Subject: January 1996 Dignity/USA DATELINE
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 1996 08:58:53 -0500 (EST)

Text of January 1996 Dignity/USA DATELINE

1. Dignity Members Share Gifts at CTA & WOC Gatherings

        Dignity members played important roles at two major progressive
Catholic conferences held during November, Call to Action (CTA) and
Women's Ordination Conference (WOC). 
        More than 50 Dignity members attended the CTA Conference held in
Chicago from November 3 to November 5. A highlight of the weekend was a
reception hosted by Dignity/USA and Dignity/Chicago where National
President Marianne Duddy presented Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton of Detroit,
a major speaker at the conference, with a President's Award.  Gumbleton
was honored for his honesty and courage in speaking out repeatedly on
behalf of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and for telling
his own personal story of coming to term with his brother's homosexuality.
Dignity also recognized the testimony Gumbleton has given to the power of
an informed conscience over official Church teaching. 
        Once again, lesbian and gay concerns were high profile issues on the CTA
agenda. In opening remarks before some 4,000 conference par-ticipants, CTA
President Linda Pieczynski  spoke of bringing her daughters  to liturgy at
Dignity/Chicago on Solidarity Sunday. She related her daughters' excitement
about the liturgy: "It took bringing my daughters to Mass in a gay and
lesbian community for them to realize what Church really is."
        At a booth staffed by Dignity/Chicago members, over 1,000 copies
of the 25th anniversary issue of the Journal were distributed. In
addition, Marianne facilitated a caucus with 250 diverse participants on
issues facing the gay and lesbian community. 

	The next weekend, a large number of Dignity women and men attended
the twentieth anniversary gathering of the Women's Ordination Conference
in Arlington, Virginia, from November 10 to 12. The meeting's theme was
Discipleship of Equals: Breaking Bread, Doing Justice. 
        Dignity members Becky Burke, Christine Coughlan, Marianne Duddy, David
Gentry-Akin, and Marta Vides led workshops. Marta, a member of the San
Francisco chapter,  was also part of the weekend's long-term planning
process. Nation-al Treasurer Mary Louise Cervone and  her partner, Kathleen
McDade, participated in the opening ceremonies.
        Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Mary Coleman Spring and
Mid-Atlantic CWC Chair Kathryn Kelley staffed a Dignity/USA information
table that distributed Dignity publications, including the CWC's Voices &
Visions and several hundred copies of the Journal.  Dignity/USA also
hosted a lunchtime gathering attended by more than 40 lesbian women from
various organizations and small faith communities. 

2. AGLO Honors Dignity With Govea Award

        AGLO-Chicago, the Arch-diocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, has
presented its 1995 Govea Award to Dignity/USA.  This annual award
recognizes individuals or organizations rendering outstanding service
through ". . . sponsorship of a specific project which has been judged to
have a significant benefit to the lesbian and gay community . . ."
        In the letter of commendation, AGLO's Secretary, Daniel
Weitendorf, cited Dignity/USA's ministry to lesbian and gay Catholics "at
a time when there were no officially sanctioned ministries coming from
local dioceses or the Church at large.  Today, when there are many
officially sanctioned diocesan ministries throughout the country, we all
have our common roots in the original organization, Dignity. You, as an
organization, have stood as the bridge for homosexual Catholics between
their life-style and their spirituality. . . We look upon you, our sisters
and brothers of Dignity, with respect and gratitude for your long-standing
commitment to ministering to our community."

3. Refusing Politics of Hate

        The Christian Coalition's effort to recruit Catholics to support
the agenda of the Radical Right with the formation of the Catholic
Alliance has been opposed by Dignity/USA.  According to President Marianne
Duddy, the groups kickoff in Boston used deceptive and misleading tactics
to mobilize conservative Catholics in support of right-wing Republicans 
presidential candidates.
        "The materials being sent to Catholics make it sound like this
group will fight for causes such as public support for parochial schools,"
noted Marianne. In reality, however, they want money and votes to support
an agenda focused on dividing Americans from one another. Two issues
--homosexuality and abortion-- are again used as a litmus test for backing
candidates. "We in Dignity call on Catholics of all political perspectives
to look carefully at the material the Christian Coalition sends out and to
refuse to become pawns in their politics of hate."

4. "In the Life" Interviews Jeff Stone

        The February edition of "In the Life," the national PBS program
devoted to lesbian and gay issues, will include an interview with
Dignity's National Director from the Northeast Region, Jeff Stone.  Jeff
was interviewed for a segment on gays and religion that will be shown
during February. MCC founder Rev. Troy Perry and Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of
New York City's lesbian and gay synagogue were also interviewed. Consult
local PBS listings to for the show's date and time in your area. 
        The show's December edition explored the issue of homosexuality
within Roman Catholic institutions. Highlights included Notre Dame's
decision to deny recognition to a gay and lesbian student group and
discussions with medieval historian Dr. Mark Jordan of Notre Dame and Fr.
Robert Nugent of New Ways Ministry about the strong influence
homosexuality has play within the Church throughout its history. If your
PBS station does not show In the Life, write or call asking them to do so. 

5. Happy Anniversary

Orlando-2; Brooklyn-19; Phoenix-19; Chicago-24