SengaKitty
10-11-2008, 01:11 AM
Hey guys, I'm going to be giving a speech (kind of thing?) at church on Sunday during the service as an introduction to another member singing. Mind you this is a Unitarian Universalist church and this weekend is Interweave (a BGLT group)'s weekend to do the service. I was just wondering if ya'll could give me opinions on what I'm going to be saying... Here it is:
We know that there are other joys and sorrows in our community that go unspoken. All of these, whether openly acknowledged or not, we hold in the warmth of our gathered community.
Sometimes pain and injustice threatens to overwhelm even our community’s great capacity for compassion. It is at such times we must show even greater solidarity and resolve. Ten years ago in East Texas, James Byrd, Jr. was beaten savagely, chained to the back of a pickup truck, and dragged for three miles, finally dying when he was decapitated upon striking a culvert. His crime was being African American. Four months later, in Wyoming, Matthew Shepard died five days after being beaten so severely his skull was crushed and he was left tied to a fence on a country road. His crime was being gay. In 2006, two gay men were murdered right here in Louisville, their home set afire. In July of this year, a gunman entered a UU church in Tennessee and opened fire, killing two congregants. His motive? Hatred of the acceptance and openness that marks Unitarian Universalist congregations. Two months later, in Illinois, a shopkeeper was doused with kerosene and saved from burning only by a malfunctioning lighter. Her crime? She is Pagan.
Horrific as these events may be, they are only a sampling of what a government report estimates as approximately 200,000 hate crimes and hate incidents that occur every year. Hate crimes are a form of terrorism. They are directed not just at an individual person, but are intentionally designed to send a general warning, to strike terror into the hearts of an entire group of people. Lynching may have begun in the American revolution as a means of dealing with Tories, but the practice of using terror against minorities is alive and well today. In addition, while there are ordinances in a tiny handful of cities, there are no federal or state laws in either Kentucky or Indiana that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Firing or refusing to hire someone or denying credit, or housing or retail service because of the person’s sexual orientation is perfectly legal. There is much work to be done to support legislation, to organize the community, and to demonstrate our public commitment and resolve. This, too, is part of Interweave’s mission.
Whether joining our youth in fighting for an anti-bullying bill, working for marriage or employment equality, or denouncing and struggling to prevent hate crimes, Interweave proudly helps First Unitarian Church do its work for justice in the larger community. The task is huge, the work is crucial, and the commitment must be unshakeable.
We invite you now to contemplate the continued relevance of the Billy Holiday song, “Strange Fruit,” and to sit in silent meditation when it concludes.
We know that there are other joys and sorrows in our community that go unspoken. All of these, whether openly acknowledged or not, we hold in the warmth of our gathered community.
Sometimes pain and injustice threatens to overwhelm even our community’s great capacity for compassion. It is at such times we must show even greater solidarity and resolve. Ten years ago in East Texas, James Byrd, Jr. was beaten savagely, chained to the back of a pickup truck, and dragged for three miles, finally dying when he was decapitated upon striking a culvert. His crime was being African American. Four months later, in Wyoming, Matthew Shepard died five days after being beaten so severely his skull was crushed and he was left tied to a fence on a country road. His crime was being gay. In 2006, two gay men were murdered right here in Louisville, their home set afire. In July of this year, a gunman entered a UU church in Tennessee and opened fire, killing two congregants. His motive? Hatred of the acceptance and openness that marks Unitarian Universalist congregations. Two months later, in Illinois, a shopkeeper was doused with kerosene and saved from burning only by a malfunctioning lighter. Her crime? She is Pagan.
Horrific as these events may be, they are only a sampling of what a government report estimates as approximately 200,000 hate crimes and hate incidents that occur every year. Hate crimes are a form of terrorism. They are directed not just at an individual person, but are intentionally designed to send a general warning, to strike terror into the hearts of an entire group of people. Lynching may have begun in the American revolution as a means of dealing with Tories, but the practice of using terror against minorities is alive and well today. In addition, while there are ordinances in a tiny handful of cities, there are no federal or state laws in either Kentucky or Indiana that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Firing or refusing to hire someone or denying credit, or housing or retail service because of the person’s sexual orientation is perfectly legal. There is much work to be done to support legislation, to organize the community, and to demonstrate our public commitment and resolve. This, too, is part of Interweave’s mission.
Whether joining our youth in fighting for an anti-bullying bill, working for marriage or employment equality, or denouncing and struggling to prevent hate crimes, Interweave proudly helps First Unitarian Church do its work for justice in the larger community. The task is huge, the work is crucial, and the commitment must be unshakeable.
We invite you now to contemplate the continued relevance of the Billy Holiday song, “Strange Fruit,” and to sit in silent meditation when it concludes.