FROM A NEWS RELEASE
PHOENIX, AZ — A coalition of LGBT advocacy groups are calling out the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to apologize for the harm its teachings are causing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The Southern Baptist Convention is one of the nation's leading promoters of the so-called "ex-gay" industry, currently being exposed by CNN's Anderson Cooper, in a three-part series called "The Sissy Boy Experiment."
Pointing to current teachings and ministries of the SBC, the coalition is shining a light to the harmful practices that individual congregations, pastors, and SBC leadership have embraced. Maliciously targeting LGBT youth there guidance includes everything from counseling parents to kick children and teenagers out of their homes to the horrifying practices of its "ex-gay" program.
With America beginning to see the truth of what is being practiced, close to 10,000 people have signed the petition and those signatures will be delivered directly to the SBC on Wednesday during the second day of their annual meeting.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 10:30am — 3:00pm
WHAT: Delivery of petition and gathering of LGBT persons and supporters
LOCATION: 100 North 3rd Street
** For interviews with local activists or for more details and information please contact: MICHAEL TALON — 202-631-9830 OR michael@lunamediagroup.com .**
This petition drive and delivery is being organized by the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, Believe OutLoud, Faith in America, GetEQUAL, Human and Equal Rights Organizers (H.E.R.O.), No Longer Silent, Soulforce, and Truth Wins Out.
"Given the arc of justice and the trajectory of history, there is no doubt the SBC will offer a full-fledged apology to the LGBT community in the future," reads a letter that petition signers will send to SBC's leadership. "We ask the Southern Baptist Convention to prayerfully consider whether the motive behind the mistreatment and harm toward LGBT individuals, especially youth, is born of political gain and agendas rather the spirit of Christ."
STATEMENTS FROM COALITION MEMBERS
"We call on the Southern Baptist Convention to stop misusing the Bible to promote religion-based bigotry and start recognizing the enormous pain and suffering caused by its mistreatment of LGBT people, particularly vulnerable youth," said Dr. Jack McKinney, a former Southern Baptist minister and spokesperson for Faith in America. "History has not been kind to the Southern Baptist Convention's record on minorities, and it is making the same awful mistake today by perpetuating abuse against gay people."
"The anti-gay teachings of the Southern Baptist church nearly led me to suicide," said Dr. Jerry Stephenson, a former Southern Baptist minister and board member for Truth Wins Out. "I entered an 'ex-gay' ministry that falsely claimed I could change my sexual orientation and this led to a deep depression. Only after I accepted my true self was I able to reconcile my faith and sexual orientation. The Southern Baptist Convention needs to apologize because its policies are hurting real people."
GetEQUAL is a national, direct action lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization. Emphasizing direct action and people power, the mission of GetEQUAL is to empower the LGBT community and its allies to take action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way. For more information on GetEQUAL, please visit: www.getequal.org . You can follow GetEQUAL on Twitter at www.twitter.com/getequal, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GetEQUAL, or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/getequal .