Subject: National Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 16:33:08 -0600

November 10, 1997

To:	Members and Friends of PFLAG
Re:	National Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting

NOTE:	Press Release Follows

PFLAGers:

PFLAG took a critical, pro-active stance today to try to ensure that the U.S.
Catholic Church carries out its recent initiative to become more open and
inclusive of all families.

PFLAG participated in a Washington, DC, news conference today, Nov. 10,
calling on the U.S. Catholic bishops to hold firm against recent efforts
both inside and outside the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB)
to weaken or rescind its recent pastoral letter supporting families of gays
and lesbians.

PFLAG members Veronica and Gerald Colfer, Silver Spring, MD residents, did
a tremendous job speaking out in support of the pastoral letter at the news
conference. The event was held in front of the Hyatt Regency in Washington,
DC, where the NCCB is holding its semi-annual meeting, the first gathering
of its membership since issuing the pastoral statement. Coordinating the
event was Dignity/USA, the nation's largest organization of
gay/lesbian/bisexual and transgender Catholics.

A group of conservative Catholics with opposing views demonstrated only
yards away in front of the same hotel.

PFLAG issued this statement today, and will monitor the situation for any
developments coming out of the NCCB meeting which goes through Wednesday.

Contact your local church leaders to let them know where you stand! And
thanks again to all of you who have already launched efforts to create
links with local church leaders.

*****
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

For Immediate Release
November 10, 1997

PFLAG to Bishops: Stand Firm in Your Support
of Parents of Gays & Lesbians

        Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
President Nancy McDonald today encouraged the U.S. Catholic bishops -
gathering in Washington, DC, this week - to stand firm behind their new
pastoral message urging parents nationwide to accept and love their gay and
lesbian children.
        And McDonald urged the bishops to move promptly to implement the
much needed guide. "It's critical that you push ahead now with your message
to parishes, and to not withdraw your outstretched hand," she said.
        She expressed her disappointment about efforts to weaken, or even
rescind, the pastoral message, Always Our Children.
        McDonald encouraged all Catholic parents to join PFLAG mothers and
fathers in contacting church leaders to show their support for the new
message. It lays out specific suggestions to bishops and priests about how
to respect and support families with gay and lesbian loved ones.
        Members of several of PFLAG's 400 local chapters already have begun
to create channels of dialogue with church leaders since the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) made the pastoral message available a
month ago.
        Members of the NCCB are slated to gather as an entire group for the
first time this week in Washington, D.C. since the document's release.
        PFLAG parents from various chapters have praised the message which
urges  parents to stand by, and not abandon, their gay and lesbian
children. In the letter, the bishops urged parents not to break off contact
with a child, warning that rejection can lead to suicide or substance
abuse.

###

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian and bisexual
persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an
adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and
advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure civil rights. PFLAG
provides an opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation, and
acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human
diversity. Serving approximately 69,000 members, PFLAG affiliates
are located in more than 400 communities across the United States,
and in 11 other countries.

   1101 14th Street, N.W., Suite 1030 Washington, D.C. 20005
 (202) 638-4200 Fax: (202) 638-0243 E-mail: [email-masked] Web:
                   http://www.pflag.org