Catholics for Equality Organizational Meeting

March 4, 2010

by

DignityUSA

<p> <img alt= src=/sites/default/files/pictures/picture-7.jpg style=margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; float: right; width: 85px; height: 85px; />DignityUSA was requested to participate in a seminal and hastily organized gathering of Catholic LGBT advocates in Washington DC on January 30 and 31 2010. I&nbsp;represented DignityUSA in lieu of Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke who was unable to clear her calendar on short notice. I was joined by Board members Mark&nbsp;Clark and Tom Yates both of Dignity/Washington. Ray Panas President of Dignity/Washington was also present.</p> <p> The meeting was convened by Phil Attey a Washington attorney and Rev. Dr. Joe Palacios a Jesuit priest from Los Angeles currently on the faculty at Georgetown&nbsp;University. The purpose of the meeting was to address the increasing role of the U.S.Conference of Catholic Bishops and state Bishops&rsquo; conferences on LGBT political&nbsp;issues and to coordinate efforts to shift Catholic public opinion and voter behaviors.We joined the following individuals and organizations.</p> <!--break--> <ul> <li> Rev. Anthony Adams &ndash; <a href=http://www.bilerico.com/ target=_blank>Bilerico.com</a></li> <li> Joanna Blotner &ndash; <a href=http://www.hrc.org/ target=_blank>Human Rights Campaign</a></li> <li> Chuck Colbert &ndash; Freelance journalist and frequent contributor to <a href=http://ncronline.org/ target=_blank>National Catholic Reporter</a></li> <li> Frank DeBernardo &ndash; <a href=http://www.newwaysministry.org/ target=_blank>New Ways Ministry</a></li> <li> <a href=http://fathergeofffarrow.blogspot.com/ target=_blank>Rev. Geoffrey Farrow</a> &ndash; Los Angeles CA (Geoff presented the homily at&nbsp;DignityUSA&rsquo;s Convention 2009 liturgy.)</li> <li> Sr. Jeannine Gramick SL &ndash; <a href=http://www.ncan.us/ target=_blank>National Coalition of American Nuns</a></li> <li> Sharon Groves &ndash; <a href=http://www.hrc.org/ target=_blank>Human Rights Campaign</a></li> <li> Charles Martel &ndash; <a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Every-Town/Catholics-for-Marriage-Equality/152210006083>Catholics for Marriage Equality in Massachusetts</a></li> <li> Peter Montgomery &ndash; <a href=http://www.pfaw.org/ target=_blank>People for the American Way</a></li> <li> Matthew Myers &ndash; <a href=http://www.newwaysministry.org/ target=_blank>New Ways Ministry</a></li> <li> Shiva Subbaraman &ndash; <a href=http://lgbtq.georgetown.edu/ target=_blank>Georgetown LGBTQ Resource Center</a></li> <li> Anne Underwood &ndash; <a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Every-Town/Catholics-for-Marriage-Equality/152210006083>Catholics for Marriage Equality in Maine</a></li> </ul> <p> DignityUSA was warmly welcomed by the organizers as a thought leader and long-time advocate for LGBT Catholics. We significantly influenced the conversations&nbsp;that weekend. The group resolved to create a new educational and political organization to educate and mobilize fair-minded Catholic voters to advance LGBT equality&nbsp;issues at the federal state and local levels. The new group will address both immediate political concerns and long term social-cultural change through public awareness&nbsp;campaigns and grassroots mobilization efforts. The new organization is called Catholics for Equality. It will build on the talents and resources of already existing LGBT&nbsp;political and progressive Catholic organizations and coordinate strategies and resourcesin our united campaign. I see it as a Catholic equivalent to HRC (Human Rights Campaign).</p> <p> If the organizers&rsquo; aspirations are well grounded in the skills and contacts they described I see this organization evolving into a very significant ally in DignityUSA&rsquo;s&nbsp;mission to &ldquo;amplify the voice&rdquo; of LGBT Catholics their families and friends. They are experienced political organizers with access to &ldquo;deep pockets&rdquo; and are being&nbsp;actively supported by HRC. Catholics for Equality will focus on influencing legislation and the behavior of Catholic voters in a way that DignityUSA cannot with our&nbsp;501(c)(3) designation. It will address issues affecting the LGBT community including discrimination in employment military service housing and public accommodations&nbsp;and legal recognition of family &ndash; civil marriage adoption &amp; custody immigration insurance hospital visitation etc.</p> <p> The group decided to create an interim development board that will oversee work leading to the organization&rsquo;s official launch on Ascension Thursday &ndash; May 13 2010.&nbsp;The Catholics for Equality Development Board was assigned the following tasks:</p> <ol> <li> Develop a strategic plan for the organization.</li> <li> Incorporate Catholics for Equality as a 501(c)(4) organization.</li> <li> Develop a communications strategy and program to orchestrate the organizational launch which will involve institutional branding and the creating of both online&nbsp;and print materials.</li> <li> Identify and solicit initial funding.</li> <li> Develop an outreach strategy for bringing in community including influential theologians.</li> </ol> <p> DignityUSA will hold two seats on the board represented by Marianne Duddy-Burke and myself. We will be working to ensure the group evolves in a fashion that&nbsp;complements our own mission and vision rather than competes with it. We will keep you posted on developments.</p> <p> Peter Montgomery Senior Fellow at People for the American Way facilitated theweekend discussion. Cathy Renna Media Relations Director Renna Communications<br /> advised the meeting attendees on communications strategy. She spoke very highly ofthe work by DignityUSA&rsquo;s Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke&mdash;referencing<br /> lobbying in Massachusetts related to the sexual abuse scandal and later at a Bishops&rsquo;National Conference meeting in Dallas featured in USA Today.</p>