Subject: IWG Fox Philadelphia Life Partners Vote Coverage
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 23:35:26 -0400 (EDT)

The following went out on IWG letterhead listing 12 congregations and
organizations and 56 clergy from 15 religious traditions. 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.

May 7, 1998

John Mussoni
The 10 O'Clock News
Fox Philadelphia
4th and Market
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Dear Mr. Mussoni:
	We were very disappointed by the coverage of the
City Council votes on the Life Partnership bills. 
You reported that "gay activists" supported the bill
and that "the religious community" opposed the bills. 
It would have been more accurate to say that "gay
rights activists" (both gay and straight) supported
the bills and to say that the religious community was
divided.  Two weeks earlier City Council heard
testimony in favor of the bills from Episcopal and
Lutheran Bishops, the American Jewish Congress, the
Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Chestnut Hill
Friends Meeting, Dignity/Philadelphia, two
Reconstructionist rabbis, two Unitarian Universalist
pastors, a Disciples of Christ minister, a
Metropolitan Community Church minister, an Episcopal
priest, and Methodist, Lutheran, and Baptist pastors,
as well as laity from Catholic and Protestant
backgrounds.  There was far more official religious
testimony in favor of the bills than against, and a
great number of supporters were not themselves gay or
lesbian .
	In late March you received a statement from our
organization that has now been endorsed by eight
religious organizations, eight congregations, and
seventy-eight individual clergy from seventeen
religious traditions.  In that statement we said, "We
strongly disagree that fair and balanced economic
treatment for all people, regardless of the genders
of their life-partners, can in any way be
'destructive to our city's moral and social
structure.'  These proposals are not 'expanding the
notion of family.'  They are simply recognizing
existing family structures that have been neglected
by some religious institutions.  The government
already recognizes families that some faith-based
groups do not, such as interfaith couples and spouses
who have previously married and divorced, as well as
same-gender couples wishing to adopt children.  Many
religious institutions also recognize same-gender
couples as families."  
	We were encouraged recently when Fox
Philadelphia asked us for assistance in balancing
statements from the religious community about Reggie
White's comments, and as a result, interviewed Rev.
Dr. Beverly Dale of the Christian Association at the
University of Pennsylvania.  We are always happy to
assist you in achieving more accurate and balanced
religious coverage of social issues.  Please do not
hesitate to call. 

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.

Sunday, May 31, 4 pm, First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, 21st and Walnut
Marching in the Light benefit concert http://www.libertynet.org/iwg/concert.html