I would appreciate it if you could publish the following to your community, and the article Onward, Moderate Christian Soldiers seems to be relevant.

I read with interest the stories about the forthcoming election of a new Bishop, and that several candidates are openly gay.

As a 38 year conventionally married man, I believe that one of God's callings for our generation is to end the terrible discrimination and yes hatred against LGBT people that lurks just beneath our societies surface. Think of the struggles of Bishop Gene Robinson of NH. Think of the thousands and thousands of children in our country who commit suicide each year, many of them because they (fear) they are gay, and cannot stand the humiliation and rejection in an age group where social acceptance is the #1 goal. Think of the Columbine massacre where those two children went over the edge to mass murder - one of the epithets hurled at them was they were gay - what could be worse then in ultra conservative Colorado?

I would urge upon your church that selection of a Gay Bishop, assuming he/she is properly qualified, is a message showing God's love for all his people, and a standup action for social justice of which all thinking individuals can be proud. For those who would live in the past, who cannot accept the decency and value of all people - if they want to leave the church or the North American Episcopal community, so be it, let them go, time will pass, and they or their successor will ultimately change their ways. The crime is why so many suffer until these wrongs are righted.

We have been here before, e.g. Slavery, marriage for Afro-Americans, women's suffrage, the Supreme court outlawing miscegenation laws in 1967, labor unions, etc. Most of these issues invoked opposition in the Name of God. Our LGBT people deserve exactly the same legal rights as str8 people, and we need to remove from society and our culture the innuendoes, hatreds, and humiliations they suffer. As Jesus said, "as you speak against the least amongst us, you speak against me." Isn't it time to elevate the Love Thy Neighbor commandment to its rightful place as the basis of a fair and just society, both church and secular?

Stephen Kay

Severna Park, MD

Other News & Opinion Articles:

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• Straight but not narrow •
• God happy with gay activism •
• Onward, Moderate Christian Soldiers •