Subject: PFLAG Action Alert
From: [email-masked] with ESMTP (Apple Internet Mail Server 1.1.1); Wed, 29 Oct 1997 16:53:37 -0500
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 15:54:02 -0600

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
October 29, 1997

****************************  ACTION ALERT   *********************************

*****************  Support the Catholic Bishops' Letter  ******************

******************  Letters Needed by November 10th  *********************

You are urged to write a letter to the Catholic Bishops of the United
States.  We understand that the Bishops are currently under attack from
conservative Catholic groups who are unhappy with the release of the recent
Pastoral Letter, "Always Our Children," that encourages parents to support
their gay or lesbian kids.   In fact, we have heard from a PFLAG chapter in
New York that a Catholic Mass for Parents of Gays/Lesbians and children was
recently disrupted by Catholic fundamentalists (about 15) who shouted and
yelled at the parents during the service.  These groups have staged
protests and press conferences urging the Bishops to retract, or change,
this historic statement.

John Good, president of NACDLGM (National Association of Catholic Diocesan
Lesbian & Gay Ministries), has sent out an Action Alert letter to the
membership of that organization to counteract the conservative backlash that
is resulting from the Pastoral letter.  Please help by organizing a letter
writing campaign within your community and/or PFLAG chapter.

Letters in support of "Always Our Children" should be sent to:

Most Reverend Thomas J. O'Brien
Chair
Bishops Committee on Marriage and Family
400 East Monroe St
Phoenix, AZ 85004-2376

Most Reverend Anthony Pilla
President
National Conference of Catholic Bishops
1027 Superior Ave
Cleveland, OH 44114-2560

It is also recommended that you send an additional copy to your own Bishop.

The next meeting of the US Bishops begins on November 10.  Every effort
should be made to mail as many letters as possible prior to their next meeting.

For information about the Bishops' letter or for assistance responding to
this alert, please contact your PFLAG Field Associate:

West:     [email-masked]
Central:  [email-masked]
East:     [email-masked]

================================================================

From: [email-masked]
 with ESMTP (Apple Internet Mail Server 1.1.1); Wed, 29 Oct 1997 18:25:55 -0500
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 17:25:53 -0600
Subject: Catholic Bishops' Letter

To:	PFLAG members and friends
Re:	Additional Information/Catholic Bishops' Letter
Date: 	October 29, 1997

The information below may be helpful backup to the PFLAG Action Alert which
was sent out earlier this afternoon.

The recent letter from the U.S. Catholic bishops on gay children has
disappeared from their own website (at http://www.nccbuscc.org). The press
release from the NCCB/USCC is still online at
http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/97-208.htm, but not the actual
document.

Not to worry, though, it has been posted by the National Catholic Reporter
at http://www.natcath.com/documents/gaychild.htm.