Internationally Known Gay Cleric Voices Support for WorldPride Gay Festival in Jerusalem
"We are coming to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is our Holy City, too," says the Reverend Dr. Troy D. Perry, founder of world's largest gay church group
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 2, 2005 -- An internationally-known gay cleric
entered the debate over the upcoming WorldPride festival and parade in Jerusalem
today, noting "We are deeply saddened that once again, religion has been used to
attack God's gay and lesbian children." The Reverend Dr. Troy D. Perry, founder
of the 43,000 member Metropolitan Community Churches, one of the world's largest
predominantly gay organizations, voiced his strong support for the international
gay event scheduled for Jerusalem in August 2005.
Perry, who is co-chair
of an Interfaith Gay Clergy Conference to be held at WorldPride, said, "We are
coming to Jerusalem. And we are coming with gay and lesbian and bisexual and
transgender clergy of many faith communities. Jerusalem is our Holy City,
too."
On Thursday, Christian, Jewish and Moslem clerics in Israel
denounced the WorldPride Festival, asking city officials to ban the
observance.
"They have a right to their views," said Perry, "but they
don't have a right to globalize their prejudice and infringe on the freedoms of
others. True spiritual values are about inclusion and welcome, not attacks and
threats."
Perry, a long time human rights activist, is the first openly
gay person to serve on the Los Angeles Human Rights Commission and is a past
delegate to the White House Conference on AIDS and the White House Conference on
Hate Crimes. In 1998, he was one of 100 U.S. religious leaders honored at a
White House breakfast by U.S. President Bill Clinton for their contributions to
American society.
At a Thursday press conference in Israel, Rabbi Yehuda
Levin, of the Rabbinical Alliance of America, called the festival "the spiritual
rape of the Holy City," adding, "This is not the homo land, it is the Holy
Land."
"The religious voices attacking World Pride are loud and shrill,
but they are not representative of the growing spiritual movements that welcome
gays and lesbians," said Perry.
"Thirty-six years of activism for gays
and lesbians have taught me never to be intimidated by the voices of hate and
ridicule and exclusion. They only make us stronger and more convinced in our
work for equality. And this attack is no different," said Perry. "I'm inviting
everyone I know to come to WorldPride with me in August."
"Many of us
will be gathering in Jerusalem not only to celebrate gay pride, but also to
celebrate our spiritual pride," said Perry. "We're coming as pilgrims to pay
homage to the three faiths of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam that hold
Jerusalem sacred."
(END)
For More Information, Contact:
Jim
Birkitt
MCC Communications Department
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Tel. (310) 360-8640
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb224345.htm