Subject: IWG Wall Street Journal Letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 23:13:48 -0500 (EST)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 3 congregations, 5 religious
organizations and 36 clergy from 12 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.

December 3, 1996

Wall Street Journal
200 Liberty St.
New York, NY  10281

Dear Editors:

In his letter to the editor, Stephen F. Oritz wonders
why anyone would identify themselves primarily by their
sexual orientation in a corporate setting.  He goes on
to cite a number of other factors which one might use
as an identity instead, including church affiliation.

Sexual orientation is an issue because most people in
the sexual majority choose to make it an issue, and
thus it assumes a status which makes it seem primary. 
There was a time in America when it was not a good idea
in many companies to reveal your religion unless you
belonged to a major Protestant denomination.  A worker
displaying a picture of the Pope or a Star of David on
his or her desk would have been perceived as primarily
identifying with, and perhaps even flaunting, a
minority religious affiliation.  Today such symbols
would probably go unnoticed, especially if they were
sitting next to a picture of a same-gender spouse.

Family photographs have no more bearing on workplace
performance than religious symbols, and the display of
both deserves equal protection from job discrimination.

Sincerely,
Barbara Purdom    Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

-- 

Interfaith Working Group                Religious organizations, congregations 
[email-masked]                      and clergy supporting gay rights,
http://www.libertynet.org/~iwg/         reproductive freedom, and the 
215-235-3050                            separation of church and state.