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NEWS & LETTERS, May-June 2010
'ALL Families Rally'
Memphis, Tenn.--In March, the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center (MGLCC) held a "Stand for ALL Families" rally at Neshoba Unitarian Church in Cordova, Tenn., just outside of Memphis. The rally, attended by 60 people of all ages, was a response to a nearby megachurch rally by a religious right group, Family Action Council of Tenn. (FAC).
FAC presented the idea that LGBT rights are a threat to families. In contrast, the speakers at the Neshoba rally--including a lesbian minister, an interracial lesbian couple, and a legally married African-American lesbian couple, described the similarity of LGBT parenthood to that of heterosexual couples. The only difference is that LGBT parents face the challenge of explaining the discrimination and prejudice against them to their children.
Speakers discussed the need for people to speak out against discrimination wherever they find it. The African-American couple spoke on the need for the Black church to become accepting of LGBTs. A heterosexual mother described attending a religious anti-gay workshop that told lies about gay youth. She told the speakers that she volunteered at MGLCC and housed youth who were rejected by parents, homeless, and sometimes suicidal. She asked, "Are you willing to take responsibility for the gay child who tried to kill himself in my house last month, because of messages like yours? He didn't believe he was loved by God."
Last summer, activists succeeded in passing a non-discrimination ordinance that protects Shelby County employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Memphis City Council will soon consider a similar measure for city employees. Will Batts, the director of MGLCC, said, "We will win this. We just can't give up."
--Protester
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