Articles From Our October, 2001 Newsletter

OCTOBER 14 PROGRAM 

Healing Communities in a Sometimes-Sickening World 

Our program on Sunday, Oct. 14 will feature Rev. Ed Stevenson, United Methodist Pastor, known to most of us for his work at Valley View United Methodist Church, home church of the Coonley family, members of our own PFLAG chapter. 

Ed has been a United Methodist pastor in the KC area since 1972. During that time he served 3 inner city, 1 rural, and 3 suburban churches. 

He was organizing pastor for a new church in Olathe, 1978-84. 

Currently Ed lists as his vocation the following: 
To offer materials, events and leadership to assist lay adults in growing in their understanding of and active involvement with issues of spirituality & values as those arise in their everyday family, community and work lives. 

--Ed earned a Master's in Counseling and has extensive post-graduate training and experience in family systems counseling 
--He served on the National Council of Churches Ecumenical Development Initiative in the late 80's and early 90's. 
--He also led the initial organizing efforts for Friends of Recovery in Kansas; this organization provides support for the development of Oxford House group living facilities for persons in substance abuse recovery. 
--In 2000 he organized teleioSys educational services Inc. 
--He publishes an occasional newsletter; speaks frequently before professional and community groups; has been published in professional Newsletters and Newspapers; all in regard to values and spirituality. 

Let's give Ed a PFLAG/KC welcome. See you at 3pm on the 14th. 

Thanks, Judy!! 

The Kansas City Chapter of PFLAG wishes to extend many thanks to Judy Guyot who has served as Director of Advocacy and faithfully handled the distribution of of the monthly newsletter for several years. Thanks, Judy!! We appreciate all your efforts in the past and will miss your input at board meetings. 
Through The Dark Moment of This Horrific Tragedy We Can Bring Forth a Light of Hope 
By Scott Cozza, Pres.; Scouting For All 
September 15, 2001 

On September 11, 2001 America was attacked by terrorists. Many lives were lost. People who awoke on that September morning, expecting to live their lives another day were taken from this earth. Families and loved ones were torn apart by the hatred of other human beings. Some say the terrorists were acting in the name of their god. These were extremists who were driven by ignorance, hate, and fear who used God's name to promote their evil, to mislead those who followed them. 

Ignorance and Fear beget bigotry, discrimination, hatred, homophobia, sexism, racism and violence in our society. The same ignorance and fear that drove the terrorists to do their ungodly acts of destruction in the name of their god is what drives bigotry in America. Some who present themselves as self-righteous in America, also use the name of God to spread their words of discrimination and hate towards other human beings who are different than they are, whom they don't understand, whom they fear, and whom they condemn because of their ignorance in using the name of God. 

Our government leaders must act from a sense of justice when searching out the terrorists who committed death and destruction upon this nation and symbolically upon all the nations of this earth. 

As I share my thoughts, driven by a deep sense of sadness, I see many similarities between what drove the terrorists and what drives those in America who discriminate and who are bigoted. They are driven by the same ignorance and fear and use the name of God to perpetuate their hate, to justify their violence just as the terrorists. They don't allow themselves to feel the pain they have caused through their self-righteous condemnation towards those whom they reject in our society. 

The Boy Scouts of America and those religious fundamentalists who are dictating the current BSA policy of discrimination against gay youth and adults and atheists must take a step back and allow themselves to feel the pain and terrible hurt they are causing to countless individuals and families throughout America whom they reject for simply being who they have come blessed to be in this life. You see, the act of discrimination is a violent act perpetrated against a segment of our society - our fellow human beings. The BSA must allow themselves to feel the pain they have caused so they can understand how their policy of discrimination has impacted their fellow human beings, their fellow scouts and adult leaders, and in some cases members of their own families who are gay. 

There is hope that discrimination will stop in America, and violence throughout the world. There is hope as well that the pain and hurt caused by the Boy Scouts of America's policy of discrimination will also stop. We, as fellow human beings, must make a commitment as individuals and as a society; we will no longer tolerate social injustice; we will no longer tolerate discrimination and the violence that comes with it; we will become united by embracing our diversity as a people; and we will be joined by the common bond of love for one another and the genuine desire to help make this earth a safe place for all people to live. 

We must stand against the violence perpetrated on us as a people on September 11, 2001 by committing to a deep sense of justice and love for humankind. 

We must not in turn perpetuate the violence of that day by in turn becoming violent towards other innocent human beings in other parts of this earth. 

We must learn from the pain and suffering caused on that day, to stop the hurt and violence we cause one another as a people when we discriminate against one another out of ignorance and fear. 

We must learn to stop using the Bible and God as weapons to promote hatred towards one another. 

Let us reach out to one another and embrace the miracle and the beauty of life and the diversity of the human family. Lets us not fear our diversity. Let us embrace it, cherish it and honor it. 

Explosions, screams, cries in the darkness of evil 
As the walls of our hopes and our dreams disappear around us 
Then silence blankets us with an eerie calm 
Memories surround those who survive, grasping on to what was 
Visions of an uncertain future lie in waiting 
Humankind's potential in question 
The time is now 
It is before all of us to decide... 

(Submitted at Helen's request to replace her monthly article) 
LETTER TO PFLAG MEMBERS AND AFFILIATES 
September 13, 2001 

On Tuesday, untold thousands of people were killed by terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., as well as the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania. The devastation we are witnessing is ricocheting around the country and the world. It is taking a tremendous toll on all of us. Although some of us are more directly affected, as the tragic stories unfold, we all grieve. 

This is a time that will test all of us. It is a time of national, and indeed international, tragedy. It is also a time of complexity, and we hope that as individuals, as PFLAG chapters and as a nation, we will respond to this horror in ways that will break the cycle of violence and move the world towards peace. Reports are already surfacing of threats and retaliatory acts against anyone who is, or who is perceived to be, Arab or Muslim. 

In PFLAG we are united in our vision and our mission to celebrate diversity and work for a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. We know the needless pain and suffering experienced by people stigmatized simply because of who they are. We have an obligation to speak out on behalf of and stand beside those who are stigmatized because of their perceived ethnicity or religion. Included with this letter (See below) is a statement sent out yesterday by our friend and ally, Faisal Alam, founder of Al-Fatiha, an organization for GLBT Muslims. We have already thanked him for his message and offered him support on behalf of PFLAG. 

Therefore, we urge all of you to look for people in your community who may be adversely impacted by this tragedy and reach out to them. Let them know you support them. Participate in local rallies for peace. Work in coalition with people of color in your community. Build bridges among different faith communities. Speak out against violent attacks against Arab or Muslim people. 

PFLAG is, at its heart, about love. It is about connecting with people. It is about treating all people with dignity, respect and equality. It is about connecting as human beings on a very personal level. This is a time that cries out for these values. This is a time for PFLAG members everywhere to embody those values and impact our communities for the better. 

Sincerely, 

Arnold Drake 
PFLAG President 

Kirsten Kingdon 
PFLAG Executive Director 
CHILDREN SAFE 

Our president, Helen Cohen, reports that her three children were close to the awful devastation in Manhattan and were terribly shaken, but are safe and well. She writes: 

"This has been such a frightening week - all of my children were close to the sites of the attacks. My oldest daughter lost a friend in the attack on the World Trade Center. My other daughter and her family live less than a mile from it and my son lives in D.C. They are all terribly shaken." 

We are truly grateful that they are safe and well. If others of you had loved ones involved, our prayers go out to you as well, and to all, throughout the world, who may have had loved ones killed or injured in the attack. 
LGBTQ Muslims Condemn Terrorist Attack; Warn of Repercussions Against Arabs 
and Muslims 

Al-Fatiha, an international organization dedicated to Muslims who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) joined mainstream Arab and Muslim organizations today to condemn the terrorist attacks in the United States. 

"We join our sisters and brothers in the United States and around the world to mourn the loss of life and condemn this tragedy," stated Faisal Alam, Founder & Director of Al-Fatiha, in speaking about the attacks. 

"We must not allow our fears and anger to overcome us," said Faisal Alam. "Religion has long been used as a tool of oppression against many communities including LGBT people, and the voices of peace and justice. But no religion at its core advocates violence or terrorism, including Islam." 

Islam which comes from the Arabic root word "salaam" or peace, is the fastest growing religion in the United States with an estimated population of 7 million Muslims. There are 1.2 billion Muslims around the world. 

PFLAG SUPPORTS REAL FAMILY VALUES