Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:56:33 -0400 From: Chris Ambidge Subject: *Integrator* files for 1989 INTEGRATOR, the newsletter of Integrity/Toronto volume 89-1, issue date 1989 01 06 copyright 1989 Integrity/Toronto. The hard-copy version of this newsletter carries the ISSN 0843-574X Integrity/Toronto Box 873 Stn F Toronto ON Canada M4Y 2N9 == Contents == [89-1-1] GIRAFFES IN THE CLOSET [89-1-2] INTEGRITY'S NETWORK [89-1-3] GENERALLY CONVENTIONAL / by Brother Richard Thomas Biemacki, Brotherhood of St Gregory [89-1-4] GIRAFFES ABOUT TOWN [89-1-5] FROM ALBERTA [89-1-6] GOOD NEWS FROM SAN FRANCISCO ======== [89-1-1] GIRAFFES IN THE CLOSET In Josephine Tey's *The Franchise Affair*, two women living in a small village are thought to have committed some horrendous crime. They live just outside the village, and are not well known or loved. Their lawyer sees them in the village teashop just after the accusations have been made, and he goes up to them amazed that they would do something so foolhardy as to be out in public when everyone will be gossiping about them. Why aren't they hiding at home? One of the women says to him: "if you see a giraffe once a year at the zoo, it remains a strange, exotic creature. If you see a giraffe every week, it becomes part of the background, and you don't notice that it is unusual". The more lesbian/gay people are visible in the villages (or cities) in which we live, the less we will be exotic creatures and the more we will become part of the background. We are all giraffes. ======== [89-1-2] INTEGRITY'S NETWORK Integrity is a large international organisation, and one of the advantages of that for all of us is the sharing of many resources and many talents. Integrity/Toronto is on the mailing list for all sorts of chapter newsletters, from Vancouver to Atlanta, and from New York City to San Francisco. If you would like to see any of these, please contact Chris or Bonnie. These newsletters are great ways of sharing insights between the chapters. Two columns from *The Integrator* were recently reprinted in the Integrity/Austin newsletter. We take this as compliment. We will also be using articles from the publications of other chapters ,see *Good News From San Francisco* below, article [89-1-6]. Another Integrity resource is the book *Our Stories.* This book was prepared for distribution at the recent General Convention of the Episcopal Church, but it is in fact timeless. It is a compilation of the stories of many lesbian/gay people, how they came to terms with their sexuality, and why the church remains an important part of their lives. The convention deputies were given this book because Integrity realised that it is not theological arguments that change hearts and minds, but rather the evidence of lives such as these. *Our Stories *gave faces to the otherwise abstract "Gay Issue". For the first time many of the delegates came to realise that gay/lesbian people have flesh and blood, feelings and fears. The deputies found these stories compelling, and so will you. We have two copies of *Our Stories*. Please borrow one and read it. ======== [89-1-3] GENERALLY CONVENTIONAL by Brother Richard Thomas Biemacki, Brotherhood of St Gregory [The Brotherhood of St Gregory is a religious community of the Episcopal Church in the United States. This is reprinted from their bi-monthly newsletter] We are a church with much to offer, yet we seem to be content to discuss the same things over and over. What's worse, when we do make a decision, we then invent ways around it. I may be treading on some toes here, but that seems to be one of my strong suits. If the Brotherhood hadn't made noise in 1982 there wouldn't now be a canon covering all religious communities. We have said, "Religious are dangerous" and in that role I feel I must speak out for those who still remain outcasts. Some are gay, some lesbian, and some are ordained women. We Episcopalians want a church of ease. We want a church which will allow conscience clauses to get around the very canons we spend so much time, effort and money in passing. Conscience clauses for some, at least... Because gays, lesbians and women clergy are stuck in the back of the bus as the church's last niggers. These gay deacons, priests and bishops -- yes, some of the clergy actually *are* gay -- have buried our dead; visited our sick and dying; baptised and confirmed our children and bound them in marriage; and ordained other clergy, gay and straight. Yet we continue to insist that the union of man and woman is the only way to have a meaningful relationship; and we deny that homosexuals are fit to minister. Jesus was single and chose to remain so. Was he less fulfilled or less human? Were his relationships without meaning? As we all stand under the judgement of that man who forgave everything, I cannot understand how anyone can have the chutzpah to line up, stones ready to throw! In 1976 this church of ours changed its canons to permit the ordination of women. As the saying goes, "It isn't just a good idea. It's the law!" Why then are we still discussing what has already been done? Why are we developing new ways to avoid the issue? Conscientiousness should be exercised in obeying and not in denying the canons of the church. If we truly believe the discipline of the Episcopal Church is contained in its canons, why continue to seek ways to get around them? Surely those whose consciences are tender should consider this well before making ordination vows! We live by a double standard. We pamper the consciences of those few who will not accept the decision of the overwhelming majority. At the same time a sizeable populations of active Episcopalians is disenfranchised and excluded from full participation in the church - and not by canon either; the effort to canonise the exclusion of gays from the ordination process was defeated in Detroit. Maybe if there were a canon prohibiting the ordination of homosexuals, there would be a conscience clause to ignore that, too! Gays and lesbians are, have been, and will continue to be servants of the church, some of them ordained. Women will continue to be ordained and soon, thanks be to God, they will enter the episcopate and share their gifts in the junior house of General Convention. I pray for the day that the General Convention will get on with the real work of building up the church for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or their sex. Making all things new means just that - *all things* - even those things which have been here since the beginning of time. copyright 1988 Brotherhood of Saint Gregory. Reprinted by permission from the September/October 1988 issue of *The Servant* ======== [89-1-4] GIRAFFES ABOUT TOWN (An irregular column telling of the activities of Integrity/Toronto, its members and friends) o Readers of *The Anglican* will already know that on October 31 Integrity's own John Gartshore (who is also active with Gay Courtwatch), poured tea at the reception after the installation of Peg Noseworthy as Protestant chaplain at Old City Hall courthouses. Our sources did not reveal whether John wore the sweater set and pearls that are traditional at such events. o On a more serious note, Bonnie and Chris, Integrity/Toronto's co- conveners, took part in consultation related to a proposed course on Human Sexuality to be run by the LOGOS Institute. LOGOS is the adult Christian education unit for the diocese of Toronto. This meeting was to get input from a wide spectrum of people, including many who were very lesbian/gay positive. From this group, a smaller curriculum writing committee is now at work. o On a still more serious note, in early December Chris, Bonnie and other Integrity members took part in *A Reflection Day on AIDS* sponsored by the College of Bishops' Taskforce on AIDS This was a day of reflection, sharing of experiences and where-do-we-go-from-here discussion for those involved in AIDS ministry in the diocese. A full article on this day will appear in the next issue of *The Integrator.* o John McNeill, the author of *The Church and the Homosexual* was in Toronto at the beginning of December. He led a workshop entitled *Gay Christians in an age of AIDS*, and read from his latest book *Taking a Chance on God *at a regular Dignity meeting. o December 21 saw members of at least six gay/ lesbian/ religious caucuses (Integrity, Dignity, Christos MCC, Affirm, Lutherans Concerned and SAGA) in the nave of Holy Trinity Church. We came together for a traditional service of lessons and carols to celebrate the gift of the Christ Child. All forty people there had a great time: we began Christmas in a way that made our denominational differences seem very small indeed. This opportunity to connect with the lesbian/ gay/ Christian network (both at the service and, more informally, at the egg- nog hour afterwards) helped build up the Body of Christ. The joyous message of the angels, "Peace on earth to all with whom God's favour rests" was very apparent to all of us. This service and the annual Lesbian/Gay Pride Day service were established some time ago by the Interchurch Gay/ Lesbian group. Barry, of Dignity, spoke at the service of revitalising this group. We certainly hope this comes about. Watch this space for further developments! ======== [89-1-5] FROM ALBERTA [This letter-to-the-Editor of the Calgary Herald was forwarded to us by an Integrity/Toronto member who lives in Alberta. ] Re "Dying of AIDS isn't worst fate of modern age," by Pastor William D. McColley, Herald Letters, Nov. 1. I cannot adequately express my sorrow over McColley's words for he is not only closing his eyes and heart to the many homosexual people in the world, he is also missing the heart of the gospel, the good news of God's love. I am not a homosexual. I do not understand complete love between people of the same sex. But on the other hand, I don't really "understand" heterosexual love either. I only experience it and give thanks for it. I don't "understand" God's love for me, for others and for the world. I can only experience it, give thanks for it and accept it, even not understanding it. What I do understand is that a loving God would not condemn anyone. Love simply doesn't do that. The facts are that more than 10 percent of the infants I baptise will be active homosexuals by the time they are 35 years old. I do not understand that. I know that this is something they will try to deny. They will fight against this orientation, will probably get married and have children. It will not be chosen or "caught" like measles. They will not be talked into it by some smooth-talking pervert. It will be a part of themselves, as natural and God-given as anything else. They will also be as much children of God as the 65 percent majority who are exclusively heterosexual. In no way can I say that their love is not of God. It may be different, but is not the love shared between any two people different than any other? It grieves me to write this, knowing that I will most assuredly receive calls and letters from Christian who will condemn me because I am not as condemning as they. I can only say that in all things, I look first at God's law of love and try to put that first. I urge others to do the same believing that, that is what we are to do if we are disciples of Jesus in this or any other time. The Rev. Anthony Gifford [The author is the Minister of a United Church of Canada charge in a small town in Alberta. When we called him for permission to reprint, he reported that the responses he has received to his letter have been ten- to-one in favour of his gay-positive stance] ======== [89-1-6] GOOD NEWS FROM SAN FRANCISCO [Following are the text of resolutions passed at Diocese of California Convention on October 22,1988. ] RESOLUTION ON A LITURGY FOR THE BLESSING OF SAME SEX RELATIONSHIPS WHEREAS, couples of the same sex who have made a commitment to one another desire an have repeatedly requested the Church's blessing of their loving and committed relationship: and WHEREAS, a couples unity is strengthened by the public and familial support provided and affirmed in the ritual blessing of their union; and WHEREAS, such public affirmation is found to support lovers commitment in loving union; and WHEREAS, the vows made in a covenanted relationship may be better supported, affirmed, and in many ways aided by family, friends and pastoral services; and WHEREAS, the stability of a loving couple is beneficial to the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the partners and to the well-being of the church and society; and WHEREAS, the open blessing of same sex couples affirms their validity and acceptance in the broader community and promotes the acceptance of God's gift of diversity; now therefore be it RESOLVED, that this 139th Convention call on the Bishop of the Diocese of California to support the development and use of a liturgy for the blessing of same sex relationships. __________ RESOLUTION ON THE INCLUSIVENESS OF THE CHURCH'S LIFE WHEREAS, we are all made in the image of God, and we are all equally and unconditionally loved by God just as we are; and WHEREAS, we are all called upon to love one another in the spirit of God's love for each of us; and WHEREAS, in Christ we learn that all people have a right to respect and justice; and WHEREAS, we envision the community of the Diocese of California as embracing the values of human relationships revealed by God in Christ: and WHEREAS, Lesbians and Gay men are often scorned by society and feel alienated from many communities on our culture; therefore be it RESOLVED, that this 139th Convention of the diocese of California affirm that all men and women of any sexual orientation are welcome within the congregations of the Diocese of California to share equally in the liturgy and life of our parish families, and are welcome to seek employment and leadership in our diocese. ======== End of volume 89-1 of Integrator, the newsletter of Integrity/Toronto copyright 1989 Integrity/Toronto Editor this issue: Bonnie Bewley comments please to Chris Ambidge, current Editor chris.ambidge@utoronto.ca OR Integrity/Toronto Box 873 Stn F Toronto ON Canada M4Y 2N9