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Highlights of DignityUSA’s History,
1980-1989

1980

• In February, Dignity opens a permanent national office at 1500 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite #11, Washington, DC.

• On February 4, Frank Scheuren and Jim Highland meet with Cardinal Timothy Manning in Los Angeles to discuss Dignity.

• On February 17, the Association of Priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago honors Dignity/Chicago at a banquet as "Organization of the Year."

• On April 28, President Carter invites representatives from 21 lesbian and gay religious groups to the White House to meet with his religious liaison, Rev. Robert L. Maddox, Jr. Representing Dignity are national officers Frank Scheuren, Elinor Crocker and Joseph Totten as well as Insight Magazine managing editor Gabriel Lanci.

• In the spring, John Boswell’s book: Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality is published by the University of Chicago Press.

• On July 28, Frank Scheuren (accompanied by Region IX Director Chris Patterson and Co-Chairs of Dignity/ San Francisco Jim Ehrhart and Ken Kamman) meets with Archbishop John R. Quinn, Archbishop of San Francisco and President of the NCCB, to discuss Dignity and NCCB dialogue.

• On October 25, Joseph Totten resigns as National Treasurer and is replaced by Marvin Marks

1981

• The February edition of the national newsletter has a special insert on "Women in Dignity." It recaps contributions made by women to Dignity at the national, regional and chapter levels. It also includes a variety of personal stories and reflections.
• Dignity membership fee is $20.00. A document is published showing how the fee gets distributed.
• Meeting in March in Lobbock, TX the National Board of Directors unanimously defines Chapters and Chapters-in-Formation as "groupings of no fewer than ten persons in a locale."
• Nine candidates representing three slates for "International" President, Secretary and Treasurer are listed in the June-July edition of the national newsletter.
• On August 1, Dignity announces the publication of Brian McNaught’s book: A Disturbed Peace — Selected Writings of an Irish Catholic Homosexual. A copy of the book is later sent to every bishop in the country, paid for by a generous donation from a Dignity/Chicago chaplain.

• The Fall issue of the national newsletter includes reports from the national officers. President Frank Scheuren notes four major accomplishments in summing up his first term:
  • The establishment of the office in Washington and our 501(3)(c) status.
  • The re-establishment of some type of relationship between the executive officers, office, and the chapters.
  • The very strong foundation and visibility with the NCCB.
  • The establishment of strong ties and the starting of very strong coalitions with all types of groups.
• The Fall 1981 issue of the national newsletter has the first ever mention of the impending AIDS epidemic in an article entitled: "Gay Disease."
• Dignity announces a September publishing date for its revised and updated Theological Pastoral Resources Booklet.
• John Boswell’s Christianity. Social Tolerance and Homosexuality receives top prize at the 1981 American Book Awards for History.

1982

• The February edition of the national newsletters lists nine national standing committees:
  Women's Concerns; Constitution & By-laws; Special Areas of Ministry; Finance; Spiritual Development; Social Involvement & Education; Communications; Prision Ministry; Fundraising.
• With the March newsletter begins a new column from the Committee for Women's Concerns entitled "Moving the Mountains — Not for Women Only."
• In the April newsletter Region XI announces the sixth annual Dignity/Canada/Dignité conference to be held in Edmonton, Alberta May 21-24.
• In August, U.S. Catholic runs a cover story entitled: "Why Gay Catholics Won’t Be Locked Out of the Church."
• In November, Frank Scheuren serves as co-coordinator of the Constituting Convention in Atlanta for The Religious Council for the Advancement of Lesbians and Gays. The Council is a coalition of gay and lesbian religious organizations across North America.

1983

• In 1983 the following resolution is adopted at a meeting of the National Assembly of Religious Brothers:

  "We the members of the National Assembly of Religious Brothers wish to stand with all groups in their struggles for justice and, ...we believe that those whose sexual orientation is homosexual have been discriminated against by society at large as well as in the Church and, we believe that all men and women, including those of homosexual orientation, have a right to a full life in society as well as in the Church. Be it resolved that we are opposed to any unjust discrimination against those of homosexual orientation in society at large and in the Church, including its ministry, and... we the members of the NARB take an active role, together with our President and Board, in promoting legislation and other projects that favor human rights and justice for all, including those of homosexual orientation."

• In December, John Hager begins publication of a Monthly Memo from the officers to the membership to supplement the national newsletter and to keep members better informed of Dignity’s activities at the national level.

1984

• On January 20, the national officers attend the Fifteenth Anniversary celebration for Dignity/Los Angeles.
• On February 19, a column in Ann Landers encourages a closeted gay man to contact Dignity, Inc saying: "You’ll meet compassionate and understanding people there who will calm your fears and help you find a comfortable niche in society." (Dignity receives over 600 letters in response to being mentioned in the column.)
• On October 4-5, the Board meets in Chicago. Among other things, Ernest Neumann, Direct Region 10, presents a colorful, beautifully framed Apostolic Blessing from Pope John Paul II to Dignity, Inc. The framed certificate graces the walls of our Washington, DC office, even though we were subsequently notified that the blessing had been issued in error and was being officially revoked!
• On October 6, a Constitutional Convention is held at the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago to revise DignityUSA’s Constitution and By-Laws.
• Throughout the year, John Hager interviews individuals interested in serving on Dignity’s Task Force on Sexual Ethics and appoints the following individuals to serve on the Task Force: Nate Gruel, Chair, Kevin Calegari, Mari Castellanos, Jim D., Ed Dempsey, Jim Mallon, Diana Raffle, Ron Schulte, Wayne W., Sue W.

  Top of page

1985

• In May, the first face to face meeting of the Task Force on Sexual Ethics is held.

1986

• In the spring, the Vatican orders Father Charles Curran, a theologian at Catholic University in Washington, DC, to retract his views on birth control and other sexual issues or face the loss of his authorization to teach Roman Catholic doctrine.
• On April 12-13, the Board of Directors meets in Tucson. Among other things, the Board authorizes that copies of A Disturbed Peace (Brian McNaught) and The Church and the Homosexual (John McNeill S.J.) be purchased for re-sale to members.
• On May 16-19, Dignity/Canada/Dignite holds its first national conference in Montreal. All four Dignity officers (Jim Bussen, Elinor Crocker, Jim Pilarski and Tom Cunningham) attend along with John Hager, Immediate Past-President.
• On October 11-12, the Board of Directors meets in Portland, OR. Among other things, the Board agrees to use the name DignityUSA in the future although Dignity, Inc. will remain the legal name of the organization.
• On October 30, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith releases a "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons," stating, "Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder."
• On November 1, Jim Bussen appears on CBS This Morning to respond to the Letter before flying off to Washington DC where DignityUSA and other concerned groups hold a press conference outside of the residence of Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Archbishop Pio Laghi in Washington, DC to protest the Vatican Letter.
• On November 2, John McNeill, S.J. issues a press release stating that he has been informed by his Jesuit Superior that he "must give up all public ministry to gay people or (be) dismissed from the Society of Jesus." Father McNeill announces in the release that "as a Jesuit priest, as a moral theologian, as a psychotherapist, as a person who is himself gay, and as a human being" he cannot obey the order in conscience.
• In December (two weeks before Christmas), the first eviction of a Dignity chapter as a result of the Vatican Letter occurs when Dignity/Syracuse is evicted from Church property.
  

1987

• More Dignity chapters are informed by their Bishops that they can no longer use Church property. Included are Atlanta, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Nassau, New York, Pensacola, Richmond, Suffolk, Vancouver, BC, Washington DC. The evictions are a direct result of the October, 1986 Vatican Letter which states that groups which do not agree with church teachings cannot meet on church property.
• On February 7-9, the Board of Directors meets in Miami. Highlights include:
  • Board approval of Guidelines Concerning Adverse Actions Against Dignity Chapters to help chapters to respond to possible evictions in light of the Vatican Letter.
  • Board approval of a full-page advertisement in a national publication to respond to Vatican Letter.
• On April 22, Jim Bussen, National President, meets in St. Louis with Archbishop John May, President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bussen asks May to use his influence in a variety of areas including stopping the expulsion of chapters from church property; issuing an AIDS pastoral letter; instituting a program to educate on lesbian/gay violence; revising the current translation of I Corinthians; and using the terms gay/lesbian when referring to us.
• On April 27, DignityUSA places a full-page ad in Newsweek magazine in response to the Vatican Letter and the expulsion of chapters from Church property. It is the first time a national gay/lesbian organization has ever bought a full page, full circulation ad. The ad is paid for by a bequest from the estate of John Willig, a longtime Dignity member from Washington, DC. (Time magazine’s advertising department originally approves publication of the ad but Time’s Editorial Board steps in and refuses to publish it.)

• From September 10-19, Pope John Paul II tours the United States with stops in Miami, New Orleans, San Antonio, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Francisco and Detroit. Peaceful, prayerful, Dignity gatherings greet him at most stops along his journey.
• People Magazine does a story in conjunction with the Papal Visit entitled: "Nine Americans the Pope Won’t Want to Meet ... and Why." Pictured as one of the nine: National President, Jim Bussen!
• On October 11, a large contingent from Dignity participates in the national March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

1988  

• In June, Jim Bussen attends the National Association for Lay Ministry Conference at Loyola University in Chicago.
• From June 26-July 1, the first National Catholic AIDS Ministry Conference is held at Notre Dame University.
• In September, Beacon Press in Boston publishes John McNeill’s book: Taking a Chance on God: Liberating Theology for Gays. Lesbians, Their Lovers, Families and Friends
• Dignity/Canada/Dignité holds its Second Biennial Convention in Calgary.
• From November 18-20, National President Jim Bussen attends "Creating Change: A National Conference for Gay and Lesbian Organizations" in Washington, DC.

1989

• From January 13-15, Jim Bussen represents Dignity as an uninvited guest at a meeting of lay Catholic leaders in Belleville, IL. The group eventually becomes the Leadership Council of Catholic Laity (LCCL).
• From July 2 3-28, the Second National Catholic AIDS Conference is held at the University of Notre Dame.

• In December, the final report of the Task Force on Sexual Ethics is forwarded to all members via a special focus issue of the national newsletter.

Continued…

1990s

2000-present

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