulges cause fatigue.
When we move from tired into time,
we wear the right size day. We
acknowledge our limitations. We see
the overweight nature of ouF lives .
We slim them down. We unclutter
them. We forgive ourselves excess.
We make plans for less excess. We
become comfortable again. We may
not change the direction of the economy
but we change our own directions.
We do not become weary in well
doing!
™
''Whatever lies
before me is not
blocking my next
step: it is my
next step."
This is a day of trouble ..... -
Kings 19:3
MOST OF US LIVE in packed time.
We are living on too many levels at
once. We are worrying about what we
didn 't do yesterday or what we must
get done by tomorrow. We are not
here. We are not home in here. We
are "there," in anxiety. The anxiety
makes us tired. If we accept our
fatigue as a warning, we can make
fatigue our friend. If we listen deeply
to it, we may even hear the call from
God. That call includes reforming our
economy - and our own personal life.
Both are implied when fatigue is our
friend, not either. We may be tired
now, but we don't need to be tired forever.
Failure analysts say things fail
from the interaction of difficulty, not
just one thing. Jμst as we will not be
less tired by only one strategy, so we
will not be released from fatigue if
our job dehumanizes us. Some attention
to the economic reality is necessary
for the spiritual strategies to
work. Also, we need to be part of a
community of spiritual strategy. We
can't do it alone .
How do we befriend fatigue? We
stop doing some of the things that
make us tired. We remove some of
the obstacles in our way. Maureen
Brady says the spiritual strategy
well when she says, "Whatever lies
before me is not blocking my next step:
it is my next step." We get beyond our
fatigue using person friendly strategies.
We do not get over fatigue by
making ourselves crazy getting
beyond it.
If one of your New Year's Resolutions
was not living well as a human
being, make it so now. Don't plan on
being tired all year. Attending your
local church or temple can be a start :
make friends with your fatigue.
Make friends with other people who
are also trying to live well as human
beings. Fatigue is not a personal failure!
Fatigue can be a friend, one that
tells the truth about who we are and
who we may dare hope tci be .
Befriend fatigue today.
™
Is it possible
that the trespass
of America
is that we
do too much?
... But chose the trespass of Judah ...
-Psalm 78:68
IN THE VERY POPULAR book by
Stephen Covey, The Seven Habit s of
Highly Effective People, the world
is divided into spheres of influence
and the territory outside our spheres
of influence. In the sphere of
influence, we place our families, our
jobs, our selves. Outside of the sphere
of influence, we might place something
distant, like peace in Jerusalem
or abolishing racism . Healthy people,
Covey says, work in their sphere
of influence and don't stray outside it
very often. They work to expand
their sphere of influence but they
make most of their investment inside
that sphere . For example, a father
may try to raise children who understand
racism and who are prepared to
make simple stands against it. He
may or filay not write an affirmative
action plan for his town . People who
work in their sphere of influence take
small bites out of the great, global
responsibility which surrounds us all.
Is it possible that the trespass of
America is that we ,do too much?
That we are imperial in our daily
objectives? Is there anything holy
about doing too much?
What if we lived inside our sphere
of influence? We are not implying
enormous level s of evil, or responsibility,
pr any other grandiosity,
within any one of us. Even the
_ "enormity" of our sin is another form
of imperialism, just another version
of the trespass of this Judah .
· If we stay inside our own boundaries,
we sinless.
Faith in Daily Lite
rm
: God can be coun;ted
on to show up · at
the botto ·m of the
bottom of the
bottom of tr9uble.
May the Lord Hear Thee :fo'. the Day
of Trouble -Psalm 20
T. S. EL10T SA!D, !'You bring me news
of a door that opens af the end of a
corridor, sunlight and singing, whe1J I
had felt sure that every corridor only
led to .another, or to a blank wall ."
Those who have made .friends out of
their own trouble know what he
means . We have come !(?, know the
dark places within US · and we have
seen their doors and windows. I ·have
b~come intimately acqua.inted : with
the bottom of my stomach . . It opens!
But not until it is ready to open. Pain
takes its .own good time . . But God,
whom Eliot is addressing here, can be
counted on to show up at the bottom of
the bott<;>m of the bottom of the trouble
- and there to open a door.
Folk wisdom tells us that "God
never shuts a Window not to open
another ." I · remember being in a
church once where · all the windows
were open a~d a service was being
conducted . A gusty wind blew up on
both sides of the church . The ushers
shut all the windows, all very quickly.
Air pressure opened one back up!
The whole congregation smiled. We
knew that God uses air pressure to
make a point.
Even the stress and pressure of our
lives may carry God.
The Rev. Donna E. Schaper is an Area
Minister of .the Massachusetts Conference
of the United Church of
Christ.
PAGE 7 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL, 1996
Miclugangamyi nistegri vesu pc redentials
THE REV. RICHARDT. Rossiter, the
openly gay pastor of the Coloma
United · Methodist Church near Kalamazoo,
Mich., has relinquished his
credentials as a minister in the
United Methodist church. He had
been a minister in-the denomination
for nine years.
In a -letter sent to members of the
church, Rossiter said "The United
Methodist . cburch says that I cannot
serve as an openly gay pastor, while
being , in a loving and faithful relationship
· with another man with
whom I share a common vision, a-common
commitment to the church and
Jesus Christ and a common p.assion for
social justice. Therefore, since my self
cannot be honored, I am choosing to
relinquish my credentials."
Rossite,r revealed .publicly he was .
gay in 1994, butremained .eligible for.
appoint,ntent as a !'non~prac.ticing .
· homosexual." ' Critics throughout the
United Methpdist' chu.rch hiive
called 'for his dismissal ever since his
disclosure. Rossiter s~id he ·is ch~o;ing
to leave now on his own terms
before imy_ charges could have been
brought against him.
Rossiter also stated ·in his letter
that "As a layperson, I will be free to
live and love, celebrating · all that
God has created me to be." He also
promised to continue to help the
church understand homosexuality . "I
promise to continue to create settings
where people can come together in
mutual respect for one another, free of
arguing, fear and rumors, the dishonoring
of self, and· the attacking and
battering that continu.es to _distract us
from living on the path of authentic
love that -Christ call us."
The Rev. Jim Boehm, United Methodist
District -Superintendent for the
Kalamazoo district, said in a prepared
statement that "I am saddened
to know that Rich is leaving the
ordained ministry of our United
Methodist church. He served very
effectively and compassionately and
was celebrated as a ·fine p~stor. We
are dirnirushed by his depa rture."
Rossiter plans to inove to California
where he will continue to work on a
doctoral degree.
BISHOP WALTER RIGHTER'S HEARING
PriesRt ighteorr dainegde tsh atem ail
MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (AP) -·A frierid Lecki, a hospice chaplain.
of the Rev. ·Barry Stopfel warned "It's hard for him to stand back and
him to "watch my packages and lock see me in what he sees as a harmful
the car," in case of a bomb or other situation," Stopfel said. "By going
danger from his detractors. public about this, we've had to let
Seems like strange advice to offer people know who we are and where
the rector of St. George's Episcopal we live."
Church here. But some consider the Stopfel also said there's the added
48-year-old cleric a pariah because stress of acting "like the perfect gay
Stopfel is an. openly gay man - and couple." The intense al-tention, he
they are letting him know exactly added, has made it difficult for him
how they . feel in hate mail, The to keep his parish on an even keel.
Star-Ledger of Newark reported. Both Righter and Spong are stand-
"It's the usual stuff, 'scourge of God,' ing by their .decision to ordain S.top'
crime against nature,' " Stopfel said fel.
of the hate letters.. "I made this decision," Righter told
The court hearing for Bishop the newspaper. "I stand by it and I
Walter Righter thrust · Stopfel into will fight for it, because it is the
the spotlight, which has made him right thing to do."
uncomfortable. Righter ordained Spong denounced the church offiStopfel
in 1990 as an openly gay dea- cials charging Righter with heresy,
con, calling their tactics hysterical.
"It's not easy being an icon," he told "Barry Stopfel is in a loving, monog-
The Star-Ledger. "It has put a tre• amous relationship and in all other
mendous stress on my relationship." ways suitable for ordination," Spong
Stopfel's longtime partner is Will said.
PAGE 8 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL, 1996
Longtimgea ya ctivisotr oainebdy
.CalifornBiaa ptiscth urch
OAKLAND, CA --The membership of
Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church
voted March 24 to locally ordain an
openly gay member, Randle R. (Rick)
Mixon. Church procedures for local
ordination require a two-thirds
majority of members present and voting.
108 votes were cast, of those 76
were yes and 32 no. The ordination
was voted to proceed by 4 votes. The
' vote was taken in a special business
meeting following worship.
Lakeshore A venue Baptist is one of
four Bay Area churches that were
disfellpwshipped .from the American
Baptist Churches of the West because
of their membership in the Associa"
lion of Welcoming and Affirming
Baptists, which affirms all - Christians
regardless of sexual orientation.
Mixon was turned down by the ordination
commission of the American
Baptist Churches of the West in
1994, despite the fact that he met all
of the ABCW's criteria for ordination.
Mixon was previously turned down
for ordination in the 1970's, again
because he is a gay man.
When Mixon was seven years of age
he walked the aisle of First Baptist
Church of Chula Vista, California,
at the invitation of a visiting evangelist,
and later that year was baptized
by his father. He traces his
call to discipleship to that time.
When he was 16, he walked the aisle_
of First Baptist Church of Boise, Idaho,
at his father's .invitation to commit
his life to full-time Christian
service. He traces his call to ministry
to that time. In 1969, Mixon entered
seminary.
Since graduating from seminary in
1973, Mixon has worked as minister of
music at First Baptist Church of
Berkeley, California and minister to
youth and shut-ins at Lakeshore
Avenue ·Baptist.
Throughout the years, Mixon.has
worked for the inclusion and affirmation
of sexual minorities within the
American Baptist Churches in the
USA and Baptist circles. He has
senred as co-chair of American Baptists
Concerned, steering committee
member, spokesperson and national
staff person.
BISHOP WALTER RIGHTER'S HEARING
PresenteirnsR ightecra sed id
notw antatriabl,i shopcl aims
ByJe rry Hames
6piscopal News Service
THE TEN BISHOPS who initiated
the · presentment against Bishop
Walter Righter never wanted a trial,
according to Bishop · Stephen Jei:ko,
one of those who brought the charges
against the retired bishop.
'We were prepared to withdraw it
twice," said Jecko, bishop of the
· Diocese of Florida since May, 1994.
"In return, we wanted a moratorium
on ordinations of non-celibate gays
and lesbians until the issue could be
resolved by General Convention in
1997. We w~re thwarted each time."
Jecko was among five presenting
bishops who attended the first stage
of the trial in Wilmington, Delaware,
February 27.
The first occasion, he said, was the
House of Bishops meeting in March,
1995, when Righter Was allowed to
address the bishops. Presiding
Bishop Edmond Browning then ruled
further discussion out of order. The
second time, said Jecko, was at the
House of Bishops' meeting at Portland,
Oregon, last September. "We
had gone there to discuss the issue.
We were told it [the trial] was a done
deal," he said.
Browning s_aid at the Portland
ni.eetin·g that he would heed the
opinion of his legal counsel that
there be no· discussion about the
impending trial. When one bishop
began to talk about the trial, the
bishops who act as judges immediately
left the room. -
Jecko said .that the presenting
bishops and some retired bishops who
came to Portland to discuss the issue
felt "undercut" by that decision. He
maintained that all 76 bishops who
signed the presentment had been told
that the charge .could be withdrawn
if a temporary moratorium was
agreed to.
A trial "is · not the way to resolve
the issue unless you feel it's the last
resort--which we did,"' said Jecko.
Bishop Keith Ackerman of the
Diocese of Quincy in !llip.ois, another
bishop who initiated the presentment,
also believed ·the trial would
never progress this far. He reportedly
told Browning during the presiding
bishop's visit to the diocese several
months ago that he had been assured
that the bishops would resolve the
SEE PRESENTERSN, ext Page
I• iii , fu.q, ,@ if il'te g: ii., , -i' @ffi-¾Mii4ki•lil"if§§iii'¥~,," """'"'*' i i\Mi$fi1Mi#Hiiii%1¥¥i4---:jj§j#•jt4tg'4■1:jp:tltl:H:lif.1:j::r4:Jl4~
Hearing attempts to define doctrine on otdination ·
From Pagel
and of violating his ordination vows.
The path leading to the trial
began in 1990, when Righter, while
serving as an assistant bishop in the
Dioce_se of Newark, ordained Barry
Stopfel as a deacon. Stopfel, who has
since been ordained as a priest, is a
gay man who was living in a relationship
with another man.
In January of 1995, ten bishops filed
charges against Righter, claiming
that the ordination of a non-celibate
homosexual was at odds with the
doctrine of the Episcopal Church. A
necessary one-quarter of the House of
Bishops subsequently agreed that the
charges should go to the court .
In a pre-trial hearing in Hartford,
Connecticut, last December, the court
granted a motion calling for a discussion
of whether the church had a
doctrine on the ordination issue sufficient
to move to a full-blown trial of
Righter.
'This case is about the doctrine of
Christian marriage ... and it is about
family values," said A. Hugo Blankingship,
Jr., the retired chancellor
of the Dio_cese of Virginia who served
as Church Advocate, or attorney for
those bringing the charges. 'This case
first anlf foremost is about authority,
it is about the authority of Holy
Scripture and the role it will play in
our church," he said in the opening
statement of his two and one-half
hour presentation.
Blankingship said that the
church has consistently upheld "the
traditional teaching of the church on
marriage, marital fidelity, and sexual
chastity as the standard of sexual
morality." And he argued that candidates
for ordination "are expected to
conform to this standard." That is
why "we believe it is not appropriate
for this church to ordain a practidr.g
homosexual, or any person who is
engaged in a heterosexual r?lationship
outside of, marriage," he 5aid,
PRESENTERS,
From Previous Page
issue of ordaining non-celibate homosexuals
without a trial.
The presenting bishops stated early
in the process that they intended to
bring charges against other bishops
who have ordained non-celibate
homosexuals. That plan appears to
have been dropped.
"I can't think of ten bishops who you
could get to agree to do this again .
There are none I could see on the horizon,"
Bishop James M. Stanton of the
quoting a 1979 General Convention
resolution that is a major point of contention
in the trial.
Blankingship argued for a broad
definition of the church's doctrine,
one that is supported by Scripture,
the historic creeds of the early
church, and the Book of Common
Prayer, but also including resolutions
and statements of the church's General
Convention and the House of
Bishops.
He said that the trial was "a
matter of last resort" by those who
saw the "seeds of anarchy" in the
actions of bishops who act as "Lone
Rangers" in their dioceses, without
regard for the opinion of the rest of
the church. Stressing the importance
of the trial for the future, he warned,
"History will judge how relevant the
Episcopal Church was in its hour of
trial."
Bishops on the court took an active
role in questioning the lawyers for
both sides. "Suppose I. agree that
there is a doctrine of marriage,"
Bishop Cabell Tennis of Delaware
said, interrupting Blankingship.
'The question I'm struggling with is
whether doctrine is fixed or whether
it changes ."
. The church has changed its policy
al!d its discipline but not its doctrine,
Blankingship responded. It still
teaches that sexual expression should
be limited to life-long, monogamous
marriage between a man and a woman.
"Scripture clearly says remarriage
is adultery, so there seems to be a
strong reinterpretation of those
Scriptures," observed Bishop Frederick
Borsch of Los Angeles. He asked if
all teaching by the church would be
considered doctrine. '1nsofar as those
teachings inc6rporate Scripture and
are grounded in Scripture, then the
answer would be yes," Blankingship
responded.
Jqnes suggested that there might
be "different levels of truth in the
Diocese of Dallas, one of the presenting
bishops, told The News Journal
newspaper of Wilmington. '1t's not as
if there is one central authority lhat
is doing all of this. I'm not a party of
any [further hearings) and none are in
the works that I know of."
"Everyone has agreed that it's
really been tragic that we had to
come to this point,'.' Roger Boltz, associate
director of Episcopalians United,
told The News Journal. "All the
presenters wanted to do was see that
these illegal ordinations would cease
until the church approved them," he
said.
church," different types of doctfine ;.
some more important than others.
"Who determines whal is
doctrine?" asked Bishop Arthur
Walmsley, retired bishop of Connecticut.
"What is the authoritative
body?"
Blankingship said that doctrine
can only be changed by the church
itself and must stand the test of
Scripture.
■
Blankingship said
the trial was "a
matter of last
resort" by those
who saw the "seeds
of anarchy" in the
actions of bishops
wp.o act as "Lone
Rangers ... "
■
When asked about the 1979 resolution,
Blankingship said, 'This court
has to decide if this is an enforceable
resolution." In the absence of a
Supreme Court, the General Convention
becomes the arbiter of its own
decisions, he added, underscoring the
assumption that the issue will be on
the agenda for the 1997 General Convention
in Philadelphia.
"Doctrine is the most overused and
misunderstood word in our church,"
asserted · Michael Rehill, chancellor
of the Diocese of Newark, attorney
for Righter. Arguing for a narrow
definition of sources of doctrine, what
one judge called a "minimalist"
approach, he included the Bible, the
Book of Common Prayer and the historic
creeds. "Everything else is a
matter of discipline," he said:
"Doctrine deal1> with our relationship
to God, discipline deals with our
relationships with each other,"
Rehill argued. He called the charges
against Righter and the trial "curious
and baffling."
Rehill claimed that the 1979 reso-
1 ution of General Convention is
"unenforceable because it doesn't say
anything ab.out enforcement, because
it is not a law, it is not prescriptive,
it is advisory." He contended that, if
the church intended to prohibit the
ordinations of non- celibate gays and
lesbians, it could "do so easily by
changing some of the canons, if that
were the will of the Episcopal
Church." He pointed out that efforts
to change the ·canons "have failed
again, and again, and again." And he
said that the church had confessed
that it was "not of a single mind" in
its understanding on the issue.
Walmsley asked pointedly where
the middle ground was in the
church's attempt to find its mind on
issues that clearly have doctrinal
overtones or doctrinal basis but are
not part of a doctrinal core of beliefs.
"Most of our church is in the middle,
wrestling with these issues" of sexuality,
Rehill responded. 'That's the
middle ground." But he said the court
was not being asked to deal with all
other sexuality issues, as important
as they might be, but only with ordination.
And there is no doctrine on the
ordination issue, Rehill asserted. "It
doesn't exist, you can't find it
anywhere .... I may not know what
doctrine is, but I know this . isn't
doctrine."
In a dosing session, Tennis asked a
. hypothetical question. If the court
agrees that Righter is guilty, "would
that mean that all homosexual priests
in this church who are living in
committed relationships ought to be
deposed--and that bishops who did
.not act to depose them · would t~emselves
be guilty of violating the doctrine
of the church?" Blankingship, •
clearly uncomfortable with the
implications of the questiol), said
that it was "essentially a diocesan
problem and not a national canon."
In suggesting possible middle
ground, Blankingship said that, in
determining what is "best for the
church;" the respondent, . Righter,
should yield by admitting that the
Episcopal Church "has a moral .doctrine
~y which we stand ." And perhaps
the presenters should yield by
not seeking a harsh judgment against
Righter.
On March 1 the court notified the
two attorneys that it would like
them each to prepare a memorandum
addressing the key issues: Do actions
of the church "constitute disciplinary
authority, as distinct from doctrine,"
that could lead to a presentment?
And also, "With particular attention
to the issue of discipline, does the
ordination of a non-celibate homosexual
person constitute a violation of
the ordaining bishop's Oath of Conformity?"
The court set a deadline of March
25 for the memoranda and each side
can file a reply by April 9. No decision
is expected until the memoranda
and replies have been received and
discussed by members of the court.
PAGE 9 • SECOND STONE • MARCHJAPRIL, 1996
National News
i!MMMM i MS!i#Mlmtiiii!IMiiM-Siihi W•n& W i Dti ffiiffir•fb f 1i, AAU1ffiw @ MMtJiiiw M uua@iifi m®1
•••• ~ -~ -1
Gays, straights join to protest school mntl· lx1I1on club;
OVER TWO THOUSAND concerned
and butraged students, parents, and
activists marched and rallied on
March 2 to protest the 'Salt La~e City
School Board's . decision to ban all
noncurricufar clubs in orde~ fo sfajnp
out gay/ straight alliances at its high
schools. · . ·
' I,<elH Peterson, a senior at East
High · who founded the school's
Gay/ Straight Alliance, led the protesters
from the front of the Federal
Building in downtown Salt Lake City
and up the hill to the state's Capitol.
The Save Qur School march and rally
was one of the largest protests_ in the
state's history .
With hundreds of students leading
the way and chanting "Hey, Hey,
Ho, Ho, Bigotry Has Got To Go,' the
march proceeded peacefully an:d
swiftly up the hill. They carried
signs reading everything from the
general "Hate is Not .a Family Value"
to the specific "l'm _a Grandmother,
I'm Straight, and I'm Appalled."
At the end of the march, however,
were several individuals holding
signs reading "We Love Satan" and
''Legalize Homosexual Sodomy." No
one knew who they were and one
march monitor said that the smell of
alcohol was clearly evident. They
shouted out statements such as, "We
want.to sodomize your children." SOS
march monitors put up a human barrier,
and the small group headed away
from the march.
As marchers reached the top of
the hill, it was exciting for those at
the front to look down the hill and
not see the end of the end. It brought
tears to some, and exclamations such
as 'This is amazing," and ,"Can you
believe this?' were frequently heard.
pnce assembled in front of the
Capitol,_. the group heard from about
20 speakers, some of whom were not
selected beforehand, but who felt so
compelled by the school board's
action, that they just had to speak.
M~ t who spoke were students.
The first speaker, Emily Coker,
said, "My story is a little dif.ferent
, than -mo~t kids my age. I'm 16 years
old and have been in four treatments
for being c~nfusecl ~bout my sexuality.
I've been living on my -own for five
months because I'm g11-y and living
with prejudice in my family . I
helped start the Gay/ Straight
Alliance at East High School. It
helped me, and I think that this club
and other clubs should be allowed for
the safety and security of teenagers
my age."
Many adults in the audience
expressed surprise at how articulate
so many of the students were. Such as
Rachel Bauchman, a senior at West
High, who said, "Utah has the fastest
growing economy in the Union.
People visit here from all over the
world. Will people visiting Utah
le·ave here with a good impression
knowing that school administrators
endorse homophobia? Utah does not
protect the rights of students who are
being called 'fag' and other vicious
· names in ·the hallways by their
peers. Will visitors have a good
impression of a state whose administration
hides their eyes and does
nothing when students, just because of
their sexual orientation, receive
death threats and get beaten up? I
don't think so. These students have
every right to 11.e able to meet with
their peers and discuss personal
issues . They should not feel
threatened. Imagine kno'(_Ving that
the -elected officials of your own
school board and state legislators
won't protect your rights. When
these so-called patriots say 'Liberty
and Justice for All,' do they think
that it only applies to heterosexuals?
Apparently so. The Eagle Forum and
certain members of the school board
and .the state legislature claim that
BIBLICAL ETHICS RND HOMOSEHUHUTY
Listening to Scripture
Robert L. Brawley, editor
Thi·s bold new book offers a challen ge to the
church to give heed to the multiplicity of voices ·
that ·are engaged in biblically responsible and
: constructive debates about the volatile issue s
regarding sexua\ity ,
Contribute~ include Robert Brawley, J.
Andrew Dearman , Elizabeth Gordon Edwards,
Dale B. Martin, Ulrich W. Mauser, Sarah J.
Melcher , Choon-Leong Seow, Jeffery Siker and
Herman C . Waetjen.
Biblical Ethics and Homosexuality,
$16.99, paperback
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SEEPAGE 22.
PAGE 10 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL 1996
the members of the Gay/Straight
Alliance are merely perverts. It
seems to me that the Eagle Forum and
these people are themselves perverts.
Their family values include
hatefulness, double-standards, and
persecution . I find it amazing that
-0fficials in a state founded by people
who came .here to escape persecution
take perverse pleasure in systematically
persecuting minorities and
children."
Later, a woman who no one knew
came up and said she just had to
speak . From the crowd's reaction,
Colleen Uhl's words obviously struck
a chord. She read from a letter she
had written, "My child is a homosexual
and I am not ,tlone in Utah. I am
your next door neighbor. I shop in
your stores. I may be your doctor, your
teacher, your friend . My perspective
is a little different than most.
· Unlike many of you (or some of you
whose children are afraid to tell you)
the gay /lesbian issue is not 'out
there,' not 'those evil, perverted
sinners.' It is my child. My child
whom I have watched struggle with
his own sexual identity not knowing
that was 'wrong' with him as dictated
by our dominant religious · culture
. -My child who has been tormented
and .persecuted as a youth for
not being masculine enough coming
home having been called 'fag, gay,
and queer' since elementary school.
Do you think I would choose a way of
life that would lead to persecution by
so many?' I have watched as he
struggled with accepting who he is
and reached the conclusion that he
wasn't defective or needed to be different
. .. . My son has changed my
life. He is one of the most incredible
people I know ... Because of the
insensitive treatment we have
received since learning of his homosexuality
we have changed in ways
that even if I could, I would not
choose to go back. I am more open to
listening to others who think differently
than I do . . .. To sum it up - orie
of the national news services carried
a . cartoon showing a cave labeled
Utah . A man in _ a sμit was walking
out of the cave, carrying a large clublike
stick labeled 'intolerance.' The
punch line: 'In Utah schools all clubs
have been banned except this -one -
intolerance."'
· In many of the speeches by studen
ts, their frustration with the
extreme action of the Salt Lake City
School Board was palpable. For
example, Jacob Orosco, a student at
East High, said, 'To me taking clubs
from us is like putting a gun in our
hands and waiting for the trigger to
be pulled. How many times do we
have to walk out of our schools before
we are heard? In high school 'our
community' clubs give us the feeling
of belonging . .. We need to take . a
stand and get our clubs back. "
This issue has brought out the
activist in people who had never
been active. People such as Rose Dominguez,
who said, "Many school clubs
are being banished in order to prevent ·
one club from existing. In essence, the
message is that to be different is to be
excluded and that segregation is
acceptable! As a Latina, I am
alarmed that elected officials are
now legislating exclusion! We should
all be alarmed and they should be
ashamed. Let's hold them accountable
... "
Kelli Peters on was the final
speaker, and she read from a statement
by Melinda Paras, the Executive
Director of the National Gay & Lesbitllt
Task Force. "Your presence here
today is so important, not just for
Utah but for the entire nation . It is
an act of courage, valor and commitment.
The right is a small but vicious
segment of our country that depends
on the darkness of lies, misinformation,
and stereotypes, and closets to
further its extremist un-American
!lgenda. By shining the 'ught on
them, we today are exposing the
right. ... Your actions over the last
several weeks have sent an important ,
message to youth around the country
and in your own communities. Because
of you, they will feel less alone in
their struggle to find a safe environment
within their schools and communities.
Because of you, youth have
seen powerful youth leaders speaking
out in their own voices .... We want
you to know that today all of us are
part of Utah and Utah is a part of all
of ·us. The hearts of all of us are here
with you today ."
Even after an hour of speech, the
audience stayed for more . Mel Gundersen,
the secretary of the Utah
Human Rights Coalition and the
former artistic director of the Lesbian
and Gay Chorus of Salt Lake City,
asked for those who had played significant
roles in -recent development s
to come forward and sing with her a
ballad she had just finished called
'This is the Time ," The ballad celebrates
the courageous people who
have come forwa rd to say that it is
time for Utah to change .
To close the rally, one of Utah's
most innovative songwriters, Mary
Tebbs, performed some of her original
~~ .
- -By Charlene Orchard, Co-Chair,
Utah Human Rights Commission
National News
Refonned-Church, controversial Jx)Stor JX)nder the future
By Ed White
Associated Press Writer
MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP) - A Protestant
pastor has been rebuked for his
liberal views on salvation and scripture.
So what's next for one of the largest
congregations in the Reformed
Church in America?
Independence or perhaps a place in
another Reformed Church district, a
senior member said March 1.
"It's an emotional issue for those of
us who were raised in the Reformed
Church," said Don VanOstenberg,
chairman of the board of trustees at
Christ Community Church in Spring
Lake.
"We don't want to be separated
from our denomination by a small
group of people who don't like us," he
said. "We feel part of the larger
church .'.'
Regional lead ers of the Reformed
Church in America say Christ Community
Church can keep its property
if it decides to break away. Leaders
of 22 Reformed Church congregations
in the Muskegon-Grand Haven area
adopted that stance in a unanimous
vote.
After four hours of debate Feb. 29,
which included passionate speeches
and numerous references to the Bible,
' leader's of the Reformed · Church in
the Muskegon-Grand Haven area
voted for the Rev. Richard . Rhem's
"peaceful separation" unless he recants.
Rhem, 61, is pastor of Christ ·community,
30 miles west of Grand Rapids.
His stances on scripture, salvation
and homosexuality conflict with
traditional doctrine.
Rhem says homosexuality is not a
lifestyle choice; people are born that
way . Therefore, he believes homosexual
acts are not sins, a stance that
conflicts with church doctrine.
He opened the church to homosexuals
after learning they were meeting
in the basement of a Muskegon bar.
Rhem also says Jews and other non- .
Christians can find eternal salvation
without belief in Jesus Christ. Finally,
the minister says contemporary
experience can have a role in Bible
interpretation.
"The people who · challenge me
have a more rigid interpretation,"
Rhem said.
With 3,500 members, Christ Community
is among the top 10 in the
Reformed Church. Rhem's Sunday
services regularly attract 800 people.
"Judge my theology by the lives of
my people," he told the group . "Is
there a pastor among you that would
not rejoice to have such a people?"
Rhem's "magic is a lively, inquiring
mind coupled with a tremendous love
of the parish ministry," VanOstenberg
said.
Rhem said he would remain at
Christ Community but his church
could be asked to leave the Muskegon
Sojourners' publisher accuses
religious right of spiritual hijacking
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Reuter) - An
Evangelical Christian leader_ accused
the religious right of "hijacking"
the role of religion this election year,
and said a new coalition would seek
to raise the tone of political debate.
"We have a paralyzed and polarized
political system right now," Jim
Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine
and convener of a conference which
dealt with Christian responses to the
religious right, said,
He said members of the religious
right had taken _ a partisan political
approach to a spiritual crisis, and
called this "hijacking." Most Christians,
he said, did not share this
approach.
"Their answer to a spiritual crisis is
to elect as many Republicans as possible
on the right wing ... ," Wallis said
in a telephone interview. "I don't
think that's the proper role of the
church."
Likening the current climate to that
during the U,S. civil rights movement
or the anti-apartheid movement in
South Africa, Wallis said the Evangelical
coalition would not do any
partisan political organizing but
would instead use grassroots efforts
through churches and community
organizations to infuse morality into
the political arena.
For example, a draft of the group's
"spiritual policies" includes advice
on the economy: "Our touchstone for
'judging economic policies such as
budget and welfare legislation is
their effect on 'the least of these'
among us - how they will impact the
poorest and most vulnerable, especially
children."
On the environment, the draft says:
"We oppose a corporate agenda of
unregulated violation of the
earth ... we are its stewards not its
owners."
Wallis said the coalition could
claim millions of Evangelicals who
could be reached through churches
around the country.
district, which is known as a classis.
V anOstenberg said a classis in Schenectady,
N.Y., has already issued an
invitation.
Such an adoption would require
approval from the Reformed
Church's Michigan Synod, · based in
Grand Rapids, he said.
The meeting Thursday night was
important enough for the Reformed
Church's general secretary, the Rev.
Wesley Granberg-Michaelson; · to
travel from New Y prk. ,He said a pastor
has ncit been ousted over theology
since a dispute about baptism ll'I 1,929.
"This is a moment of deep ·pain,"
Granberg-Michaelson told the audi- ,
ence. "Yesterday morning, I broke
down in tears."
"Dick's positions are relatively
old," VanOstenberg said. "He has ·
written freely about them."
After bombing of 25 churches,
Christians call for swifter action
NEW YORK (ENI) ~ A major national
church organization has called on
government agencies "to investigate
aggressively " racist fire-bombings of
churches in the south.
"Our country is in denial about
racism, but in fact the climate has
really spawned these outrageous
events," Robert L. Polk , of the
National , Council of Churches, said
at a press conference March 6 in
Knoxville, Tennessee. The press conference
was held to express the concern
of the National Council of
Churches (USA) over the firebombings
q.f 25 southern churches over
the past three years. More than half
the fire-bombings have taken place
since Dec.1995.
During one recent incident - the fire--
bombing of the Inner City Church in
Knoxville on Jan. 8 - the words "Kill
the niggers" and '"White is Right"
were sprayed on the church building.
Polk is deputy general secretary for
national ministries at the NCC
(USA) which has 32 mainstream
Protestant and Orthodox churches as
members.
Polk told the press conference: 'The
white hate groups are growing faster
than at any oti)er time in our
history ."
NCC officials also demanded that .
pastors who had received death
threats be given police protection and
that "the racist nature" of the
attacks be recognized.
Most of the 25 church ·buildings
which have been attacked have
Africl}ll American congregations. Two .
of the churches have mainly white
congregations and some African
American members.
Mac Charles Jones, a .pastor from
Kansas City and the NCC's associate
for racial justice, said "We have
come to Knoxville and found that law
enforcement seems to have refused to
aggressively pursue not only the
investigation of the bombings, but has
not provided protection to the pastors
who have now received death
threats .
'1nstead of actively pursuing the
perpetrators, FBI [Federal Bureau of
Investigation], ATF [Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms], and local
law enforcement are interviewing the
members of the local church as if
they .were under suspicion and responsible,"
Jones said. "We demand a
more vigorous effort hy local authorities,
and we demand that the .
national offices of the FBI and the
ATF begin to take this domestic terrorism
seriously."
Kn.ow
A Gay
Myuberation
Theology
Writer and•activ.ist RICHARD CLEA VER
talces a fresh approach to the. ongoing
debate by examining the· struggles of gay
men and lesbians in the·church through the
lens of libeqtion theology. He offers a
"gay reading" of scripture, but one that is
also spiritiJally <;hallengμig to all readers.
Name Cleaver interweaves biblical reflections
with historical, s~al, political, and personal
commentary.
Know My Name, by Richard Cleaver
Now available in paperback, $15.99
Order from Second Stone Press, page 22
PAGE 11 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL, 1996 _
National News
l.utherabni shopas skf orp rayear nde ncouragemefnotr
gay andl esbianc hurchm emrers
CHICAGO - The Conference of
Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America issued a letter
March 22 in response to a call from
the 1995 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
for "words of prayer and pastoral
concern and encouragement" for the
church's gay and lesbian members and
their families. 'The way we face our
differences on the issues surrounding
homosexuality can be an important
expression of grace ·for our particular
church body and for the communities
in which we live," the letter said.
While responding to the specific
request of the Churchwide As~embly,
the bishops' letter is addressed to the
whole church. Despite the "pain" of
"sharp disagreement on some issues,"
the letter assures gay and lesbian
members, " ...w e walk beside you and
we value your gifts and commitment
to the church."
The bishops asked all ELCA members
to "join us in repentance for hurtful
· actions toward others, and in forgiving
when we have been the objects
of anger or hate." The letter
acknowledges, "the debates and controversy
surrounding homosexuality
sometimes have turned bitter. We
have not always followed our Lord's
instruction to avoid being angry or
insulting to one another" and to reconcile
promptly.
At its Feb. 29-March 5 meeting the
Conference of Bishops discussed a
first draft of the letter, presented by
its Theological and Ethical Concerns
Committee.
The Rev. Charles H. Maahs, chair
of the Conference of Bishops, said in
an interview, "We hope our letter
provides an opportunity for our con-
Expulsiono f gay-affirmingB aptist
churches made official
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A Baptist
association expelled four Sart Francisco
Bay area churches March 9 for
openly accepting ·gays into their congregations.
The action had been
expected for some time.
The four expelled churches are
Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in
Oakland, First Baptist Church in
Berkeley, and the New Community of
Faith congregation in San Jose and
San; Leandro.
In ,January,78 percent of.the representatives
· of 159 congregations in
Northern California and Northern
Nevada .recommended that the board
of the church's regional association,
American Baptist Churches of the
West, expel the four churches.
The Baptist churches were targeted
after they joined 26 other congregations
around the country to found the
Welcoming and Affi_rmirig Baptist
Churches, . whjch has a1<?pted an
open-door policy for gays. · ·
Baptist churches traditionally
have not been bound to any creed, and
the apparent departure from this tra-
• dition angers Pastor Jim Hopkins,
who heads the 300-member, 131-
year-old Lakeshore Baptist Church.
"I really think this does a great disservice
to the name Baptist," said
Hopkins. ''Baptists are supposed to
stand for something better than this.
Baptists stand for deep religious
freedom."
One church, in Granville, Ohio, was
expelled last year for its affiliation
with Welcoming and Affirming Baptist
Churches.
· Rec~nt finding by top ·biblical scholars offer a
· · , · · ·· raclieal new view on the Bible
..~ ~;!'f?ible and homose xuality.
Daniel A. Helminiak, Ph,D., respected theologian
.and Roman Catholic pries\, explains in a
clear fashion;f ascinating new insights.
. , ~eqlly S_ays .. ~
About
Homosexuality_
.,,,.,i;~.., ,i-..,.-. ,.
+.ra1 .. 1 ..........
(?aniel A.Helminiak, Ph.D.
" ... will help any reasonably open and attentive
reader see that the Bible says something •
· quite different on this subject from what is often
claimed." - L. William Countryman
What the Bible Really Says
About Homosexuality, $9.95, paperback
ORI)ER FROM SECOND STONE PRESS.
SEEPAGE 22.
PAGE 12 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL, 1996
gregations and communities to end a
painful chapter in our life together.
It is our hope and prayer as bishops
that the words of grace this letter
extends will set a new tone and direction
for dialogue, reconciliation and
renewal as we seek to reach out to
God's people with the gospel of Jesus
Christ." Maahs is bishop of the
ELCA's Central States Synod, based
in Shawnee Mission, Kans.
The letter draws attention to a 1991
assembly action that declared, "Gay
and lesbian people, as individuals
created by God, are welcome to participate
fully in the life · of the congregations"
of the ELCA. The 1993
assembly extended that message to
express "strong opposition to all forms
of verbal or physical harassment or
assault of persons because of their
sexual orientation" and support for
the civil rights of all people, regardless
of sex.ual orientation.
These actions, the bishops said,
"remind us that our congregations ·
should reflect our Lord's invitation to
all by being safe places for those who
are persecuted or harassed in our
society." Th~. letter goes on, "We
repudiate all · words ·and. •ads of
hatred toward gay and lesbian persons
in our congregations and in our
communities, and extend a caring welcome
for gay and lesbian persons and
their families. We call upon all our
pastors, as they exercise pastoral
care, to be sensitive to the gifts and
needs of gay and lesbian members."
The letter concludes with an invitation
to gay and lesbian persons "to
join with other members of this
church in mutual prayer and study of
the issues that still divide us, so that
we may seek the truth together."
The letter was sent to all 65 synodical
bishops for them to distribute to the
congregations of their synods.
In a related action the board of the
ELCA Division for Church in Society
asked its executive director, the Rev.
Charles S. Miller, to write letters to
theDemocratic and Republican political
parties "informing them of the
ELCA's opposition to all forms of verbal
or physical harassment or assault
of persons because of their sexu.tl orientation."
The board's March 8
action came in response to complaints
a),out "negative campaign rhetoric"
asi,ociated wtth national el~c!io~s.
Mormons urged to block gay
marriage· bill
By Don Lattin
San ·Francisco Chronicle
MORMON CHURCH leaders urged
their members to secretly lobby · the
state Legislature to outlaw same-sex
marriages, according to Affirmation,
an organization of .gay and lesbian
Mormons. The group released the text
of a church letter dis.tributed to members
in Southern California
that urges church members to write
their representatives in SUJ)port of a
proposed law that would prohibit
the state from recognizing same-sex
unions.
"No representation of the Church is
to be expressed or implied," the
church letter states. "We are
requested to write as individuals.
The Church should not be
mentioned ."
Rick Fernandez, spokesman for
Affirmation, said the church's
"covert action" was "a shameful •
example of the extremes to which
the church will go in its campaign to
oppose civil rights for gays and lesbians."
Fernandez said the church was
abusing its religious tax-exempt status
through ,,secret instructions"
designed to "hide its obvious political
goal."
Keith Atkinson, spokesman for the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints _ (Mormons) in California,
denied there · is anything ~ecret or
improper about church opposition to
gay unions.
Atkinson said the Southern California
letter was consistent with two
directives issued recently by Loren
Dunn, the Mormon church president
for California and Hawaii, in
response to efforts in both states to
recognize same-sex marriage.
"We are attempting to reassert the i
importance of the traditional
family," Atkinson said. "We have as
much of a right as anyone else to
make our voice known. We have a
responsibility to do so."
Atkinson said Dunn's directive
urged the church's 800,000 California
members to express their views "as
in4.j.vidual citizens," but was not
meant to conceal church involvement.
National News
FCC gets video of Rorertson' s anti-gay thetoric
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Gay
rights activists have sent a videotape
to the Federal Communications
Commission of inflammatory antihomosexual
rhetoric on Pat Robertson's
cable TV show, The 700 Club.
The activists met in early February
a few miles from Robertson's Christian
Broadcasting Network headquarters
to review the video and
launch a petition drive condemning
Robertson's rhetoric.
Mel White, Minister of Peace and
Justice for the Universal Fellowship
of _Metropolitan Community Churches,
said what Robertson and other
people say on The 700 Club can incite
people to violence.
According to a transcript provided
by White of a CBN broadcast last
July, Robertson said a rise of homosexuality
"is a sign that society is in
the last stages of deca_y."
"Now if the.world adopts homosexuality
as its norm ... the whole world
is then going to be sitting like Sodom
and Gomorrah before a Holy God, and
Ministers tell lawmakers to
support same-sex marriage bill
By Meki Cox
Associated Press Writer
HONOLULU (AP) - A small group of
ministers gathered at _the Hawaii
state Capitol March 4 to urge legislators
to kill a bill that would put a
constitutional amendment defining
same-sex marriage up for vote this
fall.
, "Tampering with the Constitution"
·•·· will set precedent for more rights
people have gained to be taken
away, sakl Rev. Yoshiaki Fujitani, a
retired minister from Honpa Hongwanji
Mission of Hawaii.
The House Judiciary Committee S\Jrprisingly
resurrected the bill after it
was shelved along with several
other same-sex bills.
The unexpected move came a day
after nationally-known anti-abortion
extremist Randall Terry met with
lawmakers. He had specifically
asked House Judiciary Chairman Terrance
Tom tQ pass out.the bill.
"I feel that it -stirred up an urgericy
for something to be done," said Fujitani,
who was speaking for the group.
However, Tom said the bill was
passed out just to keep all options
about the issue open, since the Senate
is passing out a domestic partnership
bill.
The gro_up of about eight ministers
from denominations varying from
Lutheran to Buddhist to Presbyterian
visited the lawmakers' office to
lobby for equality and diversity
among everyone in Hawaii.
Although many of the ministers
were representing themselves, some
were representing their entire congregation.
Rev. Mike Young, of The First Unitari,
an Churcq ,of Honolulu, is one of
the few ministers in Hawaii who has -
been conducting weddings for gay and
lesbian couples for nearly 20 years.
His church, which is known for promoting
radical religious freedom, has
been open to total equality for homosexuals
since the 1960s, he said.
"The insistence upon people being
authentic, being who they really are,
believing what they really · believe,
is the only possible place for spiritual
.growth to begin with," Young
said.
The First Unitarian Church, which
has a. homosexual population about
equal to the community's population,
conducts .about six same-sex weddings
every year, he said.
Research project seeking ex-gay stories
HA VE YOU GONE through counseling
or therapy where you were
encouraged to become.heterosexual or
ex-gay? .
The National Lesbian and Gay
Health Association wants to hear
from you. The organization is conducting
research for a project entitled
"Homophobic Therapies: Document ing
the Damage."
The NLGHA is conducting a survey
of lesbians, gay men, and . bisexuals
who have been in counseling that
tried to change their sexual orientation.
They intend to use the results to
,,
inform the public about the
often harmful effects of such therapies.
Participation in the .survey is confidential.
Persons who are interested in
responding can participate either
through e-mail, by telephone, or in
person. No record of your name, Internet
address or any other identifying
information will be kept .
For more information contact Dr's
Michael Schroeder and A'.riel Shidlo,
(212)353-2558, gayconvert@aol.com,
412 6th Avenue, Suite 602, New York,
NY 10011. .
when the wrath of God conies on this
earth we will all be guilty and we
will all suffer," the transcript quoted
Robertson as saying in a September
broadcast.
White was arrested a year ago
when he tried to force a meeting with
Robertson and refused to leave the
CBN grounds. He was released from
the city jail three weeks later after
Robertson, responding to a plea from
White's parents, met privately with
him in the jail.
White had considered delivering
the videotape to Robertson, but he
arid his supporters decided against it.
Patty Richardson, a CBN spokeswoman,
said Robertson had no plans
to meet with White again.
_ Ste Letters, page 23, for related
information.
Focus on the Family posts
homosexuality discussion board
on America Online
THE ANTI-GAY Focus On The Family
organization has a new service on
America Online. The forum, engineered
by the radical right group
led by James Dobson, features a message
board on the discussion of
"homosexuality." Mes.sage boards
provide a means for people onli11e to
discuss issues and events.
This Focus On The Family forum has
the potentfai- to become a one-sided
pulpit of hate, according to the Gay
and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
The gay and lesbian community,
a~ well <JS family and frien<!_s, is.
encouraged to take an active role in
the ,discussions about homosexuality
on their message boards .
Americ:i. bniine _ subscribers can join
the discussion by going~o keyword :
DOBSON . The folder on "homo-
- sexuality" is in' the "Concerned Citizens"
-folder on the Focus ·Message
Boards.
GLAAD is a _national organization
that . promotes fair, accurate and
inclusive representation . of individuals
and ·events iri the media as a
means of challenging discrimination
based on sexual otientation or identity
Denver Presbytery rejects
proposal on gay ordination
DENVER (AP) - A plan to give local
congregations the power to ordain
non-celibate gays wa:s defeated Feb.
27 at a meeting of the Denver Presbytery,
representing 15,000 Presbyterians
from 50 churches.
The group also,rejected a proposal to
end the debate by outlawing the ordination
of gays in official church laws.
National -Presbyterian Church officials
- have ruled that non-celibate
gays cannot be ordained.
Both proposals would have been
. subject to review by the_national Presbyterian
leadership had they - been
approved. · They were ,debated for
more -than •an hour before the votes.
"Jesus changed Jaws all. the time.
(We should) put the decisioit-into the
hands of groups like •us who have to
live with each other every day,"
said the Rev. Cynthia Cearley, ·who
supported the ordination of gay ministers.
tt %6fi;Mg:; : N1i+r i 1"ttt1:A§; .. £W%£fi:'-&f&¥fi.i ,rW@;r•#@iAifil#G¥i@?iki:4!&kR@ HW@hiiii'i
Gennanc hurch.maayp prove
oitlinatioonf gays
HANOVER (ENI) - Non-celibate
gays could be admitted to the
ordained ministry in certain circumstances,
according to a major report
published by the Evangelical Church
in Germany (EKD), whose 24 member
churches represent the overwhelming
majority of Protestants in Germany.
But the report - called "Living with
Tensions'.' - says that this should only
happen in "individual cases" where
there is an "ethically responsible"
homosexual lifestyle, and if a number
of conditions are fulfilled. ·
The report underlines that there
should be no blanket decision by the
EKD to allow the ordination of practicing
homosexuals.
The, report, which was two years in
the making, says that a decision fo
admit practicing homosexuals to the
ordained ministry would mean a
"break" with "official practice in
Christian churches for hundreds of
years." Many other churches continue
to uphold this practice of not ordaining
practicing homosexuals, the
report points out.
"If such a step is ne<lessary for the
sake of truth and love, then we rriust
dare to take it," say the report's
authors.
The EKD council has accepted the
report as a "contribution. to the present
debate."
In .some churches it is well known
that some clergy are in homosexual
relationships, but church authorities
simply tum a blind eye to the fact.
A senior ecumenical official said
recently there were "deep divisions"
on the issue of homosexuality between
churches around the world.
In a foreword to the report, Klaus
Engelhardt, the EKD's presiding
bishop, writes: "As homosexual people
have increasingly acknowledged
in public their orientation and lifestyle,
it has become unavoidable for
society in general, and for the church
in particular, to take a position on
the issue of homosexuality.
'The issue of how the church relates
to. its homosexual members - which
has always existed, but has often
been concealed - has thus become an
inevitable issue in internal church
debate."
A press release issued by the EKD
states: "Although we must guard
against the danger that the agenda
of the church becomes dominated by
issues of this kind, it cannot be denied
that this issue raises fundamental
questions about · Christian faith and
Christian lifestyle, and about the.
interpretation of the Bible and the
beliefs ofthe Church."
According to the EKD press release,
"passion and at times bitterness" are
part of the debate over homosexuality
"because it touches taboos, and
one's own feelings and fears are
The
Wo-rd
365 Daily Meditations For
Lesbians and Gay Men
I T~e Bible
S Reclaimed for ·
. Le~b\ans and Oiit
Author Chris Glaser fearlessly liberates the Bible
from those who would hold ii hostage .to an antigay
agenda. In this inspiring collection of 365
·daily meditations ,' the Bible's good news "comes
out'' to meet all of us with love; justice, meaning,
and hope.
Chris Glaser is the author of Uncomnum
Calling and Coming Out to God.. He is a graduate
of_ Yale Divinity School.
The Word ls Out,
$12, paperback
ORDER FROM
SECOND STONE PRESS.
SEEPAGE 22.
PAGE 14 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/ APRIL, 1996
Cardinal says .married couples can
use condoms to prevent AIDS ·
THE VATICAN, ROME (ENI) - One
of the Roman Catholic Church's most
respected leaders, Cardinal Adrianus
Simonis, of The Netherlands, has
said it is legitimate for condoms to be
used by married couples as a protection
against the HIV virus, which
causes AIDS.
According to an edition of the
Catholic Herald, published in London,
Cardinal Simonis said that in a
marriage where one partner was
infected with the disease and the
other was not, it would be legitimate
to use c_ondoms to save life.
His statement is at odds with total
Vatican opposition to the use-of condoms.
Previously, however, France's
Roman Catholic bishops said that
condoms could be used where necessary
to prevent the spread of AIDS.
Cardinal Simonis made his comments
during an interview on Dutch
radio. He said that condoms could
legitimately be used as "a form of
self-defense" only within a marriage.
He stressed that the indiscriminate
use of condoms remained "totally
illicit because it encourages promiscuity."
The Catholic Herald commented:
"Observers in Rome felt that now
that a cardinal had entered the
debate, other ' Episcopal Conferences
may follow suit and force the Vatican's
hand on a review of the use of
condoms in some highly restricted
cases."
UK authorities investigating gay
Christiang roup'sW WW link
LONDON - The Lesbian and Gay
Christian Movement is about to be
investigated by UK authorities
because of a one-time existence of a
link between their unofficial World
Wide Web page and a poem labeled
blasphemous by a UK court years ago.
The poem was the center of· a blasphemy
case against the former "Gay
News" and its publisher. Leaders of
LGCM say they do not know who
made the complaint. As soon as
awakened."
The report calls on the EKD to enter
_discussions with partner churches
around the world, to see if such ordinations
would affect existing agreements
on intercommunion and church
fellowship.
Touching on another controversial
issue - the blessing of homosexual
partnerships - the report says that
people with a homosexual orientation
who request a blessing should not
be "turned away." But it adds that
such blessings should not take place.
within services of worship ''because
of the risk of misunderstandings."
"It is not the homosexual partnership
as a form of living together that
is being blessed, but rather people - in
this case persons with a homosexual
orientation - who either live alone or
in an ethically responsible homosexual
partnership."
The 55-page study repeatedly
stresses that the institutions of
"marriage and family" are the models
for Christian partnership. But
since they can only be applied to people
with a heterosexual orientation,
"they cannot and should not be models
for people with a homosexual ori-
LGCM was made aware of the link
the organization terminated it. The
link was inadvertent, LCE:M·says, as
the link was to another site, not
directly to the poem.
Others who may possibly.be investigated
include the University of
Durham, where the World Wide
Web page was based, and a priest of
the Durham diocese who had formal
custody of the Web page.
entation."
Those who have not been given the
power of _sexual abstinence - and the
report says that "abstinence cannot be
made an ethical demand" - should
practice an "ethically responsible"
homosexual partnership based on the
same criteria as marriage.
The EKD says the report has been
given the title "Living with
Tensions", to indicate that there are
no "simple answers" to the issue. On
the one hand, the report says, there
are no biblical passages which refer
to homosexuality in a positive light.
But on the other, according to the
witness of the Bible as a whole, the
decisive issue for a homosexual relationship
- as for any other relationship
- is whether it is lived in love
towards God and towards other people.
The 55-page EKD report - "Living
with Tensions" - on homosexuality on
the church has become the first EKD
report to be placed in its entirety on
the Internet. It is available on the
EKD's home page on the World Wide
Web (http:/ /www.ekd.de). The EKD
. has also provided information in English
on the World Wide Web
(http://www.ekd.de/ english.html).
World News
300 church officials SUPJX>rt anniversaty of gay organization. . . - . . ..
By Cedric Pulford
Ecumenical News International
LONDON - Some of the world's best
known church leaders, including
Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu
and Bishop Edmond L. Browning,
head of the ·Episcopal Church in the
United States, gave a major ·boost to
gay and lesbian Christians by adding
their names to a public message congratulating
a British gay Christian
group on its 20th anniversary.
Advertisements congratulating the
organization - the Lesbian and Gay
Christian Movement (LGCM) - and
bearing the names of 300 distinguished
church officials - including
Archbishop Michael Peers, of Canada,
and Lord Soper, a veteran British
Methodist, as well as Roman Cathol:
ics - appeared Feb. 9 in three church
newspapers in Britain.
The advertisement signed by the
church officials stated: "On its 20th
anniversary celebration, we recognize
the valuable contribution made to the
continuing debate on sexuality and
Christianity by the Lesbian and Gay
Christian Movement, and we call
upon the churches to engage fully
with this important question,'.'
LGCM has a high media .profile in
Britain, where, as well as campaigning
for gay rights within churches, it
supports the ordination of gays in. the
Church of England.
On Feb. 6, Archbishop Tutu, of Cape
Town, and Bishop Browning distanced
themselves from the issue of
the ordination of gays after news of
the advertisement appeared in the
Sunday Telegraph in London, under
the headline, "Archbishops back call
Mugabe urges churches to join
his fight against gays
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - President
Robert Mugabe likened homosexuality
to alcoholism, drug abuse and
prostitution on Feb. 2.8 and urged
churches to join his campaign against
gays.
Mugabe, addressing a gathering convened
by U.S. evangelist BeMy Hinn
in Harare, called on Christian
churches to join his government in a
battle to restore moral ·values and
fight "the cankering worm of
debauchery and the affliction of
homosexuality."
He said Christian teachings con.
demned homosexuality and preachers
should fight it, just as they combat
drug abuse and immorality.
Last year, Mugabe's government
banned a gay rights exhibit at a Harare
book fair and Mugabe· went on to
make several outspoken attacks on
gays.
Homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe.
Police have raided gay rights
meetings and listed the names of participants
but no arrests have been
reported.
Zimbabwe's small gay community
accuses Mugabe of targeting its members
to distract attention from official
graft and worsening economic hardships
as presidential elections
approach.
for homosexual priests."
Another sig11atory to the advertise,.
ment, Bishop _ R,ichard _ Hol'Joway, .
Primus (head) bf the ,scotti~h Episcopal
Church,_ iseued a -state"!'ient qeny~ .
ing that he Was declarmg:s';ipport for
the ordination of gay people. He
described the advertisement as
"appropriate in i~s support for LGCM, .
in that- it did not highlight specific
topics." . But th·e statement added:
· 'The Primus believes that the ordi- .
nation of gay people is not a topic to
be addressed in a purely reactive
way." ·
He called the Sunday Telegraph
article "an improper misinterpretation
-of a statement which he and his
fellow primates were happy to
support."
Lord Soper told ENI that he
"refused to break fellowship" with
the Christians represented by LGCM,
although he was "totally opposed to
the physical expression of homosexuality
and therefore to the ordination
of practicing gay people/'
In New York James Solheim, spokesman
for the Episcopal Church in the
USA, said that by signing the statement
Bishop Browning intended to
convey his -greetings to the group, ·
which is preparing to celebrate its
anniv~rsary ' later this year in· Southwark
Cathedral, London, reports
Patricia Lefevere.
Bishop Browning was merely agreeing
with the statement contained in
the LGCM advertisement, Solheim
said.
This is not "incendiary language,"
Solheim said, but rather language
consistent with the ongoing debate
about the role of gays in church life in
the US Episcopal church.
In the United Kingdom, Richard
Kirker, general secretary of . LGCM,
tolii ENI that he had also . invited
the · Anglican archbishops of Canterbury
and York t9 -joiil the.signatories,
·b~fwithoutsuccess. . . : ·. .
- The Archbishop of Canterbury,
George Carey, has kept silent on the
issue since the Sunday Telegraph ·
published its article. A .La1TI),eth Pal-
. ace spokeswoman -for·tlfe :archbishop
told ENI: 'The archbishop hasn't
seen the (LGCM) advertisement, and
c<1cn't comme)lt on what h~ hasn't
seen."
However, of the prominent Anglican
clergy who have signed the advertisement,
Kirker said: 'The support
by senior church figures for our statement
is a morale-lifter. It shows that
what people have been saying in private
to -us for two decades can· be
translated into public support ."
He acknowledged that the ordination
of openly gay clergy in the
Church of England was still a long
way off, but the advertisement was
"one more notch" on the path to success.
Noel Bruyns reported from Cape
Town that Archbishop Tutu's office
said that the advertisement which
he and other church leaders had
signed '"has been misrepresented in
the press." ·
In Ottawa, Canada last June the
General Synod of the Anglican
Church of Canada officially
"affirmed the presence _ and contribution
to the church of gay men and lesbians,
and condemned bigotry,
violence and hatred directed against
people because ·of their sexual orientation."
The synod called for further
dialogue throughout the church about
homosexuality and homosexual relationships.
_Tutu in favor of gay ordinations, defends Norway's gay Christians
THE ARCHBISHOP OF Cape Town,
the Most Rev Desmond Tutu, has spoken
in favor of ordaining homosexual
people to the priesthood. Tutu made
his comments during a BBC radio
show.
When questioned on the Church's
attitude to homosexuals, the Archbishop
replied: 'The Church has not
got there yet, but if we were to say
that in rela.tionships it is desirable
that there is fidelity between a couple,
why should we not extend the
same conditions to same sex relationships,"
the Archbishop said. " This
is my personal position. I am passionate
in my opposition to any injustice
and I believe I know where our Lord
would stand."
When questioned whether he was
hopeful that the Anglican Communion
might move towards the ordination
of gay people in the Church he
said : "As a matter of justice, of compassion,
of consistency, yes."
Thl' Archbishop added : "I think
there is something wrong when we
persecute people and make them hate
who God has made them to be, and if
there is a way in which I can assist in
the rehabilitation of people's selfworth,
I certainly will do all I can."
Tutu has also spoken out in defense
of gay C hristians belonging to the
Lutherai1 church in Norway .
Ttie -.ssue of homosexuality has
recently -p rovoke<i intense debate in
the Chur ch of Norway, which is a
Luthe_ran church with 3,800,000 members.
Gay, in Norway have the legal
right to register as couples, which
.gives them the sodal and civil rights
held by a heterosexual couple. But
gays and lesbians living as registered
partners are banned from holding
positions in the Church of Norway.
"It is my prayer and hope that in
the same way the Church in Norway
stood _ by us in our struggle against
oppression, s,o it- will continue to
champion the . cau~e ofjustice on the
part of those who are marginalized
by society or discriminated against -·
simply for being gay or lesbian/
Archbishop Tutu said iri a letter to a
Norwegian Lutheran bishop, Rosemarie
Kohn.
Bishop Kohn, of the diocese of
Hamar, Norway, had written to
Archbishop Tutu seeking guidance on
the issue. She represents a minority
in the Norwegian church - three out
of 10 bishops - who are arguing for
the full rehabilitation of gays in the
church.
Bishop Kohn said she found it personally
"unacceptable" that homosexuals
.living as registered, partners
could not hold cfa1rch positions.
The sy_nod ,of the Church of Norway
ruled last November that people in
homosexual relationships cannot be
appointed to church posilioJJs. It also
rejected the introduction of a church
prayer ceremony for gay or lesbian
couples.
-From Ecumenical News Internationai
and the Anglican Communion
News Service
PAGE 15 • SECOND STONE• MARCH/APRIL 1996
AIDS Warriors & Heroes
In Mississippi:.
Black ministers bring AIDS
education to church
By Sherry Lucas
The Clarion-Ledger
JACKSON;_"Miss. (AP) - AfricanAmerican
churches bear a vital role
in spreading the word about HIV and
AIDS to a population disproportionately
aff~cted by the disease, clergy
and health ,professjonals agree.
An increasing number of ministers
and churches in Mississippi are
responding to the crisis and the call
with compassion, information and
prevention messages in line with
their beliefs. ·
"I've taken the approach that the
faith community should be a loving
and non-judgmental community," said
the Rev. Hosea Hines of College
Hill Baptist Church in Jackson. "It's
extremely important that we reflect
the love of God to those who are
HIV-positive and those who have
full-blown AIDS."
Churches need . to "divide the facts
from the myths" and educate the
,community about how the disease is
contracted and how to prevent its
spread, Hines said.
Numbers paint a grim picture in
Mississippi. Since the state health
department began tracking AIDS in
1985 and HIV in 1988, 55 percent of
the reported ,AIDS cases and 75 percent
of reported HIV infections in
Mississippi have involved African
Americans, 1995 figures show . Last
year alone, 79 percent of the newly
reported HIV infections in the state
were in African Americans.
About 37 percent of the state's population
is African American, according
to census estimates.
The state's high rates of sexually
transmitted diseases are particularly
ominous, foretelling additional risk
for HIV infection in the black population,
said Craig W. Thompson,
director of the Division of STD/HIV
within the state Department of
Health . Mississippi is No. 1 in the
nation for syphilis, with significant
rates for herpes and chancroid - genital
ulcer diseases that leave sufferers
· more susceptible to acquiring and
spreading HIV by unprotected sex.
Most adult HIV infections in Mississippi
are transmitted by heterosexual
sex, state health professionals
believe . Heterosexual sex is cited in
19 percent of HIV infections since 1988
and may account for most of the 37
percent in which the transmission
cause is officially undetermined but
largely attributed to unprotected sex
with multiple and often unidentified
partners.
"None ·of this gets fixed unless the
people at risk change the aspects of
their lives that put them at risk,"
rna.1vELL0W ,1 · GE.S TMINFORMIN& THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL &[TI 1B,1 , • TRANSGENDER CO.MMUNITY SINCE 1973 1B,1
Complete gay-friendly resources and businesses: accommodations, bars, bookstores, dentists, doctors, lawyers,
therapists, travel services, printers, Organizations, Media, Religious groups, Help lines & A.I.D.SJ H.I.V. resources.
Listings broken down by State & City. Index & fast access phone list. UPDATED ANNUALLY.
For an application to be listed (no charge), or for detalls of current editions and prices,
or Information about malling labels, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to
Renaissance House, PO Box 533-SS, VIiiage station, New York, NY 10014 (212) 674-0120
You can order directly from the address above, or you can find us your local gay-friendly bookstores.
If you wish to order by phone with a credit card, please call A DIFFERENT LIGHT 1-800-343-4002; .
FAX (212) 989-2158; outside USA and Canada call 1-212-989-485.J .. (A Different Light has stores in
New York, Los Angeles, ·and San Francisco. They are not involved with production or publication of
Ga yellow Pages, so please don't call them except to order.)
•1 wish all my readers had a copy of this very useful volume. If you live in Nowheresville, U.S.A., and ha vent a clue
f/:Y,;,~~ati:~ng0~~~1~idfn'fh~sG~ffef;g~1p!~:~~o/'9;:t~:;J:,efi; ~~:;[.~ ~;:J:;;olated if you make use of
•ey far the most comprehfl,!nsive and up-to-date gay guide ... . Gayel/ow Pages . .. includes the standard entries for
bars and restaurants . .. But the Gayel/ow Pages excels thanks to its adqitional alphabetized listings by city for
AIDS and HIV sefWces, legal reso'!rces, organizations (categorized by purpose or interest), religious groups,
publications, businesses and more. In short, if an entity welcomes gay, lesbian and bisexual people, no matter how
unlikely the service or remote the town, it's probably listed in the Gayel/ow Pages . ... Hardly a week goes by that it
is not consulted in thti Out offices.• Reviewed by Jeff Howells, OUT (Pittsburgh, PA), December 1994
•For over 12 years Gayel/ow Pages has.been our most-used resource book. We recommend it to every performer, :~~~{; ':,°,;;~~e~u1~1k7~s;g::,r;g~~;fy';~W,~i,aF:!:'h F)~~s~:Cn:rd~~,J;~;hf ttfe in contact with. It's. the
PAGE 16 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL, 1996
iliiiMNMi+iW&ii/iiPE r•Sri ±ifi i f5 ,.z @A' & · ·ii§ •w;ryf • tB¥G it# § @. riiiiWW± if◄§± .Gj
UFMCC AIDS Ministry on the net
SELECTED AIDS MINISTRY worldwide.
resources from the Universal Fellowship
of Metropolitan Community
Churches are now available on the
Internet, as well as a biweekly column
from Rev. Steve Pieters, field
director of UFMCC AIDS Ministry.
Three pamphlets, "HIV/ AIDS: Is It
God's · Judgment?," "Spiritual
Strength for Survival," and "Choose
Life" can be accessed at The Body,
Body Health Resources Corporation's
World Wide Web site. In addition,
Rev. Pieters will be a regular columnist
for The Body .
The URL for The Body is :
· http:/ /www .thebody.com. Rev. Pieters'
column can be found under the
heading "Insight," and UFMCC
AIDS Ministry pamphlets can be
·accessed under "Religion and
HIV/AIDS ."
The Body is cyberspace's first onestop
shop for reaching AIDS experts,
organizations and publications
Thompson said.
An HIV and AIDS prevention message
has to be more meaningful to
pe.ople 's lives than a "just say no"
warning, he said. It "didn't work
with drugs, and sex is easier to find."
Education must address behaviors in
a community, with a sensitivity to
economics and social and cultural
norms .
Traditionally the heart and hub of
the black community, the church is
seen by many as the best resource and
the most effective way of delivering
information and education.
"We minister to the total m<1n,"
said the Rev . Henry Williams of
Ebenezer Full Gospel Baptist Church
in Hattiesburg. Even mature members
in the congregation need to know
about the risks in a promiscuous society.
" We have a captive audience and
we have to give them information.
That's what we're charged with,
Homosexuality
and
Christian
Community ·
Choon-Loong Seow, editor
Contributors t.o this volume, all
members of the Princet.on
Theological Seminary faculty,
address the various exegetical,
interpretive, and practical issues
pertaining t.o gays and lesbians in
the church. Ideal for churches and
individuals engaged in theological
reflection on this issue.
"We want to do more than inform," ·
said Jamie Marks, founder of The
Body. "We want to create a global
community for people concerned with
AIDS." Marks hopes that The Body
will be the first place online where
anyone concerned with AIDS -will
look for resources dealing with its
medical, cultural, legal, and political
aspects .
''There are some AIDS resources
online, but they're fragmented, and
you really have lo know where to
look. The Body has everything in one
place," Marks said.
UFMCC AIDS Ministry joins a
number of other content providers for
The Body, including the AIDS Action
Council, the American Foundation for
AIDS Research, the Gay Men's
Health Crisis, Johns Hopkins Uni~
v·ersity AIDS Service, Lambda Legal
Defense and Education Fund, and
Treatment Action Group.
giving them information pertaining
to life. And this is life."
Church workshops for youths,
adults and seniors tackle tough issues
of drug addiction, alcoholism and
AIDS awareness, Williams said, and
the education has been acc·epted.
"Usually, when they find out they're
all vulnerable, you don't g'et that
much resistance," he said.
At College Hill Baptist, HIV and
· AIDS information is included in seminars
relating to health issues and in
. brochures available to the congregation,
Hines said . Some members have
had American Red Cross training to
be HIV/ AIDS educators.
"It's important that we embrace as
much information as possible updates
on medication to fight the virus and
also remember that along with physical
medicine, God, too, has
medicine," he said. "He still works
miracles in people's lives."
SEE EDUCATION,Next Page
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Christian Responses to AIDS
Projecati medat f indinhgo rn~f oro iphanosf A IDSv ictims
DENVER (AP) - Luann Bauer and
Jack Patterson are among thousands of
parent!, faced with the horrifying
certainty that their children will be
orphaned.
They have AIDS. And they know
they both could be dead before their
children, Mai, 6, and Anthony, 2,
reach adolescence.
It is estimated that by 2000, as
many as 125,000 children in this country
could be orphaned by the disease.
That's why the Rocky Mountain
Adoption Exchange created Families
Connecting for Kids, a project that
works wi.th terminally ill parents.
Families Connecting for Kids
provides "permanency planning" -
everything from sorting such details
EDUCATION,
From Previous Page
Religious leaders, originally some
of the most resistant to AIDS education,
are now some of the most proactive,
Thomrson said.
Although there's a continuing and
valid cJ;iallenge to churches to get
involved, they're still underrepre- ·
sented at the · table, said the Rev.
Elmere Campbell of Jackson, who
with 'i eronica .Hartwell .co0 authored
The Role of the Church in the
HIY / AIDS Epidemic, a scholarly
artide and resource packet from the
Jackson State University National
Alumni AIDS Prevention Project.
"There are churches that won't even
touch -the issue because they do see
(the disease) as condemnation,"
Campbell noted. But when a church
refuses to get inv.olved in educating
and sensitizing its members about
AIDS, it misses a big opportunity for
members to spread the church's message.
Strategies for AIDS prevention education
within the church respect the
organization's right to define its mission
and own level of involvement,
Campbell said. Some may feel they
can only teach abstinence while others
in large metropolitan areas more
dramatically affected by the disease
may be involved in condom distribution
and sex education.
Hines ag.re.es that churches have
the right to monitor or modify education
about AIDS, but not the facts on
the disease. "We do talk about facts.
We do talk abo.ut figures. We just seek
to stay within the Bible· and the framework
the· Bible teaches. for human
sexuality," he said.
Teaching abstinence and addressing
the wrongs of fornication and adultery
are nothing new, Williams
points out. "Everybody does not pracas
. legal guardianship, financial
planning and locating families who
may help co-parent victims' children.
"Our goal is to give our parents a say
in their child's future, even though
they may not be here to see that
future," said Allison Ballard, case
manager for the project.
Luann Bauer, 28, has .had full-blown
AiOS for two years and says her biggest
fear "is that (her children) won't
grow up happy because their mommy
and daddy died when they were
young."
"I feel cheated knowing I'll never
see Mai get married," she said.
Patterson, 47, doesn 't have fullblown
AIDS yet, but is HIV-positive.
lice abstinence and I know · that. So
there are alternatives you have to
present to them as well."
On the national level, "We have a
long way to go, but it's moving and
the pace of it is moving very
rapidly," said Pernessa Seele,
founder and CEO of The Balm in
GiJead in New York City, a secular,
non-profit group that mobilizes black
churches in the AIDS struggle.
About 3,000 churches in the country,
by Seele's conservative estimate,
He says he int.ends to "be here for
their high school graduations -
that's how I honestly feel."
. However; Patterson also suffers
from qironary artery disease -and has
been hospitalized for treatment of
blood dots . .Fle ,~knowledges his
future is not bright. ·
"When you're in your 40s, you kind
of look forward to watching your kids
get older and grow into adults," · he
said. "A big reality for me is I won't
see any of my grandkids."
Both Patterson and Bauer are focusing
on their children now.
Leaving them with family members
isn't an option . . Patterson's parents
are dead and his siblings have raised
families of their own and aren't
participated March 3 .in the Black
Church National Day of Prayer for
the Healing of AIDS. Piney Woods
Country Life School in Florence was
one of them, offering a church service
that celebrated and promoted tolerance
for. the differences that exist in
the community, chaplain Harrison
Wilson said.
"Every black -church ,in the world
understaI).dS healing,· understands
prayer and we're .putting HIV healing
in that context," Seele.said.
lite MC• Fiht- fesTivAl
HoME VidEo CATALOGUE
HoMEo f TltEW oRLd'sL ARGEST
ColLEcTioNof
(-I\.ION•pORNOGRApltic)
GAy& LesbiANV ideos
CALLfo R FREEC AT..tlOGUE
1.-800~44~--71 }4
WltENi N TAMPAV isit ouR
HUGE VidEo· & Music STORE
& CofFEES ltop
AT} 601 W KENNEdByl vd.
inclined to start over again. Bauer's
adoptive parents are also dead and
her brother isn't an opfion.
Patterson is-not Maj's . biological
father, but the . bir th · father is
Japanese and lives out of the country
part-time.
Bauer may have contracted AIDS as
a result of a blood transfusion she
received while visiting Korea, but
she suspects that it was her exhusband
. who infected her with HIV,
a result of his encounters with prostitutes
while on business in Asia.
She moved to Denver in 1990 and
met Patterson, who worked in her
apartment complex. Two months later
she found out she was HIV"positive
and s~x months -after that Patterson
discovered h~ also was HIVpositive.
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TOORDER
PLEASESEEPAGE22
MAR<i:H/ APRIL. 1996
Events
Announcements in this section are provided
free of charge as a service to Christian organizations.
To have an event listed, send information
to Second Stone, P.O. Box 8340,
New Orleans, LA 70182, FAX to (504)891-
7555, e-mail secstone@aol.com.
HIV/ AIDS & The
Spiritual Life
MARCH 29-31, St. Camillus AIDS Miμistry
sponsors this retreat designed to help
.participants reframe often negative exjX,:riences
of living with HIV. Guided meditation,
reframing of emotional resisiance,
group shanng, trance journeying, body
work, music and ritual are woven into
holistic exploration of tools for healing
which participants can integrate into their
daily lives. For information call (414)259-
4664. '
Connecting Families Retreat
APRI_L ,12-lf , Laurelvil_le Mennonite _
Church Center near Pittsburgh is the setting
for this retreat to be facilitated by
Chuck Boyer, pastor of the .Laverne
Churcb of the Brethren. For information
contact the Brethren/Mennonite Council,
P.O. Box 6300, Minneapolis, MN 55406-
'°300,(612)870-1501 .
·A:Tfirma1ion 'Spring Gath~ring
APRIL 13-14, This meeting of United
Methodists will take place at the Holiday
Inn on Glenarm in Denver, Colorado.
''What is thefutμre of the United Methodist
Church: What are we modeling to our
children?" is the theme._ For information:
P.O. Box 1021, Evanston, IL 60204,
umaffir@concentric.net.
One Conference '96
APRIL 26-28, Christ Chapel of the Valley
in North_ Hollywood is the setting for
the second annual One Conference, themed
"OUT-Standing in Christ." Michael Bussee,
who helped establish and then
denounced Exodus International, an ex-gay
ministry, will be the keynote speaker. For
information contact Jim Abram, Christ
Chapel of the Valley, 5006 Vineland
Ave ., North Hollywood, CA 91601 ,
(818)985-8977.
Open and Affirming
Anniversary Gathering
APRIL 27-28, "Voices of Faith - Rejoicing
on . a Journey Toward Wholeness" is
the theme of an ecumenical gathering at
Urbandale United Church of Christ,
Urbandale, Iowa, as .the church celebrates
the third anniversary of its vote to be an
Open and Affirming Congregation. Featured
presenters are Bill Johnson, Minister
for AIDS Program and Ministries, and
Elaine Kirkland, Music Minister and composer
of contemporary hymns and songs.
There will be opportunity for worship,
dialogue sessions and social time . For
information contact · Urbandale United
Church of Christ, 7002 Oliver Smith Dr.,
Urbandale, IA 50322, (515)276-0625. -
More Light Conference
MAY 3-5, "Dance the Dream of_ Freedom"
is the theme of the '% More Light Conference
, to be .held in Roches_ter , New
York. Featured speakers include Rev. Daniel
Smith, pastor of West Hollywood
Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Irene Monroe,
doctoral candidate from Harvard Divinity
School. For informatiqn contact Carolyn
Klinge, · 96 · Burlington Ave . ,
Rochester, NY 14619, (716)436 ~1078.
National Gay Penbicostal
Alliance General Conference
MAY 3-5, "Pressing Toward The Mark" is
the theme of this year's conference to be
·, :held at the Otter Creek La Quinta Inn in
Little Rock, Ark. The gathering will be a
time of worship, fellowship, preaching
and teaching for Apostolic Pentecostals.
For information contact the host church,
Hope Apostolic Church, Rev. _J. Virgilio,
(505)663-3711, TDD (505)663-3987,
brojvirgilio@delphi.com.
Religious Life Weekend
and Retreat
JUNE 7-9, The Mercy of God Community
sponsors the fifth annual gathering at the
Xavier Retreat Center, ·Convent Station,
New Jersey. The weekend is designed for
those who want to explore _the possibility
of service in religious life. For information
contact the Mercy of God Community,
P .O. Box 41055, Providence, RI
02940-1055 .
GLAD Alliance Annual Event
JUNE 21-24, Members and friends of the
Gay , Lesbian and Affirming Disciples will
gather in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the
Plaza Resolana Conference Center for
"Centering on the Edge." Facilitating will
be Rev . Mary Jacobs, co-pastor of Desert
Dove Christian Church in Tucson and
immediate past First Vice Moderator of
PAGE 18 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL, 1996
ii i @Sfi1M#Mi4M WNM,M' :ai#-5-·· P~ ¥MAAl'i£Mi ®- · ¼iJnif#,& '"!\f:nw:!'r I
the Christ i~ Church (Di sciples of
Christ) , and,PJ-ofessor J-.- Cy ·Rowell, Pro-fessor-
of Religious Education and Director
of Continuing Education at TCU's B[ite
Divinity School. For registration information,
write GLAD Event, P.O. Box ·
11876, Knoxville, TN 37939.
UCC Third National
Meeting of Women
JUNE 27-30, The United Church of Christ
presents "Voices and Visions: Third
National Meeting of Women" featuring
Barbara Ehrenreich,.June Goudey, Bernice
Powell Jackson and Christine Smith. For
information call 1-800-653-0799.
Supportive Congregations
International Gathering
JUNE 28-30, "Dancing at the Table: Reimagining
the Church" is the theme of
this conference , sponsored by the Supportive
Congregations Network and the
Church of the Brethren Women's Caucus.
Manchester College in North Manchester ,
Indiana , is the setting. Any congregation
or individual interested in finding an
affirming place for lesbian, gay and bisexual
members in the Brethren and Mennon ite
churches is welcome . For information
write to P .O. Box 6300, Minne apolis ,
MN 55406 or call (612)305 -0315 oremail
scnetwork@aol.com.
UCCL/GC National Gathering
JUNE 30-JULY 4. The United Church
Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns meets
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in Boston. Rev. Dr. Joan Martin and Rev.
Dr. Carter Heyward -are featured guests .
For infonnation contact the UCCU GC.
18 North College Street, Athen s, OH
45701, 614-593-7301.
connECtion '96
JULY 4-7. Chapman College in Orange
County, California is the setting for this
year's national gathering of Evangelicals
Concerned. Featured speakers include Dr.
Ralph Blair, founder of EC, June Steffensen
Hagen, author of Rattling Those Dry
Bones: Women Changing the Church, and
Nancy and Chip Miller, who are affiliated
with the Kentucky Southern Baptist Convention
and whose son died of AIDS. For
inf_prmation call (212)517-3171.
Church & Or anization News
Massachusetts church
joins Welcoming and
Affirming Baptists .
PARK STREET BAPTIST Church in
Framingham, Mass. will celebrate its
decision to -become a Welcoming and
Affirming Church at special services -
on May 19. The congregation voted
unanimously at its annual meeting in
January to join the Welcoming and
Affirming ranks.
"We are going \o worship and praise
God, raise the roof, and generally
have a 'hallelujah' time celebrating
a gracious God who seems to be resurrecting
this little ' urban church," said
Rev , Peggy Wallace, pastor.
Calif omia Episcopal
Diocese launches
gay/lesbian ministry
THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE of California
opened Oasis/California, its
new ministry with lesbians and gay .
men, at a special service at Grace
Cathedral in January. The ministry is
dedicated to serving Christ in the
lesbian and gay community and to
serving the cause of gay liberation in
the church and the world. The Oasis
is headquartered in San Francisco at
110 Julian Avenue, (415)522-0222,
FAX (415)522-1198, oasiscalif@
aol.com. The Episcopal Diocese of
California is made up of 87 churches
and 40,000 members. The bishop of
the diocese is the Rt. Rev. William
E. Swing.
Gay-friendly Catholic
churches open
in Georgia ·
ST. AELRED'S ECUMENICAL
Catholic .Church has opened in Decatur,
Georgia according to its directo r,
Stephen Sinclair. The church is
named after an English monk who
during his life more than 900 years
ago encouraged the other moriks in his
monastery to hold hands and give
each other expressions of friendship.
The parish has started small, and
meets in a member's home.
Another gay-friendly Catholic
church, The Rose of Sharon Independent
Catholic Church, opened in Jan uary
in Carrollton, Ga. It welcomes
gays and lesbians, ethnic minorities
and others who feel 'excluded from
the traditional Roman Catholic
church. - Southern Voice
Trinity MCC holds
Easter services at
site of new church
TRINITY MCC of Arlington, Texas
was scheduled to hold Easter Sunday
services on the site of the church's
future home at 609 Truman Street.
Senior Pastor Jo Crisco said that modular
buildings will house Trinity's
sanctuary and offices until the new
church is completed. The church may
be contacted by calling (817)265-5454,
FAX (817)860-7379.
iiM iii MM iH w@M r ffiilf#Mli v m, ffii ij M &K@ 0~1 •1-tr I !IM I if M m iifut&iNMii!AM@ii@Milliffli$MIWml
Names Maldn News
Bishop John S. Spong
"NO PARTY LASTS forever," said
the Episcopal bishop of Newark,
New Jersey, in announcing his plans
to retire. But the 64 year-old Spong
· vowed to stay in office until he is 72
if he feels called to continue to
defend the Episcopal Church against
those he called · "heresy hunters ."
The bishop has gained an international
stature and notoriety as an outspoken
champion of radical causes .
David Sindt
THE LATE FOUNDER OF Presbyterians
for Lesbian and Gay Concerns
was one of 13 persons inducted into
the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of
Fam e . The Rev. Jeff Doane, pastor of
Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church
where Sindt was an active leader,
accepted the award from Mayor
Rid1ard Daley. In addition to being a
fighter for ju stice within the Pre sby•
terian Church (USA), Sindt was a
gifted social worker and breeder of
award-winning dwarf irises. He died
of AIDS on December 3, 1986.
Bro. Stephen E. Braddock
THE FOUNDER AND Executive
Director of St. Camillus AIDS Mini stry
was honored by Dignity/ Milwaukee
Feb . 11 on th e occasion of Dignity's
21st anniversary. Braddock was
presented with the Pope John XXIII
Humanitarian Award in appreciation
of his "example of Christ-like
service and openness." "As Pos e John
XXIII initiated Vatican Council II
which opened the church .to a wider
expression o f faith , and opened the
church to many people, Dignity hon ors
Bro. Stephen for his work and
dedication," said Dignity spokesman
JoeZopp.
Even More Events
GLPCI & COLAGE
Conference
JULY 4-7, The Regal Hotel in Minneapolis
is the setting for this conference for
lesbian, bisexual, transgender and gay parents,
their children, friends and family,
hosted by Minnesota Families . "Proud
Parents Make Proud Kids" is the theme.
The conference, sponsored by Gay and
Lesbian Parents Coalition International, is
open to all gay, lesbian , bisexual and
transgender individuals involved in parenting
roles. For infonnation contact Minnesota
Families, GLPCI '96, P.O. Box
11970, St. Paul, MN 55111-0970 ,
(612)924-3049.
Gay and Lesbian
Family Week
AUGUST 3-11, The Gay and Lesbian Parents
Coalition has declared the first week
in August "Gay and Lesbian Family
.Week." The organization will celebrate the
week in Provincetown, Mass. GLPCI will
host a barbecue and the Provincetown
Chamber of Commerce will suggest activities
for families to enjoy during the week.
For infonnation contact GLPCI, P.O. Box
50360, Washington, DC 20091,
(202)583-8029, FAX (201)783-6204.
World Gathering on
Bereavement
AUGUST 14-18, This international conference
brings together the bereaved ,
bereavement support organi zations and
professionals. More than 90. workshops
and sharing groups are offered. The Red
Lion Airport Hotel in Seattle is the setting.
The conference ··is sponsored- of
Accord Aftercare Services of Louisville,
Kentucky and Family Services; Seattle.
For information call (800)346-3087 or
(206)246-6142.
First National Gathering ·
of Welcoming and
Affirming Baptists
AUGUST 16-18, Lake Street Church
(W &A), Evanston, Illin~is , is the setting
for the inaugural gathering of the Welcoming
and Affirming Baptists . Keynote
speakers are Peggy and Tony camp;,lo .
The organization had not released registration
information as of press time.
Ecumenical & Inclusive
We are a Christian community of men
and women from various Catholic· and
Protestant traditions involved in minstries
of love, compassion and reconciliation.
We live and work in the world,
supporting ourselves and our ministries.
We are inspired by the spirit of St.
Francis and St. Clare. L ike the ecumenical
Taize Community we are ·not canonically
affiliated with any denomination.
Join us on retreat June 7-9, 1996, at
Xavier Center, Convent Station, NJ.
Vocation Director
Bept. 55, PO Box 8340
· Ne w Orleans, LA 70182
Mercy of God Community
A nd behold, p cerloin lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what sl,all I
do to inherit.eternal ltfe?-" And_JesuS said to him, "W/10.t is written in the Law? How does it
read to you?" A nd he answered and said, "You shall love th·e Lord your God with .all your
heart, a11d wit/1 all your soul, and with all your strengt4, and with all your mind; and you~
neighbor as yourself -" And Jesus said fa him, "You /1aue answe red.correctly; do th is and yo u
wi/1/ive. " Bl TT .
wi~g to JUSTlfYhimself,
he said to Jesus . .. LUKE 10: 25·2q
COHHf [JIOH 'g6
II
THURSDAY, JULY 4 THROUGH SUNDAY , J U LY. 7
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY, ORANGE , CA
ComrECtio,r '96 :s a f o ur -d a y
re tr eat ·exper ience with o the r lesbian
/ ga y C hri st ians. A cti viti es
incl~J e worship, keynote addresses,
workshops, small group in t eraction,
time t o play, an d t ime to reflect on
our experience. Regardless of where
you are o n your journey of integrating
your spiritua lity and orient ati on,
this could be a r ich an d rewarding
weekend for you .
Key11ofe Spllak e rs:
Dr. Ra/p/, B lair, fou nde r of
El'Onge/ica/s Co11cemed, Inc.
Dr .. /u11e Ste/Jensen H_agen, th e
1993 recipient of l1itegrity's Marge
Gumm Award, te aches E nglish at
B ro nx C ommun ity Co llege of the
City l'ni versity of ~ew York.
N a11cy and C/iip Mi/J a r , wlH):Oe :e,m
die d of AIDS, spend n1uch of t heir
tim e lr av e'Iin g to con gr e ~a ti on ;:
r elating the ir .family's journey with
the ir son 's h omo sexu alit y, illn t>ss
and deatb.
E tiange/ica/s Con cern e d Wes tern
Regional Fel/owslrip is a non -Profit
organization t hat pl,si~iveJy u nite:e
lesbian / gay sex uality with-bibli c·al
C hr istiani ty by way o f resoun:e;:,
loca l group act iviti es, Bibi"' ::tudy,
retreat s ·and this annual cm1fereni:l•.
To receive more inform ation plea::e
cont act us.
EC WR
602 .893.69 52
PO Box 66906
Plwen;x, AZ 85082-6906
PAGE 19 • SECOND STONE• MAR<;:H/APRIL. 1996
"Same-Sex Dynamics Among 19th Century Americans"
MonnonchurchfotIhDaddre erl axed
attitudtoew arsral me-serxe lationships
By Vern Anderson
Associated Press Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Evan . Stephens,
composer of many of Mormonism's
most beloved hymns, was a
bachelor who shared his life with a
succession of young male singers.
Stephens evenogave up his 26-year
career as MormenTabemade Choir
director in 1916 to 'move to New York
City with "a blonci' Viking who captured
the eye of everyone as a superb
specimen of manhood."
Was Stephens gay?
Probably, according to historian D.
Michael Quinn, although all Stephens'
"boy chums," as he called
them, eventually married, and it is
possible Stephens never acted on his
homosexual yearnings.
More important to Quinn, and a cen~
tral thesis of his forthcoming book; is
that the attitudes of 19th century
!YJ:or~rn s Jq~.y-d~t he whole range of
same~s~x refaffonships were far more
relaxed thart the homophobic concerns
reflected in today's headlines.
And in that regard, straightlaced
pioneer Utah was ho different than
the n.ition at . large in the · last century:
Adult friends of the same gender
· held hands and kissed in public, slept
together in the same beds - sometimes
for years - and wrote each other emotionally
intense, even passionate letters.
In most cases, these relationships
were not erotic. But when· they were,
Mormons at times were even more tolerant
than other Americans, Quinn
points out in "Same-Sex Dynamics
among Nineteenth-Century Ameri-
Books
cans: A Mormon Example," to be published
in May by the University of
Illinois Press.
Church founder Joseph Smith, the
polygamous husband of many wives,
snuggled with male friends throughout
his life. He preached in 1843 that
two friends "should lie down on the
same bed at night locked in each other's
embrace talking of their love .... "
His successor, Brigham Young,
organized all-male dances and
dreamed of sleeping with _nonMormoh
men as a means of resolving
conflict. Later church presidents
Joseph F. Smith and Heber J. Grant
kissed their counselors good-bye.
Not many , years later, though,
another president, David 0. McKay,
· said he would rather sleep on the
floor than in the. same bed with a
man.
Indeed, Quinn noted a distinct
· change in attitudes toward same-sex
relations among church leaders who
reached adulthood in the 20th century
and were not accustomed to the
pervasive same-sex sociality of the
19th.
So relaxed were the views of early
Mormons toward such relationships,
Quinn writes, "that theFe was much
that did not have to be hidden by the
Mormons who felt sexuaf interest for
those of their same genderi'
Thus, it often was possible for gay
men and women, speaking in the 19th
century vernacular of platonic love, to
subtly allude to and still mask their
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liberation for everyone ... including its gay and
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$16.99 from Second Stone Press.
To order, see page 22.
PAGE 20 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL, 1996
Photo essay collection makes love visible
PHOTOGRAPHER GEOFF Manasse
and -journalist/novelist Jean Swallow,
award-winners in their fields, traveled
the country to bring home the
diversity of photographs and stories
in Making Love Visible: ln Celebration
of Gay and Lesbian Families.
Manasse's photographs are intimate
and beautiful. Swallows interviews
expose the tenderness and vitality of
gay and lesbian family life.
Together Manasse and Swallow show
relationships _ and webs of relationships
that have no name in our Ianguage.
Gay and lesbian readers will
be proud fo find a little bit of home in
this book.
Bishop John Spong says Making
Laue Visible is "a powerful book that
contrasts a variety of faces onto our
cultural stereotypes and calls us in
provocative ways to abandon our cultural
prejudices."
For ordering information on this book
which puts gay and lesbian families
on the coffee table, readers may call
800-777-1048.
"Erin Ferguson's Family" from Making Love Visible
erotic relationships.
Employing just such a subtext, three
prominent Mormons apparently came
out in an official church magazine,
the "Children's Friend," in 1919,
according to Quinn, author of a twovolume
history of the Mormon hierarchy.
One was Stephens, the.former choir
director, who detailed his numerous
close relationships with young men in
unbylined articles written in the
third person. He wrote that at 13, he
had become "the pet" of the young
men in his local church choir.
"Timidly and blushingly he would
be squeezed in between them, and
kindly arms generally enfolded him
much as if he had been a fair sweetheart
of the big brawny young men,"
Stephens wrote of himself. "Oh, how
he loved these men, too!"
The other two .self-revealers were
Louie B. Felt, general president of the
church's Primary organization for
children for nearly 40 years, and her
first counselor, May Anderson, with
whom Felt had lived for 30 years.
The October 1919 issue of the
"Children's Friend" featured a photograph
of Felt and Anderson with a
caption calling them the "David and
Jonathan" of the Primary board. It
spoke pointedly of their love and
intimacy and . mentioned that they
shared the same bed.
''Those who watched their devotion
to each other declare that there
never were more ardent lovers than
these two . And strange to say during
this time of love feasting, Mary
changed her name to May because it
seemed to be more agreeable to both,"
according to the magazine, edited by
Anderson.
Quinn writes that even though the
three "were writing in the bilingualism
of 19th century homosexuals,''
they "took a risk by telling of their
same-sex relationships so honestly in
October 1919."
Still, Mormon leaders down to the
1950s were almost always more tolerant
of homoerotic behavior than they
were of heterosexual activity outside
of marriage. Quinn cites numerous
cases, including that of Joseph F.
Smith, grandson and namesake of the
Mormon president at the tum of the
century.
, Appointed church patriarch in 1942,
Smith already had a hidden history
of homosexual relationships. He was
SEE MORMONS,Next Page
.. ,
•
Gatherings
AJI God's Children
Dee MosOOCher' s video rounters Sheldon's anti~gay images
and leaders who were interviewed . ilization and our culture being totally
Harvard professor Cornell West is overhauled by the homosexual comalso
interviewed . munity," Sheldon said. Videos bacher said.
"If I have one word for fellow Mosbacher said it is particularly
By Gip Plaster Christians, I would ask them to keep important to counter this production
The Texas Triangle their eyes on the love of Jesus and to aimed at the African-American com-
This is not the first venture of
Woman Vision. It produced "Straight
from the Heart," a 24-mini.tte Academy
A ward nominated short documentary
about parents who had difficulty
accepting their gay and lesbian
children. It tells the story of
several families, inc;:luding a police
chief who is proud of his lesbian
daughter, a Mormon family whose
son is believed the first in Idaho to
die of AIDS and a black woman with
two lesbian daughters.
DEE MOSBACHER thinks African- not confuse the blood at Calvary with munity to keep the religious right
the Kool Aid of homophobia in from dividing two minority groups
America," West said in the video . who -share common . interests . She
"By being open enough to everybody, ·hopes to find individuals and groups
it means that we have -to call into who will "adopt-a-church" by showquestion
our own particular prejudices - ing the video to a congregation and
that we inherit that have nothing to presenting educahonal materials.
American churches should know the
truth about gay and lesbian people,
and she is providing it in a new documentary
video called "All God's
Children ."
The film was created to counteract
the effects of a video called · "Gay
Rights, Special Rights" produced by
Lou Sheldon, the leader of the Traditional
Values Coalition in Anaheim,
Calif. Sheldon's video has been
widely distributed to AfricanAmerican
churches, but it portrays a
distorted image of gay and lesbian
people.
Mos!,acher's nearly 30-minute
response features a mostly black,
mostly gay and ·lesbian choir singing
gospel music and contains interviews
with African-American -leaders who
support gay an~ lesbian rights . The
Rev. Jesse Jackson, U.S: Sen. Carol
Moseley-Braun and U.S. Rep. Maxine
Waters are among the black pastors
MORMONS,
From Previous Page
released from the high position in
1946 when church president George
Albert Smith learned of his ongoing
extramarital affair with a 21-yearold
man.
Y el, Smith was not excommunicated
- church leaders cited poor health for
his departure - and in fater years he
was appointed to an LOS stake high
council.
· Just three years _earlier, in 1943,
church apostle Richard R. Lyman
had been promptly excommunicated
for an e xtramarital affair with a
woman and church leaders had made
the reason public.
The example of leniency in Smith's '
case was not unusual. As late as 1950,
a stake pr esidency in Idaho asked
the church's governing First Presidency
wheth er to excommunicate or
otherwise discipline a Mormon professor
who had engaged in a homosexual
relationship for several years .
J. Reuben Clark, a First Presidency
counseJor, replied that ~thus far we
had done no more than drop them
from positions they held ."_
But that was to change.
During the 1950s, Apostle Spencer
W. Kimball became the chief
advocate for encouraging homosexual
do with the loving gospel of Jesus." The "Adopt-A-Church program is
The images in Mosbacher's film
challenge the opinions in Sheldon's
production. Sheldon includes interviews
with former U. S. Attorney
General Edwin Meese and Christian
Coalition leader Ralph Reed . His
-video defines what it calls "four
myths" that gays and l_esbians promote,
including the "myth" that homosexuals
are a minority and the
"myth" that homosexuals are -10 percent
or more of the population .
"Gay Right.s,Special Rights" also
uses an interview with a registered
nurse who said: 'The gay agenda is to
have sex in any way you please."
"We are on the very verge of our civmen
to marry women as a remedy for
their same-sex desires. He considered
homosexual urges a "habit" mainly
caused by masturbation.
However, it wasn 't until 1968 that
the First Presidency made homosexual
acts grounds for excommunication.
And in 1987, Gordon B. Hinckley, who
became church president a year ago,
instructed church members that marriage
should not be considered a
"therapeutic step" for homosexuals.
Quinn had no idea when he began
researching an article on same-sex
dynamics in 1993 that he would find
enough letters, diaries and other
archival mat eri ?1 for a book. Nor did
he imagine it would be published
amid a stat ewide controvers y over
gay and lesbian clubs in Salt Lake
high schools.
Quinn doesn't believe church leaders
will ever condone same-sex unions.
But Utah Mormons, while supporting
the church's stand for traditiona\
family values, appear troubled by
the issue of basic fairness raised by
the recent ban of all nonacademic
clubs in the Salt Lake City School
District, he said. ·
"Even if this issue were to go away
from the headlines, there is a recognition
among a majority of people now
that there is a problem," he said.
"And the problem isn't gay students.
It's how they're treated."
the primary method of distribution of
the film. The program is coordinated
by Woman Vision, who provid es
training, educational materials and
videos to local activists. Church
activists then take the videos into
their local churches, screen it. and
lead discussions centered around the
material presented.
Mosbacher said this kirid of grassroots
approach · to churches can be
effective. The offensive must be led
"not with secular tools but with spiritual
tools," she said.
"One of my hopes for the film .. .is to
try to build some bridges and coalitions
between our communities," Mos-
Mosbacher, a mental health physician
who left practice to devote her
time to film-making, is also the
daughter of Robert Mosbad1er, the
secretary of · commerce during the
Bush administration.
If you_ or your church is interested,
contact Woman Vision for more information:
Linda Alband, Woman
Vision, 3570 Clay Street, San Francisco,
CA 94118. Phone: (415) 346-2336,
FAX· (415) 346-1047. Videos are
$29.95 each, plus $10 for shipping .
"All God's Children" can also be
ordered from Transit Media Film
Library by calling 800-343-5540.
: MU~C ~f fe\ngels
urtle Creek Chorale
From gospel to 10th century sacred,
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ro. Box 190806 / Dallas, TX 752 19-0806 -- 1
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SINCE
1988, A
FRIEND
FOR THE
JOURNEY
Second Stone The National Ecumenical And
· Evangelical Newspaper About Being
Gay And Christian
~~~~~--
Response Commentary
.H igh schoolc hmt he victimo f heterosexuapla nic
By Rev. Jan Nunley
Guest Comment
interpret the Bible for themselves . . .
the list goes on and on.
Letters
Ennis, Texas
Ed. Note: This commentary is written
in regard to the Salt Lake City
School Board's decision to ban all
noncurricularc lubs in order to ·eliminate-
a gay club.
You see, Brett, it's not just what
they're willing to do· to gays and lesbians
in order to eliminate us that's
scary - although that should be scary
enough . It's what they 're willing to
do to their government, their institu-
Mel White challenges
Pat Robertson again
"EVERYONE SUFFERS because of tions, their own kids, and even to
the gays," complained Brett Shields, themselves - to ALL of us : in order to
a 16-year-old at East High School quell that lingering fear, that
and a member of the Beef Club, a "heterosexual panic" that, like the
social club that met last week to eat demon-possessed pigs -in the Gospels,
steaks· and burgers and attend a drives whole herds of people over
Dear Second Stone:
We are asking concerned people
everywhere to sign a petition that
condemns Pat Robertson's antihomosexual
campaign. Hopefully, on
Pride Sunday, June, 1996, we will
have a hundred thousand signatures
to present to Pat and the nation's
media notifying him officially that
his spirit of intolerance (that goes far
beyond condemning homosexuals)
does not represent the spirit of Jesus
nor the spirit of this great nation.
Anyone interested in receiving a free
copy of a video we have produced
that examines and exposes Robertson's
anti-gay campaign - or petitions
to circulate - should . c.ontact us by
mail at P.O. Box 609, Ennis, TX 75120,
by fax at (214)875-4858, or by e-mail
at RevMel@aol.com. Also, if . you
know the local station or cable system
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PUBLISHER/EDITOJRim: B ailey
that airs the 700 Club, will you send
us their call letters, a phone number,
and even an address if possible?
Thanks.
Sincerely,
. Mel White and
Gary Nixon
Mt. ·Rainier, Maryland
New Ways Ministry
ceremony was
sanctioned by
bishops' group
Dear Second Stone:
Thank yoll for printing the news
item about New Ways Ministris
1995 Bridge Building award to
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit
(Names Making News, Jan/Feb '96).
Please allow me to correct one important
piece of information in that item.
Our award ceremony was indeed sanctioned
by the National Conference of
Catholic Bishops. To acquire a ·reception
room in the hotel we had to
apply for space through their meeF
ing director, and it was readily given.
.Over 200 people attended the event,
including ·nine bishops .
Sincerely.,
Francis DeBernardo,
Program Director,
New Ways Ministry
c_~ Pontius' Puddle
"monster truck" rally. cliffs of their own devising.
No, Brett. Everyone suffers, not And until you and all the members
because of the gays, but because of ' of the Beef Club, and the Ski Club,
homophobia. Because some people and the otlier clubs that are being
just can't stand any kind of love that deep-sixed in order to assuage your
doesn't fit their rigid definitions, elders' hysteria, learn who the real
they're willing to eliminate all clubs enemies are here - fear and anxiety
from your school. .. torpedo the Full and a monumental lack of faith in the
Faith and Credit Clause of the Con- very institutions and people (and deistitution
... split churches . . · . ride ties!) allegedly being "defended" -
roughshod over historic affirmations you, and we, and they, will continue
of the competence of every soul to to suffer.
Mel White's petition against 700
Club anti~gay rhetoric
A Resolution to Condemn the false and inflammatory antihomosexual
campaign ol Pat Robertson,Founder; the Chris-.
tian Coalition & CEO, the Christian Broadcasting Network:
.
His intolerant rhetoric and his unjust and discriminatory political
actions against homosexuals contribute to the suffering of God's
gay, lesbian, and bisexual Children,
Please, Pat, your media and print_ campaign against homosexuals is
polluting the moral environment of the nation. Educate yourself and
your co-workers about homosexuality and about homosexuals
pefore your anti-homosexual campaign leads to more. suffering for
mnocent Americans and their families. We, the undersigned, ask
this in the name of God!
(Please return this signed petition to Dr. Mel White for delivery to
Mr. Robertson and tlie national media on Pride Sunday, June, 1996.
Send signed petition to Dr. White at PO Box 609, Ennis, TX. 75120
(Fax: 214-875=4858) or E-mail Stop Lies@aol.com) .
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PAGE 23 • SECOND STONE • MA.R<;H/APRIL. 1996
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LIVE OPERA performances on audio/video
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today is after the first of the month, it's too late for the current issue . Just like the
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PAGE 24 • SECOND STONE • MARCH/APRIL, 1996 . ' . . . . ....... - . . . . . . . ... - . ... - . . - - - ) . . - . - - .. - . . - . - . .. - . - . - - .
.casette . · incredible selection s i11ce 1930' s,
world-wide. Q_ver 7400 items. Magnificent
free computerized cata logue. Live Opera,
P.O. Box 3141, Steinway Station, Long
Island Citv. NY 11103. . .
ORGANIZATIONS
INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC religious .order._
Men/women, lay/cle_rical, gay/non-gay .
Optional celibacy, non-residential, ecumenical.
Ordination possible. Father Abbot,
Order of St . .John the Divine; 166 Jay St. ,
Albany, NY 122IO.
CHRISTIANS IN COMMUNION with Creation
. An Organization for "Green Christians."
Me mbership with monthly mailin gs,
$35. Roger Wharton, 1404 Arnold Ave., San
Jose , CA 95110. 408-451-93io.
BECOME A PRIEST - Gay, Lesbia11 and
Bisexual persons, serve God and Community
as a Priest. External program leads to valid
ordination. An incardination process is
available for those already in Order~. • Those
interested in this program for personal fulfillment
without interest in ordination may
also reply. EACA - Vocations, 2401 Artesia
Blvd., Ste. #106-213, Redoodo Beach, CA
902-78. .
CONFERENCE FOR CATHOLIC Lesbia~s
(CCL) is a national organization for lesbians
of Catholic heritage. Qu~rterly newsletter .·
Supportive network. Advocates for lesbian
issues in political and Church forums. For
membership information please contact
CCL-SS, P.O. Box 436, Planetarium Station,
New York, NY 10024, (212)663-2963, FAX
(212)268-7032.
THE CENTER FOR PASTORAL CARE, 3180 .
German Church Road, Mansfield, OH 44904,"
(419)756-2977. A unique place of Christian
worship. Sunday Liturgy I 0: I 5. Followed by
a lite brunch , Retreats , workshops and pastoral
counseling. Rev. Daniel Dickman ,
M.Div, M.Ed. 2/97
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of Catholic Diocesan
Les]>ian and Gay Ministries - Network
for diocesan and parish miniStries, hewsletter
, annual meeting. 433 Jeffe rson Street,
Oakla11d, CA 94607. 510-465-9344 .
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
WHEN A GOOD FRiEND ISN'T ENOUGH:
Help is just _ a phone call away. Experience
supportive psychotherapy with experienced ,
liCensed .Christian. lesbian counselor · in the
privacy of your home. Call Jill be11toil for
FREE consultation. -(805)534-1101. 4 /96
VIDEOS
GAY EROTIC Spiritualities. Mystics, . Ministers,
Masseurs, Theologians, Teacher s,
Artists speak in 25 videos · wisdom that _ only
comes from the heart EroSpirit Newsletter.
Free. 800-432-3767
THE EROTIC CONTEMPLATIVE. Reflections
on the Spiritual Journey of ihe Gay/ ·Lesbian
Christian . $199. For contents , call EroSpirit.
800-432-3767
HOW CAN WE activat~ our inllividual and
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800-432-3767 .
BOTH LOVER AND PRJEST. In this hour
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800-432-3 _767.