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Justice Ministry
P R A Y E R
God of our weary years:
The sun has set for another drum major for justice. So today we join our hearts with those of people around the world who grieve the passing of Coretta Scott King.
We thank You for her uplifting ministry and courageous life. In a world too often filled with hatred and rancor of every sort, she was steadfast to the end in her faith that Your justice could roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
God of our silent tears:
You have brought us, Your people, this far on the way.
Yet together we acknowledge: We are still traveling the road that leads to justice. The struggle is not yet over. The destination is not yet reached. Ours is a journey that that has just begun.
Now that the voice of Coretta Scott King is silent, we pray that You will cause to rise up within each one of us a new voice that will sustain us on this journey. As Coretta walked with Martin, so allow us to journey together in our pursuit of justice.
Give us, we pray, the courage to work hand-in-hand for equality.
Give us, we pray, the compassion of a heart-to-heart connection in the struggle for human rights for all people.
Even more, O God,
We pray that we, like Coretta, will be:
Wise enough... to seek justice that is not just for us.
Strong enough... to lift others up as we rise.
Humble enough... to seek right relationship with one another, And with ourselves. And with You.
So walk with us, Jesus.
And let us walk on till victory is won.
Amen.
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Our Justice Ministry keeps our congregation aware of the many justice issues that impact our lives. Legislative advocacy and lobbing, newsletters, and everyday human rights and Christian issues. You don’t have to be a politician, but if you like being apart of change, here is a spot for you.
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2006 Kentucky General Assembly |
2006 Kentucky General Assembly
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Statewide Fairness Bill |
Support |
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This bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity throughout Kentucky in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit. Right now only residents of Metro Louisville, Lexington/Fayette County, and Covington, Kentucky are protected by city ordinance against discrimination. No one should be fired from a job, denied an apartment, turned away by a restaurant, or refused credit simply because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. (Fact Sheet) |
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School Harassment Bill (HB 270)
Sponsors: Rep. Mike Cherry and Stephen Nunn |
Support |
| This bill provides school districts with tools for dealing with harassment and intimidation against any student, including young people who are targeted because of their perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. (Fact Sheet) |
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Anti-Fairness Bill (HB 215)
Sponsors: Rep. Joe Fischer and Stan Lee |
Oppose |
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This bill targets gay people for discrimination by tearing down existing protections against discrimination for LGBT people in Metro Louisville, Lexington/Fayette County, and Covington, KY. It would also prohibit other cities and counties from enacting Fairness ordinances, restricting them from passing civil rights protections beyond those already in Kentucky law. Kentucky law doesn’t protect people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity – neither does Federal law. (Fact Sheet) |
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| Adoption/Foster Care Ban |
Oppose |
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This bill would require state agencies to inquire about the sexual orientation and gender identity or expression of applicants for adoption and foster care, and would prohibit LGBT Kentuckians from becoming adoptive or foster parents. (Fact Sheet) |
All sorts of LBGTI news, not just legal. Free legal forms, too.
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Justice Information
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"A time comes when silence is betrayal. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought, within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
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New Justice files are located below
To Look at all Files in Justice Archives Click Here
Senate Passage of Hate Crimes Bill Moves Bill Closer Than Ever To Becoming Law
Bill Signifies Major Victory toward Equality for GLBT Community
WASHINGTON— In an historic step toward equality for GLBT Americans, the U.S. Senate voted to pass the Matthew Shepard Act, which updates and expands the federal hate crimes laws to include bias motivated violence based on a victim’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, and disability, and provides new resources and tools to assist local law enforcement in prosecuting vicious crimes.
“For over a decade our community has worked tirelessly to ensure protections to combat violence motivated by hate and today we are the closest we have ever been to seeing that become a reality,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Congress has taken an historic step forward and moved our country closer to the realization that all Americans, including the GLBT community, are part of the fabric of our nation. The new leadership in Congress fully understands that for too long our community has been terrorized by hate violence. And today, the US Senate has sent a clear message to every corner of our country that we will no longer turn a blind eye to anti-gay violence in America.”
The Senate in a bipartisan vote of 60 to 39 accepted cloture which ended debate on the bill and then moved to approve the Matthew Shepard Act by a voice vote -- attaching it as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2008 Department of Defense Authorization bill.
On May 3rd, the House of Representatives passed a companion bill, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1592), with a strong bipartisan margin of 237 to 180. Twenty-six state Attorneys General, including 23 from states with anti-hate crimes laws already on the books, as well as 230 law enforcement, civil rights, civic and religious organizations support the Matthew Shepard Act and the LLEHCPA because, despite progress toward equality in almost all segments of our society, hate crimes continue to spread fear and violence and local law enforcement often lack the tools and resources to prevent and prosecute them. Some of these supporting organizations include the National Sheriffs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 26 state attorneys general, the National District Attorneys Association, the NAACP, the Episcopal Church, the League of Women Voters, the Anti-Defamation League, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the YWCA of the USA and the United Methodist Church.
The President has threatened to veto the legislation, calling it “unnecessary.” According to the FBI, 25 Americans each day are victims of hate crimes—that means approximately one hate crime is committed every hour. One in six hate crimes are motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation. It’s time to update the law to protect everyone, and this year marks our best chance yet to get it done.
“Hate crimes terrorize entire communities and violate America’s core democratic principles that all citizens are created equal and are afforded equal protection under the law,” continued Solmonese. “On behalf of the millions of Americans who have waited too long for these critical protections, we urge President Bush to sign the bill when it arrives on his desk.”
The hate crimes amendment was introduced by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR). It confers authority on the federal government to investigate and prosecute crimes committed against victims solely because of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability when local officials are unwilling or unable to do so. It also expands existing federal hate crimes law to improve prosecution of bias-motivated crimes based on race, religious, national origin and color and provides additional resources to local law enforcement.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
By LOONG MENG YEE
KUALA LUMPUR: A controversy has erupted among the Christian community over what they claim is an attempt by a self-confessed gay pastor to set up a church here.
For the past week, protest e-mail and SMSes have been sent to Rev Ou Yang Wen Feng, a Malaysian pastor who serves at the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in New York. He has been back here for about a week.
According to the MCC homepage, the church is part of an international movement of Christian churches reaching out to all, including homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals.
Ou Yang, 37, has drawn much flak from Christians for his plan to hold a Sunday service at a hotel this week.
He came out of the closet about his homosexuality last year and is said to be the first pastor in Malaysia to do so.
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Ou Yang states that his proposed church would serve all people, not just homosexuals. | A columnist in Sin Chew Daily, Ou Yang went to further his studies in the United States on the daily’s scholarship in the 90s.
When contacted yesterday, Ou Yang said he was merely trying to set up a church “where everybody felt safe and welcomed”.
It is unfair to label it a gay church, he said, adding that the hate-mail had hurt him.
“This church is not limited to gays but serves all people. This will be an active church. We have so many community-centred plans, such as assisting the poor, charity work and upholding justice,” he said.
Ou Yang noted that the New York church served food to 5,000 homeless people and hoped to launch similar programmes here. He plans to return to Malaysia for good in 2010.
He credits his former wife for giving him strength to be true to himself, acknowledging that she had endured much anguish during their seven-year, childless union.
Asked if his church would solemnise same sex marriages, he replied: “Same sex marriages are illegal in Malaysia, so how can I perform them? However, I will bless the union.”
Ou Yang said that his talk in Penang last week received much opposition from “faceless parties”. However, the talk saw a full house of about 200 people instead of the initial estimate of 60.
“Many are just curious about me. They ask me many things about homosexuality and my life. They just want to know more and not to be converted by me,” he said.
The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship Malaysia secretary-general Rev Wong Kin Kong, when contacted, acknowledged the proposed worship on Sunday had sowed anxiety among Christians.
“One of the reasons for the emotional reaction is because Christians do not want others to assume they condone such a thing,” said Wong.
He added that the churches could not accept Ou Yang’s version of the church because “it is clear that the Bible prohibits a sexual relationship between people of the same sex. If a person condones same sex marriages, it is definitely violating Christian principles.”
Wong said the churches had always welcomed all kinds of people, including homosexuals.
“It is the deviant sexual behaviour we do not condone. We cannot stop him wanting to set up such a kind of church, but the evangelical churches will inform followers of our stand and advise them not to follow this teaching,” he said.
Monday August 13, 2007
BY AUDREY EDWARDS
KUALA LUMPUR: Angel Ayala sat in the second row of people, watching with pride as his partner Rev Ou Yang Wen Feng calmly led the faithful through a two-hour Sunday service at a hotel here.
And through it all, Ou Yang, a self-confessed gay pastor knew he was not alone because of Ayala's presence.
“He has been very supportive and it was important to know that I was not alone,” Ou Yang said in an interview yesterday after the service attended by about 100 people.
He said it was important to show other gay people that it was possible to come out together, and to heterosexuals that gay relationships were not just about sex but about “spiritual and emotional love.”
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Coming out: Rev Ou Yang (second from left) and Bishop Perry (third from left) with their respective partners Ayala (left) and De Blieck (right) after Sunday service.
| The pair has been together for four-and-a-half years and hope to marry when same sex marriages are legalised in New York.
Ayala, a finance manager said he supported Ou Yang’s plan to set up a church in Malaysia.
Ou Yang, 37, is a Malaysian pastor who serves at the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in New York. He is also currently pursuing his doctorate at Boston University.
He hopes to set up an MCC branch here in 2010, before which, friends would help him start a cell group that he said was open to all regardless of their sexual orientation.
Earlier during a press conference, Ou Yang, when asked about opposition from other churches in Malaysia, said as a Christian minister, he would pray for them.
The service also saw Metropolitan Community Churches founder Bishop Troy D. Perry giving a sermon. Also present was his partner of over 22 years, Phillip De Blieck.
Perry said he was thankful for having De Blieck as he was that “special someone” who was there for him through good and bad times.
They married under Canadian law at the MCC of Toronto in 2003 and hope to get the marriage recognised by the California State Supreme Court by this year.
Perry believed the church would be a blessing for the gay and lesbian communities in Malaysia.
He also spoke of his promise to his partner that he would stand by him, when De Blieck was diagnosed with HIV two decades ago.
When asked about his former heterosexual marriage and his two sons, Perry said he was in contact with one of his sons and is a grandfather of three.
De Blieck, 43, said his “greatest gift” to the world and the church was to always be supportive of Perry’s work.
“When I met Troy, I did not know who he was. And I think one reason Troy fell in love with me was because he knew I was interested in him as a person and not the title,” he said.
MCC'S MINISTRY TO MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE
FEATURED IN NATIONAL MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER
MCC's recent ministry team to Malaysia and Singapore received major press coverage in news stories in The Star, a national Malaysian newspaper.
The Star is the largest English-language newspaper in Malaysia with an audited readership at 290,000 - 300,000 daily readers. Both stories carried photos (notice the background poster of "Tearing Down Walls, Building Up Hope" in the first photo).
The team's ministry was also received coverage in an international Associated Press news story, and a press story in the International Herald Tribune.
In the near future, Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Chair of MCC's Global Social Justice Team, will share an full report of MCC's recent ministry to Malaysia and Singapore.
The six-member MCC team included Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Mary Jane Gibney, Rev. Dr. Troy Perry, Philip Ray De Blieck, Rev. Boon Lin Ngeo (also referred to as Ou Yang Wen in news stories), and Angel Anaya.
Both stories from Malaysia's national newspaper follow.
(click caption for details)
ACTION NEEDED
In action before Congress, public broadcasting (PBS and NPR) could lose nearly a quarter of its federal funding this year. Even worse, all funding would be eliminated in two years.
This would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting, forcing the elimination of some popular PBS (Public Broadcasting System) and NPR (National Public Radio) programs. In fact, NPR's president expects rural public radio stations will be forced to shut down. News programs that aren't controlled by corporate media would be discontinued. Programs like "Sesame Street," "Clifford," and "Maya and Miguel" would no longer be available for children.
President Bush's budget proposed cuts to NPR and PBS, but Congress is going even further: slashing 23% of this year's public broadcasting budget—$115 million—and denying NPR and PBS any funding in two years.
Please sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS and send this information to your friends.
http://civic.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/?id=7965-505498-qLIzodsf6243eutm.MaJ1A&t=2
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Interested in being involved?
Want to create Change?
Join our Justice Ministry Team to help shape the world around us. The Justice Ministry has a dual focus. We work within our Church family to help educate our congregation on voter issues as well as our community. We are a diverse community and we strive to bring awareness to that. For example, we use part of the Justice board in the auditorium to display a theme each month. In February we celebrated African-American History month and in June we celebrated PRIDE month. The second focus of the Justice Ministry is to work in the community for social justice. Such work is done by assisting organizations such as the Fairness Campaign. sign up for the Kentucky Fairness Alliance.
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| Support the Statewide Fairness Bill
Dear Judy,
This week, Reps. Kathy Stein, Mary Lou Marzian, Reginald Meeks, and Darryl Owens stepped up for Fairness as sponsors of HB 369, the statewide Fairness bill. This crucial piece of legislation would include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Kentuckians in existing protections from discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit.
No one should be fired from a job, denied an apartment, turned away from a restaurant, or refused credit based simply on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. But currently, Kentuckians outside Covington, Metro Louisville, or Lexington/Fayette County have no legal recourse when they're subjected to such discrimination. Passing the statewide Fairness bill will help ensure that every Kentuckian is able to work and live freely.
Our goal for 2006 is to get more legislators to sponsor the statewide Fairness bill than ever before. We're asking for your help in encouraging every State Representative to make a commitment to Fairness in Kentucky.
Click the button below to send a personal message asking your representative to sponsor HB 369, and join the courageous House members who are taking a stand for Fairness.
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Your Representative (if you live in KY)
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Become a Sponsor of Statewide Fairness
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
On January 17, Rep. Kathy Stein introduced HB 369, the statewide Fairness bill. Joining her as co-sponsors were Reps. Mary Lou Marzian, Reginald Meeks, and Darryl Owens. I'm writing you to ask that you make a commitment to Fairness by BECOMING A CO-SPONSOR in 2006.
No one should be fired from a job, denied an apartment, turned away from a restaurant, or refused credit simply because of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. A majority of Kentuckians agree with me, that such discrimination is wrong and has no place in the Commonwealth. As of 1999, 74% of Kentucky voters said they supported job discrimination protection for LGBT people (Decision Research).
Please join your courageous colleagues in becoming a co-sponsor of the statewide Fairness bill (HB 369).
Personal message:
Sincerely,
Judy Dale
cc:
Kentucky Fairness Alliance
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| Take Action! |
Instructions:
Click here to take action on this issue
Tell-A-Friend:
Show the strength in our numbers! Invite your friends and colleagues to tell their State Representatives to become sponsors of the statewide Fairness bill.
 Tell-a-Friend!
What's At Stake:
Summary
A Statewide Fairness Law would protect all Kentuckians against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit .
Right now, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender person can get fired, denied rental or sale of housing, turned away from a restaurant, or refused credit based on who they are, with no state or federal protection.
A gay man shouldn't lose his job simply because of his sexual orientation. A lesbian shouldn't lose her home as a result of anti-gay bias. A bisexual man shouldn't be turned away from a restaurant on the grounds of his orientation. A transgendered woman shouldn't be denied credit due to her gender identity or expression.
LGBT people are in every town, every neighborhood, every workplace, every school, and every family. Discrimination hurts all of us, and has no place in the Commonwealth.
Talking Points
- Polls have shown that 74% of Kentucky voters support a state law to prohibit this kind of discrimination (Decision Research, 1999).
- Nationally, 88% of Americans said in a 2003 Gallup poll that they support "equal opportunities for gays and lesbians in the workplace" (National Gay and Lesbian Task Force).
- Fairness laws currently exist in 14 states plus the District of Columbia.
- Kentucky stands proudly alongside Indiana and Pennsylvania as additional states with executive orders prohibiting job discrimination against state employees.
- People of faith support non-discrimination laws, saying "all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation, should be treated equally in the workplace. As people of faith we believe that all employees should be judged by the quality of their work, not their personal characteristics" (The Interfaith Alliance).
- Business leaders support non-discrimination laws as a way to encourage a diverse and talented workforce.
- Fairness laws protect all people. Everyone has a sexual orientation and a way of expressing gender. Since bigotry is often about perception, even people who identify as straight will be protected from anti-gay bias.
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Indiana News |
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The anti-marriage constitutional amendment will not be debated again in the General Assembly until next year. However, far-right lawmakers are introducing other bills aimed at forcing LGBT families back into the closets of shame and denial.
Legislation has been introduced in the General Assembly that would have Indiana law declare that marriage is preferred, encouraged, and supported over any other domestic relationship (House Bill 1335). Another proposal would require that public schools not allow instruction that is contrary to policies established by law concerning marriage (House Bill 1202).
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Downable Files
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