Subject: "15 Churches to take swing at gay games"
From: Elliott Mitchell [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1993

>From the _Nashville Banner_, Friday, August 6, 1993 - submitted without
permission.

By Frances Meeker and Jessica Pasley

Ministers at 15 Madison churches have agreed to preach the message
Sunday that a national gay and lesbian softball tournament has no
place in their community.

They will then offer their congregations a chance to sign petitions
asking Metro Council and the city's Parks and Recreation Department
to prohibit the Gay and Lesbian Softball World Series from taking
place at Madison's Cedar Hill Park next August.

"We want to go on record as saying we would prefer that this event
not take place," says Steve Flatt, minister of the 5,000 member
Madison Church of Christ, who is spearheading the move.

"We think(the tournament) will be an exhibition like the Gay Rights
(March on Washington," said Flatt.  "And we don't need that in
Madison."

But Kathleen Maloy, co-chair of the Lesbian and Gay Coalition, thinks
the preachers are sending the wrong message.

"It is really appalling that church leaders would promote hatred,"
she says.  "We have to have leaders that support tolerance of diverse
people.

"I think what this shows is the failure of the church leaders to act
responsibly," she adds.  "They need to show what religious and
spiritual organizations are about.  It's about nondiscrimination and
treating people with respect and dignity, not racism and bigotry.

The Rev. A. Lynn Hill, pastor of City Road Chapel United Methodist
Church, says it's not a matter of condemnation.

"Our church's stance is that we feel this event is not in the best
interest of the Madison community," Hill says.

"We are not saying these people are bad people and that they are
going to Hell," Hill adds.  "We are saying that we don't need to host
this event."

Petitions will be available at the church and members may sign them
if they choose, Hill says.

Approximately 1,700 softball players -- more than 100 men's and
women's teams -- are expected to participate in the week long
tournament which also will be played at Shelby Park in East
Nashville and Cane Ridge Park in Southeast Davidson County off Old
Hickory Boulevard.  About 1,000 games will be played.

Parks and Recreation officials say the petitions will have no effect
since the tournament already has been approved.

"We';re aware of that petition," says Mary Wherry, assistant director
of Parks and Recreation.

"This is a softball tournament just like any other, "she adds.  "I can't
see that there will be any reversals.  "We can't deny people's use of
public parks.  They have every right, just as churches and businesses
do."

Tournament organizers say they wish churches would give them a
chance to show the positive impact the series can have on Nashville.

"We thought the economic impact outweighs who [the players are]
since the morality issue is not at question," says Terry Hilmer,
commissioner of the Music City Sports Association.

"Even though this is a gay organization, the lifestyle is not the issue.
This is a softball tournament," he says, "I certainly do acknowledge
they do have the right to protest by the same right we have to play."

Gay softball leagues have been in Nashville for eight years.  The
Music City Sports Association, an umbrella organization
coordinating various leagues for gay and lesbian athletes has been a
member of the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance for
four years.

NAGAAA will hold national meetings here in February and on Aug. 13.
The World Series is scheduled for Aug. 16-20.

This year's tournament will be held in Philadelphia, while last year's
was in Los Angeles.

"When we did this, when we went to bid on this, we thought we were
doing something great for Nashville, Hilmer says.

"We wanted to show off our city.  We sold them on the concept of
Nashville as a Southern and welcoming city.  We captured what the
city is about, and it hurts when people don't recognize our efforts to
highlight our city."

Flatt says ministers will meet Monday, pool their petitions and then
deliver to the Metro Council chambers.

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| Elliott Mitchell   Vanderbilt University   Nashville, Tenn.
| IN: [email-masked] | BN: MITCHEEC@VUCTRVAX
|
| I had my bases covered but the game turned out to be football...