The Voice of Dignity
& Being in the right place at the right time.

Keynote Address on the occasion of Dignity/Philadelphia's 30th Anniversary
May 17, 2003
by Patrick McArron, President, DignityUSA

Recently something happened in my life that re-confirmed for me that Dignity not only has a Voice that must be heard, a message of hope and healing, but also reminded me that Dignity is in the right place at the right time.

A member of my extended family recently came out to me after bottling it up for 30 years and enduring a marriage that should not have happened.  If this situation sounds familiar, not only is that not a surprise it is a tragedy that continues to repeat itself even today.  Dignity's work is far from over.

The fact that we are gathered here this weekend to celebrate 30 years of service to others and to each other in the city of Philadelphia is a testament to your dedication and commitment to a cause that is noble and just.

This is indeed a time to celebrate.  Anniversaries are milestones in our lives and our loves.  And Dignity has had many milestones throughout its 34 year history; achievements, if you will, that were the result of collective thinking human beings and a dose of the Holy Spirit.

Dignity is in so many ways, a unique organization and in a unique position.  Dignity is where it is today because we refused to compromise our integrity and our conscience.

Are milestones are many & I could not possibly review them all with you tonight.  Please allow me to share with you just a few of my personal favorites. 

There was the very birth of Dignity in 1969.  In the words of our founder, Fr. Pat Nidorf:

"When I started Dignity, in the eyes of the world it was probably a very small thing. However, in the microcosm of my own life, it was a monumental gamble. The fact is that we are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.

I think that is what Dignity is all about. Teaching people to dare to be themselves, to risk being open to love, to dare to open their hearts and let the world peek in."

Fr. Pat was living in my home town of San Diego at that time.  I was but 22 years old and still very much in the closet.  I would not meet Fr. Pat until 1972, the year I first heard about Dignity.

One of the milestones in my own life journey came when I finally allowed myself to love myself.   Thanks in part to a Jewish friend & counselor I could finally say I'm ok, being gay is not an illness, a sin, or an aberration.  That revelation is repeated time and again by people who have been told otherwise for far too long.   Dignity's work is clearly far from over.

In 1973 I was privileged to be a part of history in the making when Dignity convened its first biennial convention at the Hollywood Holiday Inn, August 31 ® Sept 3.  To give you an idea of how ready the glbt community was for such an event there were at the time  449 members, 12 chapters, 12 more chapters in formation and 300 people attended the convention from all over the world.  Fr. John McNeill was the keynote speaker"The theme for that gathering was "The Spirit is Calling Us"  and it is very clear to me that the Spirit continues to call on us today to be witness to what is right and good about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Dignity's fifth biennial convention was held here in this historic city in 1981. The theme was "We are all one in the Spirit".  We were then 3900 members strong, 88 chapters with 11 more in formation and 650 attended the convention.

On February 19, 1984 a column in Ann Landers which encouraged a closeted gay man to contact Dignity, said: "You'll meet compassionate and understanding people there who will calm your fears and help you find a comfortable niche in society." (Dignity received over 600 letters as a result of that column)

In Sept of 1987 People Magazine published a story in conjunction with the Papal Visit to the United States entitled: "Nine Americans the Pope Won't Want to Meet ... and Why." Pictured on the cover as one of the nine was our National President, Jim Bussen!

In 1994 Dignity was honored with an award from the national organization Call to Action in Chicago at their annual conference "for its efforts to promote understanding within the Catholic community and its promotion of a vision of church in which all persons participate as full and active members."

In 1999 Dr. Anthony Padovano, noted author, lecturer, theologian, church historian and friend, was quoted in the National Catholic Reporter as praising Dignity as a "Synagogue of Renewal" in the Catholic Church.

The good news is that Dignity has over the past three decades been the recipient of many accolades and rightly so.  The bad news is that our work is far from over.  And yet the good news is that we are not alone in our efforts to bring our Church into the 21st Century.  Dignity does not operate in a vacuum and we have something to say and our voice is being heard.

Our accomplishments are many.  Dignity has been publisher, advocate, and supporter.  We have spoken out time and again when our voice was required.  Our voice now reaches far and wide and our name is no stranger to the mighty and the powerful.  We now have many allies, many friends who together share our desire for a fully inclusive and loving Church.

We have much to celebrate tonight and most importantly we have each other for mutual support in the work that lies ahead.

Benjamin Franklin once said "Hear no evil of a friend, nor speak any of an enemy".  Our friends are many and our enemies are often time's na´ve, insecure, and very much hurting inside.

The Bishops of our Church are a desperate lot as a group of men that seek to hang on to the past and fear for the future.  They are their own worst enemy.  It is no secret that our Church as an institution is dysfunctional and needs our help.

Through your gifts and talents Dignity will continue to be that Voice which our church so desperately needs to hear.  We are a loving people who care very much about the damage that our bishops have caused in light of the sexual abuse scandal.  They are products of their time and many are so closeted in their own sexuality that they are in denial.  It is up to us to help these men stop the pain they incur on themselves and on others.

Brian McNaught, award winning freelance writer, lecturer, certified sex-counselor, Irish gay Catholic and a friend of mine, wrote in February 1981 that "Jesus abhorred hypocrisy.  In fact, he spoke out against it more frequently and with more vehemence than on any other human conduct.  Hypocrites, for him, were those persons who pretended to be something other than they were.  Hypocrites were the law givers and the law quoters who denied their own experiences as flawed people."

We are a people of God that cares very much for the welfare of our sisters and brothers.  I encourage all of you to reflect on the graces you have been given the second chance on life, the smile and encouragement of a stranger and give back what you have so gratefully received.  If you are not already, consider becoming an angel of Dignity with your generous financial support, for without the financial resources it would be impossible to achieve what have so far and what we have yet to do.

Now let us continue the celebration of our lives and our loves with a renewed dedication of service in the name of Dignity and bring light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair, and love where there is hatred.

I Thank God for you.  And I Thank God for Dignity.

I ask you to join me in Las Vegas in August to continue tonight's celebration with your sisters and brothers from around the globe as we meet again as a Voice in the Desert.

And finally in the words of our founder, Pat Nidorf: 

"Let us hold hands to share our strength, love and faith with one another. Let us challenge anyone who would question our validity."

Pat McArron, President

DignityUSA

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