Second Stone #13 - Nov/Dec 1990

Second Stone #13 - Nov/Dec 1990

13

1990

Nov/Dec 1990

lEVEl
ONE
THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER FOR GAY AND LESBIAN CHRISTIANS _...._ $2.25
,-rv.,w .. ,1 ... ,
'•
New Age Has Firm, Foothold
In Gay/Lesbian Community
Contributing Writer
There are dozens of times
that the word "new" is used
in the Bible. Paul uses the
word frequently: we are a
"new creation,• we are to,
put on the "new self," and
we are _given a "new life"
FAMILIES:
Revelation: Dad
through what Peter called
a "new birth." "New" Testament
and "New" Covenant
are other examples as is
Jesus' "new commandment•
that we love one another.
The frequency of the
appearance of the word
"new" reveals its importance
jn biblical terms.
For a lot of Christians, of
course, the life in Christ is
not now new, with perhaps
many years passing since
they first gained know•
ledge of Christ. That
familiarity, as well as
SEE. COVER STORY, Page 9
ESSAY:
We Are War II Finalylhierslood IE Veterans, Of Sorts
By Rev. Sylvia Pennington By Chris Glaser
--,-,
\dduate Theological Union
Anti-Gay "Big Brothers"
Amendment Killed
WASHINGTON, D.C. - An
anti-gay amendment offered
by Sen. William Armstrong
(R-CO) that would have
allowed organimtions in the
District of Columbia to bar
Gays and Lesbians from being
"Big Brothers," coaches or
role models was killed last
month in a U.S. House and
Senate conference committee.
The amendment had been
originally passed on September
12 as part of the 1991
D.C. Appropriations Bill.
The National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force has
tracked and lobbied against
the Big Brothers rider both in
this and the previous appropria
ti(\ns bills.
Before the conference committee
action, the House
rejected an attempt by Congressman
William
Dannemeyer (R-CA) to
"instruct" House conferees to
retain the Armstrong Big
Brothers language. Both
Dannemeyer and Annstrong
perennially advocate antigay
language in Congressional
appropriations bills.
On October 11, the House
vo.ted 255 to 156 to accept a
motion from Rep. Dean Gallo
(R-NJ) to instruct conferees to
accept language that
retained funds earmarked for
the University of D.C. By
doing so the House "shut out"
Dannemeyer and prevented
him from offering his own
motion.
"For the time being we have
struck down these attempts in
Congress to reinforce the
horrible stereotypes that gay
people are prone to recruit
and molest children and
therefore should not be Big
. Brothers or work with kids,"
said Peri Jude Radecic,
NGLTF legislative director.
Rep. Dannemeyer,
infuriated at the successful
SEE BIG BROTHERS, Page 18
-- - --··--- Lutheran Synod Postpones
Action On Proposal To
Welcome Gays/Lesbians
Delegates to the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in
America's Southeastern
Texas-Southern Louisiana
Synod Assembly in Galveston,
Texas voted on October
21 to "postpone indefinitely"
action on a proposal which
called for public affirmation
and welcome of Gays and
Lesbians into congregational
life. Although a Synod
Commission had recommended
adoption, a delegate
to the assembly who had
spoken in opposition to the
resolution called for a vote to
postpone any action indefinitely
before arguments in
favor of the resolution could
be heard.
Only four other synods in
the ELCA have adopted such
a resolution.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY! ONE YEAR ONLY S12.60!
BOX 8340 • NEW ORLEANS, LA 70182
8UlX PATE
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
NEW ORI.EANS, LA
PERMIT No. 511
Disciples Of Christ Group Gathers
"Lift As We Climb" - a motto
borrowed from the turn of the centuty
group, the National Association of
Colored Women - was the theme for
the 1990 Kansas City GLAD Event
held in October. Participants in the
special weekend were members of the
laity and clergy of the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) in the
United States and Canada. The
group, known as the Gay, Lesbian,
and Affirming Disciples Atuance,
provides a network of support and
advocacy for members across the
United States and Canada.
Keynote speaker Rev. Jan
Griesinger, who serves as campus
minister at Ohio University in
Athens, Ohio and is National
Coordinator for the United Church
Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns,
challenged those gathered to boldy
claim their place in the church.
Griesinger encouraged gay and
lesbian persons to tap into the
spiritual power inherent in a
healthy acceptance of one's
sexuality. Referring to the theme,
she led the community to explore
images of lifting and being lifted and
called participants to climb out of the
homophobia which threatens to
entangle them, both from within and.
from society at large.
Worship became an integral part of
the retreat for many attending since
local congregations of ten fail to be
inclusive of gay and lesbian concerns.
A service for healing and prayer for
the HIV/ AIDS crisis drew members
together early in the event and
several who were present shared
openly regarding their being HIV
infected of having AIDS. This
provided a grounding which was
Letters
Albuquerque. New Mexico
Reaction To
Pro-Life Letter
Emotional And
One-Sided
Dear Second Stone,
Michael Blankenship's reaction to
my letter in the July/ August issue was
predictably one-sided and emotional.
I would like to · see more openmindedness
and logic.
I continue to work for the rights of
all people. I, too, am a Christian,
and sensitive to the needs of a truly
oppressed minority: unborn babies. Is
their "choice" protected? If we adopt
the stance of sharing in the struggles
for human rights of all people, logic
demands that we include unborn
B
transfonned into sense of celebration
present at other services during the
weekend. Judy Wray, ordained
minister and Ph.D. candidate at
Union Theological Seminary in New
York City, preach~ an invitation for
listeners to discover in themselves
the pearl of great price for which
God and Jesus Christ has given all.
An "affirming" participant remarked
later how empowering the worship
services were for her. "Sexuality is
something that my local church just
doesn't talk about. .. it's so refreshing
to hear these things spoken out loud!"
The retr~at was held at a
Disciples-owned and operated
retreat center near Kansas City.
Representatives who attended came
from states in the heartland of the
denomination such as Indiana,
Kentucky, and Texas as well as from
the California and New York coasts.
Several family members of lesbian
and gay persons were present ~ well
as were several officials cit the
broader church structure.
1be selection of Kansas Oty as the
site of this year's Event is significant.
In 1977 the General Assembly of the
Christian Church, the denomination's
biennial oonvention, meeting
in Kansas Oty, became embroiled in
conflict over the church's position on
homosexuality and the consideration
of ordination of lesbian and gay
clergy. Now one of the strongest local
chapters in the GLAD Alliance,
Kansas City proved thirteen years
later to be the perfect setting for
nurture and the building of community
for lesbian and gay Christians.
Workshops and strategy sessions on
Sunday afternoon elicited great
energy and enthusiasm. The Alliance
□.
babies in our agenda, alongside their
mothers.
The Gospel of Jesus requires more
than sentimental thinking about the
real problems facing us and taking
emotional pot-shots at those with
whom we disagree.
is expected to meet organized oppoir
ition at the denomination's .membly
next year in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kansas Oty Event participants were
confident about the strategies set
forth and are preparing to continue
with plans for sev~ral major
assembly activities.
Rev. Johnson retired from parish
ministry and came out of the closet as
a gay man. In October of 1987 he
placed an ad in the Kansas Oty gay
and lesbian press and began to fonn a
group, later to become the Kansas
Oty chapter of GLAD Alliance. The
tribute said in part, ''We thank God
for O. 0. and for his courage ... to
break the silence in the Greater
Kansas Oty Region and to name the
reality that Lesbians, gay men, and
those who affinn them in the church
are here."
Alongside such serious planning
were placed opportunites for fun and
laughter. Spontaneous gatherings for
volleyball and singing around the
guitar were a welcome relief from the
busy schedule. An evening out on the
town took the entire group to a
Meditteranean Restaurant and to the For more information about the
historic Country Club Plaza district GLAD Alliance and its future
of Kansas City. programming, write to P. O. Box
Special recognition was given to the 19223, Indianapolis, IN 46219-0223.
Rev. O. 0. Johnson of Kansas City. -
In This Issue
FEATURES
COVER STORY
COLUMNS
COMMENTARY
FAMILIES
CLOSER LOOK
1RAVEL
PARTING 1HOUGHT
DEPART1\1ENTS
-LrnE--R--S-----NEWSBRIEFS
□ ·
Page9
Page3
Page 10
Pa2e 14
Page 19
Page20
Page2
PageS
Page8
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. N. F. Thompson, n-c-:l-,f-------t· CHURCH & ORGANIZATION NEWS Page 11
Page 12
We welcome you to share your views,
opinions, feelings and experiences
with our readen. Send letters to:
LETrERS, The Second Stone, P. 0.
Box 8340, New Orleans, LA 70182.
All letters must be original and
signed by the writer. Clearly
indicate if your name ls to be
withheld. We reserve the right to
edit.
CALENDAR
ESSAY
BOOKS
CLASSIFIEDS
THE SECOND STONE
Page 13
Page 16
Page20
Commentary □ Queer Nation
Antagonizing For Gay/Lesbian
Rights, Pride And Visibility
DyJimRarbc
Contributing Writer
At the former Vatican exhibit in
Flushing Meadows, New York, where
during the 1964 World's Fair
Michelangelo's Pieta was exhibited,
it's like being on the set of Pee Wee's
Playhouse. Absurd. Make believe.
The set is cheaper than Pee Wec's,
more bizarre, because it's real life,
and there's no Jane Pauley here to
explain it to us. It's here that local
"seer" Veronica Leuken has her
public devotions, where she tells her
faithful followers from everywhere
that the Virgin Mary speaks directly
to her and has let her know that,
"until homosexuals change their
ways and repent ... AIDS will never be
cured." She claims to have visions
and, during a recent heart attack, to
have ventured to heU and returned.
She and her followers have made
homosexuals a special interest,
through condemnations, curing of
Gays and Lesbians, and confrontations
with gay groups during parades and
ISSN No. 1047-3971
THE SECOND STONE Newspaper is
published every other monlh by Bailey
Communications, P. 0. Box 8340, New
Orleans, LA 70182. Copyright 1990 by
The Second St.one, a registered trademark.
SUBSCRIPTIONS, U.S.A. $12.60 per
year, six issues. Foreign subscribers add
$8.<IO for posta8e. All paymenll U. S.
currency only.
ADVERTISING, Display advertising
one time ntes: PuU Page, $595.00; Half
Page, $304.00; Quarter Page, $155.00;
Eighth Page, $81.00; Sixteenth Page,
$42.00. Send inquiries to: Box 8340,
New Orleans, LA 70182. Classified
advertising is 35 cents per word.
EDITORIAL. send letters, calendar
announcements, and church/organization
news to (Department title) The Sec:ond
Srone, P. 0 . Box 8340, New Orleans, LA
70182. Manuscripts to be returned
should be accompanied by a stamped. self
addressed envelope.
THE SECOND STONE, an ecumenical
Christian newspaper committed to
informing the gay and lesbian community.
PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Tun Bailey
MARKETING DIRECTOR: Eric Hess
CONTRIBUTORS: Rev Bruce Roller,
Rev Sylvia Pennington,
Cynthia Marquard, Danni Munson.
Dr. Martin Fowler, David Rickey,
Robert McKnight, Jim Roche,
Michael Blankenship. Dan Grippo,
Dr. Louie Crew, John-Michael Olexy,
Dr. Buddy Truluck. Chris Glaser.
Rev. Gail A. Van Buren
marches. She speaks these words of
hatred against Gays and Lesbians on
the very spot that housed the most
famous representation of her patron,
the Virgin Mary, Michelangelo's
Pieta. Michelangelo, who today is
himseU considered a gay icon. The
incongruity doesn't faze her but it has
come to the attention of another group
of New Yorkers. Veronica's group,
who set up a complete church with
nearly life-size plaster statues,
banners, lawn chairs, candles, loud
speakers, numbered offering envelopes
and devotional boxes, uses this
public park without a permit and
against city, state and federal laws
every week. There's also a large box
just for- miracle requests. That's the
largest box to be seen. Together they
recite the rosary and pray for
miracles, including the curing of
homosexuals. By eight o'clock over
350 have arrived by foot, subway,
chartered bus and car. Every year
Veronica and her "Baysiders," as
they're called, send an aggressive
contingent to harass and jeer at
marchers in New York's gay and
lesbian pride day parade. They
carry placards, scream and holler
death wishes and more at the gay
and lesbian marchers. They claim
AIDS is God's revenge on homosexuals.
But this time, the tables are
going to be turned.
Veronica and her rosary crew aren't
alone in the park. Queer Nation, a
group of New Yorkers devoted to
fighting homophobia and working for
gay and lesbian visibility are
holding what they've chosen to call
their "Rosary Zap." Some associated
with the group and many others
outside Queer Nation, fear that this
action, or any action against a
religious service, will only draw
negative publicity as the ACT-UP
protest at St. Patrick's Cathedral did
last year where, without ACT-UP
approval, a small group disrupted
the Mass and a communion Host was
desecrated. Through spokespersons,
ACT-UP as a group was quick to
disassociate itself from that action,
but many within ACT-UP felt the
church deserved it. "What about the
sacrilege against women and Gays
that the church supports," they ask.
Those in the gay and lesbian
community who continue to be
concerned, worry that the apparent
SEE COMMENTARY, Page 4
f Subscribe
Today.
And You'll Never Be Without
_A Friend For Your Journey.
I • Jom thousands of lesbians and gay men
who've embarked on an inward journey.
Through the pages of The Second Stone, an
ecumenical Christian newsmagazine, you'll be
challenged, inspired, angered and encouraged.
Meet brave men and women who are confronting
social injustice and religious bigotry.
Explore family and relationship issues. Enjoy
our engaging features and columns, newsbriefs
and book reviews. Our national calendar puts
you in touch with life-changing retreats, community-
building conferences, and the nicest
people you'll ever meet!
The Second Stone will inspire you, keep you
informed, and put you in touch.
... y Es , ..... N~;,;,: ·.~.:.:..:.:.~:.:.:.~.~.~.:.~..: : .:.:.:.:.:.:.~.~.:.:.::.:.:.:.~
~ SE~o'f.!l:~~ f~r ~c1nm ............ : ................................................... .
( )Oneyear(8--)for~ City,Stat.e&Zip ............................................... .
[ ]Two,-n(lJtt..)fcJr... ~_'!_:' ',".".. ,.,,_.__ .. ___ ., _ ,_ . ..... ._.._I ....I .-,• - .,... ..._
Mail To: THE SECOND STONE, Box 8340, New Orleans,LA '10182
THANK YOU
for your subscription!
November/December 1990 •
Reconciling Congregations Program
Announces Major Evangelism Campaign ,,
The Board of Directors of the
Reconciling Congregation Program, a
network of United Methodist local
churches that publicly welcome the
full participation of all persons
including Lesbians and gay men, has
announced a campaign which would
double the number of Reconciling
Congregations by the end of 1992.
There are currently 46 congregations
in the program.
"We are launching a major
evangelism campaign," said Rev.
Kim Alice Smith, chair of the board
COMMENTARY,
FromPage3
anti-Catholic or anti.-church slant of
this 1.ap will be all that is picked up
by the media, and that the call for
justice and gay and lesbian visibility
will get lost in the ensuing
antagonisms. Some conservative
publications such as The Advocate
and writers like Dave Walters have
condemned such actions as counterproductive
and divisive. Queer
Nation gives them a lot to work with
if that's the way they want to report
the story.
As Queer Nation arrives they break
into chants and cat calls every time
the prayer group says, "Blessed are
the fruits." "We're here, we're queer,
and pastor of Bethany UMC in San
Francisco. "We think it is critical
that other congregations hear the
stories of new life and revitalization
in Reconciling Congregations a11d that
these congregations be invited to join
our growing movement."
The "92 in 92" campaign builds on
what is currently happening in the
program, according to Mark Bowman,
RCP coordinator and staffperson.
"Current Reconcjling Congregations
are already talldng with other UMC
we're fabuJous, get used to us," and
"Veronica is the anti-Christ - go back
to hell where you came from." Queer
Nation members run around outside
the service which is encircled by
park department barriers, breaking
down the perimeter, eludidg the
police who seem unprepared. They
tum over the barricades, throw
leaflets at the crowd, fly them as
paper airplanes into the service and
scream "shame, shame, shame." Just
as the police are preparing to make
arrests, they simply wave goodbye
and leave.
Some in more conservative gay and
lesbian groups ask, "ls this acceptable?
Aren't we hurting ourseJves by
alienating more people?" This isn't
GAY AND CHRISTIAN
ACCEPTED AS LIVING MEMBERS
Announcln1 • conference for g■J men, lesbians ■nd
bisexual people and those who sup(IOl't them.
Sponsotcd by the Episcopal D1ocae of Nonh Carolin■
led by MALCOLM BOYD
Ikttmbrr 11-16, 1990
Conlcrrncr Center
Browaa Summit, North Carolin■
" ••. to give life to the claim of homosexual persons upon the love,
■a:q)tllntt ■nd put(>t•I care and conurn ol 11,e Church."
Raol.rion l>ioctse o/ Nard. Qarolina Con11en1ion, 1976
We Invite YoU to Join us for thla week-aid of ah■ring and he■lina,
WORKSHOPS
-Healing lflef ■nd •n~r toward the Oiur~h -Relationships -lmAges of
Ood -Spirituality and 1e11u1ll1y -The Bible and homosexu■llty -Where do
PY and labl■n pmrons Rt In the church.
t.hil ;~~ to: Regimtr, St. l'hllip'1 Eplscop11l Ch .... ch,
Poat Oftb Bo. 218, Durham, North C.rollna 27700
NAME _________________ _
ADDRESS ________________ _
CITY,5fA'JE ____________ Zfp __ _
PHONE: HOME _______ WORK ______ _
AMOUNTENa.OSEO:$ ___________ _
C-ost: $135-165 per~ Includes registration, room, and mals.
Sc:bolanhlpa available. A depoalt of $50. per iier- will - a ■pace.
Rooma ■re twin bedded.
lampedna fur the dmf avalliible upoct requat.
congregations in their cities about
becoming 'reconciling.' I have
received inquires from 15 new
congregations in the past two months
alone."
Related to recent denominational
sanctions against two Reconciling
Congregations, Dumbarton UMC
(Washington, D.C.) and University
UMC (Madison, Wisconsin) for their
policies on blessing the commitment
of same-sex couples, the RCP Board
called upon the larger church to
the first time a minority group has
been questioned, or questioned itself,
about its tactics. Anti-gay and
lesbian bias related attacks are on
the upswing, and to many it's because
groups like ACT-UP and Queer
Nation have brought visibility to
the gay and lesbian civil rights
movement. Even within the
community itself there is a backJash.
The Advocate continues to push their
agenda of assimilation based on
monetary standing - let's buy our way
into acceptablity. Dave Walters has
even called for gay and lesbian groups
to stop opp(>Sing ROTC programs since
ROTC, he says, gives closeted Gays
and Lesbians a way to serve their
country. The• Advocate and similar
gay papers continually complain
about the use of the words fag, homo
and queer which this new breed of
activist uses to describe itself. In his
recent confrontation with ACT-UP
the editor of Washington's Blade
called ACT-UP a "bunch of brown
shirts." Others, like New York's
Outweek take the opposite position,
always willing to use the words fag,
queer and homo is their writing,
declaring the community's identity
will be determined by the community
itself. Just as black is beautiful, we
are proud to be gay, proud to be queer
(the name Queer Nation was chosen
by the group because it was thought
to be less gender specific than gay.)
Gays and Lesbians are finally
starting to control the language that
describes them, the first step in
developing self-identity.
In cities like New York, where a
call went out to boycott the gay New
York Native and in Washington
where ACT-UP occupied the offices
of The Washington Blade, or San
Francisco where The Sentinel is under
similar pressure, the gay and lesbian
press is under attack from activist
groups who want to make dear-that
there is no going back.
Assimulationist views aren't wel- • THE SECOND STONE
remember the long-standing tradition
of local churches developing liturgies
which meet the needs of their
committees.
In other action the board encouraged
all Reconciling Congregations to
celebrate "RCP Sunday" during the
season of Epiphany in January;
supported the development of
"reconciling" conferences, seminaries,
campus ministries, and other groups;
and began making plans for the 1992
United Methodist General Conference.
• come any more. Many have grown
tired of ACT-UP's unwiUingness to
self-identify as a gay or lesbian
group. Queer Nation's call is "We're
here, we're queer, we're fabulous, get
used to it." Their tee-shirts,
advertised on their answering
machine, have left behind the maybe
gay-maybe not slogans of ACT·UP
like "SiJence=Death" and demand
visibility with words that leave
very little to be imagined or
questioned. They scream out queer,
fag, a map of America with the
words "queer nation" written across
it. There's a gay Bart and one
warning that from now on "queers
bash back." Further evidence of this
attitude can be seen in New York's
Greenwich Village where a new
organi1.ation called "Pink Panthers"
has formed to protect Gays from the
ever-increasing bias attacks.
Criticism that gay AIDS organizations,
who have co-opted
themselves by giving up board control
to homophobic minorities and
corporate representatives in the name
of coalition building, is being heard
more frequently throughout the
country and ACT-UP and AIDS
activism is no longer the only concern
for Gays and Lesbians interested in
making significant changes.
Queer Nation has started to catch
on, As with the previous flourishing
of AIDS related groups we can expect
lo see the growth of these direct
action, pro•gay and lesbian
identified politicaJ groups. There
are now Queer Nation groups in
Boston, Washington, San Francisco,
Rhode Island, lthica, Philadelphia,
Montreal and England. Queer Nation
Philadelphia has even called for a
Queer Nation Constitutional
Convention to be held there next
year. But a lot of Gays and Lesbians
who don't live in large metropolitan
areas, who live in less liberal areas
where being openly gay or lesbian can
SEE COMMENTARY, Page S
Newsbriefs
Left Unused: House
For Catholic Clergy
PWAs Closes
The nation's first home created to
care for Catholic clergy with AIDS,
closed because it had no patients,
may reopen to the general public.
The facility, located in Oakland,
Calif., was dosed after going five
months without one priest asking for.
aroom.
•we found that they are so afraid
to· come forward," said Jim
Mansmann, the director of the special
residence. Mansmann, a former
Maryknolt brother, said that even
though priests would call and
inquire, "they'd only give us their
first name. They would say that no
one knows except their doctors."
The ti~y, red-tiled roof, white
frame house, caned Bethany House,
was created by a group of religious
organizations. Including the Missionary
Brothers pf Charity, the
Franciscan Fathers of California, and
the Redemptorists. After it opened,
brochures were sent out to Catholic
COMMENTARY, From Page4
cost you your job or your life, are
scared. Afraid that there will be a
backlash from middle Amercia. The
fear is that actions and zaps like
Queer Nation is doing now ultimately
get fence-sitting liberals to take
sides, but it will be the wrong .side.
Even more, that those homophobes
who have been quiet because we mind
our own business wilJ finany speak
out and strike out. Some think its
already happening. Queer Nation,
some hold, is only going to alienate
our straight supporters (like the
infamous "I Hate Straights• leaflet
handed out during the Gay and
Lesbian Pride Day march in New
York that caused some hetero
members of ACT-UP to cry foul!)
Queer Nation has more in store. So
far they_ have visited New Jersey
malls for "the Queer Shopping
Network," welcomed Greg Louganis
to Macy'f and almost weekly invade
some local New York straight bar to
hold a kiss-in. • They've crashed
hetero McSorley's Saloon, The White
Horse Tavern, Flutie's and even the
notorious New York skin head bar
Alcatraz. Queer Nation has decided
whether middle America likes it or
not, it's time to stand up and be
counted.
These actions aren't as absurd and
new, innovative or original as some
would have us believe. They reflect
the same techniques used by blacks
who refused to move to the back of
churches throughout the U.S., but
they elicited almost no response.
Rev. William Macchi of the
Oakland Diocese said the church
decided to open the residence for
clergy after hearing of the need.
Fletcher. The book, Clergy Under
Stress: A Study of Homosexual and
Heterosexual Clergy, is the result of
two years of research. Fletcher
believes the gay priests "suffer ... very
high, even abnormal, levels of stress
and disilJusionment with the
Church."
-Baltimore Alternatiue
□ Christian ideal of celibacy, despite
occasional "missteps" or "serious
reversals." Twenty percent were
found to be engaged in heterosexual
rela~ns; another 20 percent are gay,
half of whom are sexually active;
and six percent are involved sexually
with minors.
-Religion Watch
I .
-We had heard stories that there
were some priests around the country
who had AJDS who were not welJ
accepted .. .and reaUy needed a place
to go,• Maccht said. Study: Twenty
Gay Activists,
Fundamentalists
Collide
Several AIDS facilities around the p Of C
country have accepted priests, but ercent atholic
none have exclusively sought Priests Are Gay
Catholic clergy. Two priests with An extensive study of celibacy in the
AIDS lived at Bonaventure House in American Catholic priesthood
Chicago, dyi~g about three months reports that half of U.S. priests have
after they amv~. been sexually ACJive at least one time
Bethany House 15 expected to open - during their priesthood, according to
SAN FRANOSCO - Two members of
Queer Nation and a Christian
activist were arrested during an
afternoon skirmish at the edge of
Civic Center Plaza. The confrontation
occurred during a prayer rally
sponsored by Save Our Souls, a
fundamentaJist reJigious coalition
that conducts a Bay Area street
ministry directed toward Gays and
Lesbians.
~r the C:tublic in January. the National Catholic &porter. The
ay controversial study (which was
One In Seven
.Anglican Priests
Gay, Book Says
One in seven Anglican priests is gay,
according to a new book by Hatfield
Polytechnic professor Dr. Ben
the bus, marched into small
restaurants and ordered coffee when
the sign said whites only and drank
from fountains that were restricted to
whites only. They are meant to
antagonize. They are meant to put
gay and lesbian rights, pride and
visibility first. Over and above.
coalitions, assimilation or satisfying
those in power. The theme of the
Rosary Zap was simple - Queer
Nation wasn't there to change minds,
they weren't there to negotiate. As
one member said, "we aren't here to
change minds but to give a warning."
Their signs and lea1Jets, cheers and
jeers said it simply, •vou spoil our
party and we'll spoil yours!" lbat
night on the local news, this time at
least, that one theme did get across in
the broadcast.
We have to defend ourselves. Stand
up for ourselves. Fight back, bash
back, kick, hoJler and scream. We
have to let the bigots know that if
they want to be a bigot that have to
do it publicly, in the open and to
expect a. fight. Queer Nation's
warning is an American warning, it
says "don't tread on me." They aren't
wilJing to negotiate or wait, and
don't care what you think. They
don't intend to change minds, they
only intend to change behaviors. As
one protester said, "All we want to do
is hold our lover's hand in public."
Queer Nation wants to see just that'
become possible.
rejected by American bishops)
presented by researcher A. W.
Richard Sipe during a national convenJion
of the American Psychological
Association, bases its findings
on interviews and reports ~nducted
from 1965 to 1985 with 1000 priests
and 500 people who were "lovers,
sexual partners,• or otherwise
Fifty Queer Nation activists
antagonized the reJigious group with
pro-gay chants and engaged in
heated debate with some of the
missionaries.
involved in such situations. Among
his findings, Sipe says that around
eight to ten percent of vowed celibate
clergy have approached the -Bay Area Reporter
The International Gay Travel Magazine
Month by month, we invite you to explore the exciting world of
travel available to gay men and lesbians. Each month we help you to
discover the multitude of interesting hotels, inns and resorts that
welcome the gay traveler.
Enjoy articles . and color photos of a
romantic hotel in Spain, a secluded retreat
in Hawaii, a manor house in the English
countryside, a qreelc pension overlooking
the sea, a rustic resort in Colorado, and
more~ catering to our lifestyle! .
Plus, every month, regular departments
provide you with valuable information on
gay: events and festivals, travel updates
and tips, interviews, and the latest gay
trips and tours-sail the Caribbean on a
private yacht, join an expedition to Nepal,
cruise the Mediterranean on a luxury liner
or fly to Sydney for the Gay Mardi Gras.
i.....--------l Whatever you're looking · for, let OUR
WORLD be your ticket to adventure.
1 year (12 colorful ismes) only $ 44 (in the USA) - US$ 52
(Worldwide). First issue mails in 4-6 weeks in plain sealed envelope._
Sample copy US$ 5.
Mail To: Our World Publishing
1104 North Nova Road, Suite 251
Daytona Beach, Florida 32117 USA
TEL: (904) 441-5367
November/December 1990 ii
•
'\
Newsbriefs
Gay Credit Card
Angers Christians
The "Pride Card; a new Mastercard
that helps benefit the Seattle--btsed
Prid~ Foundation, which finances
programs to assist Gays and Lesbians,
has come under fire by conservative
organizations and fundamentalist
Christian groups.
James Galbraith, a Washington
politician, said he advised the 2500
members of the political action group
he founded to switch banks. "I don't
want to do business with people who
cater to a lifestyle we disapprove
of," Galbraith said.
Rev. Ed Nelson, an Assembly of God
pastor told his congregation that the
card is an "endorsement of a moral
position taken by the gay movement."
Betty Lattie, a spokesperson for
Seafirst ·Bank, provider of the Pride
Card, said "Banks don't endorse
lifestyles. Banks are here to serve
the credit needs of the CQmmunity and
to provide banking services.
-Cruise
Lutherans Plan
Sexuality Study
A 17-member task force preparing a
' social statement on sexuality for the ...
E ~ ii a journal dw claaves ou,
111ppon for die original and cttative work it
does m the in1erat of ttutb iUld justice.
.+ Rn, Malcolm Boyd, author of 23 boob
incl~Ar, y,,,, Riuming with Mt,Jmul,
Tut 0/f thr M,uh, aqd C., Prit,,
E tnpm,y pro.ides a much-nttd,-d and
•dcormd communication link for penons
involved in education about homophobia. At it,
best it will keep UII informed and in touch,
supporud 111d challenged, eacitcd and proucl.
If> Brian Mc Naught, lcrnittr and author of 0,,
Btmg G41: Tbo.ghu on F.,,,ily, F.ith, .,,,J Low
■
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America plans to have a study of the
topic ready for congregational use by
fall 1991. The studies are to help
ELCA members discuss issues of
sexuality before a 1993 Churchwide
Assembly considers a statement on
the subject.
-The Lutheran
Methodist
Bookseller Won't
Carry Gay Titles ..
A bookseller affiliated with the
Methodist Church is continuing a
policy of not featuring gay and
lesbian Christian books and authors
in its catalog, although local
Cokesbury bookstores may stock some
titles. An article in the October,
1990, issue of More UghrUpdate, a
national publication of Presbyterians
for Lesbian/Gay Concerns hinted at a
possible boyoott of the bookseDer.
Tutu Urges Church
To Welcome Gay
Clergy
LONDON, Ont. - Discrimination
against homosexuals was recently
denounced by South Africa's Anglican
f,mpathy
<...An
Interdisciplinary
journal
for Persons
Working to
End Oppression
on the Basis of
Sexual Identity
PUBU5KID nna ". Y1!.U, l!NPATHY INCLUDES
SCHOI.ULY USo\YS, l'IOSf. AND POSTU, PltACTIT1ONU
.umau, ANIICDOTAL IISIAYS, AND USMactl lllOtln
AS WEU. AS ANNOrATI!.D 811UOCRAPKl!S POii
usouaca MATUIAU, uaNT USlldCII AND IOOl<S.
llll JOuaNAL S!&VU PEOPU! WOUJNC IN BDUCAflON,
COUNS£1.ING, HZAl.nl C,\U, SOCIAL 'WO.U,
COMMUNITY ACl'IVISII, AND TIIB loONIS'l'1IT
NATIONALLY AND INTEIIN.\T10NAU.Y.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu when he
spoke to the national legislative
body to the United Church of
Canada.
"For myself, I would say that it
W-Ould be a gross injustice to exclude •
people from becoming ordained
ministers on the grounds of sexual
orientation," Tutu said.
The United Church of Canada has
been struggling with the controversial
issue ever since a statement,
passed two years ago at the last
General Council meeting, said all
members of the church, regardless of
sexual orientation, can apply to be
considered as ministers.
.:Equlll Time/Record
□ Bart Eijrond of the Dutch AIDS
commission called the new guidelines
•completely unnecessary," according
to De Gay Krllnt.
-Outlines
Task Force Backs
Marlboro/Miller
Boycott
W ASHINGlON, D.C. - The Board of
Directors of the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force has voted to
endorse the nation-wide boycott of
Marlboro cigarettes and Miller beer,
two highly visible products of the
Philip Morris Corporation, which is
one of the largest corporate donors to
Ex-Gay Leader - - the re-election campaign of anti-gay
Senator Jesse Helms and also the Doug Houck largest corporate donor to the Jesse
Helms museum in Monroe, North "Relapses" earouna.
Doug Houck, former director of- "Jesse Helms, more than any other
Metanoia Ministries, was fired from individual, has worlced to destroy our
his position in Metanoia for being community and our Hves," said John
involved in homosexual activity. D'Emilio, NGL1F board of directors
Metanoia Ministries is a co-chair. •Companies must recogni7.e
Seattle-based chapter of Exodus they cannot take money from lesbian
International, an umbrella group of so and gay consumers and, at the same
called "ex-gay" ministries. Houck time, support those who attack us in
founded the Metanoia Ministries in Congress. This boycott is forcing a
1979 and has directed the major American corporation to take
organization since that time. the lesbian and gay community
A former client of Metanoia, who seriously and hear our message:
wished to remain unidentified, told corporate-sponsored gay bashing will
Stllttle Gay News reporter Tom Flint not be tolerated.■
that Houck has "relapsed into NGLTF, the nation's preeminent
homosexual activity several times lesbian and gay lobbying organduring
his tenure as director." In ization, is encouraging its 17,000
explaining his motivation for members to stop buying Marlboro
exposing the issue to the public, the cigarettes and Miller beer. The Task
former client said, "I grew up in a Force has also encouraged members to
church and took my Christian faiQ\ write Philip Morris to voice
seriously as an adolescent and now as opposition to the corporation's
an adult. Like many others I assumed support of Jesse Helms. (Hamish
as a young teen that my homosexual Maxwell, CEO, Philip Morris, 120
orientation signified my having been Park Ave., New York, NY 10017,
abandoned by God. The repeated FAX: (212)878-2167.
testimonies of charasmatic ex-gay
Christians like Doug Houck only
inlreased my des~ir because God
was not delivering me as he had
others. As a result I was seriously
suicidal for a number of years."
-Seattle Gay Nt'U!s
Congregation Fears
-Catching AIDS
From Communion
Arsonist Torches
MCC/Knoxville
After months of harassing and
threatening phone calls, the
Metmpnlitan Community Church of
Knoxville, Tennessee, was set ablaze
in what pastor Bob Galloway called
"a dumb act of homophobia." The
building that housed the MCC also
housed aids Response Knoxville
(aJK).
One yar (2 issues) individml subscription
$10 (SIS institutional)
---a1-.1.u two Protestant churches in the city
of Hardenberg, the Netherlands,
worshippers-afraid of AIDS may now
bring their own communion cups. The
policy was passed at the Hervormde
and Gereformeerde churches after
parishioners threatened to boycott
church for fear of catching AIDS. Dr.
Mau checks payabk to Gay and Lesbiaa...Ad!1>c:
acy Rcscarcb Project (GLARP) arid mail to:
· Emp,uby, PO Bo• 508s. Columbia, SC 292so.
Investigators have confirmed that
the fire was the result of arson.
According to the Tennessee
gay /lesbian paper Dare, Galloway
said his church had received a series
of harassing telephone calls,
beginning around the end of March.
-Sou,t,h,. ern Voice
THE SECOND STONE
Newsbriefs
Minneapolis
Civil Rights
Commission Hears
Dignity Case
A discrimination complaint filed by a
chapter of Dignity against the
Catholic archdiocese in Minneapolis
is moving ; through the city
Commission on Civil Rights.
Dignity members say Archbishop
John Roach discriminated against
them based on their affectionaJ
preferences, in violation of city law,
when, in 1987, he forbade the
University of Minnesota Newman
Center to renew the group's lease
unless Dignity officers signed a
statement affirming Catholic
teaching on homosexuality.
-Philadelphia Gay News
ABC Won't Rerun
thirtysomething
Gay Episode
ABC's summer rerun schedule did not
incJude the controversial thirtysomething
episode that showed two
men in bed together because the
nelwork lost more than $1 million in
cancelled advertising the first time
the episode aired. Under pressure
from the American Family
Association, 50 percent of advertisers
pulled their ads from the original
broadcast.
Pie In The Face
Of Bigotry
Edwards Bakery in Atlanta,
Georgia, has been donating offices,
desks, meeting rooms, phones and free
pies lo the anti-gay Family Concerns
Ministries and Citizens for Public
Awareness. The group was quoted as
saying they "oppose the homosexual
destructive lifestyle that is
condemned by God and is a threat to
the family ... " BLK, the national
magazine for gay and lesbian people
of color has suggested its readers not
buy Edwards Bakery products.
Theatre Group
Moves From Church
Building In Dispute
Over Gay Play
The Upstairs Theatre Company,
Pittsburgh, Penn., has moved from its
South Side home rather than submit
to a censorship clause in its lease,
which incJuded a "no homosexual
content" condition. The theatre group
had performed for the past six
months at the United Methodist
□ Church.
"The Upstairs Theatre was renting
from the United Methodist Church,
but then the church dissolved," said
Ted Hoover, the actor starring as
Arnold in the company's production of '' • Torch Song Trilogy. "Then they had
to rent directly from the Western
Pennsylvania Regional Methodist
Church, which put a clause in its
lease stating the tenant had to agree
it wouldn'I stage any events
inappropriate to a church setting,
take the Lord's name in vain or show
homosexual conduct or sexual
perversion."
Great 1
. Resppnse!
-Pittsburgh's Out
Anti-Gay Staffer
Fired By
White House
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The White
House has fired the most vocal critic
of the administration's inviting gay
men and Lesbians lo the White House
to witness two bill signing ceremonies.
Doug Wead had been the
administration's liaison to religious
groups for 19 months. Rev. Richard
Land", director of the Christian Life
Commission of the Southern Baptist
Convention reportedly wrote
President Bush a letter demanding a
meeting over Wead's termination.
Guilt By
Association
IRVINE, Cal. - A 10-year faculty
member at Christ College has been
fired for "public association" with
the Los Angeles Gay Men's Chorus. A
college report said Wayne Bisbee was
dismissed because the chorus
"publicJy condones ... homosexual
behavior" and because Bisbee's
membership in the chorus could be
"construed as conduct unbecoming a
Christian and as giving offense to the
weak, especially the students."
-Baltimore Alternative
Where Are
The Women
The Lesbian and Gay Community
Services Center N~tional Museum of
Lesbian and Gay History is
presenting an exhibition of work by
women artists entitled Where Are
The Women. Working in painting,
photography, and mixed media, the
artists included in the show are
Sandra Desando, Ana Ferrer, Cheryl
Gross, Diane Henderson, Marin
Henkels, Usa Jacobson, Amy Kool,
Sherry Lane, China Marks, Angela
Muriel, Aida Pavlovich and Pamela
Ryan. The show will run through
November 30.
November /December 1990
'' '!bat's what a Second Stotie advertiser
told us recently.
And we hear that mere aid more tbcse days. That's because
The Second Stone reaches rcaden where many other gay and
lesbian publications can'L Like public and univmity libraries.
We don't cany advertising or editorial content lhat would put
us behind the COIDlttl'. We're up front - in plain sight!
For busi:oesses'lfferinlproducta andaerv•
ices to the natioDaJ gay andlesbien ,-om,
munity, we're an emtin, new marbtinar
approacbl
Reach new customers in every Slate 8CJO&'l die USA. The
Seoond Stone offers a variety of hH:olumn ad sizes with frequency
discounts. We offer spot and full color. We'll lay out
your ad at no charge and we'll get it right - we11 send you a
proof to mate sure. The Second S10ae will also insert your
brochure, flier or C8la1og_ in our mailing.
It doesn't cost as much as JOU think
You can reach a paid amt to COlm readership fm- about what
you'd pay to advertise in ooe local free disbl'bution gay newspaper.
And. •• to mail your insert in The Second Stone costs
less lhan mailing it yourselfl
You won't know till JOU try it..
The potential sales you lose while you're thinking about adVC2'tising
cannot be recaptmed. If you're thinking you've paid too
much for advertising that lmn't worted ••• you're probably right!
But you haven't tried The Second Stone.
SECOND STONE
You'll be p1eased wi1h 1he re.suits.
Call 1-504-949-5625 fm- advertising assistance.
People □ Massachusetts Woman Recognized For Selfless Commitment To Others
Dr. Margo McMahon Honored By Quota International
A Massachusetts woman and
member of the Western
Massachusetts Chapter of Integrity,
Inc., has received the International
Outstanding Deaf Woman of the Year
award from Quota International. Dr.
Margo E. McMahon, an Amherst,
Mass., resident was recently honored
by Quota Clubs from all over the
world, at their 69th Annual Quota
International Convention in Seattle,
Washington. Quota International is
a non-profit service organization.
The award is given annually to
highlight the abilities and
accomplishments of deaf persons. Dr.
McMahon was nominated for the
award by the Springfield, Mass.,
Quota Club in recognition of her
community service and professional
achievements.
A panel of internationally known
professionals served as judges for the
award. On hand to witness the award
presentation was Mel Matteson, an
Ecumenical Officer for the Northwest
Harvest and member of the Standing
Commission on Human Affairs for the
Episcopal Church.
Active in Integrity /Western Mass.,
Dr. McMahon coordinates an Emergency
Food and Clothing Project for
the chapter's service project with
Digni1ife, a local organization
serving individuals and families
affected by AIDS. She also serves as
an acolyte for the Integrity worship
services. In addition to her Integrity
activities, Dr. McMahon is active in
her local parish and diocese. In
January, 1990, she was elected to the
Grace Church Vestry. More recently,
Bishop Andrew Wisseman has
invited her to serve on the Diocesan
Dr. Margo E. McMahon
Committee on Disability Concerns.
This committee was formed as a
result of Integrity/Western Mass.'
resolution at Diocesan Convention
calling on the church to make its
parishes and programs accessible to
Black Leaders Meet To Discuss Lesbian/Gay Issues
ATLANTA, GA - A group of black
leaders from around the country met
at The King Center in September to
discuss placing black lesbian/ gay
concerns on the agendas of mapr black
institutions.
· Representatives from The King
Center, Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, and the National
Conference of Black Mayors met with
the heads of black lesbian and gay
organizations, including the
National Coalition of Black Lesbians
and Gays and the Black Gay and
Lesbian Leadership Forum.
Discussion centered on lesbian/ gay
rights, historical contributions of
black Lesbians and Gays to black
■
history and the black liberation
struggle, and the resources black
Lesbians and gay men can bring to
currentooncems of black oommunities.
The devastating affect of AIDS,
anti-gay/lesbian violence and sexism
were also discussed by the group.
The group of black leaders agreed
that recognition and utilization of
the talents and expertise of black
Lesbians and gay men by traditional
black institutions needs to be a
priority. "It's difficult to believe
anyone would tum down the
opportunity to increase their
resources by ten percent," said Dr.
Ma,;>rie Hill, Director of the Office
for the Lesbian and Gay Community
for the Mayor of New York City. Dr.
Hill's remark refers to research
indicating at least ten percent of any
population is gay. "The black
community is not is a position where
it can afford to tum down that kind of
increase of human and financial
resources," she said.
"Most black Lesbians and Gays
believe traditional black institutions
such as the (National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People)
and (Southern Christian Leadership
Conference) are dosed to them,· said
Sabrina Sojourner, one of the
meeting's conveners. "Part of the
purpose of this meeting was to
explore the extent to which this
THE SECOND STONE
persons with disabilities.
Dr. McMahon holds a Doctorate
Degree in Counseling and Special
Education from the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst, a Masters
Degree in Education of the Deaf from
Smith College, Northampton, Mass.,
and a Bachelors Degree from
Hartwick College, Oneonta, New
York. She has served as a community
advocate and volunteer within a
number of agencies and programs to
increase accessibility to services and
employment by persons with
physical, emotional, mental and/ or
perceptual handicaps. In 1985, she
was appointed by Governor Michael
· Dukakis as a member of the Board of
Trustees at Belchertown State
School, a position she served in until
May, 1990. She has published
several papers and lectured at
numerous educational facilities.
Congenitally hearing-impaired, Dr.
McMahon has a profound/total
hearing loss. She also has a
congential absence of her left forearm
and a traumatic spinal cord injury
from an accident in 1974, for which
she uses an electric wheelchair. The
emphasis of Dr. McMahon's
activities has consistently been a
selfless commitment to improving the
lives of others despite her own
disabiliites.
Quota International is a non-profit
organization of professionals,
business persons, and executives,
dedicated to service for persons with
speech and hearing problems.
Organized in 11 countries, Quota
International includes 437 clubs and
12,000 members.
might be true and to begin a dialogue
to bring about inclusion." Ms.
Sojourner commented she found
acceptance as well as resistance to
the idea of inclusion of black Lesbians
and Gays from the organizations
contacted.
Though unable to attend in person,
Dr. Joseph .Lowery, president of the
SCLC, sent a representative with a
statement expressing SCLC's
dedication "to the-ettminatior of bias
and discrimination based on race,
color, religion, age, national origin,
sex and sexual orientation."
flit groaywtD spend the next few
SEE BLACK LEADERS, Page 18
Cover Story
Petition Calls For Statement From Rev. Troy Perry
Too Much New Age In MCC?
By Jim Bailef
Editor
Has the New Age movement crept
too far into Metropolitan Community
Churches? One congregation thinks
so. A petition calling for a position
statement on New Age teaching is
now circulating among MCC congregations.
The petition says that the
"Fellowship is being systematically
and methodically infiltrated by
these exotic cults/ideas, all
masquerading as 'Christian Liberation,'
yet rejecting much of the
Christian faith in the process" and
calls for · UFMCC Moderator Rev.
Elder Troy Perry to "reaffirm the
ancient creeds of the church" and to
"publicly reaffirm this FelJowship
as a Christian Church, which should
preach the Gospel of salvation in
Jesus Christ, not some 'goddess.'" The
petition continues, "Let the
Christians remain on their chosen
path, let the goddess worshipers, the
New Agers, the cults, wiccans, etc.,
choose their own ways in peace."
Sources say that Rev. Perry
disagreed with the content of the
petition but that he had no objection
to it being circulated. The petition
originated from the Divine Redeemer
MCC in Glendale, California, and
was signed by Rev. Stan Harris,
pastor of Divine Redeemer, Rev.
David Kromer, and Rev Willie
Smith, who was said to have
assisted Perry in the establishment of
the UFMCC.
Edited portions of the petition
follow:
When many of us joined the
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches we
were pleased to find that basic
Christian teaching, (albeit making
room for both Catholics and
Protestants) was the norm. In the
last ten years or so, some of us have
begun to view with increasing alarm
the gradual, sometimes aggressive
attempts by some feminists, (also
some clergy, laity,. those in
leadership positions), to either
water down our faith, or to render ii
almost unrecognizable as part of the
Christian religion.
"The tiine is sure to come
when, far from being
content with sound
conferences, workshops, Samaritan
College classes, pulpits, etc., which
seem to be presenting a "new"
religion, based upon some very oldyet
modernized "heresies• which
Christians rejected so long ago, but
have risen up once more, breeding
chaos and confusion.
Some examples of what is being
taught in some places:
THE CREEDS: Both Nicene and
Apostles Creeds can be ignored; they
were compiled by a patriarchal
male-dominated oppressive society,
hence have no value or credibility,
nor are their doctrines to be taken
seriously.
THE BIBLE: Like the Creeds, the
Bible is another patriarchal, oppressive
and primitive work and can be
disregarded at will, denying most if
not all 'supernatural' events listed.
fiOD: is not really Cod, there is a
"goddess" the "Great Mother" of all.
teaching, people will be
avid for the latest novelty
and collect a whole series
of 'teachers' according to
, "She" is the only one to be adored.
their own tastes; and then,
instead of listening to the
truth, they will turn to
myths."
-2 Tim. 4:1-5
New Age/Theosophical cult
interpretations of Scripture, Cod,
Jesus, etc. seem to be more prevalent,
and traditional Christians in
UFMCC are perhaps feeling pushed
out, even estranged, by what we hear
and/ or observe, either at certain
"She" is called Ishtar/ Ashteroth,
Diana, Sarah, Isis, etc., as in
Wicca/Witchcraft. Only sexists call
God "Father." As part of women's
(wommyn's/wimmins?) spirituality,
Wicca-type rites are encouraged at
women's retreats.
JESUS CHRIST: "Jesus" and "The
Christ" are two separate entities/
persons (A New Age rewrite of
Theosophy, also Gnosticism.) The
risen Christ (or the ascended Christ)
is not the same as Jesus, but a spirit -
so is sexless, and can be called "she."
Jesus is not divine as taught by the
□
early church, but rather is "divine,"
as we all are. Jesus is not unique in
creation. He is not Cod Incarnate.
" ... and let me warn you
that if anyone preaches a
version of the good news
different from the one we
have already preached to
you, whether it be
ourselves or an angel from
heaven, he is to be
condemned .. :'
• -Gal. 1:8
BLOOD ATONEMENT/SIN: Sin
doesn't exist. We are a product of our
environment, so we are not personally
responsible for our thoughts, words
and deeds. So we have nothing to be
sorry for or "saved" from. Jesus'
crucifixion was political only, and
has no spiritual merit. The idea of
sacrificing His life for sin is
primitive, superstitious and ignorant,
smacking of "human sacrifice"
ideology, and must be rejected as such
by truly enlightened 20th century
folk. All "blood" hymns, etc., to be
discarded, replaced by the word
"love."
BAPTISM: totally unnecessary.
Unbaptized are given church
membership, without commitment to
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,
without explanation, or preparation
offered in some churches.
COVER STORY,
FromPagel
mistakes made by the
Christian community, have
a part in some Christians
exploring involvements
that may be quite appealing
but are clearly outside
the realm of Christianity.
Generally such movements
promise some "new" truth.
remove most, it not all,
prejudice against gay and
lesbian lifestyles. In
.addition, it also appears to
be quite compatible with
Christian teachings so that
relatively uninformed
Christians may think that
they can easily follow both
paths. But such is not the
case. New Age is not a
supplement to Christianity;
it's seeping into the
Christian community is a
confusing problem with no
easy answers.
can also be distorted and
now many Americans hold
the attitude, referred to as
relativism, that anything
is as good as anything else:
there are no absolutes and
if you believe so there is
something wrong with you.
You are the object of
disdain if you believe in a
God who says "no• to
certain ways. You are told
you're "intolerant, closedminded."
But it is clear
that God does say "no" to
some things. The challenge
facing Christians in the
New Age is how to
proclaim our beliefs amidst
the surging tide of beliefs
we see as false. We are not
to condemn others, but much
of the power of the early
church rode on its proclamation
of good versus
evil and the separation of
believers from the way of
wrong doing.
either personal or impersonal,
not both: he is either
moral or amoral, not both;
people are nondivine or
divine, not both; there is
resurrection or reincarnation,
not both; ethics are
absolute or relative, not
both. You cannot serve both
God and the New Age.
Even if it is considered
impolite in a pluralistic
culture to dispute the truth
of another's beliefs, the
Christian must speak the
truth in love, saying, 'No! I
cannot agree with
pantheism, monism, relativism,
spiritism, and the
rest. I will have no part.'"
New Age promises a
better sense of self and a
greater power over one's
life. It is easily seen how
such a promise is attractive
to everyone, especially to
men and women in the gay
community, who have often
felt powerless and disenfranchised.
Its very lack of
a central ethical base (it is
very subjective in its
philosophical roots)
Relative to other times in
history, we live in a
tolerant time. Attidudes of
openness and acceptance
have benefitted the gay
community in its struggle
for affirmation in church
and society. But any good
November /December 1990
So it is today: we have to
proclaim these things but
such proclamations must
stem from introspection and
study, not from reaction.
Christians are called
apart, informed by gospel
that we are in this world
but not of it. That is
difficult, but central to the
gospel message. Douglas
Croothuis, writing in
Christianity Today,
January 13, 1989, writes:
"The separation theme is
crucial for confronting the
New Age. The New Age
world view is antithetical
to Christianity: the two
cannot mingle. God is
There are other places
where Christian faith and
SEE COVER STORY, Page 18
Families
But Inspiration Comes From Revelation
Even A Fool Can
Be Educated
DJ Rey, Sywja Pcnninpm
Contributing Writer
I guess we all have a picture of
what certain types of people
stereotypically look like. I remember
meeting a man whose father worked
the land in Brittany, where the land
was full of rocks, granite and hard
places. Soon those who worked the
land bore the mark of the land that
they worked. Not that they were
hard men, but just that they became
one with the land and had a hard,
rough look.
I have a picture of Southern
red•necked farmers. They work a
hard land too. They're tall and thin
and sinewy, brown as berries. The
skin on their neck and face is
wrinkled because of the hours of hot
sun under which they labor. They're
tough looking. They work hard and
on Sunday they go to church. They
rule their land, their wives and their
children. They want their sons to be
tough and sinewy, just as they are.
Recently I met a man like that. His
name was Parker and he fit my
stereotypical picture to a "T" except
for one thing - he had the softest,
kindest blue eyes I'd ever seen. I
heard of him a year earlier when he
piqued my curiousity by ordering 20
copies of my first book, But Lord,
They're Gay. I wondered why this
southern farmer was ordering 20
copies of my book. He enclosed a note
that if I was ever in his state to
please let him know for he would
like to talk to me, even if I only had
about ten minutes to spare. About a
year later, I called him. We
arranged to meet and he said he
would be bringing his wife and
~ EvangeHcals
Ii. V lbgether-.
MUS1UIWGIIOWS
IOCUtS • IOflllSNOPS. llrnlE.VI
Hlf/AIDSIU'P'Ollt~
,.._. ca a ccusa•
FOR Gay & Lesbian Christians
ii Southem Cabrit....silt> 1979
Sult• 10fl-Bo,c 1fl
711/1~ B•nta Monica BoultwMd
W.•r Hollywood, CA r1004fl
213/656-B570
adopted son. He didn't mind the
distance they'd have to travel to
have a brief talk. We met in a
restaurant.
As we talked Parker spoke of his
son, his only child who had never
quite measured up to his image of
what a strong son should look like or
act like. His son had one thing going
for him - he was a Christian and he
loved the Lord. Parker couldn't deny
that. Tony was a kind boy - but not
tough. One day Tony told his parents
that he was gay and he had someone
Parker was outraged
with a combination
of disbelief that his
one child could be a
pervert and that, in
his righteous
N azerene certainty,
Tony was doomed to
hell unless he
' repented.
in his life he loved very much -
another man. Parker was outraged
with a combination of disbelief that
his one child could be a pervert and
that, in his righteous Nazerene
certainty, Tony was doomed to hell
unless he repented.
Parker spent the next year and a
half harrassing Tony despite his son
constantly telling him that he was
still a Christian and he still loved
the Lord. Parker refused to meet his
son's mate, certain that the
relationship had to be from the
devil. Then came the day that I
Bubleaor
PIIIOIIIL
TIJaSemnclSlone
C:nr1lflecl Ad
□
BY ANDREA NATALIE
(9'
71/JTI/FKS IICA1Nsr P~VNK P1JVEfS!.' -
1
/'' ·. NOT L£SIMN MOTi/£~$ AGtf/NST ! I ( r--
. I ~::: -,,,..,. ,/, / rOr-~,.V_,N...k,. ,.. ________ _ , (J •\
. , ,
I
guess every family of a gay man fears
most will happen. Tony told his
father that he had AIDS.
Despite Parker's broken heart he
doubled up on his efforts to have Tony
repent and get right with God and
secure anew his eternal life. His
angry pleas fell on deaf ears as Tony
constantly maintained his Christianity.
Parker worked harder than
ever to "save" his son from a Godless
eternity in hell as Tony grew weaker
each day.
Parker's eyes filled with tears as he
told me of a day in the hospital room,
when even while he argued with his
son, hooked up to oxygen and
breathing machines, something began
to happen in the room • something
that Parker recognized - that his life
and love of the Lord had prepared
him for as the room filled with the
presence of the Holy Spirit. The
presence of Cod was intense and the
reality of Christ's presence was
undeniable. Suddenly Tony sat up,
took off his oxygen and said, "Dad,
do you feel him here?" Parker said,
"Yes, but put your oxygen on Tony."
Tony weakly answered "But there's
no need to, Dad, Jesus has come for
me," and he closed his eyes and died.
As Parker sat there telling me about
it his tears flowed freely down his
hard, weather beaten face. "Jesus
came to take my boy home and
nothing can ever again convince me
that my Tony did not belong to Him.
Why don't they understand that,
Sylvia?" Too choked up to· talk, we
just held hands for a few moments.
The young man with whom Tony
had fallen in love, Joseph, had
grown up in an orphanage and never
had a family. Parker and his wife,
Maria, took him home after Tony's
death and for the first time in his
life Joseph has the family he had
always longed for. Parker said he's
just going to keep sending books out to
every minister in his county so that,
hopefully, one day the world and the
church would understand as he
finally did.
I thank God for a brief stop in a
small farm community in Oklahoma
and an opportunity to meet some
people - Parker, Maria, and Joseph -
my "family" now too.
Need we ever doubt that we serve a
Risen Savior?
11D THE SECOND STONE
Church & Organization News
Attempt Underway
To Revive Dignity/
Baton Rouge
"Modest but persistent" efforts are
underway to revive the Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, chapter of Dignily,
according to acting president Joe
McCarty. "We are undaunted in our
belief that Gays and Lesbians can
come together and pray, and find
sustenance for their journey from the
Bible," McCarty said. "Because of
the stance of the Catholic hierarchy
we presently are unable to have
Dignity Eucharistic liturgies. We are
unshaken in the hope that the
present impasse can be turned around
in time."
For more information on
Dignity/Baton Rouge contact P.O.
Box 4181, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 or
can (504 )383-601 o.
King Of Peace MCC
To Purchase New
Church Building
The congregation of King of Peace
MCC, St. Petersburg, Florida, voted
in late August to purchase property
for church expansion. The church
board is currently negotiating with
architects for contracts for extensive
renovations to the building, a former
movie theater. The new facility will
feature a sanctuary with seating for
450, a social area with seating for
300, library, bookstore, and office
areas and a guest suite. The
congregation hopes to move into the
23,000 square foot building by spring
or summer.
AIDS Project
Receives Dignity
Donation
Dignity /Seattle has donated $825.00
to the Multifaith AIDS Project of
Seattle. MAPS will use the money,
which Dignity raised at its second
annual Pride Week breakfast, to
manage two homes for people with
AIDS, both located in Seattle.
Conrad To Pastor
Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd MCC, Chicago, has
installed the Rev. Ralph Conrad as
its new pastor. Conrad, formerly a
Catholic priest, was previously
affiliated· with MCC/Las Vegas.
Church spokesperson Bradley
Mickelson told the Chicago Outlines
that Conrad "is particularly well
known ... for his preaching talent ...
and his ability lo motivate his
congregation to be an important,
viable and active part of the lesbian
and gay community." Mickelson said
Good Shepherd was very active in
the Chicago community in the late
70s and early 80s "and would like to
return to that role again."
Morning Star MCC
Pastor Dies
Rev. Emmett J. Watkins, Jr., pastor of
Morning Star MCC, Worcester, Mass.,
passed away on August 25. He was
praised by his congregation as an
excellent teacher. "}le taught not
only with words but also by his
shining example," said Glenda
Caron, editor of the church's
newsletter. "Never has a man of God
been loved and respected to the extent
that our Pastor was," she said.
Pastor Watkins was born in Houston
and raised in San Francisco. He spent
two years serving his country during
the Viet Nam era in Anchorage,
Alaska. Upon discharge from the
military he lived for a short time in
Seattle and then moved to Los
Angeles where he joined the MCC of
Los Angeles and became interested in
ministry.
He attended the College of New
Rochelle New York Theological
Seminary, receiving a degree and
working to fulfill the requirements to
become a minister in the UFMCC.
Under his leadership, Morning Star
grew from eight members to over
eighty members and friends.
Survivors include the Reverend and
Mrs. E. J. Watkins, Sr., the Reverend
and Mrs. E. H. Watkins, Mrs. Denise.
MacKinon, Mrs Patrisse Dawson, Mrs.
Elisicia Wright, Mr. Eric V. Watkins
and several nieces and nephews.
Reconciliation MCC
Takes To The Tube
An hour-long weekly telecast of
worship services from Reconciliation
MCC was scheduled to debut in
October on three public access stations
serving the Grand Rapids, Michigan,
area.
The program, Reconciliation, is
produced by Bradmack Productions
and features Sunday sermons taped
during the church's worship services.
The telecast is part of Reconciliation
MCCs five year plan.
Bradmack plaMed to add another
five stations before November; three
more by March 1991; and stations in
the three largest cities in Ohio,
Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana by
September 1991, giving the ministry
the opportunity to be seen on 25 public
access stations covering a large part
of the Great Lakes area by September
1991.
Rochester Group
Celebrates 15th
Anniversary
Dignity•lntegrity /Rochester, New
York, has begun its 15th year of
service to the gay and lesbian
community. The ecumenical religious,
educational and social organization
began as a small group of gay
Catholics and gay Episcopalians who
met on Easter Sunday, 1975, to
worship together for the first time at
St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Shortly
after, the groups were chartered as
the first combined chapter of the
Dignity and Integrity national
organizations.
MCj::/Baton Rouge
Reslructures
A "major restructuring" including the
adoption of a new name is underway
for the Metropolitan Community
Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Severe financial problems forced the
loss of the group's building and
pastor. The church has been renamed
Joie de Vivre (Joy of Life) to reflect
the French heritage of the area and
is holding meetings at 333 East
Chimes. For more information, call
(504 )665-9645.
Lesbian To Pastor
New Hope UCC
The 200-member New Hope United
Church of Christ, located in a
low-income area of Milwaukee's
south side, has hired an openly
lesbian pastor. Church officials said
Rev. Margarita Suarez's ministry
will broaden the church's resolve to
be open to all people, regardless of
sexual orientation. There are 10
openly gay UCC ministers
nationwide.
New Editor Picked
For WAVES
Dorothy J. Many of Middletown,
Connecticut, has been selected as the
new editor of WAVES, the newsletter
of the United Church Coalition for
Lesbian/Gay Concerns. Many is an
active member of the UCCL/GC
Connecticut Chapter and of the
Connecticut Conference Department of
Church Life and Leadership
Committee on Homosexuality. She is
a graphic artist and visual media
November/December 1990
□ designer for the Connecticut State
Library in Hartford. Many is also
editor of the Magny Families
Association Newsletter and the
owner of Frankfort Publishing Co.,
which she established.
Vision of Hope
MCC Celebrates
Anniversary
Vision of Hope MCC in Lancaster,
Penni, was scheduled to kick off a
major building fund drive during the
celebration of its tenth aMiversary in
early November. Rev. Elder Troy
Perry was scheduled to speak. For
more information, call the church at
(717)392-27294
Cincinatti Group
Seeks Pastor
All Saints Chapel, a non-denominational
fel!owship that provides
worship in the Protestant tradition
for Lesbians, gay men, their friends
and supporters is seeking a qualified
person to serve as part-time pastor for
the group. For more information
contact Pastoral Search Committee,
c/o All Saints Chapel, P.O. Box
19096, Cincinatti, OH 45219, Attn:
Mark Steffen.
Ex-Gays?
There
Are None
Lambda Christian Fellowship is
pleased ID anoourr:e a new book
by Rev. S_yMa Pennington -an
examination of ex.gay ministries -
what they do • what they don't do.
You'B meet people who, Ollly
throuah God's grace, have survivea
and stopped trying to be
ex-gays, because, in truth, them
is no such lhilg as an ex-gay
,-sot
Now Available From
Lambda Christian
Fellowship
P. 0. Box 1967
Hawthorne. CA 90250
$15.00 plus $1.50 for postage and
handling. califomia residents add
6% sales tax.
Try a Second Slone
CmifiedAd
iii
Calendar
The following announcements have
been submitted by sponsoring or
affiliated groups.
Third Annual
'Creating Change'
Gathering
NOVEMBER 9-12, Lesbian and gay
activists from around the nation will
meet in Minneapolis for the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force's third
annual Creating Change conference.
The Holiday Inn Metrodome is the
setting. The conference will feature
leading activists from the national
and grassroots gay and lesbian scene,
prominent and provocative speakers,
PATLAR
IICICEOF-GAY~
MONTHLY NEWSMAGAZINE
FREE AT OUR DISTRISUTION POINTS
SUBSCRIPTIONS 1f ANNUALLY
SAMPL,}t4&,y~ OiJT~~t USA $4
FOR INFO ON ADVERTISING .
CALL (9181391-9756 OR 452-0769
PO BOX 22-402 SACRAMENTO CA 95822
42 skills-building workshops, social
events, organizing sessions and more.
Plenary speakers will be Barbara
Smith, black lesbian feminist writer
and activist, Dr. C. T. Vivian, civil
rights activist and Center for Democratic
Renewal chairman and Kate
Ointon, popular feminist humorist.
Early registration is $120.00. The
Chicago Resource Center has provided
a grant to help fund a scholarship
program for people of color and
people with disabilities. Contact
NGLTF, 1517USt.NW, Washington,
DC 20009 or can (202)332-6483.
Creative Approaches
To Grief
NOVEMBER 17, a mini-retreat led
by Rev. Louis F. Kavar and sponsored
by Emmaus House of Prayer. For
information write to P.O. Box 70434,
S.W., Washington, DC 20024.
Women's
Thanksgiving Cruise
NOVEMBER 17•24,. Robin Tyler
. ;J
ristmas."
January: "Thinking Of You."
March: "You're Special."
May: "Love You."
July: "I Care."
September: "You're In My Heart."
A Christmas gift subscription to THE SECOND STONE lets someone
brow how much you care •. .and it's a gift that keeps on giving ... all year
long. What a nice way to say so much to someone you love!
Please send a gift subscription
and greeting
card to:
Nane,_ ____ _
Adlt8sa.·---·-···-·-······ .. ··----
Cily, S1ale & lip....... ...................... __ _
Name.---·-·- - ··--··- ··---··-·--
Adliess. ......•..., ___. •_ . ..., . ..........
City, S1al8 & Zip. ............................................... ..
Nilne .. _________ ........................... .
Adliess..--··-·················-··········---· .............. ..
City, - & Zip ................................................. .
l J One gift-$12.60 YOUR NAME .... ----····-- ----·-··-·--- --·--
. ( J 'two gifts - $23.00
( J Three gifts ~2.00
ADORESS ..........•...................... ---·······--········'"· .......... .
CITY.STATE & ZIP .................................................................... .
All gift sul,scriplion, t11t mailed i11 a plinn artldope.
AM $8.00 aKII . _s116scri6irr. U.S. t
Productions presents a seven night
women's Thanksgiving cruise to the
Mexican Riviera on the SS Bermuda
Star, a magnificent luxury vessel that
has all the spaciousness and ambiance
of the classic era cruise ships.
Join over 800 other women from all
over the world on the high seas on a
cruise from San Diego to Cabo San
Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and
Mazatlan. For furthur information,
write to Robin Tyler Productions,
15842 Chase St., Sepulveda, CA
91343 or call l-818-893-4075.
Robin Tyler is now producing two of
the major women's music and comedy
festivals (7th Annual Southern and
11th Annual West Coast) as well as
this cruise, thereby producing the
highest number of national women's
events.
The Book
And Beyond ...
Chris Glaser
NOVEMBER 18-19, Stony Point
Center, Stony Point, New Xork,
presents The Book and Beyond with
Chris Glaser; the author and readers
in conversation expanding upon the
ideas raised in Glaser's book Come
Home! Reclaiming Spirituality and
Ministry as Gay and Lesbian
Christians. Cost is $70.00 for
registration, room and meals. For
information contact Stony Point
Center, Crickettown Road, Stony
Point, NY 10980 or calJ (914)
786-5674.
Casa De La. Paloma
Three Day Revival
NOVEMBER »DECEMBER 2, Casa
De La Paloma Apostolic Cl\urch in
Tucson, Arizona hosts a three day
revival. Featured guests include the
Rev. Sheri Hayes of NashvilJe,
Tenn., and the Rev. William H.
Carey of Schenectady, New York,
Presbyter of the National Gay
Pentecostal Alliance. Rev. Carey
will present a workshop entitled
Hcmrosaw,lity and the Bible using
Hebrew and Greek scriptures to
determine what the Bible does and
does not say about homosexuality.
Special music and singing is also
being planned.
For information, contact the church
at P.O. Box 14003, Tucson, AZ
85732-4003 or call (602)323-6855.
Casa De La Paloma Apostolic Cl\un:h
is pastored by the Rev. Sandy Lewis, • THE-SECOND STONB
□
Elder of the West Central District of
the National Gay Pentecostal
Alliance.
God 'Comes Out'
At Advent
DECEMBER 7~, an advent workshop
for Lesbians, gay men, their families
and friends at Land's End, Saranac
Lake, New York. Led by Chris
Glaser, author of Uncommon Calling
and Come Home. Registration, room
and meals (based on double
occupancy) is $125.00. For
information write to Dr. Michael J.
Craven, Land's End, Star Route, Box
5, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 or call
(518)891-4034.
~ Gay And Christian
Accepted As Living
Members
DECEMBER 1~16, the Episcopal
Diocese of North Carolina sponsors a
conference for gay men, Lesbians and
bisexual people and those who
support them. Facilitator is Malcolm
Boyd. Workshops include: Healing
Grief and Anger Toward the Church,
Relationships, Images of God,
Spirituality and Sexuality, The
Bible and Homosexuality and Where
Do Gay and Lesbian Persons Fit in
the Cl\urch. To be held at the
Conference Center, Browns Summit,
North Carolina. Cost is $135-165
including registration, room and
meals. Contact the Registrar, St.
Philip's Episcopal Cl\urch, P.O. Box
218, Durham, NC 277C11.
Just Say Yes:
A Call To Thrive
FEBRUARY 15-17, a conference to
bring together gay, lesbian and
bisexual seminarians and divinity
school students. The Episcopal
Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass.,
is the setting. Cost is $30.00.
Keynote speakers scheduled: Carter
Heyward, Chris Glaser, Irene Monroe
and (tentatively) John Boswell. In
addition to the several workshops
scheduled, there will be a session on
developing strategies for change in
seminaries, the church and beyond.
For information, contact Michael
Musolf, 99 Brattle St., Box 30,
Cambridge, MA 02138 or call
(617)547-7629.
SEND EVENT NOTICES TO:
CALENDAR, THE SECOND STONE, P .0. BOX 8340, •
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70182
1
--- --- - --- --- --- --
Essay . ! □
War Veterans
By Chris Glaser
Columnist
I cried through much of the film
Born on the Fourth of /uly. It is the
story of Ron Kovic, who initially
believed and fought in the Vietnam
war, returned in a wheelchair to a
nation questioning its in~olvement
there, and was himself transformed
into a peace activist and a leader of
Vietnam Vets Against the War.
I cried because I was there too - not
in Vietnam, thank God • but initially
in favor and then adamantly in
opposition to our military involvement
in Vietnam. I demonstrated,
boycotted, went on strike, spoke, and
wrote against the war. I was accused
of being unpatriotic, a Communist, a
traitor. But never by my friends in
Vietnam, with whom I corresponded
and exchanged audiotapes. Some
were drafted; others volunteered. On
furloughs they told me about buddies
blown up, drugs, anxiety, terror, grief,
and boredom.
I cried because a lot of us around at
that time - American or Vietnamese -
are Vietnam vets whether we served
as soldiers or not. By saying this, I do
not intend to underrate the severe
emotional, physical, and spiritual
trauma of those who actualJy fought
in the war or those whose home of
Vietnam was the battlefield. But I
do believe that most Americ_a~lost
something if not someone in th'at war;
an of us were wounded by i( And the
wounds have never been fully
recognized, let alone healed.
And this is true of all wars.
CoincidentaUy, the same day I saw
the film based on Ron Kovic's
autobiographical book, I finished
watching a videotape of the old film
The Best Years of Ou, Lives. It
depicts the awkward, painful, and
dispiriting return of veterans from
World War II. Given their
emotional, physical, and spiritual
wounds, as well as those of all the
nations involved, it's small wonder
that fifty years after its end we are
still bombarded by books and films
about WWII.
. Uke Ron Kovic, Leonard Matlovich
was also a Vietnam veteran. In 1975,
he contested the U.S. Air Force's
expulsion of him as a gay m.a n.. I
happened to meet him the week after
his picture appeared on the cover of
--Time magazine as part of a story on
being homosexual in America. He
pointed out the irony that the
military could give him a medal for
killing two men in Vietnam, and yet
oust him for loving one. As a result,
Matlovich became a veteran in a new
war, the one for gay acceptance. And
he later became a casualty in our
battle with AIDS.
We were born into this war
and never knew anything
different. Like children of
alcoholics and children .
abused by parents, we
guessed at what "normal"
meant.
I believe that all lesbian women
and gay men have been involved in a
war. We have fought battles to be
who we are personally. We have
fought battles to protect our rights
publicly. We have fought battles to
secure our freedom of thought and
expression. We have fought battles
to defend our homes; as couples, as
parents. We have fought battles to
maintain our employment and pursue
careers. We have fought battles to
defend our right to exercise our
religion.
We are veterans who have been
wounded emotionally, physically,
and spiritually. Our wounds are
barely recognized, let alone healed.
Like other war veterans, many of us
know something's wrong, but can't put
our finger on it. We may feel anxious
and uneasy. We may lash out at one
another. At the least we may find it
difficult to develop intimacy -
because our wounds might get rubbed
the wrong way. Intimacy may be too
painful.
We are veterans with generational
differences. When I began minis•
tering within the gay community, I
soon noticed a generation gap between
pre-Stonewall Gays and those of us in
the Stonewa11 generation. More
,ecent years have revealed yet
another gap between my generation
and younger Gays and Lesbians. F.ach
generation's approaches to the same
war have been different. Older
"homophiles" applauded the
liberation of "Gays and Lesbians,•
while at the same time envying us
and questioning whether we were
asking too much. The younger
g~eration admittedly benefits from
the openness achieved by us, but often
takes it for granted and (a little too
self-righteously) questions our
excesses. Of course my generation too
smugly condemned closets and double
lives in our otherwise just call to
"Come out!" But whatever our
differences, we must not forget .that
we are veterans of the same war.
Many of us do not grasp that we
have suffered shell shock, battle
fatigue, and disabling wounds. We
were born into this war and .never
knew anything different. Like
children of alcoholics and children
abused by parents, we guessed at
what "i,formal" meant. A friend who
is very involved in AA has told me
that he believes almost every lesbian
and gay man was reared in
dysfunctional families because there
was something that could not be
discussed: sexuality, particularly
homosexuality. No matter how
loving our parents were, the societal
milieu in which most of us grew up
screwed us up in some way.
He pointed out the irony
that the military could give
him a medal for killing two
men in Vietnam, and yet
oust him for loving one.
I sec this in my own life. With full
acceptance withheld by the church
and the society, I hunger for love. Yet
when I reach out in love or for love,
my war wounds get in the way. I can
identify with the apostle Paul who
found himself doing the very things
he did not want to do and failing to
do the things he intended (Romans
7:15•25). I hurt myself and I hurt
others even though I believe my true
God-given nature to be loving and
good.
AIDS complicates the war. It is not
uncommon for wars to be complicated
by disease. In the U.S. Civil War, for
example, perhaps as many died of
dysentery and disease as died in
battle. But in these other wars, those
November/December 1990
who were sick were ca~ for behind
the lines. In the case of AIDS, gay
PWA's and HIV+'s are often forced to
the front lines: closets no longer
afford protection, political action
must be taken to secure health care
and civil rights, and society's
experience of our community is
filtered through media reports on
AIDS. To send the sick and
vulnerable to the front lines is not
humane. That's why, I believe, those
who are healthy and uninfected
might consider volunteering for front
line duty.
I know that in some circles it is
unpopular to use~he language of war.
But, as we learned in Korea and again
in Vietnam, calling a war by any
other name does a disservice to its
veterans, who have forever been
wounded by the horror and terror of
war. As I cried for those who fought
the Vietnam War - whether on the
battlefields or on the campuses - in
the film Born on the Fourth of /uly, I
realized I was also crying for all of us
who have fought the battles for
liberation and justice for Lesbians and
gay men. We are walking wounded
who need understanding, forgiveness,
and tender loving care.
Chris Glaser is a graduate of Yale
Divinity School and the author of
two books: Uncommon Callini - A
Gay Man's Struttfe to Serve the
Church, and Come Home! - Reclaimint
Spirituality and Community as
Gay Men and Lesbians, both from
Harper & Row.
LlftD to HI BDl'IOlt:
I All DIIPLY DISTRB888D IT YOOR
IIAGAIIRI, Tlllll IIASll'T BIIR A
PUBLICAflOII IIB081 'nlOLOGICAL
TRJIATI818 1 1ft HIN 80 O,,SIUIBD
BY, IIB061 CAIIDll> ACCOOIP.l'8 OP
IIClllllllG AJl0IIG CIIOJtCII GROUPS
l 1VI HIM 80 IWJUlA88D 111',
IIB081 IWlGIIIG Jlll'IIRDDB OP ftl
RIID8 OP TIii IIORLD AIU) CBDJICB
J 'VI HD !IA.DI TO PUL SO GIJILff
IT BIICI -- DLL, 8lllCI
flll 111W '1'118'1'Alllll'l' I
II
..
Closer Look
Stop Letting People Despise You!
lJ Rev, Bwcc Roller
Contributing Writer
Another Biblical personality who
certainly has a word to speak, albeit
second-ban~, to gay and lesbian
Christians is Paul's close companion
and dear lriend (sometimes referred
to as Paul's "beloved and faithful
child in the Lord"), Timothy.
Though homosexual orientation was
not identified scientifically until
fairly recent times, and there is little
evidence that occasional homosexual
behavior was used to discredit people
in the early church, something about
Timothy was definitely used lo make
him appear "less than" other leaders
of the early church. The Pastoral
Epistles, 1 and 2 Timothy, refer to
this as his "youth," "youthfulness,"
or "boyishness" though by this time
Timothy would certainly have been
38-40 years old, according to Marvin
Vincent, Kenneth Wuest and others.
Obviously the Apostle Paul
considered Timothy a worthy
colleague, referring to him in 1
'Ibessalonians 3:2, as God's servant in
the gospel of Christ, and by
implication even ranks him among
the apostles (2:6). Paul took it as his
personal responsibility to circumcise
Timothy so that this man of
presumably mixed Jewish-Gentile
heritage would be more acceptable to
the Jewish Christians who then were
the primary leaders of the church
(Acts 16:3). The Pastoral Epistles
emphasize Timothy's gift and speak
of his having been set aside by
prophetic utterance for the work to
which he was called.
In 1 Corinthians 16:10-11, however,
Paul feels it necessary to come to
Timothy's defense, urging the Corinthian
Christians to put Timothy at
ease when he comes to them as Paul's
emissary so that Timothy will have
no need to feel . timid among. them.
Paul assures the Corinthians that
Timothy really is doing the Lord's
work, just as Paul is. "So," Paul
writes, "see to it that no one despises
Ti!]lothy, or treats him as if he were
of no account or slights hift. But send
him off (cordiaJly), in peace ... " Also
in Wuest's Word Studies in the Greek .
New Testllment the expanded
translation of 1 Timothy 4:12 reads,
"Stop allowing anyone to contemptu011Sly
push you aside because of your
youth, but keep on becoming an
example to the believers, in word, tn
behavior, in love, in faith, in
A Presbyterian Promise
"We will work to increase the acceptance and
participation in the church of all persons reganiless
of racial-ethnic origins, sex, class, age,
disability, marital status or sexual orientation"
-195th General Assembly (1983),
Atlanta, Georgia
If this is your promise, too,
we inl'ite you to join
Presbyterians for
Lesbian/Gay Concerns
Write to Elder James D. Anderson
PLGC, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ
08903-0038,201/846-1510
purity."
The word for "despise" above is
kataphroneo. It speaks of that
contempt felt in the mind which is
displayed in injurious action. As
Moulton and Milligan say of the
word: "The word does not denote a
mere feeling of contemp • it is active."
The verb is present imperative in a
prohibition, forbidding the continuance
of an action already going on.
Timothy was being despised. Paul
says, "Stop a11owing anyone to
despise you."
Whatever the "something"
about Timothy that made
him different and "less ~
than" the other early
church leaders - such as
Paul and Silas, among
whom he was classed - we
derive a word of
instruction in dealing with
the modem church
members who feel for
lesbian and gay Christians
a feeling of contempt that
is displayed in injurious
action: "Stop letting them
treat you that way!"
Perhaps by now you can see why I
have honored Timothy by writing of
him is a series of articles that
address ways in which Biblical
personalities speak to gay and
lesbian Christians today. Whatever
the "something" about Timothy that
made him different and "less than"
the other early church leaders - such
as Paul and Silas, among whom he
was classed - we derive a word of
instruction in dealing with the
modem church members who feel for
lesbian and gay Christians a feeling
of contempt that is displayed in
injurious action: "Stop letting them
treat you that way!"
First, Paul wrote to Timothy, "God
did not give us a spirit of timidity - of
cowardice, of craven and cringing and
fawning fear ... (2 Timothy 1:7)." I
believe we as lesbian and gay
Christians must identify that our
fearfulness to assert who we are in
Christ - even to ourselves - is not the
gift of God, but is from oppressive and
restrictive powers that have held us
captive from expressing our true gifts
•of power and of Jove and of calm and
well-balanced mind and discipline
II THE SECOND STONE
□
and godly self-control, (1:7b)."
Once we have come to this
conclusion for ourselves through
prayer and meditation in the Word
and Spirit of God, then we can move
on to Paul's next admonition to
Timothy, "Stop letting them
contemptuously push you around." In
the book The Penguin Principles,
David Belasic and Paul Schmidt
describe "The Tweaking Principle."
The essence of the principle is
"They'll only do it to you if you let
'em." Too many people have
sacrificed too much for us to allow
ourselves to be treated abusively by
the church.
The Rev. Elder Troy Perry, founder
of Metropolitan Community
Churches, tells of hanging up the
phone on a reporter who in a radio
interview ca11ed him "Mr. Perry,"
explaining .. ."I just can't bring myself
to call you Reverend." The Reverend
Perry remarks, "I've come too far to
need that kind of abuse anymore!"
Praise God!
I urge gay and lesbian Christians to
hear the voice of God from Paul and
Timothy, from Rev. Perry, and a host
of other voices crying in the
wilderness, "Stop allowing people to
despise you!"
Finally Paul gave Timothy a
long-term, sure-fire method for stop- '
ping such contemptuous treatment,
"continue being an example to them."
As we dare to "come out," as we dare
to Jive lives that are godly, loving,
sensitive, forgiving examples, slowly
- ever so slowly • the "ignorance of
foolish people is silenced" (1 Peter
2:15), and we are finally stopping
people from treating us and our
spiritual gifts to the church with
active contempt.
Whether Timothy was young, gay,
physically or emotionally challenged
- whatever the stigma - the
message is the same, "Stop allowing
people to despise you!"
The Reverend Bruce Roller is ptiStor
of Reconciliation MCC in Grand
Rllpids, Ml. He hlls prepllred 11
workbook on 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
that is availllble for $3.50 plus 25%
handling llnd shipping. This book
llllows the student to drllw
conclusions themseloes from the
Word of God, llnd has helped many
people ooer their fear of
condemnlltion from this pasSllge of
Scripture. The wolkbook is twailable
from Faithful Publications, P.O. Box
3701, Grand Rltpids, Ml 49501.
Episcopal Bishop Admo=nished By House Of Bishops
WASHINGTON, O.C. • The But it's reaHy a water pistol: '
Episcopal Church's House of Bishops, Although the resolution actually
meeting here on September 18, voted said little - and the document being
by a slender margin to •disassociate" endorsed included the phrase. -We
itself from the December, 1989, do not disassociate ourselves from the
ordination of an openly gay priest by . many members of our church who are
Bishop John Spong of Newark. lesbian and gay,• the leader of the
By a vote of 80 to 76, a revised traditionalist Episc~pal Synod,
"officiaJ- count of a previously Clarence Pope, Bishop of Fort Worth,
reported vote of 78 to 14, the bishops said, "If we don't adopt this
"affirm[ed) and support[ed)" the resolution, we go a long way to
February 20 statement by the changing our religion. Much of the
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church's teaching will be altered if
Church and his Council of Advice, we don't take steps."
(Omprlsed of bishops representing Other negative bishops more
each of the nine provinces of the candidly stated that they were
church, which in tum quoted a 1919 bothered by the publicity and what
resolution that it is "inappropriate" their clergy and people had said to
to ordain "practicing" homosexuals. them about the ordination. Retired
''The way the church treats
its gay and lesbian
members so deeply violates
my conscience that it
strains the very fabric of
my life by tearing it
between my loyalty to
Jesus Christ, who made a
habit of embracing
outcasts, and my loyalty to
a church that historically
has rejected Blacks,
women, and Gays.11
-Bishop John Spong
In · the wake of the highly
publicized ordination and subsequent
controversial remarks by the newly
ordained priest, Bishop Spong was
severely criticized for defying the
collegiality of the House of Bishops.
Earlier this year, many Bishops
had spoken in favor of censure.
Efforts by extreme conservatives to
bring a presentment, which might
have lead to a churcJt trial, were
dismissed by Presiding Bishop
Bdmond Browning several m~nths
~go.
The resolution wa~ initiated by
William Wantland, bishop of the
tiny (2000 communicants) diocese of
Eau Oaire, Wisconsin and a member
of the Advisory Board of the
vehemently anti-gay American
Family Association. He described
the proposal as a "strong
admonition." Another ultra-conservative
bishop, William Frey,
notorious for having perfotmed an
unsuccessful exorcism of a gay priest
and now dean of a new right-wing
seminary near Pittsburgh, disagreed,
saying, " Some have said that this is
a gun pointed at the head of Spong.
Bishop. Gordon Charlton said that
"the Church will be watching" and
that the "integrity of the House [of
Bishops] is at stake. That's a word
(integrity) I want to reclaim," he
said.
Most of those speaking opposed the
resolution, including three of the
authors of the document being
endorsed who said that it had value
when written, but restating it now
would serve no purpose and that they
would remove their names as authors
if the resolution passed. When the
final vote came, only one of the seven
members present who had served on
the Council of Advice and drafted
the February statement voted to
endorse it. The Presiding Bishop,
long a supporter of lesbian/ gay
ordination also voted against the
resolution.
In a defiant half-hour response to
the vote, Bishop Spong admonished
the House for what he called its
hypocrisy, especially contrasting its
gentle treatment of conservative
bishops who refuse to ordain women.
Spong argued that, unlike the
traditionalists who are his harshest
critics, he followed the canonical
process when he went ahead with
the ordination.
"I wonder if this House can embrace
the fact that other bishops besides
Episcopal Synod bishops have a
conscience that cannot be
compromised?" Spong asked. "The
way the church treats its gay and
lesbian members so deeply violates
my conscience that it strains the very
fabric of my life by tearing it between
my loyalty to Jesus Christ, who made
a habit ot embracing. the outcast, and
my loyalty to a church that
historically has rejected Blacks,
women and Gays. It is not the bishop
of Newark who is violated by this
process but the gay and lesbian
members of this church," he added.
He reminded the bishops that the
1919 resolution opposing lesbian/gay
ordmation was a recommendation and
therJ!fore not binding. Repeating an
argument he had made · earlier in
defense of the December ordination,
Spong said that the church has been
quietly ordaining practicing homosexuals
for years. Non-celibate
homosexuals are found at all levels of
church life - not only in parishes but
also the House of Bishops, seminary
faculties and student bodies.
He said that the charge that he
violated the collegiality of the
House is 7a sign of fear, even of
homophobia." Similar charges have
never been leveled against members
of the Episcopal Synod or others who
hold views contrary to General
Convention resolutions.
Bishop Spong's speech ~ived a
standing ovation from several
bishops and most of the visitors.
Following the vote, there was
universal agreement that the church
is closelr, divided on the issue of .
ordaining Lesbians and Gays.
Several observers suggested that if
the vote had been repeated after
Spong's speech, the result would
have been different. .
On the final day of the meeting,
September 20, the bishops again
returned to the issue of Lesbians and
Gays in the Church. A statement
adopted on that day renewed a call
made in 1988 to discuss the issue in
every diocese and parish, a call that
has been widely ignored in the
November/December 1990
church. "To call for dialogue in a
puzzling and complex area is not to
abdicate our leadersh~p/ - it is/
precisely to give it in a way.
consistent with our Anglican
heritage: to call God's people to
stand faithfully in the midst of life,
seeking the mind and heart of God,•
it said.
"Obviously, we do not expect easy
answers. Dialogue is not going to
produc;e consensus. It may not even
provide grounds for a compromise
presently beyond our ken,• the
unanimously approved statement
said.
"We recognize that it would not be
faithful to the Gospel to ignore the
anguished cries ol homosexual men
and women who feel hurt, rejected,
and angry by what they see about
them. At the same time, we recogna.e
that it would not be faithful to the
Gospel to ignore or simply label as
homophobic the anguished cries of
men and women who feel hurt,
rejected and angry that what they
see as sin is not being reaffinned as
such.• The statement was primarily
authored by the Bishop of New York,
Richard Grein, a moderate who has
been supportive of the many lesbian
and gay clergy in his new diocese. ·
Integrity and the Episcopal
Women's Caucus were the only
organizations fonnally represented
at the meeting.
Books □ A Lyrical Work By A Gifted New Writer
Matthew Stadler's 'Landscape: Memory~ •
Matthew Stadler, author; Charles
Scribnu's Sons, New York. $19.95.
ISBN: o-684-19185-7.
Landsc11pe: Memory, Matthew
Stadler's first novel, is the
beautifully realized story of young
Max Kosegarten, a sensitive 16 year
old whose entries written daily in his
memory book bring n!lders a rerord of
his own and the collective attempts
of the culture he lives in to remember.
The time is the summer of 1914. San
Francisco is preparing for the World's
Fair, the triumphant expression- of
the city's recovery from the
devastation of the 1906 earthquake.
Max and his young friend, Dunc,ln,
visit the fair, share the mysteries of
this Jewel City. They are not sure
-.yhat to make of it. "What was here
two years ago? What was here a
thousand years ago?" Max finds his
STONY POINT CENTER presents
11,t Book and Blyond ...
Novnblr18-19, 1990
Chris Glaser
COMEHOMEI
RtlclalmitV Spi1ualty Bid &fnistty
as Gay and Lesbian Clwlstians
Chris Gl•er and his readers In convel'll.lion
~ .,n fll ldm raised by cctlE HCJIEI
Registrdon, Room and Meals: $70
Commutats: $15 (S&ntay Ony);
$30 {Stnlay and Monday)
Crk:baown P.oad • Slony Pon. NY 10980
(914) 786-5674
"s-."!"J ... ~ ... s.,,..,,_.mr...
.... f , ....._ .,,w..... .... , ... ....... _ OI Ollllllmpclnlfy ~ .,,,. T-,~ abnt.ar
-1n .... .,.o1 fP/ . cplriMlf._, - a
filllnd ..... ol.loNdl
Canipbel. ~ .. deliiii!U,
gripping, rcnmilc ..r., l,,i
appllel llls__,1.tldam
togoy~&.hwiwtda-
herolna
paruble about~ &
hanelly--wlil-to~t. .
MlillslhaStaryofCr.onion
OI you always wanted ii IDld.
... a •-I ol S")' _!Plrituol -~
in a pagHming plol )'111(1 lall in t-wilh
............ '-,.. i-.t .. ..Jo..-,-~
capliffllllc...L· .... -....-. .. --
d~--Olbrmal1Mnlbtly ....
101"N.._,~1ll7'103. S.,cUIO+tlS>_(I_
adllft Or on . ClllllOOD 1219.
I am-with You
-Feat Not!
(A Corrective Look
at the Lesbian and Gav
Clobber Passages)
Professionally prodicad Vul,o-tal)e
Awlil>-tape (!/ Workbook
A new book l?, the Rt11. Bna Roller '
Pastor of Rmmdliacion MCC
OTtUid Rapid.s, Ml
C/-',uum]/~
~ ... v AEC031CCUA'll0N
VHS VldlD (9Q n'in.l $24.95
AUIID Tape $5.00 • wt:11oboG11 $5.00
~0.....$6.95 kid rnr ~ & ;a;
Faithful Publicatioru
P.O. Box 3701
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
f
answers in his memory book, where
he can sort and sift the nature of his
experiences. He paints, too, a
landscape, which is seen throughout
the book in each of its stages. In time,
readers come to see Max evolving, his
gifts developing and his mind giving
structure to the world about him.
There is startling poignancy in the
love that develops between Max and
Duncan as they explore the woods,
the ruins left behind by the
earthquake, the marvels of the fair,
and the dark forbidding of the ocean -
and the shock of sudden tragedy.
Matthew Stadler was born in 1959 in
Seattle, Washington, where he grew
up and now lives. His previous
occupations have included lobbying
for the Quakers in Washington, D. C.,
scraping boats in France, teaching
philosophy and political theory at
an international school in
Manhattan, and volcano watching in
Seattle. He is currently in the
Netherlands working on a novel set in
the 17th century in ~t country.
Come Home! Reclaiming Spirituality and ,
Community as Gay Men and Lesbians
Chrla Glasa, author; Harper & Row,
San Frandsc:o. $10.95
Chris Glaser's new book, Come·'
Home!, is written for persons outside
and within the church, as well as the
many standing on the church's
threshold. He writes, "It is written
for Gays and Lesbians, as well as
others seeking to benefit from gay
spirituality and ministry. It is an
invitation to come home to Christian
tradition and community. Like any
homecoming, risk and vulnerability
will accompany the joy and
hospitality we experience. But the
spiritual wealth of God's love and
home and peace awaiting us far ·
exceeds the temporary and occasional
poverty we may endure as we seek a
new Christian reformation."
Through the medium of the story,
and reflections on both the ordinary
experiences of daily life and the
lesbian and gay experience, Glaser
invites us to look beyond feelings of
anger, alienation and loneliness to
the hope and promise of Jesus Christ.
He calls us back to the basic fact of
our Christian calling, that we are
indeed loved and cared for by a God
who desires our love in return.
Chris Glaser offers a unique
testimony to our Christian faith,
breaking through denominational
differences and traditions of worship
that sometimes set us in opposition to
one another. He is a gifted
storyteller and a talented writer.
His style is ~traightforward and
honest His work makes for easy
reading, but with a message and
perspective that is both provocative
and challenging. His insightful
reflection on biblical connections to
the ord,inary human experiences we
some much needed encouragement,
since we too often become weighed
down and angry with the narrowness
of present-day church and civic
leadership, ~ith the tragedy of
AIDS, and with the disillusionment
of broken promises and failed
friendships. .
Come Home! is divided into five
"spiritual" movements: 1.) accepting
God's way of welcoming us,
2.)receiving our spiritual inheritance,
3.) discerning what God calls us to do
with it, 4.) making our witness to the
church and to the lesbian and gay
community, and 5.) "coming home" to
ourselves, to our community and to our
church, reborn and renewed in spirit,
truth and love.
-From CommuniClltions Newsletter, a
ministry to gay and lesbian Catholic
clergy and religious, P.O. Box 60125,
Chicago, IL 60660-0125.
II THE SECOND STONE
,- .......
.,
Books
Panels Of Love
By MicltaeJ BlanktNhip
Contributing Writer
Some people, when they are diagnosed
with AIDS or one of its
forerunners, tum in μpon themselves,
ceasing to oommune with life around
them. Bitterness is their only
companion, and existing in this
spiritless desert they soon wither and
pass away. Others, knowing their
days may be numbered, reach
outward, seeking new inspiration and
new ways of communicating their
love of life. Instead of a desert, they
create and share a colorful landscape
of ideas, and words, and pictures.
They often surprise those who know
them best by bringing forth a new
understanding of faith, and a fresh
appreciation of the beauties of
nature. They know God in a new way,
and it flows to those around them.
Timothy Walters Grummon is most
definitely the latter sort of person.
His recently published book, Panels
of l.Dve, describes his experience and
displays the marvelous creative
energy he now possesses. A great
analogy can be drawn between
Grummon's painted panels and the
panels of the Names Project Quilt. In
both cases a great deal of love went
into their creation, both are
byproducts of the AIDS crisis, and
both are dramatically beautiful
because of their diversity and
individuality. The main difference ·
is that the Quilt was made by hands
honoring those who have suffered. In
Grummon's case the sufferer is also
the creator, using his hands to honor
those who have made living with
the disease a bit easier.
In 1985 Grummon's doctors
determined that he had ARC ( AIDS
Related Complex), and his life
quickly became, in his words, "a
swirling vortex of negativity." At
the age of 33 he seemed shattered
and confused, his health declined as
he concentrated on this death
sentence. It was at this point that he
somewhat reluctantly joined an art
therapy group in San Diego. His art
teacher, author Barbara Peabody,
recalls that his first paintings filled
her with dread. They were drawings
of arcs, a double entendre for his
sickness. She foresaw only deterioration
and a quick death for him.
But she was wrong!
Grummon felt a "rekindling of the
life force within" as he threw
himself into his art, and as his
artistic abilities improved, amazingly,
so did his health. He simply
allowed himself to be overwhelmed
by this compelling, inventive energy
and this new focus added greater
meaning and strength to this life.
Grummon felt a
"rekindling of the life force
within" as he threw
himself into his art, and as
his artistic abilities
improved, amazingly, so
did his health. He simply
allowed himself to be
overwhelmed by this
compelling, inventive
energy and this new focus
added greater meaning
and strength to this life.
Two years later he was inspired to
begin work on a major project, relying
on his friends and family to infuse
this work with their own particular
influences. He asked these twelve
people to give him Bible verses
which he, in tum, interpreted by
painting individual panels.
The theme of love runs throughout
the artworks, and he used the color
gold in all of the panels to symbolize
the precious quality of love. All of
the works are highly symbolic,
really requiring a reading of the book
to understand their full meaning. But
the ideas and the art work together
beautifully. Grummon's works have
an almost art deco quality, a
wonderful geometry combined with
vibrant colors to form a most
appealing expression of his concepts
of faith and love. The panels also
have delicate textures, adding an
interesting dimension of depth to the
paintings. The book and the
paintings combine the spiritual and
the creative and you come away
knowing how closely they are
related.
The book contains 16 large glossy
colorplates of the Panels of Love.
They vividly show the expertise and
talent involved in their creation. In a
similar way the written passages
reveal Grummon's imagination and
sense of the divine. My favorite
porti~ reminds me of l Corinthians
13, he writes: "Love transcends
without effort, penetrating those
barriers humanity erects. Love in
intangible, yet causes profound
impact. It consoles, comforts and
□
heals. Love is all color, surrounding
and moving through us. It is form,
without confines and boundary. Love
respects without qualification and
enables a vision of dignity beyond our
limited perception. Love maintains
balance and harmony; it is pure in
spirituality, fluid in tolerance, and
endless in compassion. Love is calm
amid chaos and devastation; its
nature is infinite in understanding
and forgiveness. Love inspires. To
strive for love is to reach for the very
essence of perfection.•
Those who read this book will find
inspiration, not only from Timothy
Grummon's artistic abilities, but also
from his courage. He unashamedly
proclaims, "I am gay, I am a
Christian, and I have AIDS!" As
fellow gay Christians, we can only
admire the way he is facing the
challenges of his life. He is
combating death and prejudice with
beauty and love, a role model we can
all use.
T'S THE BEST
Men's magazine ...
- the one that deals
most honestly with how men relate to each
other, to women, and to kids; the one that's
gay-affirmative and opposes sex•role
stereotypes, ... the one that movingly explores
men's hurts and joys . . .
Ml
I Order a no obHgatlon. If you change your mind. 1us write u I
We'll refund the subscription price!
: Name ___________ Enclosed: $16 I
I Addrea -----------.-------r
I City ___________ State . . I
I Mall to: ""'··-- Men 306 N Brooks 305A Mod I ------------------
November/December 1990 ■
,.
Gay Reformation Hymn
Tune: Ein'fnte lnn-g
Two thousand years wt feared our lwe,
condmrntd "umu,hln,l sinners."
Ncno stepping forth from ht4'0ffl 11bove
Christ makts grzys sptdal winners.
This world is filltd with hate.
It sums almost too late
for Gad to interfere
again to bring low here,
but that's what God is doing.
No more can foes God's plan decide,
nor obfuscate God's choosing.
God's 1ovt for grzys they cannot hide,
their puppetry is losing.
The God of hetroen and mrth
affirms gays' priceltsS WQrlh.
Our ransom has b«n paid: ·
joint heirs with Christ we're madt
let homophobes take notice!
The Church once askt4 to have us killtd:
our blood has writ this witness.
All ignorant minds must now be filltd
with stXUlll truth and fitness.
The pressuTt!S still art! strong
to work on gays much wrong.
We're adltd to pmeve,t,
endure our holy fear,
for Christ commands our anny.
Our strength is not is guns or lllws.
Our wtapan is but Meekness.
We can forgive our fots their flaws:
Gay Might is just such "wmkntss."
More frieruls will join this fight
because the u,rd is right.
Gay bodies house God's Spirit,
but only through Christ's merit.
God's 1ovt will triumph. through us.
Louie Crew
COVER STORY, FromPage9
New Age diverge. Some
New Age followers are into
trance or spirit-channeling,
but the Bible clearly
condemns consultation with
mediums (Deut. 18:9-14),
communication with the
dead and other "detestable
practices." The New Age
teaches that there is
II
healing through cystals
and other objects. The
Bible teaches that healing
comes only through Cod's
hand (Acts 3:16) and that
healing is related to the
renewing of one's heartfelt
relationship with God, and
often, with the forgiveness
of sins.
f
BLACK LEADERS,FromPage8
months encouraging other black civil
rights organizations to issue
anti-discrimination policies and
statements which include sexual
orientation.
The group also agreed to: develop
organizational specific programs to
sensitize staff, board and oonstituency
to lesbian/ gay issues; review existing
programs and public agendas to
include lesbian/gay concerns;
actively recruit openly lesbian/ gay
individuals for membership, staff
and board positions; encourage
increased visibility of current staff,
board and constituency members who
are openly gay or lesbian; and include
lesbian/ gay concerns in organizational
conference and meetings.· •
''These changes are not going to
happen overnight," said Maurice
Franklin, representing SCLC, "but
they can happen and I know Dr.
Lowery will do what he can to help
facilitate these changes." Kelvin
Lynn Cothren, representing The King
Center and Fulton County Commissioner
Martin Luther King Ill,
concurred and assured the group of
Mrs. King and Commissioner King's
support.
The meeting was the result of a
decision made by the Leadership
Roundtable at the Third Annual
National Black Gay and Lesbian
Leadership Conference in Atlanta
earlier this year. Phill Wilson,
co-chair of the Black Gay and
Lesbian Leadership Forum, sponsor of
the conference, stated that the
meeting was the first of several in
preparation of a major conference
between traditional black institutions
and black Lesbians and Gays.
The date for that meeting will be
announced at the Fourth Annual
National Black Gay and Lesbian
Leadership Conference in Los Angeles
next February.
Among those attending the meeting:
Maurice Franklin, representing •
Southern Christian Leadership
Conference; Joan Gamer, Co-chair
African American Lesbian/Gay
Alliance and Senior Advisory Liaison
to the City of Atlanta's Mayor's
Office for Lesbian/Gay Concerns;
Keith Hinch, representing National
Conference of Black Mayors, Inc.;
Anthony Home, Chair, Black Gay
and Lesbian Alliance for Dignity,
Memphis; Charles Nelson, Co-chair
African American Lesbian/Gay
Alliance; Dennis Odums, Board
member and past Co-chair Gay and
Lesbian Community Service Center,
Los Angeles; Sabrina Sojourner, Board
Member, National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force; John Teamer, Co-chair,
National Association of Black and
White Men Together /Men of All
Colors Together; and Phill Wilson,
Co-chair, Black Gay and Lesbian
Leadership Forum and convener of
the Fourth Annual National Black
Gay and Lesbian Leadership
Conference.
BIG BROTHERS, From Page 1
move to block his measure,
fired off a "Dear Colleague"
letter to all members of the
House. The letter discussed
the "predatory tactics" of
gay people and said "groups
such as the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force forever
explain to the public that the
'homosexual molester' of
children is a myth and that
heterosexuals are much more
likely to sexually molest
kids." NGLTF, working with
data from national child
abuse agendes, has fought to
dispel homophobic stereotypes
that prevent gay
people from providing
positive role models for
children.
At the heart of the New
Age belief is a concept that
is simply. unacceptable to
Christians, namely the
claim that "we are God."
That is the original
rebellion against God and
the prime heresy. It is the
violation of the first of the
Ten Commandments.
Instead, our power and joy
as Christians must come in
the knowledge that we are
"created," not creator.
test and approve what
God's will is - His good,
pleasing and perfect will."
THE SECOND STONE
St. Paul's admonition in
Romans 12:2 comes to mind:
"Do not be conformed to this
world but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to
Nick Warner is a psychologist
and Methodist minister.
He is a contributor to
The EC Cable, newsletter of
Evangelicals Concerned,
Western Region.
Travel
Riding The Rails
•
By Cynthia Marquard
andQamdMvmm
Contributing Writers
One of the most popular interests
among a large group of gay people is
trains and railroads, both antique
and modem. There is even a loosely
organiz.ed group of gay /lesbian train
buffs called The ·Phoebe Snow
Society, named after a famous train.
A number of exciting train trips are
available that offer exotic travel
opportunities, from the adventurous
Copper Canyon train trip in Mexico to
the elegant Orient Express in Europe
and even our own US. version of the
Orient Express between Chicago and
Washington, D.C. But even a plain
vanilla Amtrak trip can be something
out of the ordinary, not just for rail
hobbyists, but for the rest of us.
Were you just the least bit bored
sitting six across on your last flight?
Does the idea of being able to get up
and walk around while you're enroute
sound interesting? Would you like to
experience more of Colorado than
clouds at 35,000 feet? Then the next
time you plan your vacation, consider
the train.
On an Amtrak train, you can relax in
a coach seat that's nearly as big as a
first-class airline seat. For an
overnight trip, you can choose from a
variety of sleeping accommodations,
ranging from an economy Slumbercoach
room to a deluxe bedroom
complete with private bath.
Dining is no problem either. All
Amtrak trains outside the BostonWashington
rail corridor offer food
service. Depending on the train you
take, there's a wide choice, from
buffet service featuring sandwiches
and drinks to dining cars with fullmeal
service, for which you make a
reservation with the conductor.
Entertainment While
You Ride
The lounge car is a popular place on
trains. There you can relax and chat
with other passengers over a drink.
Some trains also show movies in the
lounge car. The Montrealer (most
Amtrak trains have names), running
between Washington, D.C., and
Montreal and serving the Vermont ski
resorts, even has live entertainment.
Trains between Chicago and the West
Coast--The Empire Builder, for
example-have double-deck lounge
cars with glass roofs so that
passengers can have a maximum view
of the scenery.
Just being able to move about and
meet other passengers provides a
great relief from the tedium of
travel. You aren't strapped into your
seat, so if the urge hits you, you can
get up, stroll down the aisle, and
strike up a conversation with that
interesting person who caught your
eye.
Costs and
Other Considerations
For any trip you take on Amtrak,
there is a basic coach fare. Basic
coach has open seating, that is, the
seats are not reserved. Certain trains
to St. Louis and Detroit and in the
Boston-Washington corridor offer
Custom Class service, which is a
fancier version of coach that includes
a reserved seat, complimentary coffee
and juice, and a newspaper.
Sleeping car accommodations are
priced as an add-on to the coach fare
and vary in cost depending on the
type of sleeping accommodation you
choose. Prices for sleeping car space
are quite a bit higher than the basic
coach rate but, except for the
Slumbercoach rooms, all include
meals. Deluxe sleeping accommodations
offer the feel of old-time
travel luxury. A complimentary
bottle of wine and snack pack will be
awaiting you in your room when you
board the train.
There are a variety of reduced fares
available, including the "All Aboard
America" fare. This allows you to
make a round trip with stop-over
points in one of three regions: between
the East Coast and Chicago; between
Chicago and Denver; and between
Denver and the West Coast. You can
combine travel in two or three
regions, if you like. Your
International Gay Travel Association
agent can help you figure out which
fare is the most economical for your
journey.
Some Famous U.S. Trains
Chicago is the hub of the national
east-west Amtrak network. All
overnight trains to the East Coast
and all trains to the West Coast
leave Chicago in the afternoon or
early evening. Here are some favorite
Amtrak trips:
• The Lake Shore Limited, Chicago
to New York City via Oeveland and
Buffalo. This train carries you
· through •he Mohawk Valley of
upstate fl.l~w York, then down the
Hudson River valley and arrives in
the Big Apple in the afternoon. If you
think all of America's scenery is in
the west, you haven't seen the
Hudson Valley. There is also a
section of the The Lake Shore
Limited train that splits off at
Albany, N.Y., and runs through the
Berkshire Mountains of western
Massachusetts to Boston.
• The Capitol Limited, Chicago to
Washington via Pittsburgh. This
train is the only one in the East to
carry a glass-domed lounge car. East
of Pittsburgh, head for a seat in the
observation level of the dome and
watch the train climb up through the
Allegheny Mountains, then drop into
the Potomac Valley.
• The Cardinal, · Chicago to
Wash4'gton via Cincinnati. You'll
get to see parts of the country that are
relatively inaccessible. Deep in West
Virginia it travels through the wild
New River Gorge, then passes
through the Blue Ridge Mountains.
• The California Zephyr, Chicago to
Denver, Salt Lake City, and San
Francisco.The Zephyr climbs up the
Front Range of the Rockies west of
Denver, one of the most spectacular
rail lines ever built. Then it diven
through the seven-miles-long Moffat
Tunnel. After crossing the Nevada
Desert at night, it passes through
Reno and heads over the Sierra
Nevada mountains through Donner ·
Pass, named after the tragic Donner
Party of pioneers. (Trapped by a
blizzard, they ate each other; an
interesting piece of history.) The
train leaves you off in Oakland, a
short bus, cab, or BART ride from San
Francisco across the bay.
• The Coast Starlight, Los Angeles to
Oakland, Portland, and Seattle. You
get the Pacific from Santa Barbara to
San Luis Obispo, Calif. You get the
Coast Range between San Luis Obispo
and Salinas and the Cascade Range
between Redding and Eugene, Ore.
This is the rolling vacation that has
it all. This trip can be divided into
two segments-L. A. to Oakland and
Oakland to Seattle. A stopover will
give you time to recuperate--or
whatever-in the City by the Bay.
• The Boston-Washington Corridor
trains travel here via New York City
and Philadelphia-not one train, but
a whole fleet of them. The Corridor
is the closest you can come to
European-style, high-frequency train
service. Between Washington and
November/ December 1990
□
New York Oty on weekdays train
service runs an average of every 30
minutes. The New York-Boston
segment has less frequent service, but
there are still enough trains to plan
on convenient day trips. Trains
serving Florida also begin and end
their runs in New York City and serve
major cities in the Corridor.
Less Frequent Service
One work of caution: Outside the
Boston-Washington Corridor and the
Los Angeles-San Diego route, Amtrak
doesn't run more than a few trains a
day. Trains ·oR various runs from
Chicago operate once a day.
Despite-or perhaps because of-this
relatively minor limitation, Amtrak
offers the individual, couple, or group
a dimension in travel that nearly
disappeared in the United States, but
may be slowly coming back into favor.
Cynthia A. Marquard is the
owner/mtlnAger of Envoy Travel,
Inc., in Chicago ,md vice-president of
the InternationAl Gay Trtlf1el Assn.
Danni Munson is the publisher of
TM Lesbian antl Gay Alma,uu: anti
Er,ents of 1990.
A Gay Co1111tl'J 11111 ...
OIi IOObcalllifll..,.willl ~r.::.if.t.•-nrm NeWllllllir,vm, ,..,., wriloor
call ro,. bmcll-
P. 0. Box Ill SL
Bethlehem, NH 03514
(603) 869-3971
Ila, "otlwr" /IIM• """' ,,,. , .....
.••.Y.8l.o.-.lt •....-.-,.,,MP.a..bl c-
0., --~ ., _..._.... ... _
Write or c:all for brochure.
120 E. AIOI St., P. 0. Box 2326
South Padre Island. Texas 78597
(512)761-LYLB
Air eonneetlou wla
Amerlcu Contlaental Southwest
Ii
Parting Thought
The View From The Trapeze
By JCevin G. Richams
Contributing Writer
Last week when the computers at
work crashed everyone laughed.
Then we began to worry, because we
knew there would be a town full of
angry people if dew•covered
newspapers were not sitting on their
doorsteps in the morning. After 10
minutes I began to hope I could go
home instead of working until
midnight. But within a few minutes
the lights popped on, and the
newsroom was filled with the
electronic chirps of computers waking
up.
Of course, every business has
contingency plans, and we had ours.
But in personal affairs people are
often inept in dealing with a crisis.
I can think of friends who went
beserk when a re1ationship ended,
ARE YOU
MOVING?
The Post Office will not
forward The Second Stone.
You rrust notify us for
uninterrupted service if you move.
Please notify us lour weeks in advance lor
unintenupled delivety. Send both old and new
addresses. II possible allach mailing label in
Space provided.
PAINT
NEW ADORES$
when they flunked a class or lost a
job. I did this recently when I
wrecked my car.
The process of
growth, Miller said,
always occurs when
we let go of one
security, rethink our
lives, take the risk,
dive in.
But a book I read for an otherwise
forgettable college class presented a
challenging way to view catas-
NGLTF To Release
"Report Cards" On
Members Of 101st
Congre~s
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
will once again release "Report
Cards" on all members of Congress.
The report cards will grade members
and their voting records on lesbian
and gay issues during the current,
101st Congress. NGL TF last released
report cards in October, 1988,
following adjournment of the 100th
Co~
Local activists are encouraged by
the Task Force to write or call for
kits: NGL TF, attention: report cards,
1517 U St., NW, Washington, DC
20009, (202)332-6483.
trophcs. The book, The Becomers by
Miller (first name also forgotten),
compared life to a flying trapeze
where you can swing along and enjoy
the view. Once in a while some crisis
or big decision breaks our grip. We
flail around for a handhold, and for a
few eternal moments we fear a
violent landing. But then we touch
another trapeze, grasp it, look down.
The process of growth, Miller said,
always occurs when we let go of one
security, rethink our lives, take the
risk, dive in.
Classifieds
Books&N,lcaikn
"HEARTILY RECOMMENDED," "Excellent,•
"At last! A dialogue ol rationality .. ."
Reviewers applaud CHRISTIAN'NEW AGE
QUARTERLY. Wonder why? Great articles
and tively columns make this bridge ol dialogue
between New Agers and Christians as
entertaining as it is substantive. Subscribe
for only $9.50. Or sample us for $2.50.
Prices increase on Jan. 1st, so order now and
save! CHRISTIAN'NEW AGE QUARTERLY,
PO Box 276, Clillon, NJ 07011-0276. TF
EMERGE! A heafing journal ol EMtRGENCE
International: Christian Scientists Supporting
Lesbians and Gay Men. For infOnnation and
subscriptions write P.O. Box 581, Kentfield,
CA 94914, or call (415)485-1881. 2/91
UNIQUE STUDY PACKET: Thinking It
Through: United Methodists Look al the
Church and Homosexuality. Useful tor all
denominations. 120 pages covering homopho·
bia, theology, AIDS ministries, further
resources. $10.00 postpaid trom the
Methodist Federation for Social Action, 76
Clnton Ave., Staten Island, NY 10301. 12/90
□
Naturally, the newspaper has not
invested in a new computer system ..
But the friend of mine who lost her
job (and her husband) got a fabulous
offer in the North and found a better
man. And one person who nearly
flunked a class (me, accounting)
changed majors.
Kevin Richards is the editor of the
SDA Kinship Connection, Box 3840,
Los Angeles, CA 90078.
□ Organizations
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT
JOINING A MONASTERY? Have you ever
thought ol becoming a religious? Do you have
strong religious convictions? Have· you ever
felt that because of your life style religious
lite would not be agreeable to you? If you have
answered YES to any ol the above questions,
we would like to hear from you. Let us know
how you would feel about living in a religious
community life. A group ol gay religious
Brothers living and working together in the
world, with strong religious ideals helping and
caring for one another. Please write to:
Ecumenical Order or: The Brothers of The
Mercy ol God, Suite 212/341 East Center
Slreet, Manchester, CT 06040. 2/91
Real Estate
Key West women's bar/deli priced at
$299,000. C>.Nner negotiable - land, building,
and business. BENDER-TANIS ERA REAL
ESTATE. (305)296-6200. 12/90.
Trya Sec:ond Stone
Classified Ad
se 9 ~ z
.!! :; !~ ! Classified Order Form Please place my ad in these
issues: [ J Jan/Feb [ ) Mar/Apr
[ 1 May/Jun [ ] JuVAug
[] Sept/Oct [) Nov/Dec
r n
.8..
Send completed form lo:
THE SECOND STONE
Box8340
NewOrltans, LA 70182
(,/)
C
1;I
l
2.
a.
I
~
~
a.
i
J
FOR ONLY 35 CENTS
PER WORD, your ad
can appear in the next
edition of THE SECOND
STONE.
Take advantage of our low
cost (but high profile)
classified section by placing
your advertising order
today!
Mail To: 1BE SECOND STONE
P.O.Bm8840
New Orleans,LA ?0182
Name ______ _ ___ :,.
Address ________ _
City/StJZip _______ _
AD COPY _______ _
-------------·------
__ words X .35= $ ..;.' __ _
20 word minimum. All classffu;&•
m.ust be pre-paid. Deadline o~rmallth
prior to cover date. We will mail you a
copy of the edition(s) in which your ad
appears
November/ December 1990
•
CIMSIFICATIONS
[ ] Books & Publications
[ ] Business Opportunities
[ ] Employment
[ l Friends/Relationships
[] General Interest
[ l Mail Order
[ ].Merchandise
[ ) Organizations
[ ] Professional Services
[ ] Real Estate
[ )Retreats
[ ) Roommates
[ ]Travel