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DignityUSA
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RETURN TO > 1999 > DATELINE
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DignityUSA DATELINE
APRIL
1999
VOL. 8, NO. 4
Speaking Up at National Policy Roundtable
Representatives of DignityUSA along with leaders of 36 national political gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organizations and associations gathered in Washington, DC from February 25-26 at the National Policy Roundtable. The meeting was sponsored by the Policy Institute of National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Discussions were aimed at assessing the right wing's activities and developing plans for continued proactive political coordination among the organizations. Leading political analysts and activists offered presentations on four key issue areas:
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Public sentiment on the right wing, GLBT rights, and politics;
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The right wing's recent political mobilizations around family and race;
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Responding to biblical argument from faith-based perspectives;
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Public education campaign strategies utilized by other social justice movements.
During the conference, Charles Cox, DignityUSA's Executive Director, co-presented an examination of Biblical arguments against GLBT rights along with Lee Walzer, Vice-president of the World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Jewish Organizations.
A key outcome of the conference was leaders agreeing to develop effective collaborative initiatives on families' issues, research, and media. The Families Initiative will be a coordinated organizing campaign among national groups to offer strategic support to states facing anti-adoption bills. Across the country state legislatures are faced with bills designed to make adoptions and foster parenting illegal for unmarried and gay families and single people. A Research Initiative was planned after roundtable participants identified gaps in research and polling about GLBT people, public sentiment on GLBT rights, and the political right wing. The creation of a Media Strategy Project was also identified to increase systematic coordination in response to right wing messages and to increase the presence of GLBT people of color in the media.
The next National Policy Roundtable, scheduled for September, will examine structural racism and other barriers to national leadership that exclude people of color and explore how our movement can better address racism.
Mountain Plains Regional Conference
Dignity/Dallas hosted the Mountain-Plains Regional Conference from February 12-14. The weekend's highlights included talks by Mark Jordan, a professor of theology and author; Jesse Davis, author of A Catholic Mother Looks at the Gay Child and Daniel Helminiak, teacher and author. The weekend plenary sessions were preceded by separate days of recollection for men and women and a short meeting of the regional House of Delegates.
Over 85 people throughout the region and from the Dallas chapter and attended Saturday's liturgy and festive Mardi Gras theme dinner where Past President Jim Bussen was the rousing after dinner speaker. President Bob Miailovich, Treasurer Joe Sinico, Regional Director Deb Myers, and National Committee for Women's Concerns co-chair Nickie Valdez were among the Dignity leaders in attendance. Because of the wide expanse of geography covered by the Mountain-Plains region, members and friends are able to gather once a year; but when they do meet, a great time is had by all.
Solidarity Sunday Co-chair
The Board of Directors is looking for an interested Dignity member to serve with Bruce Jarstfer as national co-coordinator of this expanding outreach project. Volunteers or nominations for the position should be submitted to the national office. Solidarity Sunday will be October 10, 1999.
Midwest College Conference
The annual conference of Midwest Lesbian Bisexual Gay and Transgender college students was held at the University of Wisconsin on February 12-14. About 1,500 people were in attendance. Members of Integrity-Dignity of Madison staffed a Dignity information booth during the conference. Attendees were very interested in Dignity and our message about our sexuality and our spirituality and were eager to read the material provided by the national office and the local chapter free of charge. Thanks to all who worked on this important outreach.
Phone Scam Alert
Since October 1998 an unidentified person has engaged in a phone scam using the name of National Secretary Jerry Deas. The caller contacts chapter leaders and tries to extract funds from the chapters by saying that he is Jerry and that he has been injured or robbed in cities near them. This is a hoax! Jerry is alive and quite well and in Portland, Oregon and has not been robbed or mugged. If you have been approached in this manner, please notify the national office. Jerry also asks prayers for this person so that help for him is forthcoming.
Convention Corner:
Send in Your Registration TODAY!
Send in your completed Convention 1999 registration TODAY! The 1999 Committee is proud and thrilled to offer Dignitarians from across the country the opportunity to partake of a wonderful line up of speakers, a bevy of workshops, three spirit filled liturgies, and the comforts of fabulous hotel. The Convention, slated for the Adam's Mark Hotel, will be another memorable Dignity family reunion. It will be a time to renew friendships, make new friends, fill your soul, and lift your spirit.
Bishop Gumbleton Slated to Speak
Thomas J. Gumbleton, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit, will offer a keynote speech entitled "Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message." He is the first bishop to address DignityUSA convention goers since Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen spoke at the 1983 gathering in Seattle.
This offers a rare opportunity for Dignity family members to dialogue with one of the most outspoken Church leaders on gay rights in America," said Terry Mischel, the Convention's Programming Director and past National President. "It will be exciting. Bishop Gumbleton is generating enormous interest for us. I'm certain that all who attend will remember this presentation for a long time to come.
Maine and Region Meet NOVA Challenge
This past month, Dignity/Maine voted to become a tithing Chapter. The members of Dignity/Maine will tithe 10% of all Time, Talent, AND Treasure to the Chapter. In turn the chapter will tithe 10% of all its income to DignityUSA.
At the most recent New England Regional meeting, the Maine delegation challenge the entire region to tithe. After a lively discussion, it was voted unanimously that the New England Region will tithe 10% of all its income to DignityUSA.
Office Hours
Just as a reminder, DignityUSA's office hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 PM eastern time, Monday through Friday. For your convenience, on Tuesday the office is open 9:00 am to 9:00 PM, so members on the West Coast can speak with either Charles or Pamela.
Bible Study Resource
Dignity members are reminded that copies of Claiming the Promise: An Ecumenical Welcoming Bible Study Resource on Homosexuality are still available from the national office at a small fee. Many chapters and individuals continue to find the publication helpful in both individual and group study.
Happy Anniversary:
Fort Lauderdale 14; Hartford 24; Baltimore 26
