More on the Open Letter

On Monday, the Religious Institute released its new "Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Sexual and Gender Diversity." Its received a lot of coverage in the "gay press" but not much mainstream coverage - yet.

I've been receiving emails all week from people who have read the Open Letter. Here is one of my favorites:

I just wanted to comment on your orginazation's recent statement about the inclusion and better treatment of LGBT community within the religious enviroment. Everything she said was 100% true and really touched me! I think that your statement was eloquent, thoughtful, and gave nothing but the highest form of dignity to my community.

Someone also wrote to ask me what we meant when we said that LGBT persons could be assets in their faith communities. I first thought about the person who once said to me "if all the gay and lesbian choir directors and organists quit churches that did not welcome them, there would be no music in most of the churches on Sunday morning."

But, no, that's NOT what we meant in the statement. What we meant was that when people can live their God given gift of their sexuality, when sexual and gender diversity is celebrated and not condemned, our faith communities are richer for our being able to live and worship authentically together. When LGBT persons and their families, their parents, their children, their friends, are welcomed into our communities fully, they are able to participate fully as members of the congregation. They are our preachers, our religious educators, our volunteers, our Board members, our ushers, our choir members -- they are US.

I hope you'll read the full Open Letter and visit our newly redesigned web site. And pass it on.