Date: Wed, 03 Jul 1996 12:38:11 -0400 From: Maggie Heineman Subject: Appeal for Funds for Rebuilding the Burned Churches Walter Lear has made arrangements for the following letter to appear in next week's Au Courant and Philadelphia Gay News ------------------ To: Philadelphia's Sexual Minority Community An Appeal for Funds for Rebuilding the Burned Churches The recent burning of more than thirty African-American chuches in the south is shocking to us, the undersigned, as it is to most Americans. To our oppressed African-American sisters and brothers whose churches have been burned, we extend our deepest sympathy. In support we will intensify our efforts to eliminate racism in our own communities and in the nation at large. These church burnings are a terrible expression of the militia-minded, hate-filled, violence-prone agenda of the resurgent radical right-- the Klan, the skinheads, the Patriots and the others who comprise this virulent, anti-democratic political movement. As lesbians, bisexuals, gay men and trans people we have an especially keen understanding and strong feelings about the radical right. We too have been subjected for decades to another of its widespread expressions, homophobia, in the form of denunciation, discrimination and physical assault. Homophobia, similar to the age-old oppression of African-Americans, denies us our civil rights, our fair educational and career opportunities, our families, our dignity, and increasingly, even our lives. To defeat the radical right all who are oppressed must recognize the common origin of our oppressions, attend to the pain and need of those attacked, and together fight this potent and growing threat to a humane society. If you are able to contribute financially to rebuilding the burned churches, please make your check payable to the National Council of Churches (note on your check it is for the Burned Churches fund) and send it promptly to the Fight the Right Network, c/o its Interfaith Working Group, P.O. Box 11706, Philadelphia, PA 19101. The accumulated checks will be forwarded to the Burned Churches Fund of the National Council of Churches at the beginning of August. David Acosta Shilpa Mehta Rebecca Alpert Jesse Milan Cathy Barlow Carol Moore Michael Hinson Frances Negron-Muntaner Denise Kulp Dick O-Malley Walter Lear Tyrone Smith Richard Liu Elizabeth Terry Marge Meann Kevin Vaughan Maggie Heineman and Chris Purdom for the Fight the Right Network Broadcast on the Internet 7/3/96 -- Maggie Heineman maggie@critpath.org List-owner pa-expose & pa-explv@critpath.org http://www.libertynet.org/~exposepa/ Webmaster PFLAG-Talk/TGS-PFLAG http://www.critpath.org/pflag-talk/ "Member, Homosexual Internet Crowd"