From: Chitwan@aol.com Date: Mon, 11 Jul 94 14:23:55 EDT Please post to other boards If you didn't get previous posts, contact: ============================= TO: Rev. Dr. Mel White Solidarity Vigil Organizers FROM: Ground Zero Contact: Frank Whitworth 719-635-6086 voice 719-635-6106 fax cendo@spot.colorado.edu RE: Suggested Speech DATE: July 11, 1994 Six minute suggested speech to use at the Solidarity Vigils on Saturday, July 16. Please feel free to adapt and modify to meet the needs of your community. Work in the names of your local Religious Right leaders if you can. You do not need to read the sub titles. Good luck and thank you! ======================= Enough is Enough! A movement has begun based on fear, lies and division. But it can not -- and will not -- conquer peace, truth, and inclusion. Today we are gathered in PEACE in front of the offices of ___________, a branch of Focus on the Family, to call upon those who have declared a war upon us -- to stop: Enough is enough! "War" is their term. On May 16-18, Focus on the Family co-sponsored a secret meeting of over 40 Religious Right leaders in Colorado Springs, Colorado to plan an all out attack on the civil rights of gay and lesbian people in America. We are here today in ___city_____ to say: Enough is enough! We Are Not Alone Today's vigil corresponds with events held throughout the country. In Colorado Springs, at the Focus on the Family headquarters, a gay Christian minister is in the sixth day of a seven-day fast to bring public awareness to this radical scheme. We join this gay minister, the Reverend Dr. Mel White, of Dallas, to alert the public of the lies being told about our gay brothers and sisters by Focus leader James Dobson and his powerful allies: Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, James Kennedy, Lou Sheldon and others. Again, to them we say: Enough is enough! The Reverend Dr. Mel White knows the Religious Right. Before disclosing his own homosexuality, Dr. White wrote books for Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell and produced videos for James Kennedy. Because he admitted he was gay, he was cast out of their circle. Dr. White points out that in 1990, the Religious Right was in need of a -- new devil. The abortion issue wasn't working, Communism was gone; so the Religious Right decided to single out gays and lesbians as the new "evil empire." Though the radical Religious Right represents only small number of people, they tend to have a loud voice. For example, Dobson's Focus on the Family employs 1,200 full-time workers, has an annual budget of $150 million and owns a vast media empire with daily radio broadcasts. Focus has over 2 million volunteers in all 50 states. But what is Focus doing with their enormous assets? The answer: the elimination of gay rights. This plot is at the top of their list to enforce their -- quote -- "moral mandate" on America. Fear and Lies Fear about lesbian and gay people is the instrument they have chosen to use for raising money and mobilizing volunteers to further their political power. The radical Religious Right is attempting to frighten Americans with absurd propaganda and misinformation. They falsely insist that there is a "gay agenda" that threatens American values, that gays and lesbians are not trustworthy parents, that they abuse, molest and recruit children, that they should not hold responsible positions in schools and churches, that they are a threat to discipline in the military, and that lesbians and gays all lead godless, sinful lives. Hear us: All of these charges are untrue! Division The public at large is a victim of this hysteria and barrage of anti-homosexual propaganda. Sadly, well meaning Americans have volunteered time and money to eliminate the imaginary "gay threat." But what happens is divisive. Most families have lesbian and gay relatives. Misinformation from Dobson and his allies leads to the destruction of these families, -- to the alarming rise of suicide and suicide attempts among gay and lesbian teenagers, -- to violence against innocent lesbians and gay men, and -- to a growing mood of intolerance and discrimination across the country. Peace and Truth America's lesbian and gay people are no "evil empire." Mainstream religions are recognizing this truth. Instead of condemning homosexuals, many good churches and religious bodies are rightly concluding that -- persecution and discrimination are not acts of faith. These groups are concerned that the radical Religious Right is giving spirituality a bad name. The radical Religious Right bases their "war" on six verses in the Bible. Six, out of over 31,000! (Old & New Testaments) Fortunately, most Christians and spiritual persons see their mission as one -- not for using Scripture to justify prejudice -- but for modeling themselves to their God's teachings of love, forgiveness and brotherhood. Inclusion So with this vigil -- as with the Reverend Dr. White's fast -- we call for an immediate end to the "war" that has been declared upon us. As Dr. White says, "This truth cannot be repeated enough: Gay and lesbian people do not want or need 'special rights.' We are not against 'family values.' We have no 'agenda' that threatens the spiritual or moral standards of this nation. We are not the enemy." "The real enemies are those who teach hate instead of love, those who use misinformation and fear tactics to raise money and mobilize volunteers, and those who use play on ancient superstitions to destroy lives and ruin families." ---END--- NOTE: Detailed reports of the Colorado Springs secret planning converence are available from Ground Zero. Also, a related article from the June 29, Boston "Bay Windows" newspaper has been widely distributed over the Internet. --------