20 | Out in the Mountains | March 2000

Change how you see

not how you 000/? ' ‘

Body Celebration Workshops for Women
Groups begin in February 2000

J. Alison Hilber, B.A., TP
802-658-5313

leelabody@cs.com CELEBRATE VOIJII BODY

8 Feminist Therapy

7 Leah Wittenberg

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Psychotherapy for individuals and couples

2 Church Street sliding fee scale (802) 658.9590 ext 4

Practice limited
to male clientele

 

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE
William Coil, NCMT

802-658-2390
800-830-5025

"Michael Gigante, Ph.D.

Psychosynthesis
Counseling, Psychotherapy, 6* Consultation

(802) 254-8032 53 Myrtle St., Brattleboro, VT 05301

email mgigiznte@together.net

Susan McKenzie MS.

Licensed Psychologist—Master

 

Experienced therapist specializing in the individual and .
relationship issues of Lesbian Women and Gay Men

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Montpelier Burlington
229-5220 860-6360
JOSIE JUHASZ, MA
Lic. Psychologist - Master
LYNN GOYETTE, Ms, MA
Lic. Clinical Mental Health Counseloi
BILL McBROOM, MSW
Lic. Clinical Social Worker
insurance accepted sliding fee scale

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COUNSELING CENTER or NORTHERN VERMONT

FAITH MATTERS

try the reverend eh:-isline leslie

 

Faith Matters and Justice Matters

elow are two statements
B I hope give you a sense

of just how many people
of faith are in favor of same-
gender marriage in Vermont.

The first is a letter that my
partner, the Rev. Martha
Dyson, and I helped 12 other
Vermont clergy write. It was
read on our behalf by the Rev.
Gary Kowalski at the first
House Judiciary Committee
hearing on January 25.

At that time, 84 clergy from
around the state had signed the
letter that was given to the
committee members. The sig-
natures now number over 100.

I am pleased to tell you that
these signatures include those
of the Rt. Rev. Mary Adelia
McLeod, Episcopal Bishop of
Vermont; the Rev. Arnold
Thomas, Conference Minister,
Vermont Conference of the
United Church of
Christ/ Congregational; and the
Rt. Rev. Susan Morrison,
Bishop of the Troy Conference
of the United Methodist
Church.

This amazing letter reads as
follows:

Interfaith Clergy Statement on

Same-Gender Marriage

“Many waters cannot
quench love, neither can the
floods drown it.” [Song of
Songs 8:7]

“As religious leaders from a
wide range of faith traditions,
we believe that marriage can
only be strengthened by
extending our understanding
of marriage to include the
faithful .committed relation-

ships of same-gender couples. V

Since marriage involves taking
on responsibilities as well as
receiving privileges, we sup-
port same-gender couples who
choose to enter into such a
commitment. We believe that
human beings are called to live
in right relationship with each
other and with God.

Therefore legalizing mar-
riage for same-gender couples
will build community, support
the well-being of children and
families, and promote the
common good. We agree that
when two women or two men
make a loving commitment to
one another and wish to
assume the responsibilities of
marriage, they exemplify a
moral good which cannot be
represented by so-called regis-
tered partnership. We support

the Vermont legislature’s pas-
sage of a bill that legalizes,
same-gender marriage.”

The second item I have
included for you is the state-
ment I wrote and submitted to
the House Judiciary
Committee on February 2,
when religious leaders in
Vermont were invited to testify
before the House Judiciary
Committee.

“To the esteemed members
of the Vermont House
Judiciary Committee:

“As a child, I was taught to
say a pledge of allegiance
every morning that led me to
believe I live in a republic that
is one nation, under God, indi-
visible, with liberty and justice
for all. To propose legislation
that would not legalize same-
gender marriage for same-gen-
der couples in Vermont would
violate the promise of this
pledge and continue to violate
the civil rights of gay and les-
bian couples who deserve
access to the same rights and
privileges granted now only to
opposite-gender couples.

“Many here in the state of
Vermont and around this coun-
try, who learned the same
‘pledge of allegiance that I did,
and who love and serve the
same God I do, would have us
believe otherwise. They would
have us believe that gay and
lesbian people are objectively
disordered and inclined to
intrinsically evil acts when we
love someone of the same gen-
der out of the authenticity of
our genetic and God-given
makeup.

“Ironically, were Jesus him-
self here to speak to you today,
I believe he would testify in
support of same-gender mar-
riage. I also believe he would
have been among those in
Northern California in 1981,
who made it possible for me to
be the first lesbian to be open-
ly ordained in my mainline
Protestant denomination, the
Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ).

“It has not escaped me that
Jesus challenged the. religious
and cultural traditions of his
day. In fact, the ancient Jewish
holiness code found in
Leviticus, that is often used to
condemn those of us who are
gay and lesbian, is the very
same set of scriptural laws that
Jesus challenged when he pre-

vented a woman caught in
adultery from being stoned to
death; when he ate and drank
with tax collectors; when he
healed the “unclean” sick and
insane with his touch; and
when he proclaimed that lov-
ing, human relationships take
precedence over rituals and
rules that exclude and oppress.

“The exclusivity in the
ancient, Jewish holiness code,
or “cleanliness” code, was
designed to set Jews apart
from their neighbors and to
keep them “clean” for partici-
pation in the temple Judaism,
which has not existed for over
2000 years. These religious
laws were designed to keep
the ancient Jews holy but not
necessarily moral. They are
religious laws that even the
most orthodox Jews living
today do not abide by in their
entirety. To use the ancient
Jewish holiness code as
grounds for defining that
which is moral and good today
is a misinterpretation of the
intent of these scriptures and
an injustice that continues to
wound and cripple many gay
and lesbian people.

“Jesus did the right thing to
challenge the religious laws
and traditions that did not
serve God’s people well. The
courageous, loving inclusivity
with which he lived his life
cost him his life. Apparently
being such a person was worth
dying for.

“Doing the right thing usu-
ally does not please the privi-
leged status quo. You may
face similar rejection and
even death threats should you
vote to legalize same gender
marriage in Vermont.
However, should you vote to
legalize same-gender mar-
riage you will uphold the
pledge of allegiance, you will
uphold your own integrity as
justice makers, and you will
join a mighty cloud of faithful
witnesses that stretches from
here to eternity.” V

The Rev. Christine Leslie,
cofounder and director of
Triangle Ministries, A Center
Lesbian & Gay Spiritual
Development near Burlington,
is available for individual and
couple counseling, retreat and
workshop leadership. Reach
her at 802-860-7106 or email
her at revcsl@aol. com