Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 13:14:09 EST From: "James D. Anderson" MORE LIGHT UPDATE May 1994 Volume 14, Number 10 Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns James D. Anderson, Communications Secretary P.O. 38 New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038 908/249-1016, 908/932-7501 (Rutgers University) FAX 908/932-6916 (Rutgers University) Internet: janderson@zodiac.rutgers.edu Note: * is used to indicate italicized or boldface text. CONTENTS Changes Mark Palermo Michael Purintu Jack Huizenga Events PLGC at General Assembly Prayer Vigil and Fast Stonewall 25 Gay and Lesbian Persons in Church and Society: A Dialogue Model Fourth Annual Retreat for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Families, and Friends Requests Research Project on Older Lesbians Spirited Sex: Good News for the Church, by Marvin M. Ellison Resources for Dialogue Thankful for the wake-up call, by the Rev. Laurene Lafontaine Good News Thriving in the PCUSA, At Least for Today, by the Rev. Laurene Lafontaine Christian Justice, Worship and Whiffle ball, by the Rev. Laurene Lafontaine Former PLGC Leader Ordained Bi Any Other Name: Please read before voting on PLGC's new name!, by Chris Glaser And Another Suggestion Closeted Names? Time to Vote Membership Application/Renewal Form for 1994 1994 PLGC Ballot Poem: Sunday Morning, by anonymous Lesbian Presbyterian clergyperson CHANGES Mark Palermo now lives in apartment 2701. Change his zip to 60660-2858. The complete address is: Mark A. Palermo, 6171 N. Sheridan Rd. Apt. 2701, Chicago IL 60660-2858. Michael Purintun, PLGC Postings coordinator, PLGC coordinator for the Synod of Living Waters, and executive board member, has a new telephone number: 502/776-8703. Jack Huizenga, our new co-coordinator for the Synod of Mid- Atlantic, has a temporary telephone number, 410/267-9635. His work number is 202/619-2702. He is also off PresbyNet for a while. All this is due to a fire in his apartment on February 27. EVENTS PLGC at General Assembly The assembly will meet in Wichita, Kansas, Friday June 10 through Friday, June 17. For up-to-date information prior to the assembly, contact Jim Anderson, PLGC communications secretary (see back of Update); at the assembly, visit the PLGC exhibit booth in the convention center. Most special PLGC events, and the PLGC hospitality suite, will be in the Wichita Marriott, about 7 miles east of the convention center near the junction of I-35 and U.S. 54 (Kellogg St.). Unfortunately, there are only 4 hotels downtown, and the General Assembly has them booked up for their committees. Rooms in the Wichita Marriott cost $80, double or single, or $88 for 3-4 people. Right nearby is the Best Western Tudor with rooms at $38, single or double, plus $6 for each additional person. We expect that PLGC rooms will be in the Best Western Tudor. The Best Western Tudor Hotel has no airport transportation, but the nearby Wichita Marriott does. Housing. If you want to stay at General Assembly Hotels (e.g., the Wichita Marriott, the Best Western Tudor, or 12 other area hotels) at General Assembly rates, you must fill out a G.A. housing form. Call 800/210-9371 to request a form. PLGC Exhibit Booth, exhibition hall, Century II Convention Center, Friday, June 10, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m.- 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 12, 1:30-7:30 p.m.; Monday, June 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday, June 14, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, June 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, June 16, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friendly Allies meeting, Friday, June 10, probably at noon over brown bag lunch, or 1 p.m. -- check at the Witherspoon booth, usually right next to the PLGC booth. PLGC hospitality suite, Wichita Marriott -- receptions beginning on Friday, June 10. You may have to ask for James D. Anderson to get the room number! PLGC Executive Board Meeting, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, June 11, in the hospitality suite, Wichita Marriott. Sunday morning worship, 10 a.m., June 12, Wichita Marriott, Wichita Ballroom. Chris Glaser preaching. The Witherspoon Society luncheon, Sunday noon, June 12, with an important and prominent speaker. Place not yet known. A PLGC Celebration of Reconciliation, Sunday evening, June 12, 8- 10 p.m., Wichita Marriott, Wichita Ballroom. Featuring a team from the Witness for Reconciliation, led by Lisa Larges, and the annual Inclusive Church Award. Regular tickets will be $10; low income tickets will be $5.00; free tickets are also available for those without income or resources -- we don't want anyone to stay away! Full-price tickets will be available from the General Assembly ticket booth. All tickets will be available at the PLGC booth or in advance from Jim Anderson, PLGC communication secretary, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038. The annual PLGC membership meeting, Wednesday, 8-10 p.m., June 15, in the Wichita Royale Hotel, Market Street near the convention center, Royale Ballroom. The famous annual gala Witherspoon party & dance, Wednesday, 9 p.m., following the PLGC membership meeting -- don't worry, about being late -- you'll be in excellent company! And anyway, it lasts late into the next morning! Place to be announced. Prayer Vigil and Fast George Link, leader of PLGC/Oregon, writes: As most of you are aware having read the impassioned editorial I wrote in June (printed in the the October 1993 *Update*, p. 14-15) after my emotional meeting with many of you at presbytery in Medford, Oregon, responding to the actions of last year's G.A., I said that I felt the Lord was calling me to take some action for justice at the next G.A. in Wichita. You may also recall that I issued the "Wichita Ultimatum" challenging the church to boldly deal with this issue and take action to change the illegal and unchristian policy barring our brother and sister homosexuals from full participation in the church. Since then I have waited patiently for direction from the Lord as to what action to take. Last month it became clear to me that I was called to go to Wichita for the Lord to appeal to the church for change by conducting a prayer vigil and fasting (bread and water) at the entrance to the assembly hall for the six days the G.A. is in session. Although this is an individual thing, I'm asking for prayers and physical support, especially from those who will be attending G.A., and brothers and sisters at home in their churches who will show their support by conducting prayer vigils and wearing the **"Say YES to GOD, NOW"** buttons which I'm making available. In spite of the "dialogue", God is calling us to serve his justice NOW, so please give me your support as I answer the Lord's call to challenge our church. Quoting Revelations 3:22 **"Let anyone who has ears listen to what the spirit is saying to the churches."** "SAY YES" buttons may be ordered by writing George at 1875 W. 12th, Apt C, Eugene, OR 97402 and will be available at G.A. along with copies of the APPEAL (see below). A $1 donation is asked for each button to support George's trip to G.A. An Urgent Appeal to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) by George Link SAY *YES* TO GOD -- Whose Spirit is calling the Church to open its doors to *everyone!* SAY *NO* TO: Pandering to Today's Scribes and Pharisees. -- "Woe to you . . . you shut the kingdom of heaven against others; for you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would to go in" (Matt. 23:13). Unconstitutional Action. -- "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God" (Mark 6:9). Using the Judicial System to Reject Legally Elected Church Officers. -- "Woe to you lawyers! You have taken away the key of knowledge and have hindered those who were entering" (Luke 11:32). Becoming a Self-Serving Religious Institution. -- "Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me . . . those who lose their life for my sake will find it" (Matt. 10:38- 39). Heterosexual Idolatry. -- "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). Selective and Literalistic Use of Scripture. -- ". . . and neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and good faith" (Matt. 23:23). Hypocrisy. -- "On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy, cast out demons and do many mighty works in your name?' And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers'" (Matt. 7:22-23). See you all in Wichita! Other Events Stonewall 25, June 26, 1994. On June 26th, 1994, the International March on the United Nations to Affirm the Human Rights of Lesbian and Gay People will take place in New York City. It promises to be one of the largest human rights marches in history. Come celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Make your plans NOW! You can help make Stonewall 25 a success! Stonewall 25 needs your financial support. Send contributions (tax-deductible to the full extent of the law) to Stonewall 25, 208 W. 13th St., New York, NY 10011. For information or to volunteer to help out, call 212/439-1031. For travel or accommodations, call 800/216-1880. Gay and Lesbian Persons in Church and Society: A Dialogue Model, July 4-11, Ghost Ranch Conference Center, HC77, Box 11, Abiquiu, NM 87510-9601, 505/685-4333, FAX 505/685-4519. Ghost Ranch offers both an experience and a model of dialogue in which Christians of differing experience and commitment can probe both facts and feelings in an atmosphere of respect for each other and openness to God's Spirit. For honest, questioning people. "No question should be out of bounds, no observation forbidden" (Bill Hinkle). Registration: $75. Call or write for information about room and board and registration forms. Facilitators: Bill and Kathy Hinkle, Tulsa, OK. Bill is an attorney and Kathy is immediate past president of the Oklahoma League of Women Voters. Both are active in church and community leadership and in Oklahoma P-FLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). Their son Chris is gay and plans to enter seminary in the fall of 1994. Other leaders include: Tricia Dykers Koenig, co-pastor with her husband of Noble Road Presbyterian Church, Cleveland Heights, OH. She is a member of the Steering Committee of Unity Through Diversity, a group committed to inclusion of gay, lesbian and bisexual Presbyterians in the life of the church and to encouragement of the dialogue requested by the General Assembly. Daryl Fisher Ogden, professor, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA. She is both a Presbyterian minister and an attorney, a married mother committed to maintaining the traditional biblical standards. George Lynch, Los Angeles, CA, a seminary graduate and educator, currently a ruling elder actively involved in congregational and presbytery life and openly gay. Mort McMillan, pastor, Stockton Presbyterian Church, Stockton, AL, who supports the present General Assembly bar to ordination. For fifteen years the question of the role of gay, lesbian and bisexual Christians in the life of the Presbyterian Church has grown steadily more prominent and more tense. In 1993 the General Assembly called for three years of dialogue in the church (not merely study), clearly hoping that it would be a process of discernment. Fourth Annual Retreat for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Families, and Friends at Ghost Ranch, November 3-6, led by Lisa Bove and Chris Glaser. REQUESTS Research Project on Older Lesbians Over-60 lesbians willing to complete questionnaire on demographic, legal and financial matters related to preparation for incapacity or death, e.g., wills, durable powers of attorney for health care, conservatorship/guardianship, funeral plans, relations with family of deceased partners and support through the grief process, please send name, address and phone number to: The Rev. Elinor G. Galusha, Aging Studies Program, University of Iowa, 430 Fairway Ter. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403, 319/363-8430. Confidentiality assured. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Spirited Sex: Good News for the Church by Marvin M. Ellison, Bass Professor of Christian Ethics, Bangor Theological Seminary Texts: Psalm 143: 1-8, John 8: 2-11 Friends in Christ, I come with some good news and some bad news. The good news is this: Across the globe an uprising, a rising up is happening. People everywhere are standing up, saying "no more" to abuse, exploitation, and oppression. The bad news is this: Everywhere well organized, well financed, and mighty forces of hatred, fear, and denial are attempting to block the movement for renewal and creative change. In the midst of this turmoil, the church at its best and the Seminary offer not a safe, quiet place for retreat, but rather a "space of radical openness,"{1} a community in which to question the status quo, consider alternatives, and hold out for a better day. Church and seminary are where we train for love and solidarity. Amidst all the social ferment across the globe, in this city, and in this school, there is also a rising up for sexual justice. Women everywhere, victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence, gay men and lesbians, those stigmatized by age, disability, or AIDS, men fed up with John Wayne macho- masculinity, women tired of being invisible and put down, all these and more are rising up -- and insisting on a new moral order, inside the church and outside. The call for sexual justice moves us toward greater inclusivity and wholeness, toward saying a clear no to abuse and violation, and toward insisting that each and everyone has a moral right to love, to relations that are loving, life-enhancing, joyful, and just. This call for sexual justice is grounded in a biblical mandate. Flannery O'Connor has written, "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you -- odd." People of faith are called to be odd, and to follow an odd, peculiar path. We are called to practice justice -- right-relatedness -- passionately, in a full- bodied way. Walter Brueggemann observes, "One is called to do justice as God does justice. And when God does justice, it is not modest or polite or understated. It is an act of powerful intervention. It is like Moses in the court of Pharaoh insisting on freedom."{2} God is a lover of justice, and we are commissioned to be passionate lovers of justice, in our bedrooms and out in the world. But let's be candid. Too often we Christians fail to keep body and soul together. We fail to keep sex in perspective -- either by making too much or too little of sex. We do not live comfortably in our bodies or with other bodies. We are unsure how to connect sexuality and spirituality. We are fearful of sexual difference. About sex and sexuality, we Christians are often at our worst. And we've earned our sex-negative reputation the old fashioned way -- by being so judgmental, so rigid in defending worn-out norms and standards, so eager to bless prevailing cultural trends and power dynamics, so punitive about difference and dissent. As if that is not enough, we have been preoccupied with the wrong questions. We've been wrongly fixated on people's marital status and their sexual orientation, on gender role conformity, and on a narrow definition of family. We've been blind about homophobia, marital rape, battering, incest, about sexual harassment and exploitation. Coming of age in the church about sex means overcoming our fear of sex, of the body, of strong passion. Such fear has been costing us dearly. We lose spirit. We become life-less, stiff- necked and oh, so rigid, cold and aloof. We become the kind of people who cannot make a joyful noise! Coming of age means coming to affirm -- and celebrate -- responsible, loving mutual relations wherever they occur, among the married and the single, among gays and lesbians, as well as among heterosexual persons. But we must do more than rethink these matters. Consider our social context; what we're up against. Ours is a patriarchal culture. In this culture, patriarchal sex is the norm. Marie Fortune, a UCC minister and authority on sexual and domestic violence, describes how "male dominance has become eroticized as has its corollary, female submission . . . . In order for [many] men to be aroused, they feel that they must be in control of the sexual interaction and that their partner should be passive and submissive. The belief is that together dominance and submission and power and powerlessness create the formula which sparks erotic desire in both men and women."{3} In such a cultural context, male sexuality has become more and more predatory. Young men -- a William Kennedy Smith perhaps or a Michael Tyson - - believe it is their right to take what they want, when they want it, without regard to the consequences for themselves or others. Increasingly, human sexuality, and particularly men's sexuality, is being interlaced with violence and abuse. This is what should be disturbing us greatly. Because this culture eroticizes power inequality and makes believe that domination is sexy, a major challenge before the church is to offer a word of judgment and a word of hope, a powerful moral critique and a positive, alternative vision. About the critique: The church needs to say, loud and clear, that coercion, manipulation, and violation are wrong whenever and wherever they occur, in marriages or outside, among heterosexuals or among same-sex couples. Traditional sexual ethics, including traditional Christian sexual ethics, has rested too easily, too comfortably with injustice. We have too easily, too simplistically equated morality with patriarchal norms and values. A patriarchal sex ethic says that "good sex" and "true love" require men to stay on top and in control of our women, sexually and socially. Women are supposed to passively accept male gender supremacy as right and "for their own good." Men who refuse to dominate women are sissies, failed men, that is, no better than a woman. And women who resist their oppression are often labeled as man-haters, ball-busters. What an incredible mess this is! This whole ethic of control and violence is wrong, dehumanizing, and unchristian. Our moral problem is the distortion of love by injustice. Patriarchy and sexual oppression kill the spirit, kill the body. And the challenge to us is which language shall we speak? We simply cannot speak patriarchy and the gospel at the same time. About the hope, we can say this: Sharing the gospel, the good news of God's saving love and power, offers an alternative possibility. Love is not about control, but about embracing and sharing vulnerability. What gladdens the heart, what lifts the spirits, what stirs our passion is not dominance, but the joy of mutuality, the eroticizing of equality. We discover pleasure in reaching out to each other as equals, taking delight in giving, as well as receiving, respectful touch. The power of respectful, graceful touching is an awesome moral power, a power too often neglected in the Christian moral tradition. How we use this power demonstrates better than anything else I know the character of our spirituality, the substance of our moral integrity. The church's task -- and no task is more urgent -- is to teach us how to use this gift wisely, joyfully, responsibly, for our own good and the good of others. The story of the woman caught in adultery is better named as the story of the women caught in patriarchy. Under patriarchy a woman's life -- her body-self, her person -- is not her own. She belongs to another. She is a man's property -- her husband's if she is married, her father's if she is not. Women are not only objects possessed, but sources of illicit desire to be controlled, contained, covered up, or even avoided whenever possible. In patriarchy, women are feared, but also deeply desired. They are anything and everything except the subjects of their own lives. In Jesus' encounter with the woman, he does not enforce the norms and values of patriarchy. He does not condemn the woman for her transgression of male property law about sex and marriage. Instead, Jesus responds out of the vision and inbreaking power of the reign of God. He practices justice-love. Told to go and sin no more, she is invited out of patriarchy and into a new life. Living in and with God means insisting that no one -- no woman, no man, no child -- is disposable property of another. Jesus transforms and heals by raising our expectations of how we are to be treated. Love, mercy, and compassion are owed toward others, but also toward oneself. Don't settle for less. Jesus touches this woman with freedom, with grace. Challenged to go and sin no more, the woman is called upon to let go of her sin -- her passive acceptance of her status as inferior, her complicity in her own victimization, her refusal to believe she is worthy. She steps out in faith to claim her dignity -- letting go of her self-hatred and passivity that patriarchy has taught her. Her life is restored to her. She rises up. The church's mission is to teach the dispossessed among us the goodness of pride and self-love. Women everywhere, gay men and lesbians, victims and survivors of sexual injustice, all those denied the fullness of life by any form of oppression, are invited to rise up -- and claim our rightful inheritance. The gospel story also addresses the sin of the self-righteous, those also caught in patriarchy but on the other side, those with privilege and power and status because of their skin color, their gender, their heterosexuality, their marital status. Jesus invites the powerful among us to drop our stones, to give up our "weapons of virtue" that crush human bodies and spirits. As a New Testament scholar writes, "What [Jesus] does is devastating to the status quo. . . . By inviting whoever was sinless to cast the first stone, he forces the crowd to re-evaluate the cheap sense of virtue [that gives us permission to commit] violence in the defense of familiar institutions."{4} The mission of the church is to teach the powerful among us to let go of control, to let go of pretensions to moral superiority, to let go of our fear of difference. In doing so, we regain our humanity, our connectedness to one another, our spiritedness. The church needs to help us become more passionate lovers -- of freedom, of loving touch -- so that we will become bolder, more courageous, and yes, more outrageous in using whatever power we have to embody justice with conviction and style. That's also very good news. But like the woman caught in patriarchy and like those standing with stones in their hands, we are all still living in the prison-house of sexual injustice, violence, and fear. O God, we believe in justice-love; help thou our unbelief. We hunger for freedom. On September 14, 1918, the socialist organizer Eugene V. Debs stood in a courtroom and received a prison sentence. He then made these remarks: Your honor, years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest of the earth. I said then, I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free." Sisters and brothers, we are not free. In this season of Easter, we therefore pray: Come, Redeemer- Spirit, touch us with your grace and power. Prod us toward your justice-love with passion and courage. We are not yet free, but we are rising up. Thanks be to God. References 1. The phrase is Bell Hook's, in Yearning: Race, Gender, and Cultural Politics (Boston: South End Press, 1990). 2. Walter Brueggemann, "Voices of the Night," in Walter Brueggemann, Sharon Parks, and Thomas H. Groome, To Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly: An Agenda for Ministers (New York: Paulist Press, 1986), p. 15. 3. Marie Marshall Fortune, Sexual Violence: The Unmentionable Sin (New York: The Pilgrim Press, 1983), pp. 18-19. 4. L. William Countryman, Dirt, Greed, and Sex: Sexual Ethics in the New Testament and Their Implications for Today (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988), p. 187. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Resources for Dialogue *Making a Faithful Witness to the Whole Counsel of God: Selected Passages from Scripture with Brief Notes on God's Unconditional, Inclusive Love and Human Response, Relating to the Ordination of Persons with Same-gender Orientation*, by L. Dean Hay. Prepared for use of the Task Force on the Ordination of Homosexual Persons to the Ministry, Presbytery of Utah, February, 1994. Single copies, either print-on-paper or on diskette (ASCII or WordPerfect 5.1), $11.50, post-paid; both print and diskette together, $18.00, from Daniel J. Hay, Advanced Resources, Inc., 144 Parrish Square #144, Centerville, UT 84014, 801/773-3238. This "labor of love" was undertaken partly because of an opportunity to share with a Presbytery Task Force and partly because it has been apparent that the Reformed faith's approach to Biblical integrity has been so deeply compromised by those who wish to "use" the Scriptures -- rather than seek its more profound grace, freely offered to all in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Isolated texts can be made to "prove" anything. A parent, raised in a very conservative Baptist tradition, later a Presbyterian elder, jokingly remarked very often that the most knowledgeable master of the Bible was the Devil himself! He amused us, even as children, by putting verses together to provoke laughter. There are a few passages that deal with same-sex/same-gender relationships -- but as an honest approach reveals, *always in terms of violence or pagan cults that were apparently known to the writers of the New Testament, or in regard to the Jewish control of the cultus in an alien society in the Old Testament -- with special concern for protection of male property -- his females.* With a few positive exceptions, what homosexuality (a non-biblical concept invented late in the Nineteenth Century!) was all about was totally ignored in terms of affectionate relationships between two persons partnered in a supportive and life-enhancing role. The perverted view that is touted by some self-styled Christian religionists has had few open rebuttals. The vindictiveness and dishonesty of those persons, and their eagerness to harass has stilled a great many voices. Persons in ministry have not wished to "go public" with comments because their work was too important to Christ and the Church -- like Nehemiah building the wall -- to engage in debate with those whose hearts were not open to the magnificent grace of a saving faith. There may be some serious person who will deeply appreciate these texts and brief reflections. And they are in our churches -- or hungry for a "good word" from God's people that will permit them to participate honestly and openly. If this collection of passages and reflections is of use, "Thanks be to God." -- L. Dean Hay, Presbytery of Chicago, Retired, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 412 E. 3400 S., Salt Lake City, Utah, 84115, 801/485-4615. Against Nature? A Review by Tom Hanks [Tom Hanks, a minister of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is a missionary working with sexual minorities in Latin America. After many years with the Latin America Mission in Costa Rica, he now heads Otras Ovejas: Ministerios Multiculturales con Minorias Sexuales -- Other Sheep: Multicultural Ministries with Sexual Minorities.] Pim Pronk, *Against Nature? Types of Moral Argumentation regarding Homosexuality.* Translated from the Dutch by John Vriend. Foreword by Hendrik Hart. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., c1993, 350 p. ISBN 0-8028-0623-6 paperback. Pronk's Dutch doctoral dissertation may not be your cup of tea, but its publication by Eerdmans unquestionably is a significant event for everyone in the reformed tradition -- where for years we've been polarized over questions related to human sexuality, homophobia and rights for sexual minorities. Scholarly dialogue and rational debate have not been prominent features in the disputed areas for several decades, but to the extent that they influence decisions, Pronk probably is correct in focusing in on common misunderstandings related to the concepts of "nature" as the fundamental issue. A Dutch doctoral dissertation on this subject provides far more than most of us want to know, or can helpfully summarize for sound-byte debates with the defenders of (recent) tradition as our various cases wind their way through the labyrinth of the Presbyterian judicial system. But you probably will want to know that the book is available for any traditionalists who pretend to respectable scholarship, yet continue to fall back on the "against nature" argument. If you could somehow seduce such to buy and start reading Pronk, probably you can have the floor unchallenged in Presbytery meetings for the foreseeable future. Since both the Free University of Amsterdam (for which Pronk wrote the dissertation) and Eerdmans are considered by traditionalists as "kosher" (or at least not as seriously defiling as McCormick and Westminster Press), Pronk may manage to win a hearing inside doors otherwise closed to such academic investigation. One might even pray that a copy of Pronk somehow slip in unawares to the library holdings of Princeton Seminary and be read by some unsuspecting student. More remarkable miracles have happened: way back in 1974 Eerdmans goofed again and published another Dutch work, J. Rinzema's *The Sexual Revolution*, translated (in a weak moment) by Lewis B. Smedes of Fuller Seminary -- and recommending stable same-sex relations for homosexuals. Pronk holds doctorates in both biology and theology, so he brings unique expertise to this study. The time lapse between getting the dissertation finished and getting it out by Eerdmans (in a rather rough translation) means that the bibliography lacks significant recent items in biology and theology. But this bibliographical lapse does not detract seriously from the case Pronk builds (p. 214): "homosexuality is not unnatural" (which in American English would read "homosexuality is natural"). Tell it not in Lynchburg, but Pronk's position is significantly more radical than our current controversial Presbyterian documents: "not everything that is needed for a good heterosexual morality is needed in homosexual contexts" (p. 263). Scholarly types who consider the lid of Pandora's box to be a distinguished academic chair will not be happy -- especially since Pronk obliges us to await a future study for his delineation of "not everything." Meanwhile, those of us with a penchant for sliding down slippery slopes are left on a prolonged skiing vacation. Perhaps like me, you find scholarly discussions of Aristotle and Aquinas on "nature" an unfailing cure for insomnia -- but don't be put off by Pronk's detailed treatment of such subjects. Scintillating summaries of Foucault's contribution to the debate and a sympathetic biologist's critique of constructionism can be counted on to keep you from nodding in your Presbytery meeting, even through the direst of jellybean shortages. Friends and foes of Karl Barth will find Pronk's devastating refutation of Barth's "natural theology" of sex worth pondering -- especially since that seems to be the one aspect of Barth's theology his foes seem intent on preserving. Nowhere in his dissertation does Pronk admit to being Gay, but Hart proceeds to out him in his Foreword (p. xx -- one cannot help wondering when Eerdmans will proceed to out others amongst their best-selling authors). Unfortunately, in Pronk's case this has happened before he could be invited to give the baccalaureate address at Princeton Seminary. However, with recommendations from such ideologically diverse sources as Ralph Blair (Evangelicals Concerned), John Shelby Spong, and Peggy Campolo on the back cover, Pronk should not lack from invitations to enlighten the disUnited States and the divided Presbyterian Church. Meanwhile, I continue to suspect that such comings out (especially when sponsored by institutions like Eerdmans or Princeton Seminary) have more influence on ecclesiastical politics than the theological debates about "nature." Stranger at the Gate From the internet: I just found a copy of Mel White's new book *Stranger At The Gate: To Be Gay And Christian In America* (published by Simon and Schuster). Mel used to be ghostwriter for Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Ollie North and others -- all the while in great conflict with himself and his fundamentalist beliefs as a gay man struggling with his identity. His book is an autobiographic account of his journey from self- loathing and fear into self-acceptance and pride. Many of us from similar backgrounds know the story only too well. (See Mel's sermon, "Jesus Acted Up," in the March 1994 *Update*.) It took great courage and honesty for Mel to write this book as frankly as he has. The Forward is lovingly and compassionately written by Lyla White, his former wife. My hope is that this book will make its way into the hands of the many men and women in evangelical America who are tormented by similar struggles. -- Denis Moore, denis@cup.portal.com And a History of Same-Sex Marriage in the Christian Church Here's the cataloging information for John Boswell's long awaited book on same-sex marriages. Thanks to David White of the Library of Congress for posting it on the internet. Boswell, John. *Same-sex unions in premodern Europe.* New York: Villiard Books, 1994. Expected publication date is May 1994. Library of Congress Classification: HQ76.3.E8B68 1994; Dewey Decimal Classification: 306.76/6/094. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Thankful for the Wake-up Call Copyright (c) by the Rev. Laurene Lafontaine All rights reserved. "First they came for the Jews, but I wasn't a Jew, so I didn't react. Then they came for the Communists, but I wasn't a communist, so I didn't object. Then they came for the homosexuals, but I wasn't a homosexual, so I didn't stand up. Then they came for the political activists but I wasn't a political activist, so I didn't protest. Then they came for me . . . and by that time no one was left to speak out!" -- an adaptation of the Rev. Martin Niemuller's quote. After graduating from Princeton Seminary, I moved to Denver to train in an advanced clinical pastoral education (CPE) program, work on my golf game, hike and ski the Rocky Mountains. I'm still working on my golf game, and hiking and skiing occurs way too infrequently these days. My training is no longer in clinical work; it is in standing up and speaking out against the religious supremacists who want to define the United States of America as a Christian Theocracy. In 1989, the English-Only amendment passed in Colorado. In 1990, the anti-discrimination ordinance in Denver City and County was challenged by the religious supremacists -- they wanted sexual orientation removed. They were defeated by 18%. Then religious supremacists from Colorado Springs, with help from Focus on the Family's James Dobson, put forth a state amendment to legalize discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual persons. It passed by 6% but was recently ruled unconstitutional by Denver District Judge Jeffrey Bayless. Prior to the anti-lesbigay legislation, I was somewhat comfortable living in Colorado. When the English-Only amendment passed, I was surprised at my attitude -- I had worked against it and yet it really didn't affect me. In retrospect, I am terribly disappointed with myself and the lesbigay community, that we weren't out there working harder against this not so subtle form of discrimination. Only when Amendment 2 passed could I relate to that heart-felt pain of discrimination and bigotry expressed by the Hispanic community after English-Only passed. The passage of Amendment 2 woke, and continues to wake, many of us up. The awakening is on many levels. First, waking up to the incredible need to be "out" as a living breathing example of what it means to be a lesbian, gay or bisexual person. The myths about who we are will continue as long as we are invisible as a people in society and particularly within the church. Secondly, we have a responsibility to young people to be good role models - - their lives are counting on us. The rhetoric and lies about who we are negatively shape the self-esteem of many gay, lesbian and bisexual youth. With suicide rate of 33% for adolescences struggling with sexual orientation issues, we must be there for them in supportive and loving ways. Thirdly, we are in the midst of an incredible human rights movement and must stand up to any form of discrimination. This movement didn't begin with us, it began powerfully through the life of Jesus who recognized the value of human life; it was expressed by the anti-slavery movement; followed by the women's suffrage movement; led by Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, and many others; expressed through the Chicano, Native American, gay/lesbian liberation movements; and will continue till there is human dignity and respect of all people. We have many role models who have gone before us; those who stood up to oppression and misuse of power. We must follow their examples of justice-love making. And finally, the horizontal violence, especially within our lesbigay communities, must stop. One Amendment 2 supporter told the media, "We have the gay community right where we want them to be, fighting with each other. They will do themselves in." The image of crabs in a bucket is how I understand the violence we do to each other. Crabs crawling over each other, pinching each other and standing on top of the other just to try to get out of the bucket. That approach just doesn't work and it only hurts us. It is high time we learn to embrace and respect the diversity within the lesbigay communities. We need to define who we are as communities and not be co-opted by the dominant culture. For so long, we have denied one another in order to fit into what we believed the dominant heterosexual culture wanted us to be. That culture would have us believe there is only so much power to be had and we must fight each other to get a small piece of the pie. When we stop the violence toward one another, we bring our creative energies and efforts together, thus creating communities of solidarity and hope. We who strive to believe in the dignity of all people, especially with respect to gender, ableness, racial/ethnicity, sexual orientation, heritage, class, economic status, etc., are called to take the high road and bring folks together in life-affirming and God-affirming ways. To be life- affirming and God-affirming people is to say no to any form of discrimination and yes to living our lives more fully, honestly and boldly than ever. In a strange way, I am thankful for the wake-up call. My life is profoundly richer because of the God's radical call to be a truth-teller in the face of Amendment 2. Such discrimination has made me aware, like never before, of the various forms of oppression found in American culture. The wake-up call called me out as a life-affirming and God-affirming lesbian. I am thankful. Let us stand boldly and speak out, for the God's creation and Church depends upon our action. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Good News Thriving in the PCUSA, At Least for Today Outside Kansas City, Missouri, a group of Presbyterians gathered together to create am entirely new model for Christian community, worship and service. Martha Juillerat, Tammy Lindahl, Janie Spahr, Ginny Davidson, Bob Lay and others spent a day and half considering, listening and hearing each other into speech. The time together was called "Dream a Dance of Freedom," with the focus on what do we do within our denomination. Do we leave? Stay? How long? Can we survive? Thrive? In a recent telephone conversation, Martha spoke with me about the gathering. The group was made up of men and women, lay and clergy, heterosexual, gay and lesbian. The group began by sharing their experiences within worshipping communities and the empowerment experienced there. The discussion of a theoretical understanding of the ideal church was around inclusion and justice, but fleshing out the ideal church was somewhat difficult to express and was set aside. Through identifying where each person is in their relationship with the denomination, there emerged a shift in the process. Each person was asked to identify where she/he was on a 1 to 10 scale: 1 being out of this church and 10 being in this church, no matter what happens in 1996. Martha described the experience, "There was one 1 and one 9.5 but everyone else fell between 4 and 7. Actually that surprised us all because no one expected the numbers to be that high. We started to talk about the importance of our relationship with the church. One person said 'I learned social justice from the church, I became a feminist through the church.' When we talked about how much the church had shaped our lives and the church has given us, then we began to understand why we were 4's, 7's and 8's. Our talk is more like 1 and 2, but we surprised each other because we aren't feeling what we are talking. In our hearts we aren't talking about leaving. This revelation shifted our discussion from leaving to how can we survive in this church because our hearts are in the church." There was then discussion about creative expressions of surviving and thriving in the PCUSA by creating inclusive worship experiences, outreach to the LesBiGay community and creating a church in exile. Bob Lay in Salinas is gathering folks together to form a worshipping community of faith, a church in exile. There are 4 people in Kansas City who are committed to developing an alternative feminist inclusive worshipping community, not on Sunday morning. Addressing those in the rural areas, there was discussion about doing consciousness-raising, identifying support and finding better ways to connect with others. "I left with a new hope that I hadn't experienced in a couple of years. It's not about fixing the church, but thriving where we are now. Having the permission to claim where our hearts are, even though we are angry and many are feeling damaged by the church; we need to do something so that we don't die. It is a powerful experience saying this place is still important to me and claiming it without apology and explanation. My life is not the fight, the fight is enormous right now. I need to go where my heart leads me, not where my anger leads and see what evolves from this." This model of coming together, listening to one another, dreaming and creating inclusive communities of faith, is profound. The process in Kansas City moved from thinking about the ideal church to listening to the spirit's leading through heart-felt convictions and then acting upon those convictions. During this Eastertide, might we all take such a time for reflection, listening and feeling the spirit's presence and leading. A new creation is being birthed -- an alive and thriving community of faith where all people are welcomed at the table. So be it! -- Laurene Lafontaine. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Christian Justice, Worship and Whiffle ball The PLGC Mid-west Regional Conference was held at Pilgrim Heights Camp, about an hour east of Des Moines, Iowa. It was a rousing time of fellowship, relaxation and sharing in the heart-land of the country. Lindsay Biddle led a spirited day-long workshop on Biblical Self-Defense for Gay, Lesbians and Bisexuals on Friday. On Friday night and Saturday, we explored the call to Christian justice, shared our journeys toward accepting the call and related how we are acting and reacting justly within our own communities. It was a time of reflection and reclaiming the images of justice throughout scripture and within our own history. It was refreshing to worship together as a community of faith focused on living out our faith. Beth Thiel, Rick and Robin Chambers did a great job with the program and the whole weekend. The weekend included a time of whiffle ball -- what does one expect when you get a few dykes together! Cleve Evans not only learned to hit, throw and catch the ball but we named him an honorary lesbian!!! Cleve is our secret weapon on the whiffle ball field!! It was a nice way to enjoy an Iowa afternoon!! If you haven't been to a midwest regional conference, it's a great time! I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. -- Laurene Lafontaine. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Former PLGC Leader Ordained Good News from Bet Hannon: "Just wanted to let you (and other PLGC friends) know that yesterday, the Eastern Association of the Iowa Conference of the United Church of Christ voted (by overwhelming majority -- about 45-2) to ordain me pending a call! We were just amazed at the wonderful spirit of the gathering, and the incredible vote -- we had been prepared for something more like a 60-40% split. I am looking for a call and hope to stay in the Iowa Conference -- two of our three Open and Affirming Churches are open at the moment. It was a very powerful day, and Va Nee and I couldn't help but think about all the people who have been a part of the journey along the way, including so many folks from PLGC. Thanks for your friendship and your encouragement. This vote makes me the first openly gay person ordained in Iowa -- so as you can imagine, there was lots of celebrating! Janie Spahr & Laurene Lafontaine, along with a few other folks are here in Grinnell today (March 14, after speaking in Des Moines yesterday afternoon), so it will be good to continue the celebration with them! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Bi Any Other Name Please read before voting on PLGC's new name! by Chris Glaser Copyright (c) 1994 by Chris R. Glaser. All rights reserved. I have always assumed that what Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns does is done for bisexuals, too. That's why I strongly support the inclusion of "bisexual" in our new name. And I would hope we would be concerned for another group that gets left out, however small -- transgenders, those who do not fit comfortably into either gender. Yet, though I very much appreciate the difficult work of PLGC's excellent leadership, I like none of the alternatives presented by the executive board. Three of the four alternatives presented by the board incorporate the word "lesbigay," which I object to for the following reasons: 1. "Lesbigay" lumps lesbian, gay, and bisexual experience into a single phenomenon, glossing over the differences that make each category unique and distinct. 2. The term does not include transgenders. 3. "Lesbigay" is utilized only within academic circles, and only by a few academics. I know Presbyterians have a bookish bent, but we've got to become more inclusive of those who don't. If we really need a single term, "Lavender People" or "Queer" are more commonly used, would be less objectionable to me, but bring their own sets of problems. 4. "Lesbigay" would require, every time it was used, an explanation that would call attention to itself rather than the experiences it tries to name. (*I know* -- the same argument was probably made in reference to "lesbian" and "gay" as they came into use!) Two of the four alternatives include the word "justice" which implies a single focus for our organization. Justice, it seems to me, is but one of our concerns, which include worship, support, counseling, information, theology, sexual/spiritual integrity, and so on. Unfortunately, the least objectionable name is the most boring and does not exactly glide from the tongue: Presbyterians for Gender and Orientation Inclusiveness. Try saying that five times real fast! I like the thought behind the suggestion to call our group "Rainbow," because it evokes a visual image that links faith experience (the Ark) and lesbian and gay experience (the rainbow flag). But it doesn't have the substance that names like Dignity (Roman Catholics), Integrity (Episcopalians), and Affirmation (United Methodists and Mormons both use this) have. We are people of the rainbow, however, and that implies **COVENANT**. Covenant, a central word in the Reformed tradition, has substance as a noun and action as a verb. It implies both being and action. It connotes both God's action as well as our response. We are in a covenant relationship with God. We are a covenant people and people of the covenant. We covenant together as those concerned for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons. Covenant suggests the mutuality that we seek among ourselves and within the church. Our domestic partnerships are covenants. We struggle for our rights as children of the covenant. Those who oppose us are attempting to break the covenant we enjoy with God, proving unfaithful to their baptismal covenant with us and proving unfaithful to the covenant of grace with God. Just as gay, lesbian, and bisexual Roman Catholics claim their dignity, Episcopalians claim their integrity, and United Methodists and Mormons claim their affirmation, so gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Presbyterians and those of Reformed churches throughout the world claim the covenant. So why not call ourselves **COVENANT**? And why not begin to include others from Reformed churches around the world? In this country, for example, we could include members from the Reformed Church of America and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Presbyterian polity no longer requires that we all be members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), since we supposedly have no official connection to it. Some of you may remember the Covenant Fellowship of Presbyterians which consisted of many who oppose us. Now that it has merged with Presbyterians for Biblical Concerns to become Presbyterians for Renewal, it may be time for us to reclaim the word **COVENANT**. This could be followed by a description, something like: **Reforming the Presbyterian Church on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns**, or **Presbyterians Reforming the Church on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns**. It is important to use subtitles like these that do not sound exclusive of our families, friends, and advocates. It is also important to name the specific groups we are working for, rather than the general and vague "sexual minorities" or "sexual diversity" sometimes used. I have been a part of the discussion of every name change our organization has undergone. Each time that we amended our name, our intent has been to become yet more inclusive. Gay United Presbyterians seemed to exclude nongays and include only United Presbyterians. Presbyterian Gay Caucus came to be viewed as exclusively gay as well. Presbyterians for Gay Concerns came to be understood as less than inclusive of lesbians. Now, the name Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns does not reflect the concerns of our bisexual and transgender members. We are all children of the covenant, so claiming **COVENANT** as our name might be the most inclusive name yet. I think it's wonderful that we keep changing our name to reflect the inclusivity we wish to model for the church. If only the institutional church could also know and enjoy the inclusive love of God, it wouldn't have so many empty pews! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * And Another Suggestion I have recently been hearing conversation both on PresbyNet and elsewhere about a possible name change for PLGC. In the March *Update* I see the proposed alternatives. I have one primary reaction and then a suggestion: *Reaction*: While I am personally very comfortable with the term "Lesbigay", in doing a little bit of informal testing among my friends, it seems that unless you are really into lesbigay politics, the word is meaningless without some sort of explanation. It seems to me that we need to be as absolutely and totally transparent in our name as we possibly can be -- which would suggest that a word that does not automatically carry meaning, particularly to people outside our movement, may not be the most helpful term. *Suggestion*: I would like to propose a two part name -- a single word that would be used as the "PLGC" of the future, an abbreviated, 'short-hand' version of the name, followed by a fuller description of our commitments. I would like to suggestion: Inclusion: Presbyterians for Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay Concerns *Inclusion* is the primary stated concern of PLGC and as such would focus the attention of the hearer on what drives us; *Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay*, as opposed to other choices, again brings greater transparency to the name as related to our purpose. As I understand our concerns, stated in the broadest terms, they focus on full inclusion of *all* people within the church, and our more particular activity focuses on inclusion of lesbian, bisexual and gay folk. It seems to me that "Gender and Orientation Inclusiveness" is more limited than our theology would suggest. Also, while it is impossible to separate our concern for inclusiveness from issues of gender, the focus on gender inclusion (specifically women's issues) has not historically been, by itself, a primary focus of PLGC. (I have no idea why I am suggestion "Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay" in this order. It certainly isn't a suggestion of either priority or climactic order. The order is not an issue with me.) Over the years I have appreciated the succinctness of such names as *Integrity, Dignity, Affirmation* and others. It seems to me that a name with a single word focus would both be more readily identifiable to people hearing the name for the first time and be much easier for maintaining identity as opposed to getting lost in the alphabet soup of present-day organizational acronyms. -- Robb Gwaltney. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Closeted Names? Finally, Dee Michel suggests we avoid "closet" names, such as Integrity, Dignity, Affirmation, which don't tell folks right up front what we are all about. He prefers an explicit name, even if it gets awfully long, such as Presbyterians for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns. Now, it's time for you to express your opinion! See Ballot below! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Time to Vote It's time for members of PLGC to vote for their leaders. To be eligible to vote, you need to have joined or renewed your membership for 1994. All new memberships and renewals submitted since June of 1993 are considered 1994 memberships. If you have not yet joined or renewed for 1994, use the membership form below. All of this year's nominations are offered by your Nominating Committee: Lisa Bove (chairperson), Woody Carey, Mary Stewart Hall, Dick Hasbany, and Marcia Ludwig. They deserve your thanks, which you can indicate by voting! The ballot, or a copy, must be received by Wednesday, June 8, 1994. Send to: James D. Anderson, Communications Secretary, P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038. Your name and address must be clearly written on the outside envelope. As soon as eligibility is verified, the ballot will be separated from the envelope before being counted. PLGC Is Your Ministry Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns is an organization of ministers, elders, deacons, and members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) committed to the well-being of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, their families and friends within and without the Church; proclamation of the liberating and inclusive gospel of Jesus Christ to all people; reconciliation among all Presbyterians; education and dialogue that nurtures our biblical, theological, confessional, spiritual and personal development as individuals and as a Church. Join Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns by sending us your name, address, name of your home congregation or presbytery, and tax-deductible contribution ($40 per year or whatever you can afford). Contributions to PLGC ought not displace or be a substitute for support of the local and general mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) -- especially for those parts of the Church that welcome the full participation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, such as More Light Churches. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Membership Application/Renewal Form for 1994 PLGC, c/o James D. Anderson P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038 Name_______________________________________Date_____________________ Address_____________________________________________________________ Telephone___________________________________________________________ Home congregation / Presbytery______________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ I enclose $_______ to support the work, ministry and witness of PLGC. ___Please enroll me as a member of PLGC. ___I am not a Presbyterian, but I want to support the work, ministry and witness of PLGC. Please enroll me as a PLGC Associate. PLGC's membership rolls and mailing lists are confidential and are not shared with anyone except officers of PLGC. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1994 PLGC Ballot Male Co-Moderator -- 2 year term, vote for 1. ____Bob Patenaude, Los Angeles, CA. Bob is our current co- moderator. He is a leader of the Lazarus Project at West Hollywood Presbyterian Church and is also active in presbytery affairs. ____Other:_______________________________________________________ Female Executive Board Member -- 1 year, to fill unexpired term, vote for 1. ____Tammy Lindahl, Kansas City, MO. A Presbyterian minister, Tammy is parish associate at Van Brunt Boulevard Presbyterian Church, one of our newest More Light churches. She is a leader of the Kansas City chapter of PLGC. ____Other:_______________________________________________________ Female Executive Board Members -- 2 year terms, vote for 2. ____Dorothy Fillmore, Richmond, VA. Dorothy is a current board member. She was a founding member of Richmond PLGC and served as its first convener. ____Louise Thompson, Milwaukie, OR. Louise is an elder and member of the Milwaukie Presbyterian Church. Active in PLGC/Oregon and presbytery affairs, she is a retired clinical social worker. ____Others:______________________________________________________ Male Executive Board Members -- 2 year terms, vote for 3. ____Jim Earhart, Atlanta, GA. Jim is a current board member, an elder, and active in PLGC since 1983, serving as coordinator for the Synod of the South Atlantic and convener for PLGC/Atlanta. ____Michael Purintun, Louisville, KY. Michael is a current board member and manages "PLGC postings," our position referral service. He is active in PLGC/Louisville. ____Mike Smith, Grinnell, IA. Mike is pastor of 1st Presbyterian Church, Grinnell, and active in PLGC/East Iowa. He has been a forceful advocate for lesbigay liberation in the church. ____Others:______________________________________________________ Nominating Committee (vote for five) ____Chuck Collins, Rochester, NY. A long-time PLGC'er and seminary graduate, Chuck is an effective workshop leader, helping churches learn more about lesbigay folks. ____Cleve Evans, Omaha, NE. Cleve has served on our executive board for many years. A psychology professor, he leads the tenors in the River City Chorus. ____Merrill Proudfoot, Kansas City, MO. A college professor, Merrill is a mainstay of PLGC/Kansas City and a faithful advocate at general assemblies. ____Janie Spahr, San Rafael, CA. Our great and wonderful lesbian evangelist (who needs no introduction!). ____Georgeann Wilcoxson, Washington, DC. Georgeann was a principal leader of the Coalition for Loving Justice. She now helps coordinate PLGC efforts in the Synod of Mid-Atlantic. ____Others:______________________________________________________ PLGC's Name -- Preference Poll The PLGC Executive Board would like to know your preferences for our name. Please check the name you prefer, or write in your preference if it's not listed. If the Executive Board decides to change our name, it will constitute a change in our bylaws, which requires approval by a 2/3 vote of the Executive Board and a 2/3 vote of the general membership meeting at General Assembly. ____Rainbow: Presbyterians for Lesbigay Justice ____Presbyterians for Lesbigay Justice ____Presbyterians for Lesbigay Concerns ____Presbyterians for Gender and Orientation Inclusiveness ____No Change (keep Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns) ____Other:_______________________________________________________ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sunday Morning Staring at the circle of blue longing to speak, sing, weep. What is it like to be me in this place? Polite smiles and words of peace avoid encounters of truth. It isn't safe. Yet the longing continues, throbs in my chest and throat, sticks to my ribs, sits in my stomach. To say I exist and have needs which you do not address, cannot address, will not address, is not enough. Instead I am forever struggling to burst free of the ties that bind our hearts in christian love. -- Anonymous Lesbian Presbyterian Clergyperson * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *