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Good Shepherd Community of Faith |
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An American Baptist and United Church of Christ Welcoming and Affirming Congregation |
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Pride Perspectives |
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Contact Info:
Church Phone: 716-824-4112 Pastor Home: 716-655-3463 E-mail: bhulsing@timeposition.com
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"In the end we will remember, not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." ~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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Pride Perspectives- |
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United States:
Washington, D.C. - Twenty-six Members of the United States Congress have urged the Boy Scouts of America to end its discriminatory policy of not accepting gays and lesbians. A letter initiated by U.S. Representatives Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), was sent in response to the Boy Scouts’ rejection of Cate and Elizabeth Wirth, a couple in Vermont who were told they could not volunteer for their 10 year old son’s Cub Scout pack after it was revealed that the women are lesbians. “Regrettably, the current, discriminatory policy of the Boy Scouts of America has denied opportunities for young scouts, community-oriented citizens, and loving parents,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Robert Mazzuca, the Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. “As you celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, it is long past time that the Boy Scouts finally provide the opportunity for all Scouts, Leaders, and volunteers, to share in the joys of Scouting, regardless of sexual orientation.” Congresswoman Baldwin, the co-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, added: “Scouting is a proud and honorable tradition in this country, but discrimination is not. “Children with same sex parents deserve the same opportunities to have their parents involved in their scouting experience as their classmates". "I urge the Boy Scouts of America to end this discriminatory policy,” she added. Founded at the beginning of last century in England (1907), the Scouting movement is international, with Scout organizations in more than 200 countries and territories, with an estimated 28 million young people as members. The USA has been criticized within Scouting for its total “non-tolerance” of gay men and women, both youngsters and adult helpers. Boy Scouts of America, which was first formed in 1910, currently has more than 7.5 million youths. It also bans atheists and agnostics. Across Europe, the Scouts have a robust diversity policies to tackle inclusion, it its widest sense. It even has lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender project workers among the adult helpers in UK.
ukgaynews.org.uk
California - The San Francisco Unified School District is strengthening its program to combat discrimination against gay and lesbian students. The school board recently approved a resolution to guarantee $62,000 in funding for its anti-discrimination program, even though the district faces a $113 million budget shortfall over the next two years. The measures provides funding to maintain the district's existing program, which includes an anti-discrimination curriculum at all grade levels and a Web site to help educators. The program is now funded through grants. The new policy will require the district to track harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation, provide cultural sensitivity training to school staff and give parents educational materials each year. It also directs staff to seek outside funding for its program. The school board approved the resolution unanimously after hearing testimony from more than two dozen students, teachers and parents who urged support for the measure.
mercurynews.com
Rhode Island - Rep. Gordon Fox has become the first openly gay lawmaker elected to lead the Rhode Island House of Representatives. The Democrat from Providence received votes Thursday from 51 of the 75 lawmakers in the House. Democrats nominated him during an earlier closed-door caucus. The 48-year-old lawyer previously served as House majority leader. He replaces former House Speaker William Murphy, who will continue to represent his district until the legislative session ends early next year.
bostonherald.com |