Subject: IWG Birmingham Post-Herald Billy Jack Gaither
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 00:17:45 -0500 (EST)

March 6, 1999

Birmingham Post-Herald
2200 N. 4th Avenue
Birmingham, AL  35202

Dear Editors:

We appreciated Elaine Witt's column about Billy Jack
Gaither.  We do believe that sexual orientation should
be added to hate crime laws.  But that can't be all. 
We are all responsible when people who have been set
apart, stereotyped, and legally discriminated against
are attacked for being different.  Mr. Gaither was by
all accounts a fine, religious human being.  He was
also beaten to death and burned simply because he was
gay.  Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people do
not have the same legal rights and responsibilities
that everyone else takes for granted.  They continue
to be  portrayed (inaccurately) both as a threat to
society at large and as condemned by all religious
institutions.  Religious people need to stand with
those who are systematically oppressed and speak out
against violence and discrimination and for equality
and inclusion of all people.

Sincerely,
Barbara Purdom     Christopher Purdom
Interfaith Working Group Coordinators

The above letter went out on IWG letterhead listing 17 congregations and
organizations and 61 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.

-- 

Interfaith Working Group                Religious organizations, congregations
http://www.libertynet.org/iwg           and clergy supporting gay rights,
[email-masked]                      reproductive freedom, and the 
voice: 215-235-3050  fax: 232-0829      separation of church and state.

Sunday May 16, 1999 5pm. Marching In the Light: IWG Benefit Concert. Old
First Reformed Church. 4th and Race, Philadelphia, PA.  See the web page.