Quakers mark 50 years sce gay rights affirmatn | Relign | The Guardian

Contents:

• QUAKERS MARK 50 YEARS SCE GAY RIGHTS AFFIRMATN
• AFTER YEARS OF PROGRS ON GAY RIGHTS, HOW DID THE US BEE SO ANTI-LGBTQ+?

QUAKERS MARK 50 YEARS SCE GAY RIGHTS AFFIRMATN

As such, Friends believe that homosexualy go agast our God-given sexual nature.

For example, FGC has a high school liaison between s anizatn and Friends for Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer Concerns. Friends for Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Concerns is a muny of North Amerin Friends that nven bi-annually to worship and build muny.

“The same creria seem to to apply whether a relatnship is heterosexual or homosexual.

AFTER YEARS OF PROGRS ON GAY RIGHTS, HOW DID THE US BEE SO ANTI-LGBTQ+?

The Friends General Conference, one of three major natnal associatns for Friends meetgs and church the Uned Stat, issued a statement fall 2004, “Mute on Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr and Queer Friends, ” emphasizg that LGBTQ people were wele their relig muny. It stat, “Our experience has been that our Gathergs and Central Commtee work have been immeasurably enriched over the years by the full participatn and Spir-guid learship of gay, lbian, bisexual, transgenr and queer Friends. C., issued a statement March 2004 opposg the anti-gay Feral Marriage Amendment.

In January 2004, AFSC also affirmed s support for civil marriage equaly: “We mute our support for equal civil marriage rights for lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people equal to those for heterosexuals. We are aware that many are llg for civil unns for lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people and some people wish to rerve civil marriage for heterosexual upl alone. For example, 1974, the Illois Yearly Meetg approved a statement, lled a “Mute, ” argug for non-discrimatn laws to protect LGB people and llg for the removal of state sodomy laws: “Homosexual and bisexual people this society are subject to ser discrimatn many areas: employment, hog, medil re, fay life tn, parental rights and the right to worship.

Civil rights should be extend to protect homosexual and bisexual people jt as they now protect other groups which suffer discrimatn. The Friends Uned Meetg, one of the three major associatns for Friends the Uned Stat, issued a policy statement 1988, “Mute 88-GB-52, ” llg for equal rights protectns for gay and lbian people: “We affirm the civil rights of all people to secular employment, hog, tn and health re whout regard to their sexual orientatn. In particular, we nmn vlence, whether verbal or physil, agast homosexuals, and ll for their full protectn unr the civil rights laws.

We particularly plore any attack on the civil rights of gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr persons uched relig terms or attributed to scriptur. Friends for Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr and Queer Concerns, found 1972, is a natnal Quaker fah muny that holds biannual gathergs as well as regnal meetgs. But this was 50 years ago: "An act which exprs te affectn between two dividuals and giv pleasure to them both, do not seem to to be sful by reason alone of the fact that is homosexual.

"The text om Towards a Quaker View of Sex, a pneerg and, at the time, hugely ntroversial book om the relig society, which provid perhaps the very first fah-based affirmatn of gay equaly and went on to be hugely fluential, sellg 500, 000 focg most closely on homosexualy, which was then still three years away om beg crimalised, the publitn also took cidly liberal attus towards premaral sex and adultery, promptg praise om agony nt Marjorie Proops the Daily Mirror but predictable shock the News of the mark the anniversary, the Quakers, officially known as the Relig Society of Friends, held a meetg a hall London on Friday to hear the sole survivg member of the group that produced the publitn expla how me Wedmore, now 81 and a retired barrister based California, was among a group of 11 Quaker thors, also takg psychiatrists, psychologists and teachers, gathered together by the Cambridge zoologist, Anna Bidr, 1957 to nsir issu surroundg homosexualy.