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Religious Institute

September 2013 Newsletter
From the Board Chair

Fifty-year observances: that’s what I was engaged in during August of this year.
 
Personally, it was the fiftieth anniversary of my marriage to Barbara, back in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. And with millions of other Americans last month, we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. 
 
In August 1963, as Barbara and I were preparing for the march down the aisle, the March at the Mall in Washington D.C. was very much on our minds. How could it not be? We were convinced that the March would change the nation, maybe even the world. 
 
Fifty years ago, I was also starting graduate school at the University of Chicago Divinity School, preparing for life in ministry and the academy. Subsequent years would involve all of those public issues and events, along with struggles for economic justice, for domestic and world peace, and for gender, reproductive, and sexual freedoms.
 
So beyond the celebrations of these fifty years, what are the observations? There are, of course, many. But one predominates: take nothing for granted, because the struggle continues.
 
Yes, the movement for racial justice has made wondrous strides during these fifty years. In 1963 it was inconceivable that we would elect (and re-elect) an African American President. But progress has been uneven at best; and now we face what can only be described as a major backlash with the adoption of voter restriction laws in numerous states. The struggle continues.
 
The plight of some has changed for the better, but economic inequality continues to increase, and more attention is focused on the conditions of the middle class than on those millions still in poverty. Moreover, with the Supreme Court’s ruling on Citizen’s United, there seems to be a guarantee that economics will continue to trump political justice. The struggle continues.
 
Compassion and justice for LGBT people wasn’t even on the national agenda fifty years ago. It is stunning to observe what has been and is being accomplished to bring human rights to the fore for these sisters and brothers, with marriage equality a reality in an increasing number of states. 
 
But lest we become overly optimistic on matters related to sexuality generally, we can hardly overlook the erosion of reproductive rights. Fifty years ago we could only dream of the Roe v. Wade decision, and once achieved we felt assured that it would be permanently in place. Now we have reason to doubt this, unless a renewed effort is embraced. The struggle continues.
 
An important point in my life during these past fifty years came when I met Debra Haffner, and we realized that we shared a commitment to bring an informed and progressive understanding of religion together with continuing and emerging issues of sexuality. We recognized that the principles of sexual and reproductive justice and freedom were integrally tied to all the other arenas where these struggles were being advanced. The Religious Institute emerged quickly, and it has grown ever since.
 
We’re a long way from observing and celebrating our fiftieth anniversary as an organization. But we recognize that we are a part of a longer struggle that must continue. And we thank all of you who are partners in the Religious Institute for your involvement, not only in the successes achieved, but in the struggles that must continue.
 
Larry Greenfield is co-founder and Board Chair of the Religious Institute.
 
End of Summer Denominational Update
ELCA Elects Its First Out Gay Bishop
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has elected the Rev. R. Guy Erwin as its first openly gay bishop. Only one other mainline Protestant denomination, the Episcopal Church, has elected openly gay and lesbian bishops.
 
Disciples Of Christ Resolve To Welcome All
The Disciples of Christ has approved a resolution, "Becoming a People of Grace and Welcome to All," stating that the denomination has been called to welcome others as they feel they have been welcomed by God.
New Study: College Hookup Culture Overblown
A new study finds that just under one-third of college students have had more than one sexual partner in the past year. This is unchanged from earlier student surveys taken between 1988 and ’96, and between 2002 and ’10.
 
North Carolina Is First State to Settle With Victims of Forced Sterilization
North Carolina is set to be the first state to offer financial compensation to victims of government-sponsored sterilization. The state sterilized an estimated 7,600 people by choice, force or coercion between 1929 and 1974, and was one of 33 states with similar programs.
 
Same-Sex Marriage
All Legal Same-Sex Marriages Will Be Recognized for Federal Tax Purposes
As of August 29, the Internal Revenue Service has mandated that all legally married same-sex couples be treated as such for the purposes of federal taxation, no matter what state they call home.
Read more here and see below for stories about how this ruling is affecting non-marriage equality states.

NM Issuing Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples
On September 5, the New Mexico Association of Counties and clerks asked the state Supreme Court to clarify if same sex marriage is legal in the state, as seven county clerks began issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
Read more here.


PA Governor Hires Attorney to Defend Same-Sex Marriage Ban
On September 5, the Pennsylvania Governor’s office retained counsel to defend the state against a lawsuit filed by 10 plaintiffs alleging that their civil rights were violated by the state's ban on gay marriage. A state official has issued more than 160 marriage licenses in defiance of the ban.
Read more here. 

Take Action!
Tell the IOC: Russia’s Anti-LGBT Crackdown Threatens Olympic Visitors 
In recent months, LGBT Russians have become targets of violence and legislation curbing their rights. Tell the International Olympic Committee to ask for a guarantee from Russian President Vladimir Putin that visitors to the Olympics will be safe.
 
Tell Your Senator: Take a Stand for Survivors of Military Sexual Assault
Urge your Senators to stand strong for survivors of sexual assault and to fix structural flaws in the military justice system that prevent perpetrators of assaults from being held accountable.
Read more about this below.


New Resources
Back to School Resources Help Create Safe Spaces for LGBT Students 
This back to school season, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has prepared resources to highlight simple ways to make every classroom a safe and inclusive space for all students.
Not All Like That
 
Not All Christians Are Like That
The Not All Like That Project offers Christians an opportunity to create and publish testimonial videos that unapologetically express their full acceptance of LGBT people. It was inspired by the “It Gets Better” project. 
 
The Data on Military Sexual Assault: What You Need to Know
The Center for American Progress (CAP) has complied key data on military sexual assault. The Defense Department estimates that 26,000 sexual assaults were committed in the armed forces between 2011 and 2012.
 
The Coalition for Liberty & JusticePodcasts: Defending Real Religious Liberty for All
The Coalition for Liberty & Justice sponsored a meeting in August to discuss the influence of religion on public policy and women’s reproductive health, as well as the legal privileging of any one faith’s views over others.
Podcasts and articles from several of the presentations are available here.
 

Faithful Voices Network

Faithful Voices Network
by J. Michael Cobb
Director of Outreach and Communications


It is back to school season, and the time of year when many congregations shift from their summer schedules to their regular calendar. This change also means the start of a new year of religious education classes for children and adults alike. For many in Unitarian Universalist or United Church of Christ congregations, this also means the start of a new session of the Our Whole Lives sexuality education curricula
 
Our Whole Lives, or OWL, teaches about sexuality throughout the lifespan, with age-appropriate information at each developmental stage. It is designed to provide a holistic view of sexuality, pairing information about anatomy and development with help clarifying individual and community values, and the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
 
I had been aware of OWL for some time, and over the summer I had the opportunity to be trained as an OWL facilitator for the high school curriculum. The training took place at a three-day retreat, with people from a broad range of backgrounds and levels of knowledge about sexuality and sexuality education. Wisely, it started with an icebreaking exercise to help everyone get past any discomfort over blunt conversation on sexuality with a roomful of strangers—and then we got to work.
 
Click to enlargeAt this training, we learned how to effectively present the material to those who we would be teaching. We prepared some sample lessons, and were introduced to some of the big ideas behind OWL. One of my favorites was the Circles of Sexuality (click to enlarge). This diagram helps illustrate the components of sexuality while highlighting elements that many in the class hadn’t initially considered, such as sensuality, power dynamics, intimacy, sexual identity, and more.
 
The Religious Institute is a longtime proponent of comprehensive sexuality education in faith communities. Our publication A Time To Speak: Faith Communities and Sexuality Education gets at the core of why this is vital:
The need for faith-based sexuality education for people throughout the lifespan continues to grow. Adults need help understanding their denomination‘s positions on sexuality issues as well as support for the sexuality issues they face in their own lives. Parents need trusted partners in providing education about values-based issues to their own children. Adolescents need religious leaders who are committed to their spiritual, moral, physical and emotional development, including their need for education and support about their sexuality and their sexual decisions.
A holistic understanding of sexuality goes far beyond the anatomical basics one might learn in school. Comprehensive sexuality education helps students (of any age) to clarify their own values, and to understand sexuality as a positive, creative, generative part of life. 
 
What better place than faith communities to ground this information in an ethic that respects the whole person, honors the truth and diverse values, and promotes the highest ethical values in human relationships? We look forward to the day when all faith communities, within their own moral and religious commitments, embrace their role in providing sexuality education to their congregants and offer a prophetic voice for sexual justice.
 

Religious Institute News

Rev. Haffner to Receive Golden Brick Award
The Center for Family Life Education (CFLE) has announced that the 2013 Golden Brick Award will be presented to Religious Institute President Rev. Debra Haffner. The award, named for Peggy Brick, honors those who have made a national impact on sexuality education.
 

Events
2013 New York Regional Festival of Young Preachers
The 2013 New York Regional Festival of Young Preachers will be held at Union Theological Seminary from September 27 to 28, 2013.
Read more here. 


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