Subject: Troy Perry Responds To Ad Hoc Committee on Millennium March
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 18:30:48 EDT

N E W S   R E L E A S E
From The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches

The Rev. Troy Perry of UFMCC Responds to the
Ad Hoc Committee for An Open Process for the Millennium March

A PUBLIC STATEMENT BY
The Rev. Troy D. Perry
 
I have had a chance to review the news release and the text of the ad prepared
by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Millennium March on Washington.

I want to call attention to the press, and to all people of goodwill, that
both the release and the ad contain erroneous and misleading information.
While my 30 years of activism on behalf of social and spiritual justice for
lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered persons have taught me to respect
and encourage diversity, our dialogue must be based upon truth-telling and an
honest presentation of the facts.

I draw your attention to the following misrepresentations:

1. The news release describes the initial goals of the Millennium March on
Washington as "Faith and Family."
This is false.  This has never been the theme, the proposed theme or the goal
of the Millennium March.  I have never attended any meeting at which any such
theme was voted upon.  While we certainly have explored ways to involved GLBT
people of faith, this has never been the theme of the March.  I personally
believe this misleading statement continues to be repeated solely because it
is inflammatory.  It is not true.

2. The news release accuses the March organizers of pushing an "increasingly
conservative direction of the l/g/b/t movement."
This is an accusation without support.  Again, the facts are just the
opposite.  Every public statement on the Millennium March has assured the
community that the March will be as diverse and representative as the broad
diversity of all our GLBT communities.  I have personally insisted that my
participation was contingent upon full inclusion of the leather community, the
transgendered community, people of color – of all the groups that contribute
to our GLBT rainbow.

3.  The news release misrepresents the June planning meeting by stating
"we...were offered one vote in exchange for silence by the other eight
[members of the Ad Hoc Committee]."
But this leaves out some very vital information: More than 40 representatives
of national and regional GLBT groups participated in that meeting.  Every
group participating had one designated representative with one vote.  The Ad
Hoc Committee was given the very same option to fully participate by
designating a representative – co-equal with every other organization.  The Ad
Hoc Committee refused, insisting on eight representatives from their group and
eight votes.  That is the very opposite of the fair and democratic process
they call for.

4.  The news release notes that members of the Ad Hoc Committee "do not fit
into the corporate image of an ‘American family.'"
This imagery does not further our debate -- it is designed to inflame elements
of the GLBT community.  I know of no one calling for the Millennium March to
either fit a "corporate image" nor to typify an average "American family."
Again, all calls have been for the Millennium March to be fully representative
of the broad diversity within our communities.

5.  The news release claims, "That these national organizations project white
Christian middle-class representations and set the agenda accordingly is
nothing less than institutionalized racism."
This statement is patently offensive to the many African-Americans, Latinos,
Native Americans and Pacific Islanders who hold leadership positions within
our organizations.  This statement writes off the broad representation of the
leather community, the trans community and the bi community in our
organizations.  This statement wholly ignores the valuable contributions made
to our GLBT organizations by people from every economic strata.  I think both
the Religious Right and mainline spirituality groups would find it laughable,
say, for Metropolitan Community Churches to be described as "white Christian
middle-class representations." By the way, UFMCC has stood unreservedly for
freedom of religion for those who seek to nurture spirituality, and for
freedom from religion for those who have found it oppressive.

6.  The news release erroneously claims that "no genuine effort is made to
include...lgbt's from different races, classes, sexualities and genders."
In fact, the Board of Directors is under a mandate to give leadership parity
based upon both race and gender, to give priority to inclusion of the bisexual
and transgendered communities, and to include representation from every
geographical area of the US.

7.  The news release claims that "the first step toward equality should always
begin in our own communities."  
I agree unreservedly.  No national or regional organization exists without
first having built a grassroots constituency.  The national and regional
organizations participating in the Millennium March have literally thousands
of local chapters, groups, members and offices in  towns and cities and
counties and voting districts throughout the United States. What better way to
bring accountability to this work than by knowing that these organizations
have presented a message which has reflected the grassroots concerns and
interests of tens of thousands of lesbians, gays,  bisexuals and transgendered
persons?

8.  The reality is that there is significant hostility within our community
toward spirituality.
I have dealt with this for 30 years. I have a great sensitivity to the harm
which has been done to gays and lesbians in the name of God.  I also know that
a majority of our community profess deep spirituality.  In a community that
professes commitment to diversity, that commitment must also extend to gay and
lesbian people of faith.  I realize that some have attacked the Millennium
March because of the participation of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches.  Let me make myself clear: I paid the price to come out as
a gay man and I'll be damned if I'm going back into the closet because I am
religious.

I call upon our GLBT news media to refuse to print misleading allegations
which at the least are divisive and which at worst are untruthful.  Let our
dialogue be about truth-telling, not misrepresentations.

I have participated in a leadership level at every March on Washington every
held by the gay community.  I have given my life to this cause.  And I believe
the GLBT communities can continue to find new strategies to reach our goals.
We need not be wedded to the old ways of doing things.  Much of the criticism
I am hearing can be distilled to these seven words: "We never did it this way
before."

I call upon the GLBT communities to embrace new and healthy ways of doing our
business and making our diverse voices heard.  I think the organizational
structure of the Millennium March embraces new strategies without in any way
sacrificing openness or the full participation of our community.

Our rights are truly under threat.  The Radical Religious Right continues to
take out national ads offering to "cure" us.  Sexual McCarthyism is back in
full force.  Hate crimes continue to plague our community.  Federal laws
continue to deprive lesbians and gays of full equality in the areas of
employment, marriage, family rights, and national service. This year alone two
of our GLBT churches have faced bomb threats, and worshipers at numerous
congregations have had to brave the hatred of protesters to achieve their
constitutional right to assembly and worship.

With the threats against our community continuing to harm the lives of GLBT
persons every day, it's time we stopped attacking ourselves. That is the old
way of doing things. That is the outgrowth of internalized homophobia. We are
not the enemy.  We need to be united in a common effort. We need to raise our
voices together on behalf of liberation and justice.

I've spent 30 years of my life seeking social and spiritual justice on behalf
of GLBT people.  As I look around today, I regularly meet with GLBT leaders
who bring the very same passion and commitment to their work. Let's find a new
way of doing our business, by affirming one another. Let's stop destroying our
own and commit to work together.  

The Millennium March on Washington will take place on April 30, 2000.  I look
forward to standing with one million of my gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered sisters and brothers as we once again take our movement and our
voice to our nation's capital.

	(END)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
The Rev. Troy D. Perry
Founder and Moderator
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches

Tel. (310) 360-8640

E-Mail: [email-masked]