Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 13:24:14 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom Edwards-Chicago IL USA Subject: Fwd: A SOBERING & SHOCKING MESSAGE. Please share this with friends. ---Tom Edwards-Chicago IL USA wrote: > > "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from > the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle > on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our > creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again > we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with > soul force." > > Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. > From the "I Have a Dream" speech, > 28th August 1963 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Thirty-five years later > 12th September 1998 > > Dear Cyberfriend: > > I am writing to bring you a message of tremendous importance. One > that is sobering and shocking. > > First, I want to extend a cordial invitation to you to learn more > about an internet club which has been formed. This club is dedicated > to fulfilling Dr. King's dream of equality for all people. > > The club is called the Gay Rights Club - "GRC" -- and is dedicated > specifically to achieving equality for the gay community. The gay, or > "GLBT" community, refers to gay (homosexual) men, lesbian women, and > bisexual and transgendered persons of every ethnicity. "Gay friendly" > refers to loving heterosexual people who favor protecting the GLBT > community's human rights. The number of "hits" on our website has > been phenomenal - as of this writing, over 10 thousand in the first > three weeks -- and we thank those who have shown an interest. Please > consider joining, if you have not done so already. > > Let me give you some background on the struggle for gay rights in the > United States of America. > > In our country, the conservative wing of the Republican Party is > beginning to exhibit feelings of insecurity. While they continue > their majority status in both houses of Congress, opinion polls show > increasing willingness among American citizens to embrace more > fair-minded ideas, particularly in the area of equal rights. And dear > friend, THAT is what we ask for: not "special" rights.... EQUAL rights. > > With the demise of its favorite enemy, the Soviet Union, the political > ultra-right in this country has had to find a new whipping boy. They > now demonize the gay community as they participate in an unholy > alliance with certain religious institutions. This comes perilously > close to, if not actually violating, our Constitutional themes on the > separation of church and state. They solicit votes and financial > support from some individuals who falsely claim the title "Christian." > Dear friend, I am a Christian - one who loves his fellow men and women > of black, white, red and every color; of Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and > every faith; of gay, lesbian, transgendered and every sexual identity. > And let me tell you, a great many of the people who make up the > fundamental religious right in America are about as close to > "Christian" as chalk is to cheese. > > Many churches and synagogues and their members-- whose REAL mission is > to preach of God's love - understand that concept fully, and are > loving people through and through. They accept GLBT persons as their > fellow citizens, even if they might not agree with, or approve of us. > This is called the principle of "Live and let live," and it is a > blessing that we have people like this in the world. But many others > who claim to be "Christian" are instead preaching messages ranging > from patronizing and insidious "help cure gayness" campaigns, to more > overtly vicious slander and discrimination. To look right into the > face of hell and see anti-gay hatred and hysterical rhetoric at its > worst, visit this website, run by Fred Phelps of the Westboro, Kansas > Baptist Church: > > http://www.godhatesfags.com > > There, you will see slanders and innuendo against the Princess Diana, > Rev. Billy Graham and Mother Theresa, as well as photographs of > self-proclaimed "Christians" outside a funeral, carrying picket signs > rejoicing because the loved ones of a gay man lost him to the slow, > agonizing death of AIDS. This is being perpetrated in the name of > Christ! > > In one sense, the chief motive of the anti-gay agenda, ironically, is > not anti-gay at all. Rather, we are unfortunate bystanders - victims > -- about whose jobs, personal safety and happiness they simply do not > care. Theirs is a quest for political and financial power, and we > represent a means to that end. The anti-gay agenda is supported by > contributions from the gullible, the ignorant, and the hate-filled. > These contributors are enablers for those who spread the message of > bigotry and intolerance. > > The costs in human sorrow to the gay community are of epic > proportions. Right wing political and religious leaders, who would > seek to have us embrace their ideas on "family values," offer methods > of fear mongering and emotional terrorism which produce tragic, > family-DESTROYING side effects. Like hate crimes including vandalism > and "gay bashing" (physical beatings and even murders of gay persons). > Like discrimination in housing, and in the military and civilian > work places. Like fear, suspicion, verbal abuse and isolation of > persons, solely because of their "different" sexual identity. And > worst of all, they increase the incidence of death among America's > younger generation. > > Pray for the children. Beautiful, innocent gay teenagers struggling > to understand their sexual makeup are being scorned into a strangling > vise of depression and inner torture, and feel they have nowhere to > turn for help. They are subjected to an assortment of constant > persecutions, ranging from intolerance, insults, verbal & physical > assaults, and shame, expressed openly and cruelly at them by peers, > churches, neighbors, schools; even, God forbid, often times their own > parents. Some choose a quick, self-inflicted death. Others turn to > the slow suicide of wanton sexual activity. Sexual promiscuity among > gay youths is a tremendous problem, just as it is with heterosexual > youths. Sexually transmitted diseases are poisoning, even ending the > lives of young gay people. And our efforts to help and counsel them > are sabotaged by narrow minded individuals who would force any open > and intelligent discussion into the "closet" of secrecy and shame. > > One of our club members is an educator and psychologist, whose own > family lost a gay young man - her nephew - to suicide. A few weeks > ago, one user of the Yahoo! internet server's message board - one > which deals with the topic of homosexuality -- posted a message for > this club member. The message recommended that if she encountered any > more young gay people considering suicide, that she not try to > discourage them. The same individual, in another post, claimed that > if he learned one of his daughters was lesbian, he would furnish her > with a cyanide pill. Those messages were at best allowed to go > unchallenged; at worst, resoundingly cheered by other anti-gay users > on the same board who thereby made themselves accomplices to this > villainy. > > Sexuality is a gift from God. It should not be wrongfully used as a > sentence of death. That individual was advocating suicide and murder. > This is unspeakably and insanely evil. And my frequent visits to > that message board have awakened me to the fact that such evil is more > pervasive and widespread than I had ever before imagined. Blind, > dangerous, raging haters are out there in alarming numbers -- and this > is EVERYONE'S problem. We need your help to fight it. > > The GRC is still very new, and is still in its formative stages. But > our mission and our methods will become clearer as we learn together. > All we ask right now is an open mind, and your moral support. > > We extend an especially warm welcome to fair and open-minded > heterosexual brothers and sisters; also to GLBT and straight friends > from other countries. Our problems in America may be more or less > acute than yours, but your view of the U.S. from an overseas > perspective is of particular help to us. > > To learn more about GRC, please visit our web page at the hyperlink > printed below. Please join GRC, and help us realize the Rev. Dr. > Martin Luther King's dream for peace, justice and equality for all > humanity. Above all, please pass along this message about GRC to your > friends everywhere. > > Thank you. May God bless you and the entire human family. > > "VE" > Co-founder of GRC, headquartered at: > http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/gayrights > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________ > DO YOU YAHOO!? > Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com > > _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com