DignityUSA - Dateline September 1997

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DignityUSA DATELINE

September, 1997, VOL. 6, NO. 9.

CTA Offers Discount

Once again, Call to Action (CTA) will offer Dignity members a 30 percent discount to attend this year's national conference in Detroit from Nove mber 14 to 16. Major speakers include excommunicated priest-theologian Fr. Tissa Balasuriya of Sri Lanka, Sr. Joan Chittister, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Edwina Gateley, and Fr. Michael Crosby. Over 70 different workshops and focus presentations will be offered to over 5,000 attendees.

Dignity members can register for $105 by sending a completed registration form and check payable to CTA to Dignity USA, Attn: CTA Conference, 1500 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 11, Washington, DC 20005-1894. To secure the 30% discount, registrations must be postmarked by October 10. In addition, CTA is offering working scholarships, which can further reduce registration fees. For more information about working scholarships, or to receive a complete CTA registration form and brochure, please call CTA directly at 773-604-0400 or fax 773-604-4719. CTA's address is 4419 N. Kedzie, Chicago, IL 60625.

Support for Dr. McEnroy

A boycott of Abbey Press has been called in response to the 1995 dismissal of tenured theology professor Dr. Carmel McEnroy, RSM, from St. Meinrad's Seminary in Indiana. Abbey Press is owned by St. Meinrad's. McEnroy was fired after publicly asking for continued discussion of the ordination of women to the priesthood. Organizations calling for the boycott include the National Coalition of American Nuns, the Women's Ordination Conference,and Women-Church Convergence, of which DignityUSA's Committee for Women's Concerns is a member. Letters supporting the boycott, and calling for a just resolution of Sr. Carmel's case, may be sent to Abbey Press, P.O. Box 2 16, St. Meinrad, IN 47577

Board, HOD Boston News

Here is a brief look at highlights from the July meeting of the Board of Directors and the House of Delegates. Board Meeting: Membership:

Noted 15% increase in membership in DignityUSA since June 1996.
Chartered West Virginia.
Regretfully revoked charters of Fort Wayne, Lafayette, and Sacramento. Accepted: Couples Ministry Resource Guide and commended the task force.
Endowment funds: Pax Nidorf Fund for large gifts and Eileen DeLong Fund to support convention scholarships for those in religious life.
$10,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control for creating AIDS prevention/educati on kits for all chapters.
Confirmed: selection of Jerry Deas as National Secretary, Joe Sinico as National Treasurer, and Marianne Duddy to serve a one-year term on the Board as past-president. Commended the retiring Board members: Peggy Hayes, Michael Flynn, Jerry Deas, Jan Fraga, Marianne Duddy, Terry Mischel, Ben Boerkoel, and Mary Louise Cervone in her role as Treasurer. HOD Motions:
Established a Visibility Task Force.
Recommended establishing a grant fund to support chapter development.
Recommended establishing a pilot project in one region to develop guidelines for leadership development at the local and regional levels.
Recommended the Board add a transgendered representative on the Board for two years beginning October, 1997.
Encouraged increased utilization of the resources provided to chapters by the DignityUSA National AIDS Project.
Recommended continuing the work of the Membership Task Force for two years.
Established an annual National Couples Celebration to be held in September or as fits chapter custom.
Established a Task Force on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Youth - Established a task force to help promote and nurture a stronger voice for Dignity in its relationships with all manifestations of the Church.
Recommended that the new executive director oversee a system to collect public, objective information regarding the positions of Catholic Bishops on issues related to Dignity's Statement of Position and Purpose.
Made a number of recommendations regarding fund-raising activities and exploring using the web site and list serve to establish a cyber chapter.
Adopted a single dues structure of $45 for singles and $84 for couple for membership in the national, regional, and local levels of Dignity.
Endorsed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and called for an end to all forms of discrimination.

Solidarity Sunday

"I wear this ribbon is solidarity with my lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered sisters and brothers . . . We must end verbal and physical gay bashing!" Join the third annual Solidarity Sunday on October 5, 1997 when Dignity members and supporters across the country will reach out to folks in parishes asking worshippers of all denominations to show their solidarity by wearing the rainbow ribbon and joining in the Solidarity Prayer.

According to National Coordinator Bruce Jarstfer, over 100,000 ribbons and cards were handed out last year. This year's goal is 150,000 to 200,000 and Vice President Al Gore has added his sincere support to Solidarity Sunday:

Dear Friends, I am pleased to have this opportunity to extend my person al greeting to everyone involved with the 1997 Solidarity Sunday and DignityUSA. . . This Administration opposes discrimination against any person. Like other members of our society, gay and lesbian Americans work, pay taxes, contribute to their communities, and obey the law. Like other s members of our society, they merit equal protection and freedom from discrimination. Certainly, acts of discrimination, intimidation, and violence that are based on sexual orientation violate the basic principle of equal protection under the law , as well as the right to privacy, and have no place in American society. . . . Again, please accept my best wishes as you celebrate Solidarity Sunday 1997. I look forward to working with you in the future. Sincerely, Al Gore

Information packets and directions have been sent to every chapter. Two different Solidarity Sunday kits can also be ordered. The first, at $15 p er set of 100 (plus $3 postage), has ready-made cards with attached ribbons.

The second set, new for this year, comes with 500 cards, 500 cut ribbons, 5oo pins, an adhesive application machine, and assembly instructions. It costs $40 (plus $10 postage). Please order kits (in indicated lots of 100 or 500) from Bruce Jarstfer at 2634 Pebble Breeze, San Antonio, Texas 78232 or call 210.545-9097 or fax 210.545-6906. His email address is BruceSJ@aol.c om.

Convention Coverage

DignityUSA's July 1997 Convention in Boston received extensive cover age in the media, thanks to the skills and hard work of the convention publicity committee, including Peggy Hayes, outgoing National Director from the New England region. Major stories appeared in the Boston Globe, the Washington Blade, the Philadelphia Gay News, and Bay Windows.

Boston's Fox 25 TV also carried story on the 10 o'clock news and outgoing President Marianne Duddy was a featured guest on an NPR program. Other Dignity members appeared on several local radio programs. The PBS televis ion program on l/g/b/t issues, In the Life, conducted interviews at the convention for its October program on youth.