St. Olaf College GLBT News
Marriage gives strength to families
(By Bruce Nordstrom-Loeb / Friday, March 11, 2005 / Manitou Messenger)
Almost half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce, and almost a third of the children in this country are born outside of marriage. No wonder there's such concern about the status of the family in America! Keeping in mind all of this rather depressing information, I found it heartwarming to attend a recent conference intended to nurture strong families.
Lutheran GLBT News
Retired bishop lifts his voice in support of gays
(Nick Coleman, Star Tribune, May 29, 2005)
In the face of a well-financed campaign against same-sex unions, he says, too many active ministers refuse to speak out "for fear of offending members who make large donations." Herb Chilstrom is not among the silenced lambs. "I am convinced that our churches and our society must affirm gay, lesbian and transgendered persons as completely equal in every way with those of us who are heterosexual," he said in a recent speech to a church conference in Wisconsin. "It is time for those of us who believe that the Gospel is for all and who believe that civil rights are for all to speak up."
Lutheran Group Supports Gays and Lesbians
(Anita Weier, The Capital Times, May 16, 2005)
The regional branch of the nation's largest Lutheran domination is opposing an amendment to the state Constitution that would prohibit marriage or civil unions among gays and lesbians. The South-Central Wisconsin Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America includes 13 counties and 150 congregations.
ELCA Church Council Forwards Three Resolutions on Homosexuality to ELCA Churchwide Assembly
(ELCA.org, April 11, 2005)
The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) developed and forwarded three resolutions to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly this summer. The resolutions address whether or not the church will bless same-sex relationships and whether or not the ELCA will allow people in such relationships to serve the church as professional lay and ordained ministers. The third of three resolutions that the council put on the assembly agenda would "create a process for the sake of outreach, ministry and the commitment to continuing dialogue, which may permit exceptions to the expectations regarding sexual conduct for gay or lesbian candidates and rostered leaders in life-long, committed and faithful same-sex relationships who otherwise are determined to be in compliance" with the conduct the church expects of its ministers.
Minnesota GLBT News
Minnesota Poll: Same-sex unions lose support(Mark Brunswick, Star Tribune, May 10, 2005)
A new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll shows that 52 percent of adults in the state oppose gay and lesbian legal unions while 38 percent favor them. The opposition is an increase of 10 percentage points over last year.
Open Letter from Anne DeGroot Regarding the Recent Star Tribune Poll on Same-Sex Marriage
(Anne DeGroot, OutFront Minnesota, May 11, 2005)
As I am sure many of you are aware, the latest poll published in the Star Tribune indicates increased support for the constitutional ban on all legal recognition of same-sex couples and decreased support for legal unions for same-sex couples. We are not surprised by the poll results and find them useful as we continue to work against the proposed constitutional amendment. In the first place, the poll does not effectively explain the scope and impact of the proposed amendment. If passed, the constitutional amendment would permanently discriminate against some of Minnesota's families by stating that no legal recognition of same sex relationships would be permissible. Ironically, the courts would be in the position of deciding what "legal recognition" is. That aside, we know that polls taken in other states show that public support for legal recognition of same sex relationships increase when the rights and responsibilities of marriage are listed and explained. This poll does not do that. We cannot, therefore, assume that this poll mandates discrimination in Minnesota.
This is No Time for Hide "n" Seek
(Nick Coleman, Star Tribune, April 17, 2005)
As it turned out, if Sen. Bachmann had wanted to get a good look at a gay person, she only needed to say hello to a member of her caucus, Republican Sen. Paul Koering, who came out as a gay man last week. In a week when the gay marriage issue seemed to dominate Minnesota politics, Koering's coming out was the best thing that happened, and it was inspired, in part, by his anger over Bachmann's gay-bashing grandstanding (he voted with Democrats against Bachmann's procedural ploy). Political insiders say he may have ruined his reelection prospects. But at the same time, his brave announcement may have rescued us from a lot of foolishness.
As one of his constituents told the newspaper after Koering came out: "The world would be a better place if we left each other alone." Now that she has come out of the bushes, let's pray that Sen. Bachmann will heed that very humble message.
National GLBT News
