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by Toni Pizanie
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Exercise Your Privilege!

Saturday, March 7, l998 is once again election day. There are several friends of the GLBT community that are in the run-offs. Just a reminder of the Ambush endorsements-Traffic Court, Division B-Bobby Jones; State Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals-David Marcello; and Register of Conveyances-Gasper Schiro.

Limited funds, unlimited needs!

The HRC Federal Club is suffering losses in funding from existing New Orleans donors. When asked if he was going to continue his membership in the Federal Club, Activist of the Year Randal Beach said he would not continue monthly donations to the Federal Club. Was it because of the transgender issue? No! He believes that in an area as politically active as Louisiana with influential and productive organizations like LAGPAC and Legal we must support our local efforts before sending money out-of-state. Randal is supportive of transgender rights and he also believes that if we do not pull together and support Louisiana based political organizations, we could ALL lose our rights. He will continue as a member of HRC and his sustained giving will go to local political groups.

Long time Civil Rights activist and "out" candidate Larry Bagneris has never joined the Federal Club as he believes that the economy in New Orleans makes it necessary to keep our funds at home. He says that HRC does return Federal Club funds to the individual states through their support of candidates and AIDS programs. Larger cities like Dallas and Houston can more easily afford to send money to a national organization but in Louisiana where the economy is strained Bagneris says our limited funds must be used to support gay organizations in Louisiana.

One of the more enlightened reasons for leaving HRC and the Federal Club came from Carl Ezkovich who informed me that the HRC sponsored "Coming Out" Day fell on Yom Kippur in 1997. Between this strong show of disrespect and the transgender issue, Carl and Lenny Frank felt that continuing to support HRC was an insult to their beliefs. "Would they have held the event on Good Friday? Would they return money received from transgenders? I think not! Yes, our money will stay at home."

If you keep up with legislation that supports GLBT rights, you know that recently the state of Maine repealed a law prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians in housing, employment and public accommodations. For a state that once took pride in itself on tolerance, Maine now finds itself in a shameful position. This could happen anywhere.

HRC's Federal Club Newsletter for January/February, 1998 ran an article headed "Maine Won't Discriminate" and asks that we encourage a "NO" vote on this "hateful referendum." Despite the fact that HRC sent staff to Maine to work against the referendum, it passed. The failed "Maine Won't Discriminate" campaign according to The New York Times spent five to one over the anti-gay hate groups led by the Christian Civic League of Maine. The campaign failed to educate and energize gay supporters. Once again those promoters of hatred convinced so-called Christians that gays are immoral and are seeking special rights.

Does HRC have a strong effect within Louisiana? HRC failures in Maine and North Carolina have received considerable press and makes one wonder if HRC has suffered failures that we are not aware of in other states. Perhaps in states that do not have a strong internal gay organization, HRC is necessary. I'm just not willing to support financially other states that want to let a national group fight their fight. HRC is accomplishing much on the national level even if the attempts to assist individual states are not as effective.

LAGPAC and Legal are fighting for GLBT rights in Louisiana and need serious financial support to continue gaining equal rights and keeping them. On the calendar for 1999, is the issue of including transgenders in the State of Louisiana Hate Crimes Law. This oversight is unacceptable both on the City and State levels. The MAC is working to correct the oversight on the City level in 1998. LAGPAC and Legal will be working on the 1999 project. There are still questions about how and why the language of these laws was omitted or changed when introduced in 1997.

LAGPAC and Legal are discussing a joint pledge program for citizens of Louisiana who want to be a part of the progress. LAGPAC treasurer Eddie Domingue at 504.288.4930 can give you more information. Legal president Randal Beach is also a wealth of information on how and why you are an important piece of the larger picture of success. Please consider donating your money where is it needed and being used for your rights.

Christian Left vs Religious Right!

As a believing Christian, I have been telling anyone who would listen that the Religious Right has nothing to do with Christianity. I have also been mailing to those who will not listen copies of the "Madison Affirmation" which was published in Ambush in 1997. This is a statement from a large number of clergy in Madison, Wisconsin who believe that the GLBT community should be welcomed in all churches and is certainly a part of Christianity and God's greatness.

Locally we are blessed with several gay and gay friendly churches. Last week I heard from Carole Siegel who is employed by Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church to educate the congregation on the GLBT community. I received the following information from Carol and was so pleased that a main-line religious organization was truly a Christian church that I am sharing the good news with our readers.

Taking A Stand Against Homophobia;
A Metairie Church Speaks Out!

What do we do about those gay people? From the complete alienation of the gay and lesbian community from its churches, synagogues, and ministries, to accepting them as members of congregations and as clergy, religious communities are grappling with the idea of inclusion of the gay and lesbian community into both their religious institutions and their theologies.

One church that is taking a stand against religion-based homophobia, is the Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Located at 3810 Power Blvd. in Metairie. The church recently created a part-time position for outreach into the gay and lesbian community. The Church's controversial stance may surprise some. Faith is a small congregation of 70 individuals.

"As a church, we want to be radically inclusive", said Rev. Bob Matlock, minister of the Faith Cumberland Church. "Bigotry by its very nature is exclusive, excluding people from basic consideration because of their skin color, religion or sexual orientation. The Christian Gospel preaches love and that love is unconditional. That is what we are saying as a church."

Faith Cumberland Church is saying much more than that. The church's recent decision to hire gay leader Carole Siegel to head their outreach efforts coincides with Christian groups taking openly hostile, anti-gay positions in the political and religious arenas. Ironically, the national Presbyterian Church USA, the same denomination that Faith Cumberland belongs to, recently amended their constitution to effectively exclude gays and lesbians. The result of these anti-gay decisions has left many gays and lesbians feeling unwelcome and under religious attack.

"I was brought up in the Roman Catholic Church," said Carole Siegel, coordinator for Faith Cumberland's outreach efforts. "I was confused on where my spiritual home would be, the Catholic Church said it was not a sin to be homosexual, but to spend my life alone. This was not something that many people could live with, nor would want to."

More often than not, Siegel says, gays and lesbians are forced to make difficult choices when it comes to pursuing their spiritual options. In fact, being gay in New Orleans, narrows your choice of congregations to the Unity Church or the Metropolitan Community Church, two predominately gay churches.

Faith Cumberland is looking to provide another religious option for the often alienated gay community. With addition of Ms. Siegel to its staff, the church intends to establish contact, communication, and build bridges to the gay community. Asked whether they were concerned about confronting a backlash from religious rights organizations that have virtually opposed homosexuality, Matlock and Siegel gave an emphatic "NO!"

"What we are doing is so new, and we are so small," said Rev. Matlock. "We are way beneath Don Wildmon and Jerry Falwell's radar. We are going to continue to worship and continue our faith journeys with the notion that everyone is welcome."

"They have already reached me. And that is already a success. I have found a place to worship with my partner without ridicule," Siegel said.

For more information on the Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church, or to find out how you can become involved, please call Rev. Bob Matlock or Carole Siegel at 504.888.3937.

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