Subject: IWG City Council Letter
From: Interfaith Working Group <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 22:35:23 -0500 (EST)

This letter was sent to the following signers:

City Councilman Angel L. Ortiz
Room  590, City Hall

City Councilwoman Anna Verna
Room  405, City Hall

City Councilman David Cohen
Room  588, City Hall

City Councilman Frank DiCicco
Room  488, City Hall

City Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller
Room  316, City Hall

City Councilwoman Marian Tasco
Room  577, City Hall

City Councilman Frank Rizzo Jr.
Room  582B, City Hall

City Councilman Lastname
Room Number, City Hall
Philadelphia, PA  19107

Dear Councilman Lastname:

Thank you for signing the statement regarding the
Rev. Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church.  We
were especially heartened by your recognition of the
importance of Philadelphia's tradition of religious
liberty, diversity and tolerance.  We appreciate your
willingness to stand up for Philadelphia's lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgendered citizens and their
friends and families in the face of overt and extreme
hatred.  We hope that you will continue to recognize
their right to fair and equal  treatment when they
are faced with subtler attacks.

The response to Fred Phelps, from community
activists, religious leaders, and elected officials
like you sent a clear message to Westboro Baptist,
and more importantly to Philadelphians and potential
visitors to the city, about what kind of city
Philadelphia wants to be.  Thank you again for your
part in making that message as clear as possible.

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.