|
Friday, August 08, 2008
To
the
Editors:
Re:
“Police:
hatred
of
gays,
liberals
led
man
on
shooting
rampage”
(news,
Aug.
1)
On
Sunday,
July
24,
the
Tennessee
Valley
Unitarian
Universalist
Church
in
Knoxville,
Tenn.,
was
attacked
by
a
shotgun-wielding
man,
resulting
in
the
loss
of
two
innocent
lives
and
wounding
of
seven
others.
We
share
in
the
shock
and
grief
expressed
at
this
act
by
people
of
good
will
in
our
community
and
we
are
communicating
that
good
will
to
the
Unitarian
Universalists
and
clergy
members
in
Knoxville.
As
an
association
of
congregations,
Unitarian
Universalism
has
long
advocated
the
exercise
of
free
will
and
conscience
in
matters
of
faith,
promoted
respect
for
diversity
in
religious
practice
and
society
at
large,
and
championed
the
rights
of
those
suffering
discrimination,
particularly
when
dogmatic
religious
beliefs
are
used
to
justify
that
discrimination.
It
is
reported
that
our
reputation
for
such
“liberal”
stances
may
have
been
the
reason
that
the
attacker
in
Knoxville
selected
a
Unitarian
Universalist
congregation
for
his
rampage.
It
is
indeed
shocking,
but
ultimately
not
surprising,
that
such
violence
should
be
visited
on
members
of
a
religiously
liberal
faith
tradition.
As
a
religious
organization,
Unitarian
Universalism
does
not
seek
involvement
in
politics
for
its
own
sake,
but
finds
itself
involved
in
the
issues
of
the
day
by
way
of
addressing
them
from
moral
and
spiritual
perspectives.
While
most
who
disagree
with
us
do
so
with
respect
and
reason,
this
violent
individual,
motivated
by
hateful
political
ideals,
decided
that
our
involvement
was
sufficient
to
justify
the
church
in
Knoxville
as
a
legitimate
target.
Given
the
threat
from
such
individuals,
it
would
be
tempting
to
reduce
our
advocacy
on
controversial
issues,
adopt
more
hostile
attitudes
toward
those
whose
views
differ
with
our
own,
or
even
to
restrict
access
to
our
church
for
the
sake
of
physical
security.
We
will,
of
course,
do
none
of
those
things.
As
was
the
case
when
Unitarian
Universalists
faced
threats
during
the
civil
rights
movement,
we
will
view
this
attack
as
a
reminder
of
how
much
the
world
needs
our
continued
commitment
to
equality.
Drawing
on
the
Christian
tradition,
one
of
many
religious
sources
from
which
we
derive
wisdom
and
inspiration,
we
will
continue
to
love
our
neighbors
as
ourselves,
and
to
do
unto
others
as
we
would
have
them
do
unto
us.
And
most
of
all,
we
will
continue
to
open
our
doors
and
our
hearts
to
the
community,
offering
worship
and
programs
that
benefit
everyone
in
our
community.
DAVE
MILLER,
BONNIE
LEPOFF
&
BRYAN
GEORGE
Sterling,
Va.
Editors’
note:
The
writers
are
members
of
the
Unitarian
Universalists
of
Sterling
board
of
trustees.
The
letter
was
co-signed
by
the
entire
board.
To
the
Editors:
Re:
“Budding
activists
visit
Washington,
Maryland
for
Campus
Pride
events”
(news,
July
25)
I
recently
attended
Campus
Pride’s
2008
Leadership
Camp,
which
was
covered
in
the
Blade.
Camp
was
a
life-changing
experience,
and
I’m
so
grateful
to
the
donors
who
funded
the
event.
Meeting
with
leaders
of
national
LGBT
organizations
inspired
me
to
be
more
involved
in
the
LGBT
movement
and
gave
me
the
skills
to
do
so
effectively.
I
was
pleased
when
I
returned
home
to
discover
the
Blade
had
covered
the
event.
I
hope
more
people
will
discover
Campus
Pride
and
its
excellent
Leadership
Camp
through
the
Blade’s
coverage.
However,
I
felt
the
article,
which
referred
to
all
attendees
as
“gay,”
did
not
truly
convey
the
diversity
of
Campus
Pride’s
LGBT
&
Ally
Leadership
Camp.
Many
of
the
students
who
attended
identified
as
transgender
and
heterosexual,
transgender
and
bisexual,
gender-normative
and
bisexual
or
gender-normative
and
heterosexual.
As
a
bisexual
camper,
I
felt
alienated
by
the
Blade’s
coverage
and
felt
that
defining
all
of
the
campers
as
gay
excluded
me.
We
spent
a
lot
of
time
at
Campus
Pride’s
camp
focusing
on
the
diversity
of
the
movement,
and
especially
discussing
the
special
needs
of
transgender
and
bisexual
identified
persons
who
can
feel
invisible
within
the
movement.
Using
the
term
“gay”
to
refer
to
all
LGBT
and
allied
people
is
one
way
in
which
this
invisibility
continues.
This
invisibility
has
created
confusion
and
pain
within
my
own
life.
I
have
struggled
to
find
my
place
within
the
LGBT
and
allied
community
when
in
heterosexual
relationships,
fearing
that
I
wasn’t
queer
enough
to
find
acceptance
within
the
community
I
love
so
dearly.
We
must
have
both
bisexual
and
transgender
acceptance
and
visibility
within
our
own
communities.
I
hope
in
future
coverage,
the
Blade
will
not
use
“gay”
as
an
umbrella
term,
but
rather
LGBT
&
Ally.
SARAH
FIELDING
Marlboro,
Vt.
|
 |
