Subject: Religious Right Renews Attack On Gay Spirituality
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 20:34:20 -0500 (EST)

Subject: Religious Right Renews Attack On Gay Spirituality

Right-wing groups...
...including the Family Research Council, the Institute for Religion and
Democracy, and the so-called Americans for Truth about Homosexuality have
launched a national media attack against openly-gay minister Troy Perry's
visit to the White House on Thursday, Nov. 20.

This negative media campaign includes a personal attack upon Rev. Perry --
and a call for President Clinton to withdraw his invitation to Troy.

This media campaign is unusally vicious, ugly, meanspirited and untruthful.
For example, the staff at the Family Research Council released a news release
with the title, "President Clinton to Honor Homosexual Minister Who Advocates
for Sadistic Sex," and characterizes Rev. Perry as a "champion of vile
perversions" and someone who "glorifies the infliction of pain and
humiliation through...torture." The news release goes on charge that Perry
and UFMCC "celebrate violent and degrading sexual practices."

The text of the Family Research Concil's "hate" release follows. Please note
that it is full of misquotes, misstatements and untruths. UFMCC's public
response follows.

News Release
Americans for Truth about Homosexuality

CONTACT: Peter LaBarbera
November 19, 1997		(202) 393-2100 	(703) 491-7975

President Clinton to Honor Homosexual Minister Who Advocates for Sadistic Sex

WASHINGTON, D.C.--President Clinton is honoring a homosexual minister who
advocates no limits on sexual practices, Americans for Truth about
Homosexuality (AFT) has learned.  AFT President Peter LaBarera and other
pro-family leaders are calling on Mr. Clinton to revoke the award.

Rev. Troy Perry--who founded the Metropolitan Community Church for
homosexuals and who celebrates his "God given sexual orientation"--will be
among the 120 American religious leaders honored by the White House tomorrow
for their contributions to society, according to an Internet bulletin
published by the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
(UFMCC).

The vision statement for the UFMCC, which now claims 70,000 members
worldwide, call for "inclusive Christian spirituality which celebrates the
integration of spirituality and human sexuality."  But LaBarbera, Robert
Knight, director of cultural studies at the Family Research Council (FRC),
and Mark Tooley of the Institute for Religion and Democracy (IRD), said
Perry's movement merely celebrates a sin condemned by the Bible and that and
that he should NOT be honored.

"Troy Perry is a testament to man's infinite capacity for self-delusion,"
LaBarbera said.  "He's taken all divine judgement out of sexuality and
champions the most vile perversions known to man.  In addition to promoting
sodomy and denying the hopeful truth that homosexuals can change, he
glorifies the infliction of pain and humiliation through bondage, whipping
and torture.  Honoring him further degrades the Office of the Presidency."

As a contributor to the book Leatherfolk: Radical Sex, People, Politics and
Practice (Alyson: 1991), Perry describes his "journey into leather," a
homosexual slang term for the subspecies of homosexuality which celebrates
violent and degrading "sexual" practices collectively known as
"sado-masochism." As justification, Perry notes that "John the Baptist, the
person who proclaimed the one we believe is the Christ, the Promised One,
wore leather..."

IRD research assistant Mark Tooley said, "It is highly disappointing and
embarrassing that the White House should honor a church leader whose
religious career had been dedicated to the legitimizations of homosexual
behavior. Christian leaders are called to offer the world hope and
redemption. Troy Perry and his MCC church offer neither. Instead, they
distort the Gospel, telling captives to a particular sin that deliverance is
not only impossible, but undesirable. The church of Jesus Christ is supposed
to transform the world. Troy Perry urges that the church abandon its ancient
teaching and surrender to the world. He merits sorrow, not congratulations."

"We are witnessing the Administration's moral meltdown," said FRC's Knight.
"What's next? A memorial to Church of Satan founder Anton LeVay?"

To schedule interview with LaBarbera, Tooley, or Knight, call LaBarbera at
202-393-2100.  American for Truth is a non-partisan group dedicated to
countering the homosexual movement in American politics and culture.

_______________________
UFMCC's Public Response:
PRESS RELEASE

Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community Churches
8704 Santa Monica Blvd, Second Floor
West Hollywood, CA 90069

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UFMCC Issues Public Statement Concerning the
White House Invitation and the 
Attacks From The Religious Right

Los Angeles, November 19, 1997—We are deeply saddened by the hostile attacks
by the so-called Religious Right upon the Rev. Troy D. Perry, founder and
moderator of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, in
response to the White House's invitation to participate in the Presidential
breakfast for American religious leaders on Nov. 20 at the White House.

This is another instance in which the Religious Right is simply wrong. The
news release issued by the Family Research Council and Americans for Truth is
full of misstatements and untruths which are designed to inflame and divide
the public.

For the past three decades, the Rev. Mr. Perry and the churches of the UFMCC
have offered positive, affirming Christian spirituality to gays, lesbians,
bisexuals and transgendered persons. The Rev. Mr. Perry's work and ministry
have been recognized by awards from the American Civil Liberties Union, the
Human Rights Campaign and numerous civil rights organizations. He served with
distinction on the Los Angeles Human Rights Commission. His pioneering work
in the field of gay spirituality has furthered a dialog of understanding
within mainline Christian and Jewish faith communities.

The more than 42,000 members of the UFMCC, and the 225,000 gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered persons who find hope, faith, and spirituality
within UFMCC congregations each year, are eloquent testimony to the Rev. Mr.
Perry's ministry and the on-going work of the UFMCC congregations.

Attacks of this nature remind us why the churches of the UFMCC are often
referred to as "spiritual outposts" for the gay community. As Rev. Perry's
participation last week in the White House Conference on Hate Crimes
confirmed, gays and lesbians comprise one of the last minority groups in
America for which hate and discrimination are still socially acceptable by
too many of our citizens.  (END)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
James Birkitt, Jr., Director of Communications
(310) 360-8640   Fax: (310) 360-8680
E-Mail: [email-masked]

website: http://www.ufmcc.com