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RETURN TO > 1998 > DATELINE
HOMEPAGE > HOME
DignityUSA DATELINE
DECEMBER
1998
VOL. 7, NO. 12
Pope For The Time To Come
Upon the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's election as head of the Roman Catholic Church, DignityUSA joined 140 groups worldwide in a statement A Pope for the Time to Come. The statement challenges the Church by calling for a model of church built on a discipleship of equals and a style of universal leadership that is collaborative, dialogic and open to fundamental change.
National President Bob Miailovich commented, "DignityUSA supports the full statement, but is particularly pleased with its inclusion of matters of special concern to Dignity members. The statement calls for a pope who will consider welcoming all persons to ministry regardless of sexual orientation; who is a respecter of the consciences of those seeking dialogue on theologies, moral teachings and policies of the Church; who is a reconciler of factions in the Church; who is a leader that recognizes and celebrates diversity; and who is a prophet promoting justice, equality, peace and nonviolence."
The statement was issued by the International We Are Church Movement, an international network of Church reform movements, including DignityUSA. The document, with appropriate cover letters, was mailed to the Pope, all the Cardinals, and international press agencies. The full text (in English and Spanish) is available from your local chapter and from the DignityUSA office.
Mourning Matthew Shepard
"It is unfortunate that it has taken the death of this young, gifted man to make our nation aware of the violence that is regularly directed at lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and trans-gendered persons," commented DignityUSA Executive Director, Charles L. Cox. "While the murder of Matthew Shepard is an extreme example of a hate motivated crime, we cannot, nor should we forget the thousands of gay men and women who experience each day some form of verbal or physical abuse solely because of their sexual orientation. Let us hope and pray that Matthew Shepard's passing will not fade from our nation's conscience and that we may one day see an end to all hate crimes."
President Bob Miailovich added, "The men who committed this crime, like other perpetrators of hate crimes, did not get their attitudes out of thin air; nor did they learn to hate or act on their intolerance over night. Unfortunately, they learned from too many sources that attacking a gay man is okay. "
Board Meeting
DignityUSA's Board of Directors met in Washington DC, from October 16 to 18. The board reviewed committees' work, approved a budget for 1998-1999, and spent considerable time developing board projects and goals for the coming administrative year. Deliberations centered around issues relating to Dignity and its chapters, including endorsement of the Day of Silence project organized by our GLBT youth, and a motion to ask our chapters to keep Hawaii and Alaska in prayer during the election taking place in those states.
Other highlights of the meeting included:
- Creating a committee to work on the new Membership Brochure
- Receiving a report from the 1999 Convention Committee for the biennial gala in Denver, Colorado from August 5-8-1998.
- Accepting the report of the Vision Statement Committee and forwarding this report on to the chapters for review.
Solidarity Sunday
"Solidarity Sunday 1998 was a smashing success," proclaimed Chair Bruce Jarfster. "We had more organizations participating than ever before. Governor Jeanne Sheehan of New Hampshire proclaimed October 4 Solidarity Sunday in her state. A warm letter of endorsement was received from the governor of Connecticut, and the mayor of Hartford also issued a proclamation for his city." In another example of ecumenical support, Bruce attended the ordination to the Episcopal priesthood of a longtime supporter of Solidarity Sunday and Dignity, Nancy Nagy, at Trinity Church in Pocatello, Idaho. According to Bruce, the bishop devoted one-half of his sermon to Solidarity Sunday and commended Nancy for her hard work.
Former National President Marianne Duddy added to the report, "I've had informal word that Solidarity Sunday materials and ribbons were used in conjunction with some of the spontaneous demonstrations and vigils held in response to Matthew Shepard's murder. I know they had them in Boston, DC. I think they were also part of the actions in New York." To date, Bruce says that about 60,000 participants have been counted, but reports from many chapters have been slow in arriving. Please forward your chapter's statistics and stories to Bruce care of the National Office.
Ballot Results Disappoint
After Election Day, DignityUSA announced its disappointment over the decisions of Alaska's and Hawaii's voters not to respect the rights of all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation. In Alaska, voters were asked to amend the Declaration of Rights section of the state's constitution to limit marriage to couples of the opposite sex. In Hawaii voters were asked to empower the legislature to amend the state's Constitution and Bill of Rights and "reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples."
Commenting on the results of the two ballot initiatives, President Bob Miailovich said, "Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Catholics throughout the United States are disappointed in the outcome of yesterday's votes in Hawaii and Alaska. What causes us greater sadness is the fact that our civil rights have been made the subject of a ballot referenda. With the urging of the Catholic bishops in both states the people of Hawaii and Alaska were persuaded to write discrimination into their state constitutions.
Vision Statement Released
DignityUSA's Vision Statement is included in this mailing. Chapter leaders are encouraged to share it with chapter members. Please direct any comments to the Vision Task Force or to Board Member Mike Hogan.
Calling Dignity Techno Wizards
At its October meeting, the Board of Directors established an Electronic Media Committee. Tom Kaun, the Pacific Region Director, will head the group. Tasks for the group will include assisting webmaster M.A. Ladd with the DignityUSA website, supporting regions and chapters in developing their own websites, helping to oversee the Dignity list-serv, and even investigating the possibility of a "cyber chapter."
"It's almost a given," observed Tom, "that as technology continues to develop other tasks will arise." If you are interested in helping Dignity move ahead i this important area,please contact Tom: tomkaun@aol.com or call 415.923.1849.
Transgender List Created
DignityUSA now has a transgender list serv. To subscribe, send mail to dig-trans-request@dignityusa.org and in the body of the message put subscribe dig-trans
Wynelle Snow hopes the list will provide an opportunity for transgender individuals to explore questions about issues of spirituality and acceptance both within Dignity and the society as a whole. It will help establish a sense of community between transgender members of Dignity and possibly serve as a resource for Dignity as a whole to find out information about being transgender.
Delegate Count
Chapter leadership and membership chairs are reminded that the delegate strength for voting in the House Of Delegates in Denver, August 3-5, 1999 will be determined from the official membership roster of the chapter on file with the office of DignityUSA as of January 31, 1999.
Happy Anniversary
Mid-Hudson 11; Tulsa 15; Boston 26
DignityUSA's Biennial Convention
August 5-8, 1999, Denver
