If the Texas State Board of Education moves to include mention of Phyllis Schlafly and Jerry Falwell in school textbooks, Faith In America hopes they will document how harmful their anti-gay actions have been to millions of gay and lesbian youth.

The Texas State Board of Education in a 10-5 party line vote approved some controversial alterations to what most students in the state and other areas of the country will be studying as history. After a public comment period, the board will vote on final recommendations in May.

According to an Associated Press story, it would mean not only increased favorable mentions of anti-gay activist Phyllis Schlafly but also more discussion about the anti-gay Moral Majority and Heritage Foundation.

“The bigotry, prejudice and violence that has been justified and promoted by these so-called conservative groups has inflicted a horrific toll on the lives of gay and lesbian individuals, especially youth,” said Brent Childers, an evangelical Christian who serves as executive director Faith In America. “It’s unimaginable that millions of kids across this nation may now be taught that people who espouse and promote religion-based bigotry are to be looked upon as favorable.

“History, time and time again, has judged such religion-based bigotry as harmful and unacceptable, whether such bigotry and prejudice was perpetrated toward American Natives, women or African-Americans. Apologies have been issued by the church and others for their role in promoting religion-based bigotry toward a minority group.”

Childers said that he recalls how his own past bigotry and prejudice toward gay Americans was fostered and reinforced by Falwell and other anti-gay figures who for years used the religious and political arenas to promote the attitude that it’s OK to be prejudiced and hostile toward gay and lesbian individuals.

“Now, the Texas Board of Education is poised to use public school textbooks to give a stamp of approval to the religion-based bigotry and hostility that has been promoted by groups like the Moral Majority or Heritage Foundation. To put a positive spin on those group’s prejudice and hostility toward gay Americans is no different than if someone proposed to rewriting history to portray segregation, racism or looking upon women as inferior in favorable terms.”

Faith In America is a national nonprofit organization founded in 2005 to educate Americans about the harm caused when religious teaching is misused to justify prejudice, discrimination and violence against people based solely on their sexual orientation. Brent Childers, a straight evangelical ally, serves as executive director. In September 2008, Faith In America founder and longtime civil rights advocate Mitchell Gold published “Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America”. The book, a not-for-profit venture, has been used in community forums across the nation to bring awareness and understanding to one of the greatest moral failures of our time: Misusing religion in a way that subjects gay teens to traumatic depression, fear, rejection, persecution and even physical violence.
www.faithinamerica.com

Faith In America today challenged Miss California’s pastor to consider the disservice he does to her and others with his embrace and promotion of religion-based bigotry and prejudice toward gay Americans.

According to Carrie Prejean’s pastor, Rev. Miles McPherson, he contacted the Miss USA contestant just hours after she stated she did not believe gay Americans should be allowed to marry when asked a question during the April 19 Miss USA pageant. After being told that Ms. Prejean attends his church in California, McPherson said he sent her a text message as she was flying to New York the day after the pageant to be interviewed by the Today Show.

In his text message, McPherson stated that he was proud her – apparently for voicing her opposition to same-sex marriage during the nationally televised pageant. McPherson, who serves as pastor of The Rock Church  in San Diego, Calif., reportedly has continued to counsel the 21-year-old woman and had her appear at an April 26 service at his church. 

“We must ask Rev. McPherson if he would have been proud of Ms. Prejean if she had stated that she believes interracial marriage is wrong based on her understanding of certain religious text,” said Rodney Powell, a member of Faith In America’s board of directors who was active in The Civil Rights Movement. 

“McPherson during a recent Fox News appearance stated that civil rights for gay Americans cannot be compared with civil rights for Africans-Americans. As an African-American who marched with Martin Luther King and as a gay American, I can state unequivocally that the religion-based bigotry and prejudice once used against me as an African-American is the same bigotry and prejudice used against me today as a gay man.”

During the May 5 appearance on Fox News’ O’Reilly Factor, McPherson said that Ms. Prejean “honored her God” by voicing her opposition to same-sex marriage. He also stated during that interview that sexual orientation is behavior and discounted the possibility that anyone is born gay – even if gay Christians were to tell McPherson that their sexual orientation is the way God created them.

Mitchell Gold, founder of Faith In America, said he would like to ask McPherson a simple question:  “When did you decide to be heterosexual?”.  

“Science and common sense prove that sexual orientation is a natural part of a human’s being and not some promiscuous choice,” Gold said. “Rev. McPherson should consider the fact that many people of faith would respectfully disagree with his statements and many have come to reject attitudes based on prejudice and misunderstanding as attitudes that people of faith should honor or uphold.

“I sincerely ask McPherson, and other pastors across America who still hold such views, to consider the immense emotional, psychological and spiritual harm that is done to gay and lesbian Americans, particularly gay youth, when they hear religious leaders say that their sexual orientation puts them at odds with their God.”

Gold said that he has sent McPherson a copy of his book, “CRISIS: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America”, in hopes that McPherson will come to better understand the harm that is caused when religious teaching is used to justify prejudice, discrimination and violence toward gay Americans simply because of a person’s sexual orientation.

“Children at the age of 11 are taking their owns lives because they are hearing a message that gay Americans are unworthy, inferior and a threat to society,” Gold said. “To promote such attitudes is a grave disservice to people of faith and I sincerely hope that Rev. McPherson will consider the disservice that he has done to Ms. Prejean and many others with his promotion of this attitude and the fear and misunderstanding that is associated with it.”

 

Mitchell Gold, a home furnishings business owner and longtime civil rights advocate, founded Faith In America in 2005 to educate Americans about the harm caused when religion is misused to justify prejudice, discrimination and violence against people based solely on their sexual orientation. In September 2008, Gold published “Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America” to help bring awareness and understanding to one of the greatest moral failures of our time:  Misusing religion in a way that subjects gay teens to traumatic depression, fear, rejection, persecution and even physical violence. The book offers understanding to parents, teachers, and religious leaders about the harm being done and how society can end it. For more information, visit http://www.crisisbook.org.

]]> http://www.endtheharm.com/?feed=rss2&p=88 2 http://www.endtheharm.com/?p=84 http://www.endtheharm.com/?p=84#comments Sat, 17 Jan 2009 04:04:21 +0000 Brent http://www.endtheharm.com/?p=84 Faith In America today released a videographed open-letter to Rev. Rick Warren during which a civil rights activist says Warren’s pastoral leadership does not honor the late Martin Luther King Jr.
Warren is scheduled to speak Monday at a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration service in Atlanta.
The open-letter, which has been posted on YouTube and the nonprofit organization’s web site, features Rodney N. Powell, M.D., a member of Faith In America’s board of directors and a former student activist during the Civil Rights Movement.
The video can viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHmFhTuMpVU
Brent Childers, executive director of the organization, said Powell’s open-letter to Warren was released to remind Warren that his religion-based bigotry toward gay Americans is the same kind of religion-based bigotry toward African-Americans that King stood so adamantly against and which ultimately cost King his life.
Powell said he defends Warren’s right to hold and express his personal religious beliefs but that he does not respect him for doing so when such action justifies and promotes harm toward gay Americans, particularly youth.
“Your religious beliefs do not give you the right to oppress gay Americans and encode your religious beliefs into customs and codify them into laws that deny equal civil rights and first-class citizenship to other Americans,” Powell states on the segment.
“When you seek to enforce your views of intolerance on others, you are no different from racists, segregationists, sexists, antisemites and other bigots throughout America’s history of religion-based bigotry.”
Faith In America’s founder Mitchell Gold on Wednesday hand-delivered Powell’s segment to Warren’s Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., along with a series of other videographed letters and printed letters that the organization collected from supporters.
Warren was presented a copy of Gold’s new book, “Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America” and a copy of “The Pastor’s Daughter,” a young adult novel by Tracey Zoeller, who along with Gold also speaks to Warren in a videographed open letter.
Gold said that there was a recent news report that Warren had visited a West Hollywood bookstore and some commentators suggested perhaps he made that visit to obtain materials that would help him better understand why many gay Americans were so outraged over his invitation to give an inaugural prayer. Others suggested the vsit was just a publicity stunt.
“I obviously do not know Rev. Warren’s motive in making that visit but it is my hope that some place within his humanity there is a small voice asking him to consider if perhaps this is yet another case – just as it was when religion-based bigotry was used to justify attitudes of rejection and condemnation toward African-Americans, women or interracial couples – in which traditional church teaching is being misused to justify a social injustice,” Gold said. “We have presented him with material which clearly show the harm is being done. The decision to open his heart and see the harm that is being done is now the decision he must make.”
Powell states in his letter that he is certain Martin Luther King Jr. would in no way condone Warren’s words and attitude toward gay Americans.
“Mr. Warren, I do not believe Dr. King would find your spiritual leadership unifying and I’m certain he would not find it part of his vision for America as a beloved community.
Faith In America also published an ad in the Washington, D.C.-based newspaper Politico this week which addresses Warren and the history of religion-based bigotry. (attached)
The videographed letters by Gold and Zoeller can be viewed here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvHY-Z7Aff0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbB6SsrUYzA
• • •
• As a medical student in Nashville from 1957 to 1961, Rodney Powell was a student protest leader in the African-American civil rights movement, where he had the honor and privilege to learn and apply the philosophy and strategies of nonviolent resistance under the guidance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Powell continues his activism, serving on the board of directors of Faith in America and supporting other organizations dedicated to achieving equality for gay Americans.
• Mitchell Gold, a home furnishings business owner and longtime civil rights advocate, founded Faith In America in 2005 to educate Americans about the harm caused when religion is misused to justify prejudice, discrimination and violence against people based solely on their sexual orientation. In September 2008, Gold published “Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America” to help bring awareness and understanding to one of the greatest moral failures of our time: Misusing religion in a way that subjects gay teens to traumatic depression, fear, rejection, persecution and even physical violence. The book offers understanding to parents, teachers, and religious leaders about the harm being done and how society can end it. For more information, visit www.crisisbook.org.
• Tracey Zoeller, is the author of the young adult novel, “The Pastor’s Daughter.” Much like the heroine in her book, Tracey grew up on the south shore of Long Island and was raised in a born-again Christian household in which religious rules and regulations governed everyday life. Tracey currently lives with her girlfriend in the south suburbs of Chicago and works as a social worker in a nursing home.
Faith In America, a national nonprofit organization, was founded in 2005 to educate Americans about the harm caused by religion-based bigotry and prejudice toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens by connecting the dots of religion-based bigotry’s history. www.faithinamerica.com
]]> http://www.endtheharm.com/?feed=rss2&p=84 0 http://www.endtheharm.com/?p=80 http://www.endtheharm.com/?p=80#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:40:17 +0000 Brent http://www.endtheharm.com/?p=80 There’s a very good article on the late Mildred Loving that is part of the cover story this week for the New York Times Magazine. The article, published Sunday, Dec. 28, mentions Faith In America’s role in obtaining a marriage equality statement from the late Mildred Loving.

This is a particularly timely mention considering how Mrs. Loving took a stand against the type religion-based bigotry espoused and promoted by Pastor Rick Warren and others.

In 1967, Mildred Loving took a historic stand against religion-based bigotry that people once used to justify denying her the right to marry the person she loved.

In 2007, she took a historic stand against religion-based bigotry that people use today to justify denying gay and lesbian individuals their right to marry the person they love.

Mildred stated in a May 2007 meeting with Faith In America founder Mitchell Gold that a Bible used to justify harming others was not the Bible she kept by her side.

Those words from a wise and humble civil rights icon are words Pastor Warren and others really need to come to understand.

You can help.

Faith In America is collecting personal stories from Americans, gay and straight, who have in some way experienced the harm caused by religion-based bigotry. The organization will deliver the personal stories to Pastor Warren prior to the inauguration. You can send your stories to lovingus@faithinamerica.com.

Perhaps you have experienced it at the hands of family members. Perhaps co-workers. Maybe your church or someone in your community. Perhaps your son or daughter has experienced it at school.

While Faith In America believes that Warren’s selection is a far cry from the best America has to offer, it also realizes that this incidence could prove to be an important moment in the work to end the harm caused by religion-based bigotry.

Please consider join Faith In America in this effort. 

Please take the time to send them a few sentences on how you or someone you love has been adversely effected by those who misuse religion to justify prejudice, discrimination and violence against gay and lesbian citizens.

If nothing else, simply share your thoughts on why you believe religion-based bigotry against gay and lesbian Americans must end.

Let’s help Americans understand why it must!

lovingus@faithinamerica.com

]]> http://www.endtheharm.com/?feed=rss2&p=80 0 http://www.endtheharm.com/?p=22 http://www.endtheharm.com/?p=22#comments Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:32:38 +0000 Jason http://www.endtheharm.com/georgia-needs-anti-bullying-law …from Savannah Now: 

By Kevin L. Clark

On Feb. 12, 15-year-old Lawrence King of Oxnard, Calif., who had been teased, bullied, and harassed incessantly in school, was shot and killed simply because of his sexual orientation and gender expression.

On March 17, 2006, 20-year-old Travis McClain of Savannah was brutally beaten – suffering a concussion and broken teeth – by an attacker who called him a “faggot.”

Because Travis survived the attack and enlisted help from the gay rights group Georgia Equality, his assailant, Charles Prickett of St. Matthews was arrested.

Unfortunately, justice was not done in this sad case, as State Court Judge Ronald Ginsberg approved a pathetically weak plea deal engineered by Prickett’s attorney. Prickett pleaded guilty to simple battery, a misdemeanor. He escaped with a measly $300 fine and some paltry community service.

These real-life, horrific events illustrate the urgent need for a stronger anti-bullying and all-inclusive hate crimes law in Georgia.

In Georgia, one of only five states in the nation without a hate crimes law, Senate Bill 461 is currently pending in the General Assembly and ought to move forward pronto. It is way past time for Georgia to update its outdated anti-bullying law based upon our successes and failures in working to crack down on bullying in local schools over the last 10 years.

A statewide poll of 465 individuals, conducted by the Schapiro Group between January 22-28, revealed that 63 percent of Georgia voters support hate crimes legislation that includes protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, Georgia Sheriffs Association and Georgia District Attorneys Association have been pleading with the General Assembly for the several years to pass hate crimes legislation that includes protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

State and local law enforcement understands that hate crimes perpetuated against individuals on the basis of actual or perceived characteristics are intended to threaten, harass and silence all members of that group, thereby threatening public safety.

Without a hate crimes law in Georgia, law enforcement agencies lack direction on how to address crimes committed on the basis of a perceived or actual characteristic. Georgia needs a hate crimes law to ensure local law enforcement officers have the skills and tools necessary to ensure safe communities.

Hate crimes are indeed acts of terrorism and impact entire communities. Tough sentencing rules will send the message to those who would destroy property, cause physical harm and even kill that such acts will not be tolerated in a democratic society.

Contrary to what some believe, hate crimes laws do not take away an individual’s freedom of speech. Speech is not a hate crime.

A crime must first be committed and evidence submitted before a court of law to show that a crime was committed against the victim based on real or perceived characteristics before it can be deemed a hate crime.

According to studies by the National Mental Health Association, 78 percent of youth report that gay and lesbian youth are teased, bullied and harassed in schools and communities. Another 93 percent of youth hear other youth at school or in their neighborhood use words like “fag,” “homo,” “dyke” and “queer” once in a while. Some 51 percent report hearing them every day.

Often, these acts lead to an escalation of hostility and the eruption of physical violence like we have seen recently in Savannah’s public schools.

SB 461 accurately defines the scope and impact of bullying, requires local schools systems to work with teachers, parents and students to adopt anti-bullying policies that make it easier for students – and necessary for school employees – to report information about bullying.

I strongly urge public support for SB 461.

Kevin L. Clark of Savannah is on the board of Georgia Equality, an Atlanta-based gay rights group.

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