Protests, Vigils, and Leafletting to take place this week (Nov. 9-13) during the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Meeting in Washington, DC
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Soulforce MEDIA ALERT: November 8, 2003
For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Montgomery Rutt
Cell 717-278-0592 email:Laura@soulforce.org
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(Washington, DC) – With petitions, banners, and leaflets against the “so-called” Federal Marriage Amendment, Soulforce supporters and volunteers will be protesting outside the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops annual meeting November 9 -13, 2003.
The demonstrations will take place at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue NW, in Washington D.C, as soon as Soulforce volunteers begin to assemble on Sunday afternoon, November 9. Demonstrations will continue Monday – Thursday, starting at 7 a.m. each day. (Call for exact times)
The protest is expected to be in full swing by 11:30 Monday morning, with as many as 40 protesters handing out petitions and urging Bishops and others to take a stand against the anti-gay, anti-family, Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA).
WHO: Dozens of Soulforce supporters from around the country
WHAT: Protests, vigils, and leafletting with banners and signs at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops
WHERE: Hyatt Regency at Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave NW
WHEN: Best time for visuals and interviews: MONDAY, Nov. 10, 11:30am
WHY: To protest the escalation of Catholic anti-gay policies and teachings and the Church’s support of an anti-gay anti-family “marriage” amendment to the US Constitution.
“We are hoping to find at least one bishop willing to sign the petition and submit a proposal for reconsideration to the USCCB regarding their recent decision to support the “so-called” Federal Marriage Amendment,” said Kara Speltz, Chair of the Catholic Denominational Team for Soulforce. “It is unconceivable to me that the bishops voting to support the FMA understood how harmful it is to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people, unmarried couples, and their families.”
So far, two Roman Catholic priests, a US Congressperson, and hundreds of others from across the United States have signed on to the petition to protest the attempt by the religious right to codify discrimination against GLBT people into the US Constitution by defining civil marriage as “between a man and a woman”. The petition can be found at www.soulforce.org/petition.shtml.
MEDIA: Banners and protestors provide excellent visuals. Call for exact times. Interviews available. For more information, letters to bishops, and civil marriage policy statement, see www.soulforce.org.
For more information, see www.soulforce.org. For media interviews, call 717-278-0592.
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Laura Montgomery Rutt
Director of Communications
Soulforce, Inc
Laura@soulforce.org
www.soulforce.org
Soulforce is a national interfaith movement committed to ending spiritual violence perpetuated by religious policies and teachings against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Soulforce employs the nonviolent principles of Gandhi and King to the liberation of sexual and gender minorities.