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April 15, 2005
The Liberty Line is a monthly e-communications update from the Liberty Education Forum.
2005 National Symposium
Event Highlights Key Issues Facing Gay and Lesbian Americans 
The 2005 Liberty Education Forum National Symposium attracted hundreds of fair-minded Americans to New Orleans on Friday April 1st. The Symposium highlighted key issues impacting gay and lesbian Americans. One panel discussion highlighted strategies for achieving equality for gay and lesbian families. Evan Wolfson from Freedom to Marry, Dartmouth Professor Steve Swayne, and gay conservative law professor Dale Carpenter discussed strategies for the road ahead. Another panel focused on the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. The Symposium also featured a discussion about Congressional re-authorization of the Ryan White CARE Act.
Author Chandler Burr discussed his new LEF white paper which examines the question of whether someone chooses their sexual orientation. This is an important issue because those who believe that gay people don't choose their sexual orientation have much higher support for equality. Burr laid out a strategy for making use of this issue to achieve equality. We'll soon have Burr's white paper posted on the LEF web-site.
The Chairman of the Soulforce board of directors highlighted issues of faith and sexual orientation. Jimmy Creech is a former minister with the United Methodist Church. In 1999, Creech celebrated the holy union of two men in Chapel Hill, NC. Charges were brought against him, and a church trial was held in Nebraska. The jury declared Creech guilty of "disobedience to the Order and Discipline of The United Methodist Church" and withdrew his credentials of ordination. Creech shared his inspiring story of hope and faith.
The National Symposium wrapped up with a panel discussion about "Reaching the Heartland." Grassroots activists from across America discussed strategies for reaching new allies in the Middle American Heartland and South, especially among conservatives and people of faith.
The 2006 National Symposium will be held in Washington, DC. We'll soon have more details for you.
 Keeping the Faith
Conservative U.S. Anglicans Attack Bishops' Move
Reuters reports, "A decision by U.S. Episcopal Church leaders to halt the consecration of all new bishops was a bow to a 'homosexual agenda' that will cause a leadership crisis, the head of a conservative group in the church said.
"The Rev. Canon David Anderson, president of the American Anglican Council, also called a pledge made by the U.S. bishops at a meeting this week not to publicly bless same-sex unions 'duplicitous' because it will not stop the practice from continuing in private.
"The U.S. bishops are under attack from Anglicans for consecrating Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, believed to be the first bishop known to be in a same-sex relationship in the history of the 77-million-member worldwide Anglican Church.
"Responding to a report last year that directed them to apologize for the action and to impose a moratorium on appointing any more openly gay bishops, the U.S. prelates decided not to consecrate any bishops at all until at least June of 2006. They said the action had nearly unanimous support within their ranks and would provide time for discussion." Click here to read more about this. Click here to read another story about this issue.
Australian Catholic Bishop Backs Equal Rights for Gay Couples
The Adelaide Archdiocese in Australia has given support for a South Australian Parliamentary Bill giving gay and lesbian couples access to the rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples.
The Advertiser reports that Archbishop Philip Wilson threw his support behind the Statute Amendment (Relationships) Bill "so that people can be properly protected in their rights".
The Bill would give equal rights to same-sex couples in areas such as property, inheritance, superannuation and medical laws, and bring South Australia in line with other states.
Discussing the Bill at a meeting of Parliament's Social Development Committee, Archbishop Wilson emphasized the importance of protecting the union of marriage but said the law also should be extended to protect the rights of same-sex couples.
"We clearly regard marriage as being a unique type of relationship﾿but at the same time we recognize the fact that there are people in society who live in other kinds of relationships," the bishop said. "The difficulty that we find in a modern society is that we are living in a time of change. Click here to read more about this story.
Catholic Bishop Apologizes for Barring Funeral of Gay Nightclub Owner
The San Diego Union Tribune reports "The head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego apologized Monday to the family of gay nightclub owner John McCusker, less than a week after decreeing that McCusker couldn't have a Catholic burial because of his 'business activities,' according to a statement released by McCusker's family.
"In a stunning twist to a controversy that has created an uproar in the San Diego gay and Catholic communities, Bishop Robert Brom also promised to preside at a mass in memory of McCusker at The Immaculata Catholic church on the campus of the University of San Diego.
"It was only last week that the bishop forced The Immaculata to cancel McCusker's funeral, declaring that no parish within the diocese, which includes San Diego and Imperial Counties, could hold a Catholic funeral for him."
Lesbian Couple Turned Away From Michigan Catholic Church
A Catholic church in Michigan turned away a lesbian couple from joining the church. The Macomb Daily reports that Mary Horon said the Rev. Michael Bugarin of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church told her two weeks after she and her partner applied for membership that the church would not accept the lesbian couple as members. Another local Catholic church ended up accepting the couple. "'The priest said he couldn't have any gay people in his church," Horon recalled. "He called us, 'sinners.'"
"Ned McGrath, director of Communication for the Archdiocese of Detroit, issued a statement in response to the couple's claim of discrimination. 'The Catholic Church is committed to the support of—and a belief in— the marriage of one man and one woman, and does not recognize so-called same-sex unions, whether civil or otherwise, period,' McGrath said. 'And, to register in a parish as 'gay couple,' provides, in fact, a recognition the Church cannot concede. At the same time, any individual who embraces the teachings of the Catholic Church is welcomed in the parishes of the Detroit Archdiocese.'" Click here to read more about this.
 Defending Freedom
Wounded Gay Soldier Wants to Continue Serving
The Associated Press reports "An Army sergeant who was wounded in Iraq wants a chance to remain in the military as an openly gay soldier, a desire that's bringing him into conflict with the Pentagon's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. 
"Sgt. Robert Stout, 23, says he has not encountered trouble from fellow soldiers and would like to stay if not for the policy that permits gay men and women to serve only if they keep their sexual orientation a secret.
"'I know a ton of gay men that would be more than willing to stay in the Army if they could just be open,' Stout said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'But if we have to stay here and hide our lives all the time, it's just not worth it.'" Click here to read more about this.
 Army Falling Short of Recruitment Numbers
365gay.com reports "The U.S. military is suffering a severe troop shortage and the Army recently announced that it will miss its recruitment goals for the next two months.
"The military is strained by the simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But, despite the drain on troops and failure of the Pentagon to attract enlistees, Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey says there are no plans to either reinstate the draft or end don't ask, don't tell.
"As of Feb. 28, the regular Army was 6 percent below the number of recruits it had expected to sign up at that point in the recruiting year, the Army Reserve was 10 percent off and the Army National Guard was 25 percent off." Click here to read more about this issue.
Speaking about the recruiting shortfall, Harvey said "Are we concerned? Absolutely, I'm very concerned. But I'm not going to give up." Click here to read more about this.
Army Raises Enlistment Age for Reservists to 39
Reuters reports, "The U.S. Army, stung by recruiting shortfalls caused by the Iraq war, has raised the maximum age for new recruits for the part-time Army Reserve and National Guard by five years to 39, officials said Monday.
The Army said the move, a three-year experiment, will add about 22 million people to the pool of those eligible to serve, from about 60 million now. Physical standards will not be relaxed for older recruits, who the Army said were valued for their maturity and patriotism."
"The Pentagon has relied heavily on part-time Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers summoned from civilian life to maintain troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan. Roughly 45 percent of U.S. troops currently deployed for those wars are reservists.
"At home, the all-volunteer Army has labored to coax potential recruits to volunteer for the Guard and Reserve as well as for active-duty, and to persuade current soldiers to re-enlist when their volunteer commitment ends. Maj. Elizabeth Robbins, an Army spokeswoman, said the maximum enlistment age for the regular Army will remain 34. While congressional action was not needed to raise the age for the Guard and Reserve, Robbins said, Congress must approve any change for the active-duty force.
 Reaching the Heartland
Gay Adoption Ban Feared in Kansas
In the wake of the passage of an anti-gay constitutional amendment, some gay and lesbian people in Kansas fear that they'll be barred from adopting children. The Topeka Capital Journal reports "A proposal to prohibit homosexuals from adopting children hasn't even been before the Legislature. But gay-rights advocates have been rumbling about the prospect since voters Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages in Kansas.
"'It's obviously of great concern to us,' said Bruce Ney, state chairman of the Lawrence-based Kansans for Fairness, which was created to fight the marriage amendment. Current state law allows unmarried individuals -- gay or straight -- to adopt and serve as foster parents. But a proposal to halt adoptions by gays would certainly garner support among some conservatives at the Statehouse." Click here to read more about this story. (free subscription required)
Every Vote Counts
The Kansas amendment passed one year after the State House initially rejected the proposal. Four Republicans who voted against the amendment last year were targeted for defeat by a group of ministers. All four lawmakers lost their Republican primaries by a total of 854 votes. The new legislature approved the amendment in January. Former State Representative Mary Compton lost her primary by 73 votes. She says, "I still feel like I have done the right thing. I'm proud of what I did while I was there in the Legislature, and I still hold my head up." Click here to read more about this story.
Gay and Lesbian Families
Legislature Strikes Ordinances Requiring Domestic Partner Benefits
We have a follow-up on a story we told you about last year. The City of Atlanta tried to force a country club to extend membership privileges to gay couples. The golf club's refusal to do so was a violation of the city's non-discrimination ordinance. Now though, The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports "A proposal that would void an Atlanta city ordinance requiring associations such as the Druid Hills Golf Club to extend marriage benefits to gay couples cleared its final hurdle in the General Assembly."
The new law prohibits the city of Atlanta from requiring basic fairness. One state lawmaker summed up the vote this way ""We use the term 'local control' in education and law enforcement. But when it comes to discrimination ... we don't want local control. When it comes to the city of Atlanta, local control means nothing. It means nothing at all. It's the height of hypocrisy." Click here to read the entire story.
Conference Focuses on Aging Gay Population
The Des Moines Register recently reported on a special conference focusing on issues pertinent to gay and lesbians who are older than 60. "David Twombley, 63, and Larry Hoch, 62, have more on their minds these days than many married couples their age. There's health insurance to worry about, pension plans and retirement benefits - none of which can be shared between the two men, who have been a couple for five years. 'If (David) dies first, I get no claim to his benefit from Social Security or Iowa Public Employees Retirement System - or vice versa,' Hoch said. 'Those are benefits that would go automatically to a spouse.'
"Benefit access is among the issues that will be discussed at 'Growing Old With Dignity and Grace,' the first state-sponsored conference devoted to issues affecting aging gay and lesbian Iowans.
“‘All of those stresses are amplified by the health and financial challenges of old age,’ said Mark Haverland, director of the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs, which is sponsoring the two-day conference Thursday and Friday at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.” Click here to read the entire article.
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