GLAA Issues ''Manifesto Against Religious Bullies''
Two-page document serves as guide for LGBT people to fight back against anti-gay rhetoric
The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C., (GLAA) issued its ”Manifesto Against Religious Bullies” today, just as the DC Black Pride weekend is kicking off.
The manifesto cites both the U.S. Constitution and the Bible to provide counterpoints to common anti-LGBT arguments, and also takes aim at a ”false symmetry” sometimes seen in media equating the pro-gay movement to anti-gay efforts.
In a May 25 GLAA release, the group’s vice president for political affairs, Richard J. Rosendall, said the guide will be distributed by GLAA at DC Black Pride during the Memorial Day weekend, and at the Capital Pride Festival June 10.
In an interview with Metro Weekly, Rosendall added that members of GLAA felt it was time to issue the document, in part to support the LGBT community’s religious allies.
”It’s us saying [to those arguing against LGBT equality], ‘You have nothing to back you up in either the U.S. Constitution or the Bible, it’s just trading in on fear, irrationality and mendacity,”’ he said.
With DC Black Pride and Capital Pride drawing crowds from far beyond the District, the guide is designed not so much for D.C. residents, who already have many rights under the law, says Rosendall, but for LGBT people fighting for equality elsewhere.
”The trend over time is with us, and the margins against equality are decreasing over time,” Rosendall said. ”This is simply a response, that this is a turning point we’re at, and to demonstrate that a forceful argument can be made that is not defensive.”
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