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Loading ...Pastors lobby Congress to support LGBT bills
05.05.2009 6:00pm EDT
(Washington) More than 300 gay-positive clergy were on Capitol Hill today, urging Congress to support LGBT rights bills.
It is the second time the lobbying effort known as Clergy Call has been held on Capitol Hill – the first event was held two years ago. Both have been sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign.Conservative Christian groups have regularly fought all efforts to pass LGBT legislation. Wednesday’s Clergy Call is an effort to show that not all religious leaders support that agenda.
The 325 religious leaders taking part in Clergy Call this year represent Christians, Buddhists, Jews and Muslims.
At the top of the list of legislation being pushed by the clergy is an expansion of federal hate crime law whichwould include sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. The legislation was passed by the House last week and is pending in the Senate.
HRC spokesperson Harry Knox said the clergy is “here out of a pastoral concern for real people in their congregations who have to deal with the ramifications of hate violence.”
They also are pushing for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing and employment. A bill is expected to be introduced later this summer.
Additionally, they support repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” the ban on gays serving openly in the military, and the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the government from recognizing same-sex relationships.
President Obama has signaled his support of all four bills.
Among the clergy on the Hill is Gene Robinson, the openly gay Episcopal bishop from New Hampshire, who delivered the invocation during a kickoff concert at the Lincoln Memorial for President Obama’s inauguration.
In launching Clergy Call on Monday night at Calvary Baptist Church in downtown Washington, Robinson said that religious conservatism “still presents the greatest obstacles we face in full equality.
“Ninety-five percent of the oppression that we know in our lives comes from the religious community,” he said.
Sarrellec, I think you may have misunderstood what is happening here. This Clergy Call isn’t about ministers who have endorsed candidates from pulpits, attempted to cover up the sex-abuse scandal, or tried to oppose our rights. There have always been people of many faiths who support our rights: ministers who organize for LGBT equality, who speak out against injustice and discrimination, and who refuse to conduct marriage ceremonies until same-sex couples have the right to wed. They are finally becoming more visible.
As I mentioned on another site, 56% of mainstream protestants and 58% of catholics believe society should accept homosexuality, according to the recent Pew Center poll. For Jews, the percentage is much higher. While evangelicals feel differently, there’s a huge age difference, with most younger evangelicals supporting civil unions or marriage equality.
People like James Dobson try to give the impression that all believers oppose our rights, but their ilk is part of a shrinking minority.
Don’t get your hopes up.
The simple truth is that with the recent almost world-wide rejection of the Pope’s latest “we hate you because god said to” speech; the child-screwing Priest horror; the outing of preacher after preacher after preacher as either being a closeted gay or breeder married philanderer; the recent political fall-out of churches flouting (flouting?) the law regarding endorsing candidates from the pulpit…
Anyway, they’ve been screwing up a lot lately.
And they’re being called on it.
This is really just a case of CYA.
Those speaking up now are just afraid that they will lose their special rights if they are caught up in a blanket reform of secular law regarding the crimes of religious organizations.
As soon as it blows over, they’ll be back with a vengeance.
Just like the passage of state marriage equality laws.
They’re only as good as the next vote. As we’ve found out in California.
So, most New England states now have equal marriage laws.
NH is already on the brink of dissolving any same-sex marriages already performed in that state, just like California.
This country will NEVER give up its theocratic base. There is just too much power connected with the religious control of the majority of the population who happen to be morons.
I offer my sincere thanks to the Clergy Call folks and a tip of the hat to HRC.
We need more voices of alliance within the faith community who are willing to take a stand against the religious extremists in America!
/salute
I am so proud of Pastor Robin and all the other 300+ clergy of MCC, UCC and allies in justice, who answered the HRC Clergy Call 2009 to go to the US Capitol and lobby the Senate on behalf of those whos voices have been silenced by HATE CRIMES against LGBTQ people. I salute your courage and commitment to do justice and walk humbly with GOD.
It is wonderful to read articles such as this – a positive in what appears to be a sea of hate and discrimination towards the Gay community by the Religious community. There are religious organizations out there, including in Canada, the United Church of Canada, I am not certain what it is called in the United States, who have been gay positive for years and have recognized and welcomed their gay parishoners. As well, the Metropolitan Community Churches are a well known gay inclusive organization. So it is exciting to see all of these representatives from different religious organizations stand up with their gay brothers and sisters in the march towards obtaining full legal and equal rights in Washington.
My last comment hasn’t posted, so I’ll try it again without the links. It looks like the 2009 Clergy Call isn’t on Youtube yet, but if you do a search for Clergy Call, you’ll see the 2007 event. One of the participants was a married, heterosexual, Pentecostal preacher speaking out for LGBT rights! I think he was even from Oklahoma. There’s also a “highlights” video that shows brief snippets.
This is good. The truth is that our community does have considerable support from the faith community, including Christians. I would like to see the general media give more coverage to the LGBT positive, supporting and affirming people of faith and less attention to the rather noisy and very bigoted religious right which does not speak for most Christians.
It looks like it isn’t on Youtube yet, but here is the 2007 Clergy Call:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78rmEBxteoM
One of the ministers is a straight fundamentalist pentecostal speaking up for LGBT rights!!
This video shows quick highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtHb3uO4Jk0&feature=related
Any videos of this protest? YouTube? It sounds too good.
Any video of this protest? Youtube?