Hello, "Return to Lynchburg" Delegates!
The plans for the Return to Lynchburg weekend are getting more exciting every day!
If you’re on the Soulforce "journey" e-mail list, then you already know the latest: As part of the weekend, Soulforce is sponsoring the first-ever pride festival in Lynchburg: "Out and About in Lynchburg."
The "Return to Lynchburg" planning team has been hard at work for months discussing ideas for what we might do that weekend that would have the most impact not only on Falwell and those who follow his teachings but also on the GLBT community there. Once Mel and Gary moved to Lynchburg, they realized in a new and poignant way how closeted a community Lynchburg can be, and the team decided that providing opportunities for GLBTs and allies to "come out" and celebrate their diversity would perhaps have the most long-lasting effect of all. We hope you agree!
I’m including below the announcement/invitation that Laura Montgomery Rutt, the Soulforce media coordinator, distributed yesterday to the 6,000 people on Soulforce’s electronic list. Laura also has generously volunteered to coordinate the festival … she’s already made giant steps toward making it a big success.
Feel free to copy the announcement/invitation below into a separate e-mail and send to your "justice" list, reminding them that additional information about the Return to Lynchburg weekend is on the Soulforce website at www.soulforce.org. We already have more than 160 registered as delegates, with more joining us every day.
Some of you have asked about directions to specific locations in Lynchburg. There’s a helpful website, www.DiscoverLynchburg.org, that has a good map of the major routes in the city. (Scroll down to the MapQuest option on the right-hand side.) Both First Christian Church (our Soulforce Central) and Riverside Park are on Rivermont Avenue on the northwest side of town.
We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks!
Best,
Diana G. Westbrook
Co-chair, the Return to Lynchburg (Laura’s invitation to join us follows …)
On Saturday, October 26, Soulforce will sponsor a justice rally/pride festival in Lynchburg, "Out and About in Lynchburg," to be held at Riverside Park. There will be speakers, entertainment, and an assortment of information booths. In the afternoon, workshops will be offered on a variety of topics from local and national justice organizations and welcoming churches.
Some of those participating include the Rev. Steven Baines, senior organizer for religious affairs at People for the American Way ( http://www.pfaw.org ); Darrel Cummings, deputy executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (http://www.ngltf.org ); Judy Osborne, transgender activist; and the Rev. David K. North, gospel singer and minister; and many others from Lynchburg and across the United States.
The purpose of "Out and About in Lynchburg" is to celebrate diversity, and to support and encourage the people of Lynchburg who have been influenced and closeted because of the conservative climate perpetuated by Jerry Falwell and his anti-homosexual religious teachings.
Unfortunately, some of the Catholic and Protestant churches in Lynchburg share Falwell’s views. Not only do gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people need support in Lynchburg, so do families, friends, allies and all progressive people, whether religious or secular.
We are asking organizations – national, regional and local – to join us in Lynchburg and to provide ongoing support for the people of Lynchburg by setting up opportunities for citizens to productively counter homophobia and heterosexism in their community.
Several hundred Soulforce supporters and volunteers will be in Lynchburg that weekend as well, some of whom are going door-to-door the week before, telling their stories and inviting people to join us.
We hope to offer t-shirts that say "Out and About in Lynchburg" on the front with logos of participating organizations on the back.
The influence of the anti-homosexual teachings of Jerry Falwell and the other "unwelcoming congregations" in Lynchburg, goes far beyond the walls of a local church. These teachings scare people into silence and keep them from expressing their opinions, influence elected officials and legislation, and cause pain and suffering for GLBT people everywhere. We hope our presence there will empower people to stand up, speak up and be "out and about" in Lynchburg and across the United States.
If you are an individual and are interested in attending Out and About in Lynchburg, please register at:
www.soulforce.org/lynchburg1002/app_lynchburg.shtml
We hope you will decide to join us for the entire weekend as well.
If you have a musical talent and are interested in sharing your talent at the festival, please e-mail laura@soulforce.org with ideas for participating.
If you represent an organization, and are interested in participating in Out and About in Lynchburg by having a table and flyers available at the festival, speaking at the rally in the park, or conducting a workshop in the afternoon, please contact laura@soulforce.org or call (717) 278-0592.
We hope you can be there!
Laura Montgomery Rutt
Media/Publicity Coordinator
Event Planner, Return to Lynchburg
MEDIA: You may arrange accreditation or set up interviews by e-mailing soulforcemedia@aol.com.