Subject: IWG Philadelphia Forum Letter Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 23:43:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Chris Purdom The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 2 congregations, 5 religious organizations and 31 clergy from 11 faiths and denominations. If you are in the general Philadelphia area and represent a congregation or religious organization or are clergy, let us know if you want to be added - all faiths are welcome. We will also be happy to help start similar organizations in other areas. Visit the web page at http://www.libertynet.org/~iwg/ or http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/religion/orgs/iwg/ July 7, 1996 Philadelphia Forum 1816 Ludlow St. Philadelphia, PA. 19103 Dear Editor: We hope that Rosemond Kay is not seriously proposing that legal restrictions be placed on minorities based on traits shared by a majority of the people in each minority group ("gays and lesbians generally don't procreate"). In an age where overpopulation and a lack of homes for unwanted children have become serious problems, society has as much interest in encouraging relationships that do not produce children as it does in encouraging couples who do raise children to do a good job. Despite Mr. Kay's fervent wishes, many gays and lesbians do raise children, both biological and adopted. Many more might do so--providing much-needed homes to children awaiting adoption--if gay and lesbian couples had some of the financial advantages that straight couples receive merely because of their sexual orientation. If you believe that procreative sex is the primary purpose and feature of marriage, and that love, respect, intellectual and spiritual stimulation and mutual support are secondary, then the legal recognition of same-gender couples probably seems like a complete aberration and redefinition of the institution. If, however, you believe that those other features are primary, and that the sexual aspect is mostly an expression of them, then recognizing the marriages of same-gender couples is not an extension or redefinition, but a long overdue correction. On Tuesday, June 18, we held a press conference at City Hall at which we presented a statement endorsed by fifty-five clergy, congregations, and religious organizations supporting Mayor Rendell's Domestic Partnership policy. Like Mr. Kay, the Cardinal, and the Black Clergy, we believe that the state should recognize traditional marriage. We simply disagree about whether the genders of the participants are an important factor, or whether other types of relationships deserve civil recognition. Sincerely, Barbara Purdom Christopher Purdom Interfaith Working Group Coordinators