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Media Contact: Wayne Bessen, American Prayer Hour Coordinator
Phone: 917-691-5118 E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Website: www.AmericanPrayerHour.org

Multi-City Prayer Hour Offers Alternative to the National Prayer Breakfast Whose Leaders Have Apparent Ties to Uganda’ Draconian Anti-Homosexuality Bill

What: On Tuesday, February 2, 2010 key religious leaders will hold a press conference to announce the formation of The American Prayer Hour, a multi-city event on Thursday, February 4, 2010, with key events in Washington, DC, Dallas, Chicago and Berkeley. The American Prayer Hour events will affirm inclusive values and call on all nations, including Uganda, to decriminalize the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The American Prayer Hour provides an alternative to the National Prayer Breakfast, which is sponsored by The Family (aka The Fellowship), a group with disturbing ties to those spearheading Uganda’ oppressive Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

When: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 — 10:30 a.m. (EST)

Where: The National Press Club (Washington, DC) Murrow Room
529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor – Washington, DC 20045

Who: Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church

Frank Schaeffer, author, “Crazy For God: How I Grew Up
As One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right and Lived to Take
All of it Back.”

Harry Knox, The Human Rights Campaign, Director of Religion and Faith

Moses, A gay Ugandan man seeking asylum in The United States

Rev. Elder Darlene Garner, Metropolitan Community Church, Vice-Moderator, Board of Elders

Bishop Carlton Pearson, Senior Minister at Chicago, Illinois’ Christ Universal Temple

Background: Uganda is considering the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009, put forth by parliamentarian David Bahati and initially backed by President Yoweri Museveni. If passed, the new law would unleash a vicious campaign of persecution against LGBT citizens. Bahati and President Museveni are members of The Family and are among their “key men” in Africa. The Family hosts the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. The American Prayer Hour will show that such cruelty and extremism does not represent most people of faith.

Sponsors:

National Black Justice Coalition

Religion and Faith Program
Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

National Religious Leadership Roundtable
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Metropolitan Community Churches

Full Equality Now DC

PFLAG National

Truth Wins Out

Opponents of antigay prejudice and arrogance gathered in south Florida two months ago at the Anti-Heterosexism Conference to expose the deceit of the ex-gay and antigay movements.

Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Ph.D., presented the first keynote. Dr. Rhue serves as Director of Religious Affairs with the National Black Justice Coalition and is a scholar, writer, educator and sought-after public speaker. The title of her presentation was “STRAIGHT” Rackets: Why the Religious Right Needs Reparative Therapy.

The conference organizers have now made video of this address available. Video length: about 58 minutes.

Sylvia Rhue, Ph.D. from SOULFORCE on Vimeo.

Some thoughts raised for consideration:

• Homophobia in the black church is an artifact of archaeology, and not an artifact of faith.
• Authoritarian religious movements, filled with fear and loathing, wage an ongoing war against love.
• Ten years ago, the ex-gay movement patterned a national ad campaign in a fashion some found starkly reminiscent of past campaigns against Negroes. In those times, southern Americans, largely Baptist, would conduct castrations and lynchings on Saturday nights and worship on Sundays without a hint of schizophrenia or guilt.
• Jesus is not in the orientation-changing business, because sexual orientation is God-given and morally neutral
• From Fred Phelps to Harry Jackson, numerous Christian Rightists demonstrate a basic lack of understanding of human sexuality and a lack of empathy for the harm they do.
• The need of some Christian Rightists to be at war with some segment of the population highlights a lack of integrity and confidence in their theology.
• The word “homosexuality” was invented in 1869, didn’t arrive in states until the turn of century, and did not appear in the Bible until c. 1940 as a mistranslation.
• Most evangelical youth leave their church, never to return: They want faith, but not their parents’ faith.

The Anti-Heterosexism Conference was co-sponsored by Soulforce, the National Black Justice Coalition, Truth Wins Out, Box Turtle Bulletin, Equality Florida, and Beyond Ex-Gay.