National Equality March Blogger Briefing

This afternoon I had an opportunity to participate in a blogger briefing conference call with Kip Williams and Robin McGehee, national co-directors of the National Equality March scheduled for October 10-11, 2009 in Washington, D.C., as well as other bloggers and Dan Choi, the West Point graduate and Iraq War veteran who was discharged from the Army under the idiotic Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy favored by Christianist loons like Elaine Donnelly (who has NO military experience herself) and backward thinking Neanderthals in the top military brass. After the conference call, latter in the evening Dan Choi called me and we had the first of what I believe will be a number of conversations about the need to repeal DADT and how past and present LGBT members of the military can become involved in the push for full LGBT equality under the civil laws. I will be doing subsequent posts on this issue and my conversations with Lieutenant Choi. As for the March itself, one of the goals is to allow it to be a mechanism to create a more unified national movement while at the same time bolstering state by state efforts for change.

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One of the things discussed was how the March will hopefully be the first step toward a larger goal of bridging the gap between the national LGBT organizations and grassroots community organizers and creating a national movement in all 435 congressional districts to demand of our elected representatives full equality under the law. In keeping with this goal, NEM has a potion of its website dedicated to organizing activists in every Congressional district and making LGBT equality something members of Congress cannot simply ignore. Check the website to see if a group has been established in your home district. If not, consider starting one yourself. Activism is a great way to work on a worthy cause and at the same time make friends and contacts.

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The NEM will also hopefully a mechanism to engage more gay affirming religious leaders and denominations in the issue of LGBT equality so that lawmakers come to realize that not all religious leaders are gay-hating bigots that predominate in the professional Christian set and "family values" organizations. In fact, here is a list of additional religious leaders who have endorsed the National Equality March:

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Rev. David Bahr, Park Hill Congregational Church UCC

Pamela Baldwin, Interfaith Alliance of Idaho

Nelson Bock, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado

Rabbi Stephen Booth-Nadav, Aytz Chayim/Tree of Life

Dr. Richard C. Bozian, TIA-Cincinnati-First Unitarian Church

Rev. Elizabeth Braddon, Stony Brook Community Church

Dr. Phil Campbell, Iliff School of Theology

Rev. Tom Capo, Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist

Carol Carlson, Social Justice Committee of First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati

Rev. Cynthia Cearley, Montview Blvd. Presbyterian Church

Hospice Pastor Angela Cesa, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock

Rabbi Carl Choper, The Interfaith Alliance of Pennsylvania

Rev. Hal Chorpenning, Plymouth Congregational UCC

Rev. Samuel Chu, Interim Executive Director of California Faith for Equality

Dick Clark, St. Timothy’s United Methodist Church

Rev. Paul Collier, First Presbyterian Church

Rev. Greg Cummins, Montview Blvd. Presbyterian Church

Douglas Cunningham, New Day United Methodist Church

Rabbi Mark Diamond, Exec. Vice President of the Southern California Board of Rabbis

Maureen Doherty, Episcopal Church

Anne Dunlap, Comunidad Liberacion/Liberation Community

Rabbi Denise Eger, President of Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis

Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson, President of Hebrew Union College

Rev. Eric Fjeldal, United Methodist Church

Rev. Vicki Flippin, Diamond Hill United Methodist Church, Cos Cob, Connecticut

Rabbi Steven A. Fox, Exec. Vice President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis

Paul Fraser, Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Rev. Dr. C. Weldon Gaddy, Interfaith Alliance

Gregory Garland, United Church of Christ

Dan Geslin, Sixth Avenue United Church of Christ

Mitchell Gold, Faith in America

Rev. Galen Guengerich, All Souls Unitarian Church

Elizabeth Gull, Universal Life Church

Susan Guy, Walnut Hills United Methodist Church

Rev. Debra W. Haffner, The Religious Institute

Edward Hawley, United Church of Christ

Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs, Chair of the Progressive Jewish Foundation

Ellen Johnson-Fay, Unitarian Universalist Association

Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, NYC

Noel Koestline, United Methodist Church

Rev. Eric Lee, President of the Los Angeles Southern Christian Leadership

Rev. Eun-sang Lee, First United Methodist Church, Salt Lake City

Rev. Mark J. Lukens, Bethany Congregational UCC/ LI Chapter of TIA

Whit Malone, Collegiate Presbyterian Church

Rev. Matthew J. Mardis-LeCroy, Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ

Sister Maureen McCormack, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado

Rev. Nancy Nelson, Metropolitan Community Churches

Richard S. Parker, United Methodist Church

Rev. Emily Peck-McClain, United Methodist Church

Rev. Troy Perry, Metropolitan Community Churches

Douglas Peters, United Methodist Church

Richard Pleva, Iowa Conference, United Church of Christ

Julia Rendon, Crossroads United Church of Christ

Bishop Eugene Robinson, Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire

Paul Rolig, Humanists of Idaho

Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center, Washington DC

Rev. Susan Russell, President of Integrity

Connie Ryan Terrell, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa

Walter Schenck, United Methodist Church, NY Annual Conference

Rev. Catherine Schuyler, Duluth Congregational Church

Rev. Jeremy Shaver, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado/Park Hill Congregational Church

Rev. Charles H. Straut, Jr., New York Annual Conference, United Methodist Church

Rev. Mark Stringer, First Unitarian Church of Des Moines

Nadine Swahnberg, UUA

Rev. Neil G. Thomas, Chair of California Faith for Equality

Kenneth Thurow, ELCA

Joel Warner, United Methodist Church

Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus, President of the Central Conference of American

RabbisDana Wimmer, United Methodist

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform of Judaism

Ani Zonneveld, Co-founder and President of Muslims for Progressive Values

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As this list shows, the Christianists DO NOT speak for all people of faith - something that greatly needs to be brought to the attention of elected officials.