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Major Newspaper ADS- by Pro Immigration by Anti-Gay Catholic Bishops & Evangelicals

June -05-2010 by Melanie Nathan

Next week, on June 9th The USCCB (US Conference of Catholic Bishops) and the NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) will run full page ads in various Newspapers to announce that they will be Lobbying in D.C. for Comprehensive immigration reform. They plan to emphasize their objection to the LGBT immigration equality language that is currently present in the recently introduced Framework for immigration reform.

“Part of their lobbying effort will be a push to take the same-sex provisions out of the immigration plan.”

Source: http://www.congress.org/news/2010/05/26/rift_grows_between_immigration_allies

The Catholic Bishops and their brethren in opposition to the recognition of LGBT rights and the continued invalidation of gay families together with the National Association of Evangelicals, (NAE) are joining forces to ensure their ongoing effort against the inclusion of the Uniting American families Act (UAFA) in Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR.)

They have taken out a full page ad in the Washington Post for support in their ant-LGBT lobby BLITZ, scheduled for June 9^th. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100511/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1994

Melanie Nathan and Todd Fernandez have co-authored a heartfelt request to the USCCB and NAE, in the form of a letter petition, to cease causing further harm to the LGBT community and are asking the entire LGBT community of individuals, activists and organizations to sign this letter in the form of the change.org petition in support of the contention that our community is being hurt by anti-gay legislative advocacy on the part of the Catholic and Evangelical groups, addressed therein.

Here is the context of the Nathan and Fernandez plea:-

During the course of 2009, the Immigrant community heard talk of long overdue impending immigration reform; and the LGBT immigration equality community joined in the quest seeking inclusion in comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) – specifically to include equality for binational permanent partners who, because of Federal law, cannot sponsor their partners for green cards or visas into the USA.

In October of 2009, the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security held a hearing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform:  and testimony was delivered  through the statement of Theodore Cardinal McCarrick Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C. entitled “Comprehensive immigration reform: Faith-Based Perspectives October 8, 2009.”

In this statement to the Committee Cardinal McCarrick reflected on what he termed  “the landmark pastoral letter issued by the Catholic bishops of Mexico and the United States, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope,” where the bishops acknowledged that the current immigration system is badly in need of reform and that a comprehensive approach to fixing it is required.”  The bishops offered, in their words, “a comprehensive set of recommendations for changing U.S. laws and policies to reflect the principles contained in Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching and to bring about a more humane and just immigration system in the United States.”

The Cardinal in his testimony, provided a detailed statement on all the aspects of comprehensive immigration reform, systematically detailing each item in need of reform and asserting the Catholic Bishops’ recommendations:

“Mr. Chairman, the U.S. Catholic bishops believe that any comprehensive immigration reform bill should contain, the following elements:

“a legalization program that gives migrant workers and their families an opportunity to earn legal permanent residency and eventual citizenship;   a new worker visa program that protects the labor rights of both U.S. and foreign workers and gives participants the option to earn permanent residency ; reform of our family-based immigration system to reduce waiting times for family reunification;  restoration of due process protections for immigrants, including asylum-seekers; and policies that address the root causes of migration, such as the lack of sustainable development in sending nations.”

“During my testimony,” the Cardinal added, “I will attempt to spell out in more detail our recommendations in this regard, as well as point out the policy provisions the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) would oppose in any immigration reform bill.”

After outlining in great detail the hardship and required changes in the Immigration law, he proceeded to testify with this overt exclusion in direct opposition to S. 424, the Uniting American Families Act.

“Mr. Chairman, we are opposed to the inclusion of S. 424, the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), in comprehensive immigration reform legislation.  The legislation would permit same-sex partners to enjoy the same immigration benefits as married couples in our immigration system.  While our tradition and teaching values all persons as children of God, we believe that the enactment of UAFA would erode the institution of marriage and family by according marriage-like immigration benefits to same sex relationships, a position that is contrary to the very nature of marriage, which pre-dates the Church and the state.  We also believe its inclusion into comprehensive immigration reform would add another controversial issue to an already polarized and divisive debate.”

Yes they said it in testimony to the Senators on the Committee, including Chuck Schumer, the New York Senator leading the immigration reform effort in the Senate!

They testified specifically for the exclusion UAFA from CIR and hence for the exclusion of our gay families, even those of us who are legally married under the civil law of this our Country; the country that purports to separate church and state.

Moving forward with context –  -

The desperate need for comprehensive Immigration reform recently  came to boiling point when the Governor of Arizona signed a State law  compelling the police to ask for proof of citizenship of anyone ‘suspected of being an undocumented immigrant,’ effectively endorsing racial profiling and usurping the domain of Federal law.

This prompted the seemingly rushed announcement by Senators Schumer, Reid and Feinstein for a framework for CIR that happily delineates an intention to include UAFA.

But for Arizona, the framework may not have been forthcoming in its current form as a Bill was being worked on for a later date and we have no idea if Senator Schumer, etal, would have included UAFA in Bill format, especially that the testimony of the Cardinal  seems to have carried weight, certainly when it came to the House taking note, by way of the Gutierrez bill, which excluded UAFA at the time of its introduction.

Now we have the Bishops, by virtue of the framework intent on lobbying fervently against the inclusion of LGBT families and their advocacy for the exclusion of UAFA is set for this month.

The National Association of Evangelicals and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops USCCB plan on lobbying to exclude UAFA and Gays and Lesbians, et al, from any immigration bill and this event will take place commencing on June 3^rd and culminating on June 9th with their anti-gay lobby day in DC.

But we are not going to allow this to happen.  Not anymore.  We are putting out a petition calling on these Church groups for neutrality and to keep their nose our of our rights, based on the harm it is causing to us as people with impeded rights living in the USA.

Here is the letter we have written and we are inviting all to sign it as a petition on change.org; your letter will automatically be sent to the addressees. Please be so kind as to pass on…

THE LETTER PETITION

June, 04 – 2010

To the:  Honorable Representatives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Association of Evangelicals,

There is a crime at work when society takes a young child and teaches him to hate himself so much that he becomes George Rekers.  When this happens, as it does daily, we have failed our primary shared responsibility: to protect our children from harm.

Yet this is the suffering inflicted by the unrelenting advocacy against LGBT equality and basic human dignity propagated by you in legislative forums throughout the country.

From murder to depression to suicide, this fueled societal homophobia wreaks havoc on generation after generation, every day, and every hour.   Due largely to your work, LGBT people are not safe and their dignity is systematically under attack.

Given the overwhelming evidence of injury, at this point we consider your involvement in perpetrating this harm to be an act of violence against our community. Today, we say that advocacy must end.

Regardless of the teachings of one bible, our social compact in the United States is founded upon a Constitution.  As such, equality for LGBT Americans under the law cannot be held hostage to any religious viewpoint, and nor should you try; it betrays our duty as citizens.

The system itself demands a degree of mutual respect and deference, which allows for both the sanctity of your beliefs and houses of worship, and our right to live and work in safety.  Clearly, both parties have to respect that relationship for it to work.

In this spirit, we urge you to cease your political advocacy against our human rights in every piece of legislation, state and federal, and on every topic, including marriage.

Our Country’s founding promise that we each enjoy the pursuit of happiness can no longer be denied us, and nor should you try.

Clearly, the civil rights conferred by marriage do not belong to any specific Church, and many other faiths reject your claim on the institution and the word. This hubris underlies much of the Catholic Churches’ misguided history, and it is time to stop it.

From this day forward, we intend to hold the USCCB and the NAE, and their representatives, directly accountable for the harm caused to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people stemming from their political opposition to our legal equality and their painful homophobic advocacy, which lacks even basic respect for our fundamental existence.
Indeed, our human dignity demands it, as would yours should you find your religion and right to exist similarly undermined and persecuted.

As an indication of your good faith, we ask that the USCCB and the NAE issue a statement of political neutrality on all matters of LGBT human rights and equality under the law.

Once you have taken that righteous step, we look forward to forging a mutually respectful co-existence with you in the United States.

Sincerely,

Melanie Nathan, B.A. LL.B LLM
J. Todd Fernandez, JD, LLM
Signed in support of all members of the
LGBT Community in the United States of America.
Contact: Nathan@privatecourts.com

Start a Petition »

TO:
Reverend John C. Wester
Bishop of Salt Lake City
27 C Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103
Asst:  Shirley Mares:  shirley.mares@dioslc.org

Mr. Kevin Appleby
Migration and Refugee Services
US Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 Fourth Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C.  20017
email:  kappleby@usccb.org

Mr. Galen Carey
Director of Government Affairs
govaffairs@nae.net

Mr. W. Todd Bassett

Executive Director
executivedirector@nae.net

National Association of Evangelicals
PO Box 23269
Washington, DC 20026

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