INTEGRITY FORUM

A JOURNAL FOR GAY EPISCOPALIANS AND THEIR FRIENDS

c Integrity, Inc. 1978   ISSN: 0095-2184

Volume 4  Number 5  June-July 1978

 

INTEGRITY FORUM:  A JOURNAL FOR GAY EPISCOPALIANS AND THEIR FRIENDS is the official newsletter of Integrity, Inc., a non-profit religious, charitable, educational and literary organization of gay episcopalians and their friends.  Membership and subscription correspondence should be sent to Integrity Treasurer, Raymond Conti, Integrity, P.O. Box 3681, Central Station, Hartford, CT 06103.  Editorial correspondence should be sent to Integrity Forum Editor, William Doubleday, c/o Episcopal Divinity School, 99 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.  For further information write to P.O. Box 891, Oak Park IL 60303 or telephone 312/386-1470. 

 

Signed articles represent the views of the contributors.  The editor reserves the right to revise all sexist language. 

 

Copyright 1978 by Integrity, Inc.  6 issues per year.  Memberships are $10 per year; subscriptions without memberships  are $12 per year.  Add $3 if you would like your copy of Integrity Forum mailed in a plain envelope; Canadians remit in U.S. funds. 

 

President...................................... John Lawrence

Secretary...................................... Donn Mitchell

Treasurer...................................... Raymond Conti

Editor..................................... William Doubleday

Publisher..................................... David Williams

Publisher's Assistants........... Jerry Vogt, William Landram

                                             & Integrity/Chicago

 

DOUBLEDAY TO STEP DOWN AS EDITOR OF INTEGRITY FORUM

by Stewart D. Alexander

 

William A. Doubleday has submitted his resignation as Editor of the Integrity Forum effective at the Integrity Convention in the Twin Cities.  Several months ago he assumed the full-time posi­tion of Education Officer at the National Gay Task Force and has indicated that continuing as Editor of Integrity Forum simply requires more time and energy than he now has available.  He plans to continue to play a part in Integrity's planning for the 1979 General Convention in Denver.

 

At the National Gay Task Force, Doubleday is involved in plan­ning a new program of Weeks of Dialogue with major segments of the non-gay population.  The Weeks of Dialogue are aimed at shattering myths, fears, and stereotypes about gay men and lesbians.  His position involves program design, writing educational materials, and the conduct of educational events.  Outside of his work at NGTF, Doubleday has also become involved in gay ecumenical efforts in New York City since his relocation from Boston.  He may be contacted at the National Gay Task Force, Room 1601, 80 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011 .

 

INTEGRITY TO HOLD NATIONAL CONVENTION

 

Minneapolis, MN ‑‑ Integrity, the charitable, religious, educational, and literary organization of gay and lesbian Episcopalians and their friends, will hold its Fourth National Convention August 17-20.  The Twin Cities chapter of Integrity is coordinating and hosting the event to be headquartered at Gethsemane Episcopal Church in downtown Minneapolis.  In doing so, Gethsemane acknowledges Integrity as a "bona fide interest group within the Church," according to convention Co-Deans Martha Winslow and Michael Suhr.

 

The theme for this year's gathering is "A Community of Prophets: Moving from Vision to Task."  Keynote addresses will be given by The Rev. Ellen Barrett of Oakland, California, PhD candidate in Sociology of Religion and Ethics, and the first open lesbian ordained to the priesthood; The Rev. James B. Nelson, author and Professor of Christian Ethics at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities; and Barbara Gittings of Philadelphia, lesbian activist of 20 years, lecturer and strategist, and Coordinator of Task Force on Gay Liberation of the American Library Association.

 

In keeping with the theme, national officers will meet in Minneapolis prior to the official opening, and ample time will be allotted for business proceedings throughout the convention.  Committees will be working on items including organizational development, counseling concerns, and very important will be planning for the 1979 General Convention of the 2 million member Episcopal Church of the United States.  That triennial gathering in Denver will be hearing and addressing the report of the Church's Commission on Human Sexuality, ordination of "avowed homo­sexuals," liturgy reform, and the full participation of women in all aspects of the Church.

 

Numerous workshops/playshops will be presented in Minneapolis on a variety of topics such as:  Toward a Gay Ethic, Coming-out Liturgies, "Ex-gay Ministries," Backlash Politics, Married Gays and Lesbians, Politics of Sobriety, Parenting and Custody Issues to name a few.  Several forms of worship will be used, including a non-sexist "Rite III" liturgy being prepared for the convention.  The Rt. Rev. Phillip McNairy, retiring Bishop of the Diocese of Minnesota will preside at the opening service.

 

Winslow and Suhr expect attendance of clergy and lay people from the more than 35 Integrity chapters and chapters in formation throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as other interested men and women.  There will be community participation in many of the planned events, such as a river boat cruise on the Mississippi River.

 

For registration and other information write:  National Convention, Integrity/Twin Cities, P.O. Box 3565, Upper Nicollet Station, Minneapolis, MN 55403.

 

MALCOLM BOYD NAMED 1978 AWARD WINNER

 

The Rev. Malcolm Boyd, Episcopal priest of the Diocese of New York, author of 18 or so books of prayers, poems, social criticism, and most recently, the autobiographical Take Off the Masks, has been named to receive the 1978 Integrity Award at the Convention in the Twin Cities.

 

SPECIAL OFFER AVAILABLE

 

The Executive Committee of Integrity voted at a recent meeting in Chicago to reduce new memberships in Integrity from $10 to $4 for a one year membership.  This offer is good through October, 1978. Encourage anyone you know to become a member of Integrity by filling out the form and checking the spe­cial membership box found on page 11.

 

VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES NEEDED

 

One of the principal orders of business at the Integrity Convention will be the nomination and election of a new Vice President for INTEGRITY, INC.  If you are interested in running or know some­one who should be encouraged to run, be in touch with your Regional Representative, your Convenor, or President John Lawrence.  The Executive Committee of Integrity is anxious to see an open election in which several qualified candidates offer themselves for consideration by the membership.  One of the principal duties of the new Vice President will likely be a major role in the planning and execution of Integrity's role at the 1979 General Convention.

 

THE PAST YEAR IN INTEGRITY

by John Lawrence

 

Many members, even whole chapters, are relatively unaware of the work and efforts of the National Organization.  We are often asked what is being accomplished.  I hope this short fact sheet will provide a brief synopsis of some accomplishments, or things we are currently working on, which have been undertaken this past year:

 

• The organization has assisted and supported the formation of new chapters in Hawaii, Mississippi, San Diego, Western Massachusetts, Maine, Alaska, and Germany.

 

• The President has corresponded with dozens of isolated individuals on a regular basis in many parts of the country where there is no chapter, providing the only support system avail­able to such persons.

 

• Established a General Convention Committee to begin work on the planning and strategy that will be needed to address the issues of concern to gay people which will confront the Church in Denver in 1979.

 

• Established a Task Force on Counseling Concerns which is developing Integrity's positions in response to Dr. Ruth Tiffany Barnhouse and groups such as the King's Ministries, both a definite threat to the health and welfare of gay Christians.  This Committee will also begin to address the interrelatedness of psychological, theological, and ethical issues in the context of a gay Christian lifestyle.

 

• Appealed to some 40 of the Church's Bishops for funds to continue our important work in the coming crucial year.

 

• Developed preliminary plans to publish an educational packet to be sent to all deputies to the 1979 General Convention.

 

• Has achieved representation for Integrity (an appointed member) to the National Church Commission on Youth Affairs.

 

• Had an Integrity representative at the National Conference of the Presbyterian Church in San Diego, which was to address the issue of ordination of gay persons.  It was felt the action taken there might well impact on our own Church.

 

• Has represented Integrity at the several meetings of the National Church Commission on Health and Human Affairs which is charged with studying (homo)sexuality and with the formulating of any resolutions to be brought to General Convention, 1979.

 

• Has begun to establish a dialogue, in efforts at Coalition-building, with the Episcopal Women's Caucus, the Church and Society network, and with Spanish-speaking groups.

 

• Publishes Integrity Forum, an increasingly respected journal.

 

• Represented Integrity at the interim meeting of the House of Bishops, at which a number of issues of importance to gay people were addressed including the question of ordination.

 

• Publishes informational brochures such as 13 Questions, which are distributed across the country.

 

• Sponsors the annual Integrity Convention which many regard as a time of community and sharing, essential to revitalizing our energies to continue this struggle.

 

• Maintains a formal tie to the MCC Washington office to insure that Integrity concerns are represented in legislative matters affecting gay civil rights.

 

• Has undertaken speaking engagements at various seminars, clergy conferences, and convocations for laypeople as an educational outreach in various quarters of the Church to dis­seminate a positive view of gay people and lifestyles.

 

• Integrity officers make a number of chapter visitations each year to foster support for chapters, to insure the survival of weaker chapters, and to communicate about those things happening in the Church which affect is now or will affect us in the future.

 

• Has carried on communications and interactions with Bishops, clergy, and Dioceses where no local Integrity chapter exists.

 

• Integrity officers have had input into various Diocesan Sexuality Commissions which has contributed, in some instances, to more positive positions being developed and articulated at that level.

 

• Is currently working with gay religious organizations in other countries to develop a federation of gay religious organizations internationally, which might better articulate concerns of gay Christians to worldwide Church bodies (such as the Anglican Communion of Churches).

 

• Has begun to examine the possibility of a greater role for Integrity in the local civil rights struggles now occurring in various municipalities, i.e. referenda on civil rights ordinances.  Since the opposition seems to be led by religious bigots who base their cause in fundamentalism and narrow theological traditions, it would seem logical that the gay religious groups should assume a leadership role in this struggle.

 

As you can see, despite very limited resources, we have not been slack in our efforts.  Some of these projects are handicapped because of a lack of involvement and a lack of funds.  We could do greater things with greater support.  But we will not be able to continue much of the work in process unless we have greatly increased support from chapters and members.  I believe we have almost pulled off miracles, in light of our limitations financially and otherwise.

 

CHAPTER NOTES

 

Integrity/Hartford has been in the process of developing a set of by-laws.  A small committee has been hard at work on this project for several months. ··· Members of Dignity-Integrity/Chapel Hill have been involved with Outreach/Workshops at Church of the Reconciliation (Presbyterian) in Chapel Hill. ··· Dr. John Boswell of the Department of History at Yale University spoke to a meeting of Integrity/New Haven.  In his analysis of Western Civilization's hostility to homosexuality, Boswell pointed out that this hostility stems far more from the dominance of rural culture than from Christian tradition. ··· Integrity/New Haven sponsored a retreat at the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Cambridge in mid-February.  Fr. Paul Wessinger was the retreat conductor. ··· Integrity/Los Angeles continues its parish visitation program.  One parish is visited each month.  Members join in the morning worship and attend the coffee hour, making themselves available to answer questions and to talk about Integrity. ··· Members of Integrity/New York have been testifying at hearings conducted in various parishes by the Diocesan Commission on Human Sexuality. ··· The Rev. Tom Horner, author of Jonathan Loved David, recently spoke to meetings of Integrity/New York and Integrity/Washington. ··· Integrity-Dignity/Richmond has been actively involved in the campaign for a gay anti-discrimination ordinance in that city. ··· The Rt. Rev. David Richards recently spoke to a meeting of Integrity/Miami-South Florida.  His topic was Gay Rights in the Church. ··· The Rt. Rev. Richard M. Trelease, Jr., is scheduled to be the celebrant at Integrity/Albuquerque's Commemoration Day Eucharist. ··· The Rt. Rev. Edward Jones, Bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis, participated in the meeting of Integrity/Central Indiana on April 10, 1978.  After the meeting, Bishop Jones wrote to the chapter expressing his appreciation for the opportunity to join in the group's discussion of issues in gay relationships.  END

 

INSIGHT MAGAZINE FEATURES GAY WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

 

The Spring, 1978 issue of Insight:  A Quarterly of Gay Catholic Opinion is devoted to the theme of Gay Women in the Church.  Edited by Sister Jeannine Gramick, S.S.N.D., the issue includes contributions by a diverse cross-section of lesbians within Dignity and the Roman Catholic Church.  Lesbian nuns, lesbian couples, lesbian research, lesbian mothers, and lesbians in the gay movement are among the subjects of the well-formulated articles.  A copy of this single issue of Insight is $2.00.  A year's subscription is $8.00.  Write to Insight, P.O. Box 5110, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10017.

 

EDITORIAL

 

After painful and prayerful consideration, I have determined that this will be the last regular issue of the Integrity Forum over which I will preside as Editor.  As many of you know, several months ago I assumed the position of Education Officer at the National Gay Task Force in New York.  That is a very demanding job and involves a full-time commitment to work in the gay movement.  To be Editor of the Integrity Forum simply requires more energy and time than I can now muster.  I hope to contribute my skills in the future on a more occasional basis and have promised President John Lawrence that I will do some editorial work on Integrity's pre-General Convention educational publication.  I also hope to be able to continue serving on Integrity's General Convention Planning Committee.

 

I feel very positively about my time as Editor of the Integrity Forum.  I believe we have turned some important corners in terms of the calibre of material which we have published.  David Williams has made a profound contribution in the areas of layout, design, and technical format.  His contribution in hours has far exceeded mine.  I am grateful to the many readers who in recent months have written supportive letters about the tone and con­tent of this publication.

 

We are at a critical juncture in the life of INTEGRITY.  Our officers need your support, your energy, and your dollars if we are to carry out an effective educational, pastoral, and prophetic ministry.  As I step down as Editor of Integrity my convictions have not changed.  I believe in our mission.  I believe in the right­ness of our course.  I believe that Jesus Christ is with us in our love, in our pain, in our joys.  The Gospel summons us to respon­sibility.  Part of that responsibility is stewardship of our lives, of our energies, of our resources.  What more can you do for INTEGRITY locally or nationally?  What more can you do for the cause of gay rights?  How about rescheduling two hours a week of your time for a worthy project in INTEGRITY?  How about re­budgeting your financial resources and making a generous contribution to INTEGRITY NATIONAL?  How about sending a portion of your parish pledge to INTEGRITY next year?  How about skipping that pack of cigarettes or that six pack of beer or that bottle of imported water or that shirt you don't need or that dress you can do without or that little knick knack you've been wanting and write a check today to INTEGRITY?  I hate to ask for money, but without a lot more of it there will be no INTEGRITY, there will be no Integrity Forum, there will be no responsible gay presence at GENERAL CONVENTION 1979.  If that is what you want, don't say you were not warned!

 

     Faithfully,

     BILL DOUBLEDAY

 

THE RT. REV. HAROLD L. WRIGHT

(1929-1978)

 

Each of us has met men and women who have touched our lives in a special way, who have somehow brought the reality of the Gospel more clearly into focus for us, who have communicated the depth of their spirituality and of their caring to the glory of God and to the benefit of those who came to know them.

 

For me, Harold L. Wright, Suffragan Bishop of New York, was such a man.  I cannot really say that we were close friends, but as a Bishop, as a pastor, and as a living Christian, he had reached out to me and touched my life at a time when I knew pain and loneliness all too well.  His wisdom and his caring made a difference.  His prayers made a difference, too.  My sorrow is deep as I note his sudden and unexpected departure from our midst.  I had been meaning to call him that we might speak yet again about mutual concerns, but now that cannot be!

 

Bishop Wright was a man of deep faith.  He had a profound sense of catholic liturgy, a deep grasp of human pain and suffering, an incredible depth of spirituality.  What he may have lacked as an administrator he more than made up for as a pastor and as a listener.  When one shared one's sorrows with Harold Wright there could be no doubt about the genuineness of his com­passion.  A formal man, a man of dignity, yet never above those who needed his love and concern.

 

I first got to know Bishop Wright at the Port St. Lucie meeting of the House of Bishops.  My attendance there was a lonely experience.  I often ate my meals alone because no one cared to en­gender "guilt by association."  One morning Bishop Wright asked if he might join me at my breakfast table.  I welcomed him.  He commended me for my work with Integrity Forum, praised my presence and manner at Port St. Lucie, and expressed concern that my priestly vocation not be lost by the Episcopal Church.  He encouraged me to come to his office in New York to discuss future possibilities for ordination outside of Western Massachusetts.

 

We met in his office several times in the months which followed. As it turned out, there was little he could do to advance my chances of ordination at the present time and he had little ability to contribute financially to educational programs I was trying to get off the ground at E.D.S.  But I always cherished our hours together.  His caring and his love were so real.  I could describe my pain and I knew I had been heard, indeed I came away with a sense of healing, of hope, of new beginnings.  I explained why I had "come out" and I knew that he really affirmed my convic­tions about the Gospel, about Truth, about Integrity.  He told me how important our work was for the Church and for the gay community.

 

Always Bishop Wright would express concern about me.  Was I taking care of myself?  Was I working too hard?  Did I remember to play?  Was there someone to love me when I needed caring?  At the end of each of these conversations we would shake hands and then we would embrace and then invariably he would rush off to another meeting, another confirmation, or another obligation.  I wondered if he took care of himself?  If he worked too hard?  If he remembered to play once in a while?  If there was someone to love him when he needed caring?  I know nothing of Harold Wright's private life, but I loved him and shall miss him greatly.

 

SOME THOUGHTS ON BACKLASH

by Margaret L. Putnam

 

As I sit here now and think back to 1970 when I first began working for gay rights, I can make a comparison.  I see some­thing alarming happening.  There is a definite and pronounced backlash to our quest for equality and acceptance as evidenced by the King's Ministries, and also the repeal of gay rights laws from Dade County to Eugene.  These defeats have been the result of one form or another of Bible-thumping.  Anita Bryant, the Rev. Ren Adrian, some Episcopal clergy, and others have warped the words of our loving Creator and used them to their own ends.  Since God created some of us homosexual, who are Bryant, Adrian, and some Episcopal clergy to use God's Word to criticize God's Creation?

 

Historically, this sort of backlash is to be expected, but the frightening aspect of it here, is the placidity with which gay people are accepting the denial of their civil rights, dignity, and full protection under the law.  (It is almost as though, on some level, we wonder if "they" are right, and as if we ourselves doubt that the Lord will steady us in our struggle.)

 

Our first step must be to call on God; perhaps have a long conversation with God about our fears, feelings of inferiority, and whatever else is blocking our strength.  Then, when our faith and resolve have been solidified, we must actively enlist the help and support of as many people as we can -- both gay and non­gay.  Together, we must take a stand against the anti-gay forces, for inevitably, they will come to act against us more and more in Episcopal parishes and everywhere else too.  We must present a solid barrier to their advancement wherever and when­ever we can.

 

While I am generally opposed to radical maneuvers or resorting to methods of action "outside the system," I believe that the opposition to us is of a nature where it may be necessary, eventually, to resort to such tactics.  Prejudice and bigotry are not rational stances.  Blacks found this out and resorted to any means at their disposal to win legislation protecting their rights.  We should not be afraid of doing whatever we must do to attain peace and freedom in the end.

 

Part of true humility is the full acceptance of one's self.  In not ac­cepting ourselves we are actually assuming an arrogant attitude.  Who are we to reject ourselves as God made us?

 

INTEGRITY:  1) Soundness of and adherence to moral principle and character; uprightness; honesty.  2) The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.  3) A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.  God expects us to strive toward these qualities.  God never said it would be easy, that we wouldn't be frightened or hurt, but God did promise love and comfort.  Let us all pray and work toward the humility, integrity, and freedom -- now.

 

ST. PAUL VOTES ON HUMAN RIGHTS

 

Tonight we are angry, hurt, and disappointed in a system that allows people to vote on basic human rights while claiming to be based on the principle that everyone is created equal and entitled to equal protection under the law.  The only way that democracy as we know it can continue to exist -- the only way that this system can function without making a mockery of the principles upon which it was founded, is to affirm the basic human rights of all people without permitting those rights to be granted at the whim of the voters.

 

We have seen the results of fear, misinformation and misunderstanding in the election booth.  We have seen that gay men and lesbians cannot go quietly about their business and expect the world to treat them decently.

 

Citizens Alert for Morality made an issue of lesbians and gay men being open -- they called it "flaunting."  Typical of their backward reasoning throughout this campaign, they told us that even though the ordinance had been in effect for four years, and even though there had been no problems, even though lesbians and gay men had been quietly going about their busi­ness all this time, the law needed to be repealed because we might "flaunt" our sexuality.  They said allowing people to be judged on the basis of job performance would encourage us to advocate, and repealing the law would stop us from being open.  Well, we know just the opposite is true.  We now know what quiet will get us: We have seen what not "flaunting" as they put it will do for us.  Absolutely nothing -- it just makes it possible for people to take advantage, to deprive us of our basic human rights.

 

Nothing could do more to demonstrate to us the necessity of being open and honest than taking away our rights.  It is clear now that we must let the people of St. Paul know who we are -- we are your accountant, your lawyer, your waitress and the clerk in your favorite store.  We are your police officer, electrician and doctor.  We are your neighbor, your friend, brother, sister and even your parent.  We are your children.  Until we show the people of St. Paul we are the people they have known and trusted for years, we will not be seen as the ordinary, healthy people we are.  It is clear now what we have to do.  And we will be as open as we have to be.  We will work as hard as we have to to secure our rights as human beings.

 

We are not the first people that have ever been treated as second class citizens.  Hopefully we will be the last.  No one has the right to vote our basic rights as human beings out of existence. As a spokesperson for this campaign, I've already been asked -- and I'm sure I'll be asked many more times -- "What do you think will result from this loss?"  I think you'll agree with me -- there are four things we are not going to do, regardless that we now fear for our jobs and our homes and sometimes our very lives. We will not stop fighting for our rights as human beings, we will not sit down, we will not be silenced -- and we will not go away. This is our city too and we are not leaving.  And these are our rights as human beings and we're not about to give them up!

 

Editor's note:  The preceding statement was given by Craig Anderson, a spokesperson for St. Paul Citizens for Human Rights and Convenor of Integrity/Twin Cities following the repeal of the gay and lesbian rights clause in the St. Paul city human rights ordinance.  The statement reflects the work and dedication put in by citizens of both St. Paul and Minneapolis, as well as nu­merous members of Dignity, Lutherans Concerned and Integrity.

 

A GENUINELY JEWISH APPROACH TO HOMOSEXUALITY

 

"For one thing, a truly Torah approach, taking seriously the  injunction of the Torah tradition not to judge another person until one stands in his place, would acknowledge that no human being is able to know the exact degree of another's freedom; that God alone has the ability and the right to judge a person's culpability; and that none of us humans, therefore, ought pre­sume to judge a homosexual as a sinner since, as already implied, sin involves not only overt action but also intention, decision, and responsibility.

 

"Not content with withholding judgment and with feeling compassion, a genuinely Jewish approach to homosexuality would require us to demonstrate such feelings of compassion by willingly associating with homosexuals and engaging in acts of kindness and friendship ‑‑ so that the particular individuals whom we meet will not feel grudgingly tolerated but will see that they are included within the circle of love.

 

"But even more is required, if our Jewish responsibility to homosexuals is to be fulfilled.  For it is not enough to attend to our own attitude and behavior; we must be equally concerned with what is felt and done by others, keeping ourselves from falling into the category of those 'in whose power it was to protest but did not protest."'

 

‑‑Excerpted from Judaism:  A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought, Vol. 27, No. 1,1978, by Hershel J. Matt, acting director of B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation at Princeton University.

 

TOWARDS A CHARTER OF HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS

 

A.  Beliefs

 

1.  We believe that fear or hatred of homosexuals is a social evil, akin to anti-semitism, racism, slavery, and with the same evil consequences.  It harms both the victimised individuals, and the society which tolerates it.

 

2.  We are certain that this evil could be eliminated, in its present form, as effectively as similar evils have been in the civilised world, and within a comparatively short period, if men and women of goodwill will offer even the minimal co­operation suggested here.

 

3.  We believe that homosexuality is not a disease, or a disability, but the natural sexual orientation of a human minority, variously estimated between 4% and 10% of the human race.  This estimate is increasingly supported by modern medical knowledge, and by ordinary human experience.  Homosex­uality in no way impairs normal physical, creative or spiritual development, and is consistent with the highest attainment in every human profession.  Homosexuals are a cross-section of humanity, differing in no perceptible ways, other than sexual orientation, from their fellows.

 

The actual disabilities experienced by many homosexuals are the result of enforced sexual repression, secrecy, fear of honesty, or socially induced shame -- all highly destructive forces for any human being to bear.  The shameful fact is that far too many homosexuals still endure loneliness and despair, still fear to show love and affection, occasionally kill them­selves; and that they may still be discriminated against in employment, unless they live out a lie.

 

4.  We believe that the basic need for homosexuals is to be able to accept themselves with dignity, and then to follow their own moral and spiritual lights.  The attempt to bring sex­uality and love into harmony is common to all men, as is the aspiration to personal wholeness and integrity.

 

5.  We believe that all men and women of goodwill, religious and secular, have a responsibility in this matter, and notably those who believe in healing and love.

 

B.  Causes of the Phobia

 

1.  It seems clear that the fear or hatred of homosexuality which still exists and which sometimes emerges in the form of prejudice in conversation and occasionally in journalism, is still tolerated by many people, including some who very strongly disagree with it.  Often, it is allowed to masquerade as respectable or even 'Christian' morality.  The basis is irrational, and the tone may be manifestly uninformed and unloving, yet it seldom earns official rebuke.  Clearly, fear and ignorance have still a disproportionate power to inhibit knowledge, and humanity.

 

2.  In the past, even the Christian church condones the evils of slavery, racism, anti-semitism, heresy hunting -- so strong is the power of social conditioning, before it has been success­fully challenged, even over the followers of a religion pro­claiming universal love and acceptance.  Nowadays, these evils are recognised for what they are, and no one perpetuating them could expect to do so either in the name of ordinary socially accepted morality, or in the name of the Christian church.

 

3.  We appreciate that certain features of the homosexual subculture disturb many otherwise well-disposed people, but think that two factors should be kept in mind.

 

First, the heterosexual world also has its unpleasing side, but no one imagines that life-long marriage and genuine love are to be equated with (say) prostitution or rape.  Again, most people accept that heterosexuals are free to make their own adult sexual choices, as long as these harm no one but themselves.

 

Second, it should be recognised that the homosexual sub­culture is largely caused by social hostility and persecution in the first place.  Many homosexuals find themselves forced into it, as an only alternative to celibacy, for lack of social acceptance for their own love, and partnerships, by the world at large.  The church, which should be specially helpful, has failed to be -- a glaring fault in the religion of love.

 

4.  With this in view, we recognise that some fear of sexuality may affect many people at times; that it can have good reasons, and may cut deep.  Some who express it are obviously men and women who are repressing their own homosexuality and fear to allow to others, made like themselves, free sexual choice.  Some are likely to be bisexuals who regard their own minority sexual tendencies as potentially menacing, and per­haps believe that all men and women are in the same situation as themselves.  They fail to realise that the numerically large minority of men and women who are exclusively homosexual have very different challenges to sexual maturity from their own.  Some, again, are heterosexuals with little or no homo­sexuality in their make-up, who may assume that their emo­tional distaste for homosexuality is a moral quality (even a moral virtue), and react to homosexuals with an insensitivity they would be ashamed to display towards any other minority, or alien, group.  Finally there are people who have had unfortunate experiences in early childhood which influence them through profoundly unpleasant memories or possibly through repressed memories, in the technical sense.

 

5.  We therefore recognise that some who express fear or hatred of homosexuals are casualties who themselves require understanding and help, rather than mere rejection or bitter­ness to answer their own.  In this area, where strong emotional reactions operate, it is for civilisation to combat ignorance and fear with reason and love.

 

C.   Challenge

 

We are rapidly approaching a situation in which homosex­uals are the only natural minority who are still regarded, by some, as intrinsically evil, and who are still liable to be mocked or persecuted by people claiming to represent ordinary social opinion, or the Christian church.

 

But the situation merely needs a certain openness and honesty to be brought to it, for one of the remaining and totally unnecessary evils of prejudice to be healed.  No doubt, dislike of people for their class, race, basic nature and so forth will always persist among the uncaring, the ignorant, or the injured; but in most spheres it can no longer claim to be religious, or humane.

 

We believe that society has arrived at a stage of knowledge, and compassion, when those who hate homosexuals should no longer be able to dictate accepted social attitudes from their own broken state.  The analogy with anti-semitism and racism seems, here, an exact one.  People who hold such views may have to be tolerated, but they cannot be mistaken for sound moral guides.

 

D.   Call to Action

 

1.  We claim for homosexuals full civil rights and liberties, based upon twentieth century knowledge, and respect for human dignity.

 

2.  We ask all heterosexuals who understand the situation, or who have at least one homosexual whom they trust, respect and maybe love among their acquaintance, firmly and calmly in future, to reject discrimination whenever they encounter it, whether private, or in public debate.

 

We ask all homosexuals who have accepted themselves, to confide the nature of their sexuality to close friends and as­sociates calmly, and without fuss.  There may be a few rebuffs to endure, but perhaps fewer than expected.  The gain in personal confidence from honesty is usually considerable, since the enforced concealment of a large part of one's identity is bound to create inner tension and uncertainty.  Concealment may present itself also as one cause of the present general ignorance, and again, as a factor still helping to perpetuate it.

 

If enough homosexuals would co-operate, the myth that some people still entertain that they have 'never known a homosexual' would become obsolete, along with the popular, mocking stereotypes which have done so much harm.

 

4.  We ask everyone to take the minimal effort required to complain of anti-homosexual prejudice whenever they en­counter it, in print or on the media.  In the first place, letters can be sent to the editors or producers responsible.  Then, if need be, the matter can be taken up with MP's, the Press Council, individuals and groups concerned with civil liberties, and anyone known to have influence.

 

5.  We ask the caring bodies and similar organisations to familiarise themselves with the religious and secular, groups who exist to help homosexuals in touch with the much needed resources of human understanding and support.

 

6.  Finally, we would appeal to all those with special know­ledge, or special access to media or journals, help.  Already, much has been done, but not enough to rouse the church, the politicians, the responsible press into general support of this cause in 1977.

 

If writers, pastors, counsellors, academics, psychotherapists, above all perhaps, everyone with at least one trusted homo­sexual friend, would co-operate, the world could be rid of one more long-standing, utterly irrational evil, perhaps in 1978.

 

Prejudice and phobia would linger on, as the recognised eccentricity of untypical people.  At this stage of history, if we are honest, it has no claim to be anything else.

 

Sponsors 

 

Dr. W. H. Allchin

The Rt. Hon. Lord Avebury

The Lady Avebury

 

Dr. Jack Babuscio

Dr. Charles Baker

Dr. John Bancroft

Rev. Dr. Leonard Barnett

The Rt. Hon. Lord Beaumont

Professor John Bayley

Canon Trevor Beeson

Francis Bennion

Professor B. B. Bernstein

Mrs. B. Bernstein

H. J. Blackham

David Blamires

Anthony Blond

Arthur Boyars

Marion Boyars

Rev. Laurence Bright, OP

The Rt. Hon. Lord Brockway

Vincent Brome

Rev. Jack Burton

 

Major R. C. Carr-Gomm

Dr. Elphis Christopher

Canon L. John Collins

Louis Blom-Cooper, QC

 

Rev. Jim Coner

Monnie Coxon

Professor Tony Coxon

David Craig

Ann Cuming

Canon Geoffrey Cuming, DD

Professor James Cummins

Desmond Curran, CBE FRCP

 

Margaret P. Davies

Rev. Rupert E. Davies

Rev. Norwyn Denny

Nadir Dinshaw

Rev. E. A. Doogan

Dr. Geoffrey Dove

Rev. Graham Dowell

Margaret Drabble

A. E. Dyson

 

Rev. John G. S. Eldrid

Rev. Peter Elers

Martin Ennals

Ven. R. M. S. Eyre

Professor H. J. Eysenck, DSC

 

Rev. Ralph Fennell

Canon Gonville Ffrench-Beytagh

Professor Anthony Flew

Monica Furlong

 

Rev. John Gaskell

Rev. Keith Gilley

Canon Roger Greenacre

Antony Grey

Geoffrey Grigson

Thom Gunn

 

Celia Haddon

Dr. Emily Hahn

Canon Christopher Hall

Hilary Halpin, JP

Ian Harvey

Jacquetta Hawkes, OBE

Dr. James Hemming

Alison Hennegan

Professor Alastair Heron

Canon John Hester

Rev. Professor John Hick

Nicholas Hinton

Dr. Richard Hoggart

Professor Christopher Holdsworth

The Rt. Hon. Lord Houghton of Sowerby

Rev. William Hyrdman

Dr. Fay Hutchinson

Mike Hutchinson

H. Montgomery Hyde

 

Rev Dr. Martin Israel

 

Irene Jacoby

Canon Eric James

David Jenkerson

Rev. Malcolm Johnson

Rev. Principal Richard C. Jones

Tom Jones

Very Rev. A. Jowett

 

Peter Katin

Rev. J. M. Keeling

Proessor Frank Kermode

Alex Kerr

Francis King

Rev. Richard Kirker

Professor G. R. Wilson Knight, CBE

Dr. William Kraemer, MD FRC Psych

Dr. Una Kroll

 

Professor F. Lafitte

Enid Lakeman

Rev. Kenneth Leech

Denis Lemon

Dr Rodney Long

Dr. John A. Loraine

Rev. Anthony Lovegrove

Rev John Matthews

Rev. Ruth Matthews

Rev. Herbert McCabe, OP

George Melly

Col. Patrick Montgomery

Bel Mooney

Dudley Moore

Very Rev. Basil Moss

Rachel Moss

Diana Munday, JP

Iris Murdoch

 

Dr. Joseph Needham, FRS

Dr. Lindesay Neustatter, MD FRCP

Rev. Dennis Nineham

Kathleen Nott

 

Stephen O'Brien

David Offenbach

 

A. F. Parker-Rhodes

Very Rev. Edward Patey

Stephen Pettitt

Rev. Dr Norman Pittenger

Donald Pleasence

Keith Pollard

Marjorie Proops

Michael Pye

 

Anna Raeburn

Clair Rayner

Canon Douglas Rhymes

Rose Robertson

Rt Rev. John Robinson

Rev. R. R. Robinson

Tom Robinson

The Rt. Hon. Earl Russell

 

Michael Schofield

Anne Sharpley

David Simpson

Rev. Herbert Slade, SSJE

Richard Smart

Rev. B. M. Smith

Rev. C. Hughes Smith

Dr. Eileen Smith

Barbara Smoker

The Rt. Hon. the Rev. Lord Soper

Colin Spencer

Professor Stephen Spender

Dr. Faith Spicer, OBE, JP

Rev. Dr. W. David Stacey

 

Dick Taverne

Rev. Kennedy Thom

Rev. Frank Topping

John Trevelyan, CBE

Rosalyn Trevelyan

Sarah Trevelyan

Rev. Richard Truss

Cliff Tucker

 

The Rt. Hon. Lord Vaizey

Rev. Prebendary Chad Varah, OBE

Gore Vidal

Rev. Leslie Virgo

 

Rev. Gordon Wakefield

Brian W. Walker

Nicolas Walter

Professor A. I. Watson

Professor J. P. Watson

Keith Wedmore

Ben Whitaker

Patrick White

Rt. Rev. Colin Winter

Canon Frank Wright

Martin Wright

 

Maurice Yaffe

Cicely Yudkin

 

Graham Zellick

 

THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY: AN ANALYSIS

by Robert Herrick

 

It is easy to sympathize with the uninitiated when they shudder at the thought of speaking to a religious group about gay issues. How do you deal with the question of the Bible saying gays are immoral or the nervous person asking, "Just what do homo­sexuals do?"

 

Being an advocate for gay rights and for gay people with religious groups is much easier than it has ever been in the recent past.  The reason is that increasingly the issues with the churches and synagogues are not theological.  The standard books on what the Bible really says about homosexuality have been written and it is only a matter of time for this new writing to surface through popularizing articles in the religious press and in the training of the newly ordained clergy.

 

The recent study documents prepared in the United Church of Christ, the Disciples of Christ, the Roman Catholic Church, and in the several dioceses of the Episcopal Church all are moving strongly toward approval, and each affirms the place and role of gay persons in the churches.  The recent resolution of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations continues this pat­tern for Reform Judaism.

 

It is true that each of these groups has moved more slowly on the issue of ordination of openly gay persons to the ministry and in affirming services which reflect gay unions.  This is largely because these final two items seem "too much, too soon" for the people in the pews, say church leaders.

 

Of course it is also important to say that this progress has not been seen in nearly this degree in the conservative congregations of Judaism or Christianity.  These groups such as the Southern Baptist churches, Jehovah's Witness, and the es­pecially visible pentecostal churches (Ms. Bryant's tradition) all hold to literal reading of the Bible and believe that through faith any personality trait can be changed.  Rational conversation with members of such denominations is difficult on gay rights.  Sometimes one gets the impression that gays are seen as some species of devilment conjured up to badger these folks who have little room for the questions which a gay lifestyle gives to commonly perceived values.

 

What remains, then, is an increasingly informed leadership group in the denominations who say and believe much of what gay people support.  The trouble is, these ideas aren't reflected generally in the temple and church-going membership.  In the historical perspective mainline religious leadership has been far more aggressive on gay rights than we would have reason to expect.  The churches have been the supporters of the status quo in society more than radical change, particularly in such an important area as sexuality.  Think of what most of the leadership was saying even ten years ago about abortion, divorce, even birth control.  We have come a long way.

 

One of the great boosts to our issue has been the support of women's divisions within the denominations which surfaced in the strong support given to the sexual preference resolution in Houston at the National Women's Conference.  When the Women's Division of the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church and the North Carolina Baptist Conference take affirming and sympathetic positions, we see how far we have come.

 

What remains of course is the ponderous, slow, and frustrating task of meeting as a known gay person with groups within the religious community to deal with the ignorance ("gays are child molesters" "homosexuality is catching"), the fear ("how do I know I'm not gay myself?"), and most important in the churches, the silence.  Gays have survived in the churches and synagogues by a tacit presence which has worked -- in the opinion of leadership  -- so why talk about it?

 

Theological language remains in the denominations as the mask for the same ignorance and prejudice we've seen elsewhere.  The good thing is that, having dealt with theology, we can deal with this unfinished sociology.  Until that is done we will continue to be faced with the apparent hypocrisy of the Bishops of the Episcopal church, for example, meeting to say that no openly identified, avowed homosexual person should be ordained.  The only explanation for this lapse in integrity is the very present unhappiness of the lay person in the denominations who has been told as long as he/she can remember that gays are ab­normal at best and who now sees bishops ordaining an openly gay person.  Such persons let their dissatisfaction be known and a statement from the bishops is in effect asking for time to educate.  It is perhaps understandable but really frustrating when the same leaders have for so long thought gays would go away if they ignored us long enough.

 

Finally, in a time of increasing disaffection with religion in general, many ask, "Why bother with the churches?"  The answer is that the religious community still plays an important role in setting common standards and it provides a vehicle for education. There are also a great many gay persons who continue to have respect for religion and who are very much present in the gay caucuses and in the gay-related denominations such as the Metropolitan Community Church.  The good news is that it is no longer moral or immoral to be gay, says a large segment of the religious community.  It is how one exercises his or her sexuality that determines the value of what he or she does.

 

Editorial note:  Reprinted from It's Time, Volume 5, No. 3, March 1978, the monthly publication of the National Gay Task Force. Robert Herrick is an Episcopal priest, staff member at N.G.T.F., and a member of the Sexuality Commission of the Diocese of New York.  Annual membership in the National Gay Task Force is $15.  Write to N.G.T.F., Room 506, 80 Fifth Ave., New York, New York 10011.  Your support is strongly encouraged.

 

WE ARE ONE IN THE SPIRIT

 

Gays and feminists should by logic be united in their attempts to get at the common sources of those things which oppress them, namely homophobia* and sexism**.  It is a rational al­liance, but not always one in fact.  In the church the two groups, which do overlap, should be working all the more closely since, as St. Paul would have us believe in Gal. 3:26-29, "there is no such thing as Jew and Greek, slave and freeman, male and female; for you are all one person in Christ Jesus."  Indeed we are one in the Spirit.

 

Often gays and feminists are verbally attacked by appeals to Scripture and tradition and to natural law.  Just as Biblical and traditional attitudes are changing due to scholarly and less culturally biased research, so is the attitude that gays and feminists are somehow contra naturem in their ways and being.  The natural order as an ontological frame of reference continues to influence not only the church attitude but also that of various segments of society in the laws that persist to this day, e.g., think of the struggles for passage of civil rights protection for gays, the ERA, and the decriminalization of private consensual adult sex acts.  The civil religion and philosophy of this nation is rooted in the myth of the natural order, and what was once considered sinful is now considered criminal with no appeal to logic, reason, or scientific inquiry. This myth comprises the fol­lowing three assumptions:  1) the complementarity doctrine; 2) the masculine/feminine dualism; 3) the self/body split.  The first tells us that an individual is less than a whole person; men & women are complete only in relationship with each other.  This speaks out against women who want lives of their own and gays who seek their own gender for intimate relationships.  The second deals with the myriad definitions of what is a woman and what is a man.  Thus those who resist or attempt to destroy sex-role stereotyping are cutting at the root of all social relationships and inter-relationships.  The third tells is that our bodies are not our real selves, but something of this world which our real self is not.  Besides being of Greek origin rather than Judaic, this at­titude reinforces sexual fears and anxieties prevalent today, the hatred of one's self and body since they are always engaged in civil war, and sexuality's sole purpose as being for procreation.  This third attitude never allows the individual to encounter wholeness.  Passion, or any strong feeling, is wrong.  When gays and feminists speak counter to this view and in favor of our sexuality as integral to our selves, we become scapegoats and the focus of a new repression in this society.  By calling to light the inherent "unnaturalness" of the natural order myth and opening to new interpretation the bases of Scripture and tradition, we are indeed a threat to this society and to some within the church.  Because gays and feminists speak to the very hopes and visions of life that many have, but only in fantasy restrained from action by fear, scarewords, such as "unnatural," "sick," "sinful," "flaunters," and "militant," are hurled at us to make us social lepers and un­desirables.  Truly if our passions and feelings as gays and femi­nists are unnatural, then it is impossible for us to exist apart from the direct intervention by God into the creation.  If then gays and feminists exist unnaturally contravening the creation by God's will, then they are indeed miraculous, and so we are since gays and feminists, to persist in their struggles and hopes requires nothing less than the miraculous sustenance of the Holy Spirit which should unite us in our working and living for a common life.

 

Editorial note:  The article, reprinted from the Integrity/Tucson newsletter, was prompted by the keynote address of Noreen Carter at the Third National Integrity Convention held in Philadelphia, August, 1977.

 

INTEGRITY MEMBER HEADS GAY NURSES' ALLIANCE

 

Shortly after becoming President of Integrity, John Lawrence stepped down as President of the Gay Nurses' Alliance.  He has been succeeded in that position by James B. Fleener of Knoxville, Tennessee.  Fleener has previously served as Convenor of Integrity/Knoxville.  If you are a nurse or nursing student and have not Joined G.N.A., why not write to Jim Fleener, Gay Nurses' Alliance, P.O. Box 8166, UT Station, Knoxville, TN 37916.  Annual dues are $5.00!

 

ROMAN CATHOLICS COMPILE SUPPORT STATEMENTS

 

A collection of contemporary Roman Catholic support state­ments on gay ministry and civil rights has been compiled by two Roman Catholic religious, the Rev. C. Robert Nugent, S.D.S., and Sr. Jeannine Gramick, S.S.N.D.  The booklet should be use­ful in parishes educational presentations, diocesan sexuality commissions, and in municipal civil rights debates.  1-10 copies are $1.00 each.  Bulk rates are substantially lower.  Order from: New Ways Ministry, 3312 Buchanan St. #302, Mt. Rainier, Md. 20822.

 

FROM THE EDITOR'S BEDSIDE TABLE

by W. A. Doubleday

 

Contrary to any prurient rumors you may have heard, the Editor's bedside table is covered with books -- books in need of reviewing -- some long overdue for generous praise or polite comment.  I shall endeavor to briefly review a number of them:

 

1.  Jonathan Loved David: Homosexuality in Biblical Times by the Rev. Tom Horner, member of Integrity/NYC and sometime Professor of Old Testament at PDS.  (Westminster Press, 1978, $5.95)

 

This is a thorough, well researched, and very liberating treatment of the issue of homosexuality and the Bible.  It should be man­datory reading for all seminarians, all clergy, and all members of Integrity.  It offers many good replies to Anita Bryant's school of thought.  Its exegesis is more thorough and more helpful than that found in The Church and the Homosexual.  I make reference to it in all of my church-related speaking engagements.  Buy, or at least borrow, a copy today!

 

2.  Is the Homosexual My Neighbor? by Letha Scanzoni and Virginia Ramey Mollenkott.  (Harper and Row, 1978, $6.95)

 

Scanzoni and Mollenkott provide a sound evangelical approach to the issue of homosexuality within the context of the Church.  Their hermeneutic is not traditionally Anglican, but their arguments are sure to win friends at your next parish visitation or at your next diocesan sexuality commission meeting.  At a time when evangelical and neo-fundamentalist forces are growing in the Episcopal Church, we need to learn from these fine Christian writers exactly what the Good News is all about.  A volume for every book shelf!

 

3.  The View From the Closet:  Essays on Gay Life and Liberation, 1973-1977 by A. Nelder Gay, member of Integrity/Boston.  (Union Park Press, P.O. Box 2737, Boston, Ma. 02208; 1978, $3.00)

 

A fascinating collection of newspaper columns dealing with gay liberation and lifestyle themes from the perspective of a most delightful middle-aged gay man from academia.  Of special interest to New Englanders and readers of GCN and Esplanade where the columns originally appeared.

 

4.  Understanding Gay Relatives and Friends by Canon Clinton R. Jones, beloved founder of Integrity/Hartford, counselor to sexual minorities, friend to so many of us in the Church and in the Gay movement.  (Seabury Press, 1978, $3.95)

 

Many of us have waited anxiously for Seabury's publication of this book.  Aimed at the relatives and friends of gay people, it offers much useful information for the non-gay person who is seeking a better understanding of a gay son or daughter or other loved one.  This is definitely a book to consider giving to a parent after you have given that coming out speech, written that coming out letter, or accidentally been broadcast on the local news at a gay rights rally.  One can only hope that Seabury will continue to atone for the Barnhouse book by publishing other titles which portray men and lesbians in a positive light.

 

5.  The Gay Academic edited by Louie Crew, founder of Integrity and first editor of Integrity Forum.  (ETC Publications, P.O. Box 1627A, Palm Springs, CA 92262; 1977, $15.00)

 

A diverse collection of essays by gay and lesbian contributors from a variety of disciplines.  Dr. Crew has performed the valuable task of bringing these essays together in order to demonstrate the possibilities for gay scholarship in many fields. Among the contributors are Ellen Barrett, Clinton Jones, Louie Crew, Barbara Gittings, Ara Dostourian, and Norman Pittenger.  This is a book which libraries should be encouraged to order for their permanent collections.  If you can afford it, it is worth buying a personal copy.  Some essays bored me, but most were very provocative.  I hope Louie Crew will be encouraged to produce a similar volume in another five years!

 

6.  Our Right to Love: A Lesbian Resource Book, edited by Ginny Vida, Media Director of NGTF.  (Prentice Hall, 1978, $12.95)

 

In the words of Insight magazine:  "Over 40 articles by 'everyone who is anyone' in the gay women's movement."  Most of my lesbian friends are extremely enthusiastic about this book!  Personally, I know that Ginny Vida is one of the finest people at work in the gay movement today.  As a gay man I learned much from reading this diverse collection of articles.

 

7.  Plain Brown Book in a Plain Brown Wrapper, by Anonymous.  (Privately Printed, 1978, price on request)

 

SENSATIONAL!

 

MEDIA NOTES

 

At a recent meeting of the National Religious Broadcaster's Association, Anita Bryant announced her intention to mount a campaign against the television portrayal of homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle.

 

It is now more important than ever to give positive support to networks which present positive images of gay characters, supportive news coverage of gay issues or critical editorial comment on Anita Bryant's campaign.  Likewise it is very important to write critical letters about negative programming.  Here are some addresses (it is never to late to write and you don't have to come out in the letter if you'd rather not):

 

ABC

Mr. Richard Gitter

ABC-TV Standards and Practices

1330 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10019

 

NBC

Mr. Herman Traviesas

NBC-TV Broadcast Standards

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, NY 10020

 

CBS

Mr. Don O'Brien

CBS-TV Program Practices

51 West 52nd Street

New York, NY 10019

 

PBS

Public Broadcasting System

475 L'Enfant Plaza West, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20024

 

PROPOSED CONSTITUTION

 

The following is the proposed constitution to be voted on at the Integrity convention in the Twin Cities.

 

                          I. PREAMBLE

 

We, the members of Integrity, Inc., recognizing the presence of Christ in our gay sisters and brothers as well as in all that God has created, and relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, have established ourselves as a charitable, religious, educational, and literary not-for-profit organization, and do hereby establish this Constitution and herein state our purposes and principles of governance.

 

                        II. MEMBERSHIP

 

1.  Membership in Integrity, Inc., shall be open to all gay Episcopalians and their friends and requires the payment of dues in the amount decided upon annually by the Executive Committee.

 

2.  The names and addresses of members or of any other correspondents of Integrity, Inc., shall be kept confidential among the elected officers and staff, shall not be disclosed without the written permission of the respective member or correspondent, and shall not be sold.

 

                        III.-A OFFICERS

 

1.  The officers of this organization shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secre­tary, a Treasurer, and the Regional Representatives.

 

2.  The officers shall constitute the Executive Committee of Integrity, Inc., which shall be responsible for conducting the affairs of the organization.  A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of those attending after due notice of a meeting.  Due notice shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

 

3.  The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall serve from the adjournment of the Convention at which they are elected through the adjournment of the following Convention.

 

4.  Removal of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, or Treasurer shall be elected by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members timely returning a mailed ballot, such vote to be taken as action on a petition signed by at least ten per cent (10%) of the dues-paid members of the organization.

 

5.  Removal of any Regional Representative shall be effected by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members in the region represented by the Regional Representative who timely return a mailed ballot, such vote to be taken as action on a petition signed by at least ten per cent (10%) of the members in the region represented by the Regional Representative.  The Executive Committee shall appoint an officer to oversee the balloting.

 

6.  Vacancies, other than in the office of President, shall be filled as provided in the By-Laws.

 

7.  The membership of the organization shall be divided into regions for purposes of representation on the Executive Committee.  Each region shall be entitled to elect one (1) Representative to the Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee shall periodically review and determine the composition of the regions, subject to an override by a majority of the Convention.

 

             III.-B GENERAL DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

 

1.  President ‑‑ The duties of the President are to call and preside over meetings of Integrity, Inc., to call and preside over meetings of the Executive Committee, to represent Integrity, Inc., in dealings with other organizations, and to serve as Chief Liaison with chapters of Integrity, Inc.

 

2.  Vice-President ‑‑ The duties of the Vice-President are to assist the President and to preside in her/his absence, and in the event of a vacancy in the office of President, to succeed to that office.

 

3.  Secretary ‑‑ The duties of the Secretary are to handle correspondence of the organization, to keep records and files, to maintain a membership list and to assist the Treasurer in the filing of all local, state, and federal forms which may be required of the organization.  In the event of vacancies in both the offices of President and Vice-President, the Secretary shall succeed to the office of President.

 

4.  Treasurer ‑‑ The Treasurer shall be responsible for all financial affairs of the organization.

 

5.  Regional Representatives ‑‑ The duties of the Regional Representatives are to act as liaisons among Integrity, Inc., and all members, chapters, and missions within their respective regions; and to aid in the formation of new chapters.

 

                      Ill.-C PUBLICATIONS

 

The Executive Committee shall appoint an Editor and a Publisher for the official publication(s) of Integrity, Inc.

 

                         IV. CHAPTERS

 

Chapters of Integrity, Inc., shall be designated and certified as such by the President, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.  A President's refusal to grant certification may be overruled by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.  In order to be so designated and certified, a chapter-in-formation shall:

 

a.  Subscribe to the goals and purposes of this organization;

 

b.  Have held at least three meetings over a period of at least ninety days; and

 

c.  Have at least five individuals who have paid dues to this organization.

 

Chapters shall raise or collect the prescribed dues of Integrity, Inc., from all members and forward them to the Treasurer.  Chapters shall have the right to develop their own local or regional constitutions and by-laws provided they are consonant with this Constitution and the By-Laws, to elect their own officers under such form of governance as they might choose, and to handle their own finances, including the levying of chapter dues.  Each chapter may develop its own programs, so long as they are consonant with the aims and objectives of Integrity, Inc., as set forth in this Constitution and the By-Laws.

 

         V. LEGISLATION AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

 

1.  All policies not set forth in this Constitution or in the By-Laws shall be made by the Executive Committee, subject to review by the membership as set forth in the By-Laws.

 

2.  This Constitution shall be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of those members timely returning a mail ballot.  A proposed change in this Constitution must be endorsed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee or be endorsed by a petition bearing the signatures of at least ten per cent (10%) of the member­ship.  The membership shall be notified of all proposed amendments to the Con­stitution, either in two (2) successive issues of an official publication of Integrity, Inc., distributed to all members, or by an official mailing at least two months before the date of voting.

 

JOIN INTEGRITY

 

All information sent to us will be kept confidential.

 

[_]  $4 Special Offer for new members, 1 year

 

Please [_] enter or [_] renew my subscription as indicated.

[_] $10 One Year Membership      [_] $20 Two Year Membership

All memberships include Integrity Forum.

 

I cannot join Integrity at this time but wish to subscribe as indicated:

[_] $12 One Year Subscription  [_] $24 Two Year Subscription

 

Please send my copies in a sealed envelope for which I enclose extra:

[_] $ 3 One Year                      [_] $6 Two Years

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$______ is enclosed as a contribution to Integrity.

 

Name______________________________________________

Address___________________________________________

City State & Zip__________________________________

 

[_] The above is a name/address change/correction.

Canadian and Foreign respondents remit in U.S. funds.   

Return to:

Integrity, P.O. Box 3681, Central Station, Hartford, CT 06103.

 

LOCAL CHAPTERS

 

                      New England Region

 

Rev'd Allan Stifflear, Regional Rep., Integrity/Boston, P.O. Box 2582, Boston, MA 02208.

 

INTEGRITY/BOSTON, P.O. Box 2582, Boston, MA 02208.  Convenor Allan Stifflear, Phone 617/547-4676.

INTEGRITY/HARTFORD, P.O. Box 3681, Central Station, Hartford, CT 06033.  Roy Teeters, President

* INTEGRITY/MAINE, Box 283, RFD, Damariscotta, ME 04543.  Convenor Doug Wright.

* INTEGRITY/NEW HAVEN, P.O. Box 1777, New Haven, CT 06507. Convenor Clinton H. Warner.

* INTEGRITY/WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, 129 Spruce Hill Av., Florence, MA 01060.  Convenor Margaret L. Putnam.

 

                      Mid-Atlantic Region

 

Mason Martens, Regional Rep., 175 W. 72nd St., New York, NY 10023.

 

* INTEGRITY/GERMANY, Convenor Tobby Erdman.  Write to Regional Representative.

INTEGRITY/NEW YORK CITY, G.P.O. 1549, New York, NY 10001.    Convenor Charles Kast.

INTEGRITY/PHILADELPHIA, Convenor Roger K. Stephens, 1516 Lombard St., Philadelphia, PA 19104.  215/985-1290.

INTEGRITY/WASHINGTON, D.C., Convenor Wayne Fortunate-Schwandt, 2112 32nd St. S.E., Washington D.C. 20020.  202/583-2158.

 

                       Southeast Region

 

Leslie Mullins, Regional Rep., 520 W. Franklin Box 222, Richmond, VA 23220

 

 

* INTEGRITY/ATLANTA.  Write to Regional Representative.

INTEGRITY-DIGNITY/CHAPEL HILL, P.O. Box 1184, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.  Convenor Hogan Gaskins.  Phone 919/929-3730

INTEGRITY/SOUTH FLORIDA, P.O. Box 680457, Miami, FL 33168.   Convenor Bill Worley.

* INTEGRITY/NORFOLK.  Write to Regional Representative.

INTEGRITY-DIGNITY/RICHMOND, Convenor Rev'd Edward Meeks Gregory, 1907 N. 23rd St., Richmond, VA 23223.

 

                       Gulf Coast Region

 

David Allen White, Regional Rep., 2408 Cincinnati, San Antonio, TX 78228.

 

* INTEGRITY/AUSTIN, Convenor Charles Arthur, 9904B Randall, Austin, TX 78753.

EPISCOPAL INTEGRITY/HOUSTON, P.O. Box 66008, Houston, TX 77006.  Phone 713/526-0555 or 713/777-7215.

* INTEGRITY/JACKSON, MS.  Write to Regional Representative.

INTEGRITY/NEW ORLEANS, P.O. Box 15586, New Orleans, LA 70175.    Convenor L. Sam Myers.  Phone 504/861-1663.

INTEGRITY/SAN ANTONIO, Convenor David Allen White, 2408 Cincinnati, San Antonio, TX 78228.  Phone 512/434-9479.

 

                      Great Lakes Region

 

Kevin Scahill, Regional Rep.,42 Tyler House, 17 S. Fitzhugh St., Rochester, NY 14614.  Phone 716/232-6521 or 716/458-8628.

 

INTEGRITY/DETROIT, Secretary-Treasurer Nick Benard, 22105 Gaukler, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080.  Phone 313/771-0654.

INTEGRITY-DIGNITY/ROCHESTER, Convenor Kevin Scahill, 42 Tyler House, 17 S. Fitzhugh St., Rochester, NY 14614.  Phone 716/232-6521 or 716/458-8628.

* INTEGRITY/CLEVELAND.  Write to Regional Representative.

* INTEGRITY/OHIO, Convenor David Gellatly, 793 Bloomfield Av, Akron, OH 44302.

* INTEGRITY/SOUTHERN OHIO, Convenor Joshua Moore, 19 Bryant Ln #3, Hamilton,OH 45013.  Phone 513/895-2276.

INTEGRITY/TORONTO, Convenor John Gartshore, 20 Berryman St., Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M5R 1MB.  Phone 416/925-4047.

* INTEGRITY/WESTERN MICHIGAN.  Write to Regional Representative.

 

                        Midwest Region

 

Craig Anderson, Regional Rep., 565 Portland Av. #B1, St. Paul, MN 55102

 

* INTEGRITY/CENTRAL INDIANA, P.O. Box 68290, Indianapolis, IN 46268.  Co-Convenors Charles R. Forker 812/332-6564 and Orlando S. Gustilo 317/293-9044.

INTEGRITY/CHICAGO, P.O. Box 2516, Chicago, IL 60690.  Convenor Rev'd Clark Wills.  Phone 312/743-7489.

INTEGRITY/MADISON, P.O. Box 5641, Madison, WI 53705.  Convenor Larry Bandfield.  Phone 608/831-8448.

INTEGRITY/ST. LOUIS, P.O. Box 7213, St. Louis, MO 63177.  Convenor Jerry Martin.  Phone 314/652-9373.

INTEGRITY/TWIN CITIES, P.O. Box 3565, Upper Nicollet Station, Minneapolis, MN 55403.  Convenor Craig Anderson.

 

                    Mountain States Region

 

Rev'd Tom Dobbs, Regional Rep., 1734 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80203.

 

* INTEGRITY/ALBUQUERQUE, P.O. Box 4996, Albuquerque, NM 87106.   Convenor David Maulsby.  Phone 505/268-8156.

INTEGRITY/DENVER, Convenor Rev'd Tom Dobbs, 1734 Washington Street, Denver, CO 80203.

INTEGRITY/SALT LAKE CITY, P.O. Box 11241, Salt Lake City, UT 84147.  Co-Convenors Hal Carter and Charles Lovely.  Phone 801/268-0641.

* INTEGRITY/TUCSON, P.O. Box 1085, Tucson, AZ 85702.  Convenor George Neumann.  Phone 602/624-4544.

 

                        Pacific Region

 

Rev'd Richard Younge, Regional Rep., P.O. Box 644, San Jose, CA 95120.

 

* INTEGRITY-DIGNITY/HONOLULU, P.O. Box 12825-E, Honolulu, HI 96815.  Co-Convenors Bill Potter and James Slatkavitz.  Phone 808/734-6004.

INTEGRITY/LOS ANGELES, Convenor Bob Harrison, 7985 Santa Monica Blvd., #212, West Hollywood, CA 90046.  Phone 213/656-0258.

* INTEGRITY/PUGET SOUND, P.O. Box 855, Seattle, WA 98111.

Convenor Tim Fowler.  Phone 206/525-5817.

* INTEGRITY/SAN DIEGO, c/o Episcopal Community Services, 601 Market St., San Diego, CA 92101.

INTEGRITY/SAN FRANCISCO, P.O. Box 6444, San Jose, CA 95150.  Convenor Patrick Waddell.  Phone 415/776-5120.

 

* Indicates that a new chapter is in formation.

 

If you are interested in starting an Integrity chapter in your area, write to: Integrity, P.O. Box 891, Oak Park, IL 60303, or telephone 312/386-1470.