[MLPnews] MLPnews March 27, 2006

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MLP News

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....working for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith
in the life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

	

Volume 3
Issue 4
  Mar. 27, 2006



 

 

 


(MLPnews editor's note: with General Assembly coming up soon, we've now 
got multiple ways to take action for equality.  Two of these 
opportunities -- More Light Sunday 
<http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=mls2006signup> for 
churches and "Right Now" house parties 
<http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=houseparty2006> for 
individuals and friends -- are mentioned below. You'll also receive 
single-subject signup messages from MLP for these events in the near 
future.)

In this issue:

    - Welcome to all new MLPnews subscribers!
    - Take Action: Sign up today to hold a More Light Sunday event
    <http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=mls2006signup> at
    your church on June 11
    - Hold a 'Right Now' party to support MLP: Sign up to host a house
    party <http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=houseparty2006>
    June 10 or 11
    - Right Now petition is a hit! Signatures flood in from across the
    country
    - The final count: 22 equality overtures going to General Assembly
    - MLP events at the 2006 General Assembly
    - Spahr judicial decision to be appealed
    - Here Comes the Tide: Acceptance of same-gender marriage trending
    up, opposition down

***Welcome to all new MLPnews subscribers!*

As a result of our ongoing "Right Now" online petition 
<http://www.mlp.org/rightnow>, hundreds of new supporters have signed up 
to receive MLPnews (you're reading it now) -- MLP's periodic one-way 
email summary of news about the More Light movement and LGBT equality 
within the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.  Subscription to MLPnews is free, 
and we encourage you to forward it to friends.  Welcome aboard to all 
our new subscribers, during this time of heavy preparation and action 
leading up to Presbyterian General Assembly this June in Birmingham, 
Alabama.
* <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060305131903581>**

**Take Action: Sign up to hold a More Light Sunday event at your church 
on June 11*

More Light Sunday <http://www.mlp.org/morelightsunday>, our annual day 
of action to support LGBT equality, is coming on June 11, just days 
before the start of General Assembly in Birmingham.  We're looking for 
dozens of More Light supporters nationwide to talk to your adult 
education committees and to your church session leaders to plan an event 
for "Equality /Right Now/" 
<http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=mls2006signup>, our 
national More Light Sunday theme for 2006. To make an event happen on 
June 11, you need to talk to your church leaders today. Sign up today 
<http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=mls2006signup> to 
organize a local event, and tell your friends throughout the 
Presbyterian Church, since all churches are welcome to participate in 
More Light Sunday.
*Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060326160152237>*
or *Host a More Light Sunday event at your church 
<http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=mls2006signup>

*

*Hold a 'Right Now' party to support MLP: Sign up to host a house party 
June 10 or 11*

As part of our pull-out-all-the-stops approach to More Light Sunday 
weekend this year, MLP is encouraging all of our supporters to host a 
house party for More Light Presbyterians 
<http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=houseparty2006> on June 
10 or June 11. These dates fall immediately prior to the start of 
General Assembly in Birmingham and are a great time to introduce friends 
to MLP as well as hear the latest information from MLP leaders about our 
General Assembly plans.
*Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060326180528931>*
or* Sign up to host a 'Right Now' MLP house party at your home on June 
11 or 12 <http://www.mlp.org/staticpages/index.php?page=houseparty2006>*



*R**ight Now petition is a hit! Signatures flood in from across the country*

In just the few days since the public release of our Call to Justice - 
Right Now <http://www.mlp.org/rightnow> statement and our invitation to 
sign on <http://www.mlp.org/rightnow> in support, we've received 
hundreds of online signatures and comments from Presbyterians and 
friends all over the country who support full equality for LGBT 
people... Right Now. Below are just a few examples of some of the 
heartfelt comments we've received. Feel free to keep using our online 
tell-a-friend page 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/mlp/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=684> 
to ask your friends to lend their voices in support.

/"As a Presbyterian Elder it is my prayer that the PCUSA will be a 
leader among organized religion to openly accept everyone without 
discrimination."
- Rebbecca Nunley, Unicoi, TN

"Dear General Assembly and Presbyerian leaders,
As an elder of the Presbyterian church, I wholeheartedly support 
equality for the LGBT members of our church. If you're worried about 
offending people, well, guess what? You already have! We have thousands 
of LBGT members who want to serve the church. Why can't we treat our 
brothers and sisters with the respect they deserve?"
- Blythe A. Howard-Chou, Chicago, Illinois /
*Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060321134844503> *



*The final count: 22 equality overtures going to General Assembly *

Catching up on some news from last month, we're pleased to note that on 
February 11, Winnebago Presbytery voted to send a "delete-B / delete 
authoritative interpretation" overture to the 2006 General Assembly. 
This brings the total number of delete-B equality overtures to 22. The 
postmark deadline for presbyteries to submit overtures this year was 
Feb. 15, so 22 delete-B overtures and concurrences is now the final 
tally as we head towards General Assembly. You can view MLP's complete 
online list <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060202172126811> of 
presbyteries which have sent equality overtures, with dates and vote 
counts as available.


*MLP events at the 2006 General Assembly*

/Our field organizer Michael Adee has helpfully provided this background 
and summary of major More Light and affinity events taking place at the 
2006 General Assembly <http://www.pcusa.org/ga217/> in Birmingham./

You are invited to join us for MLP events at the upcoming General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), June 15 - 22, 2006 in 
Birmingham, Alabama. The Biblical theme and vision for this national 
gathering of our Church is "So Great a Cloud of Witnesses." MLP will be 
there to witness to a Gospel and Church for All God's People!  [...]

More Light and other LGBT-affirming events at the 217th General 
Assembly, PCUSA, Birmingham, Alabama

Thursday, June 15, 2006
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.*
*More Light Presbyterians National Celebration Reception
Cost: $10.00
Location: Medical Forum.
Everyone is welcome to join us for this "rainbow family reunion." Greet 
old friends and make new ones as we celebrate persons, couples and 
families of all sexual orientations, gender identities and every human 
difference. *
Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=2006031818415044> *


*Spahr judicial decision to be appealed*
/
In a widely expected development, the recent 6-1 judicial decision 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060303210701886> exonerating 
Rev. Janie Spahr for performing same-gender marriages will be appealed 
to the Synod of the Pacific. The Marin Independent-Journal published a 
news item on the appeal today -- extracts appear below./

Church appeals jury verdict on gay marriages
Tad Whitaker

Presbyterian Church officials have decided to appeal a verdict from a 
church trial that vindicated a San Rafael minister who performs same-sex 
marriages.  Stephen Taber, a church attorney who prosecuted the Rev. 
Jane Spahr, said the Prosecuting Committee of the Presbytery of the 
Redwoods... voted to appeal the verdict that concluded Spahr was correct 
to follow her conscience over the church's written constitution. [...] 

Spahr said she remains optimistic and hopes the synod will focus on 
testimony given by two lesbian couples she married.  "We need to help 
people understand who we are," Spahr said. "I'm hoping that all of that 
is reviewed so people can hear the stories of real people with faith."
*Read the full article... <http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_3641807>*


*Here Comes the Tide: Acceptance of same-gender marriage trending up, 
opposition down**
** <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060314000253337>*

On March 22 the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press 
<http://people-press.org/> released a survey report, based on its 
ongoing polling work, titled /Less Opposition to Gay Marriage, Adoption 
and Military Service/ 
<http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=273>. A variety 
of summary articles are available from different online news sources, 
including gay.com <http://uk.gay.com/headlines/9766>, the San Francisco 
Chronicle 
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/23/MNGAOHSE4I1.DTL&hw=warming+to+gay+marriage&sn=001&sc=1000>, 
and the Associated Press 
<http://www.outinoceancity.com/home/news.asp?articleid=10985>.

The clear trends of the survey report, which provides historical polling 
data over multiple years, are clear: acceptance of same-gender marriage 
and gay adoption are trending up, while both overall opposition and 
strong opposition are trending down...

Seen within the context of broad societal trends towards acceptance of 
LGBT equality, the recent 6-1 Redwoods Presbytery court decision 
<http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060303210701886> - which found 
Rev. Janie Spahr innocent of charges that she violated Presbyterian law 
by officiating at a same-gender wedding ceremony - is simply following 
(not leading) this gradual shift towards equality.*
Read more... <http://www.mlp.org/article.php?story=20060325115337507> *


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