Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns
-------------------------------------------------------------
Manual of Procedure, July 2004 has no description
-------------------------------------------------------------
Advance Report - 2010
This report covers the period from the August 2009 Annual Sessions of BYM through the April 27, 2010 Spring Interim Meeting.
Due to various schedule conflicts in the busy lives of our committee members, the BYM Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns was only able to meet two times during this reporting period (we will also be meeting at summer Interim Meeting on June 19th, and during Annual Session, August 2010).
During this year, we worked to continue the distribution of our committee brochure (“7 Ways to Help Your Quaker Meeting be More Trans Friendly”), and discussed the possibility of producing additional brochures in this proposed series on various subjects having to do with gender and sexual diversity. In addition to distributing these brochures throughout our Yearly Meeting, we are also distributing them via various forms to other North American Yearly Meetings, and it also appears as a link on our BYM website.
During our meeting at Annual Session 2009, our Committee put together a query to distribute to all Meetings and Worship Groups throughout BYM, addressing issues relating to equality of marriage, and the role of Friends Meetings in state sanctioning of marriage between Friends. We continue to gather responses to this query, and to pay close attention to issues relating to equality of marriage, as we also celebrate the fact that the District of Columbia in early 2010 approved full marriage rights for same-sex couples. We continue to monitor the situation in the various states that are within the geographic jurisdiction of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, and look forward to the possibility that Maryland will soon join the small list of states approving equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. On the other hand, we were disheartened that political trends in both Virginia and Pennsylvania seem to be moving towards more civil restrictions and less freedom for GLBTQ people. We remain hopeful that our continuing witness to equality and the presence of God in all people will provide some supportive assistance.
Administratively, we have had some changes in our Committee during this reporting period, and are discussing additional possible changes for the future. Margaret Stambaugh has resigned as Co-Clerk, after many years of faithful stewardship of this Committee and its mission. Our Committee has begun a process of discernment to discover how the Committee should evolve in the near future: should we remain as an “Ad Hoc” committee, ask to become a full BYM standing committee, or change from being an ad hoc committee to becoming a “working group” within the Yearly Meeting structure? We expect these discussions to continue, as we collectively envision our work and our mission as a function of the Yearly Meeting administrative structure.
We also participated in the BYM “Visioning” process during our committee meeting at Spring 2010 Interim Meeting. We found this very helpful, and engaged in a spirit-filled conversation that I think helped all of us clarify in our minds our devotion to the committee mission. We prepared a report on the outcome of this visioning exercise and have forwarded this to Interim Meeting.
Some of our Committee members remain very busy and engaged in visitation among Friends in other areas, and we are glad to hear the reportage back of the struggles and joys among Friends elsewhere over issues relating to our Committee’s concerns. All of our Committee members seem to be actively engaged in local issues relating to our mission, and we are always glad to hear of reportage on this important work also.
Again this year we expect to provide a presence at BYM Annual Session, and will be co-sponsoring a workshop given by one of our members on issues relating to creating safe spaces across the gender spectrum. This Committee member has also begun a project of updating and editing a compilation of BYM equal marriage and welcoming minutes – the Committee will probably publish and distribute this compilation sometime in late 2010 or in 2011. We are also continuing dialogue with Young Adult Friends over the 2008 equal marriage minute, and several of our Committee members provide excellent liaison between our Committee and the Young Adult and Young Friends in our Yearly Meeting.
-Dennis Hartzell
Clerk, BYM Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns
Visioning Report - 2010
In our sharing together, we agreed that we are most energized by and drawn to education and pastoral care for
persons who are laboring with questions of gender and sexual identity and society’s perceptions, on behalf of
themselves, their loved ones, or their meetings. We accomplish this by making ourselves known as a safe place. We
need to be in touch with each other at the Yearly Meeting level in order to share information and to spiritually
support and re-energize each other. Our presence as a Yearly Meeting committee is a quiet, yet powerful witness to
the inclusivity of God’s unconditional love.
Interchange, Fall 2009
The BYM Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity
Concerns asks your Monthly Meeting to consider the
following query and send your responses to us:
"Historically Friends held a called Meeting for Worship
to celebrate the religious commitment and spiritual union
of two of their members. There was no legal or civil component
to these earliest marriages, because the state did
not sanction marriage between two Friends in a Quaker
Meeting House. Today many of our Friends are in a similar
position. No legal jurisdiction within the boundaries of
our Yearly Meeting will sanction marriage between two
Friends of the same gender. Is it time to encourage a return
to this earlier practice of separation of church and state? In
accordance with our testimony to equality, should we offer
the same marriage under the care of Meeting -- no more and
no less -- to all couples, while encouraging couples who are
legally able, to have a separate civil ceremony?"
Please forward your prayerful responses to:
Denny Hartzell, co-clerk
44 Rhode Island Ave. NW
Washington DC, 20001
dhartzell@afsc.org
or
Margaret Stambaugh, co-clerk
15014 Mud College Road
Thurmont, MD, 21788
mostambaugh@earthlink.net
Interchange, Spring 2009
Seeking Representatives
The Baltimore Yearly Meeting Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns seeks a representative
from each Meeting or worship group within BYM to serve as a contact person for concerns that come before our Committee. Ideally, this person would have an email contact, and some interest in these issues. Our Committee is growing, and expanding in our work to fulfill our mission, and would like to have a contact person in each Meeting who we could correspond with. Our recent publication of the new brochure “Seven Ways to Help Your Quaker Meeting Be More Trans Friendly” is just one of a series of informational publications we hope to produce over the next few years. Our committee members also continue to be available for workshops, guest speakers or as a source of information about a wide range of gender and sexual diversity matters. If your Meeting could discuss this request for a representative, and send a note with the contact information to Dennis Hartzell, Co-Clerk, that would be very helpful (denhartz@erols.com).
Advance Report - 2008
The Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns holds as its charge to gather and distribute information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender concerns arising from within Baltimore Yearly Meeting. Furthermore, the Committee
is charged to put new energy into advocacy activities that help to end the oppression, often unconscious that is imposed on people because of real or perceived gender or sexual orientation. In its charge, the Committee continues the tradition of Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s original 1973 Minute 87.
This report includes data from mid-2006 as well as 2007.
During our Meeting at the June 17, 2006 Interim Meeting at Hopewell Center we disussed the varied responses we received about the FGC Minute. We recommended that the budgeted money for FUM from 2005 and last half of the 2004 be sent, in order that BYM stay in dialogue with FUM.
At our Meeting during the Fall 2006 Interim meeting (10/21/2006) we discussed an invitation from Stony Run for members of our committee to visit and present information regarding the FGC Central Committee minute. The Clerk, Aron Teel planned to attend their session on December 10.
Our Meeting during 2007 Annual Sessions was limited to an hour. Margaret Stambaugh and Denny Hartzell agreed to be the new co-clerks of the Committee, replacing Aron Teel who has served well and faithfully as Clerk for a number of years. A Minute of deep appreciation was written for Aron’s dedicated service.
The Committee then discussed how to improve our heretofore limited success in evoking reponses from Monthly Meetings to the FGC Central Committee Query regarding their experiences with GLBTQ Quakers. We asked the Yearly Meeting Clerk to make an announcement reiterating the request for Monthly Meetings to Minute their experiences. We expected to continue our efforts at this task at future Meetings.
However, during the Fall Interim Meeting at Washington in October, 2007, we agreed not to continue pursuing this task. Instead, we decided to write a report based on the responses that we had already received. We also decided during this Meeting that our email correspondences should not be used for discussion of important issues, but that these should only be discussed in a worshipful manner during our Meetings proper, in the Light.
We also discussed how Friends can help to raise awareness of the African GLBTQ community.
At the Spring Interim Meeting 2008 in Williamsburg, it was announced that we will sponsor two workshops at 2008 Annual Sessions: Joe Izzo will present “Opening Hearts and Minds” on sexual orientation and marriage; and Brad Ogilvie will present “Love, HIV, and Diversity.”
We are requesting $180 from BYM as our budget. We have decided to sponsor a brochure designed by Laura Goren to help make BYM more friendly to Transsexual persons. We will take on the editing and production of the brochure, which Laura presented in an already advanced state of preparation. After some discussion, the Committee decided it has no clearness on whether or not to endorse two separate documents having to do with BYM funding FUM
Dennis Hartzell, co-clerk
Advance Report - 2007
The Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns holds as its charge to gather and distribute information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender concerns arising from within Baltimore Yearly Meeting. Furthermore, the Committee is charged to put new energy into advocacy activities that help to end the oppression, often unconscious that is imposed on people because of real or perceived gender or sexual orientation. In its charge, the Committee continues the tradition of Baltimore Yearly Meeting's original 1973 Minute 87.
This report includes data from mid-2006 as well as 2007.
During our Meeting at the June17, 2006 Interim Meeting at Hopewell Center we disussed the varied responses we received about the FGC Minute.
We recommended that the budgeted money for FUM from 2005 and last half of the 2004 be sent, in order that BYM stay in dialogue with FUM.
At our Meeting during the Fall 2006 Interim meeting (10/21/2006) we discussed an invitation from Stony Run
for members of our committee to visit and present information regarding the FGC Central Committee minute. The Clerk, Aron Teel planned to attend their session on December 10.
Our Meeting during 2007 Annual Sessions was limited to an hour. Margaret Stambaugh and Denny Hartzell agreed to be the new co-clerks of the Committee, replacing Aron Teel who has served well and faithfully as Clerk for a number of years. A Minute of deep appreciation was written for Aron's dedicated service.
The Committe then discussed how to improve our heretofore limited success in evoking reponses from Monthly Meetings to the FGC Central Committee Query regarding their experiences with GLBTQ Quakers. We asked the Yearly Meeting Clerk to make an announcement reiterating the request for Monthly Meetings to Minute their experiences. We expected to continue our efforts at this task at future Meetings.
However, during the Fall Interim Meeting at Washington in October, 2007, we agreed not to continue pursuing this task. Instead, we decided to write a report based on the responses that we had already received. We also decided during this Meeting that our email correspondences should not be used for discussion of important issues, but that these should only be discussed in a worshipful manner during our Meetings proper, in the Light.
We also discussed how Friends can help to raise awareness of the African GLBTQ community.
At the Spring Interim Meeting in Williamsburg, it was announced that we will sponsor two workshops at 2008 Annual Sessions: Joe Izzo will present "Opening Hearts and Minds" on sexual orientation and marriage; and Brad Ogilvie will present "Love, HIV, and Diversity."
We are requesting $180 from BYM as our budget. We have decide to sponsor a brochure designed by Laura Goren to help make BYM more friendly to Transsexual persons. We will take on the editing and production of the brochure, which Laura presented in an already advanced state of preparation.
After some discussion, the Committee decided it has no clearness on whether or not to endorse two separate documents having to do with BYM funding FUM.
Advance Report - 2006
The Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns holds as its charge to gather and distribute information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender concerns arising from within Baltimore Yearly Meeting. Furthermore, the Committee is charged to put new energy into advocacy activities that help to end the oppression, often unconscious that is imposed on people because of real or perceived gender or sexual orientation. In its charge, the Committee continues the tradition of Baltimore Yearly Meeting's original 1973 Minute 87.
2005 Annual Sessions:
At 2005 Annual Sessions we sponsored a workshop entitled: “How Some Programmed Meetings experience GLBT Friends”. A panel of Friends from programmed meetings speak of their experience in dealing with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgendered people in their Meetings. The panel was comprised of 4 Friends, two (Cheryl Bridges and Willie Frye) From North Carolina YM – FUM, and two (Stand and Karen Bauer) from Iowa Yearly Meeting.
We also sponsored an Interest Group session on the perception of Homosexuality in African Meetings. Edith and Samson Wakesa from Kenya lead the discussion.
FGC Central Committee Minute:
The Committee has been charged to consult with Monthly Meetings in preparing a response to an epistle dated 12th Month 2004 the Central Committee of Friends General Conference which testified to the valued participation of "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Friends" within FGC.
In consultation with BYM Interim Meeting (3rd Month 25, 2006) the committee members have agreed to carry the Minute to as many Monthly and Quarterly Meetings as possible, inviting Friends to labor with us.
For this year, Aron Teel has served as Clerk of the Committee, and Martha Gay has served as Recording Clerk. The Committee meets at each Interim Meeting and during Annual Sessions. We also held one special meeting this year during 4th Month 2006.
Advance Report - 2005
The Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns holds as its charge to gather and distribute information on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender concerns arising from within Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
Furthermore, the Committee is charged to put new energy into advocacy activities that help to end the oppression, often unconscious, that is imposed on people because of real or perceived gender or sexual orientation. In its charge, the Committee continues the tradition of Baltimore Yearly Meeting's original 1973 Minute 87.
At 2004 Annual Sessions we sponsored a workshop entitled: "Marriage -- Who Cares? Issues of Religious or Civil Marriage," during which a panel discussed their own experiences of both the spiritual and civil aspects of marriage, as well as how Monthly Meetings are dealing with marriages held under the care of the Meeting. Panel members included:
- Joan and Rich Liversidge-Sandy Spring
- Kerry Weissmann-State College
- Ms. Shelley Simpson-Human Rights Campaign
- Mr. Ron Schlittler-Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
We developed a Minute in opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment. The minute was proposed at Fall Interim Meeting, and a copy was sent to all Monthly Meetings for consideration. A revised version was approved at Spring Interim Meeting. The final version is attached to this report.
We are actively involved with and supporting the work of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Intervisitation Committee by having a representative on that Committee, and our workshop at 2005 Annual Session will receive funding support as part of that effort.
Our Committee sent representatives to each of the six or seven meetings held to develop a proposal for handling annual funds sent to Friends United Meeting by Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
We submitted a proposal for a workshop at 2005 Annual Sessions to bring together a panel of Friends from Pastored Meetings to share their experiences of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) Friends.
For this year, Aron Teel has served as Clerk of the Committee, and Martha Gay has served as Recording Clerk.
Interchange, Dec 2004
Federal Marriage Amendment
The Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity Concerns
presented a minute in opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment
(FMA) at Interim Meeting (Goose Creek 10th Month 30, 2004). While
the initial FMA was defeated in Congress during the summer of
2004, a new FMA-like amendment and related legislation will continue
to be introduced in future sessions. In the minute we consider
religious freedom and civil rights issues. This minute does not
request marriage rights for same-sex couples, as we recognize
that BYM is not in unity on that question.
While Interim Meeting Friends voiced approval of the content
of the minute, the Committee was asked to make some revisions
and send it to Monthly Meetings for consideration in preparation
for Interim Meeting April 2, 2005.
Aron Teel
Interchange, Dec 2004
Proposed Minute Opposing the Federal Marriage Amendment
The faith and practice of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
has always been to seek that of God in everyone. From this, we
have come to know that God's love extends to all of Creation.
All children of God, regardless of their perceived or identified
sexual orientation, are beloved of God who created them, and all
are deserving of love and compassion in accordance with the example
and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Within our Baltimore Yearly Meeting, we have not yet come to
unity on the question of marriage for same-sex couples. Some of
our Meetings will marry same-sex couples, and others will not.
However, it is surely not the Federal government's role to prefer
one religious definition of marriage over another, much less to
codify such a preference in the U.S. Constitution. To the contrary,
the great contribution of our Constitution is to protect the rights
of all faiths and all citizens. Throughout its history, the United
States Constitution has been amended toward equal treatment for
all. Even though the practice has always fallen short of the ideal,
changes to the Constitution have always been made to favor including
more citizens with equal treatment, rather than fewer. We see
this trend to be in accordance with God's will for a just social
order.
The proposed Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) reverses this long
march of history toward equality and compassion for all under
the Constitution. It would not only deny same-sex couples the
right to marry, but the FMA obliterates the family rights that
many same-sex couples and their families now have under various
state laws. Thus the FMA reverses the Constitutional tradition
of protecting individual freedoms, and forces states to adopt
discriminatory policies.
As members of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society
of Friends, as Quakers, as U.S. citizens, and as God's children,
we do not support the proposed Constitutional amendment, known
as the FMA which would curtail the right of our brothers and sisters
who are gay and lesbian to make loving commitments to each other
within the same fundamental social and legal net by which everyone
else is now supported.
Annual Report 2004
This was a year of pivotal change for this Ad Hoc Committee.
At the 2003 Annual Sessions, Baltimore Yearly Meeting acknowledged
a change in our name. Formerly the “Ad Hoc Committee for Lesbian,
Gay and Bisexual Concerns”, the new title (above) was suggested
in order to keep it as simple as possible while still reflecting
more inclusion of minority concerns and clear commitment to our
Testimony on Equality. The new title labels the concerns without
trying to comprehensively label the people who hold those concerns.
The Committee also came to Annual Session to request an expansion
of our charge to move beyond gathering and disseminating information.
The charge that was approved at Annual Session includes a clear
dynamic of advocacy. We wanted to have support for giving voice
to ideas and opinions about equality and to encourage Friends
to share in political, civil rights and peace or social concerns
areas. Thus, this Committee’s new charge:
The Ad Hoc Committee on Gender and Sexual Diversity
Concerns holds as its charge to gather and distribute information
on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender concerns arising from
within Baltimore Yearly Meeting. Furthermore, the Committee is
charged to put new energy into advocacy activities that help to
end the oppression, often unconscious, that is imposed on people
because of real or perceived gender or sexual orientation. In
its charge, the Committee continues the tradition of Baltimore
Yearly Meeting’s original 1973 Minute 87.
This Committee met on all Interim Yearly Meeting Days and fostered
a small work-group to meet both inside and outside the YM Office
in Sandy Spring in June and July. The work-group spent long hours
organizing and readying a long-awaited packet of information on
relevant Minutes, especially those pertaining to same-gender couples.
Minutes and Other Actions on Same Gender Marriage and other Gender
and Sexual Diversity Concerns in Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Monthly
and Quarterly Meetings, a 24 page document, bore a print date
of Summer, 2003. Multiple copies were made available to attenders
at Annual Sessions with urging to take those copies back to Monthly
Meetings and submit additions or corrections to the Committee.
As of its last meeting of the calendar year, this Committee was
still compiling, revising and making plans for broader and more
formalized distribution of the document.
The expansion of our charge seemed timely given the concerns
about Friends United Meeting’s personnel policies and the arising
correspondence with BYM following BYM’s Minute of concerns about
the policy’s implications for excluding those in same-gender relationships
from leadership or service positions within FUM. This Committee
was asked at the October, 2003 meeting to work with BYM’s Ministry
and Pastoral Care Committee to help propose a BYM response to
the latest FUM correspondence. Throughout 2003, the mood of this
Committee seemed to include much sadness and hurt over discriminating
policies among Friends, yet an earnest desire to continue to labor
tenderly with FUM’s Board in the hope of encouraging growth toward
inclusion and equality in the recognition of spiritual gifts.
The Ad Hoc Committee also went through a change in leadership
during 2003. Bonnie Stockslager resigned as Clerk of the committee
and, in the absence of a replacement, agreed to “temp-clerk” the
next (October) meeting with the understanding that the Clerk of
meeting function would then rotate to others on the committee.
Lauri Perman graciously agreed to Clerk the March, 2004 meeting.
Martha Gay was heartily approved to continue as Recording Clerk.
Other activities accomplished by this Committee in 2003 included
sponsoring a workshop at Annual Session (led by Joseph Izzo),
providing an educational display in the bookstore and brainstorming
ways to get a stronger and more viable connection with Friends
for Lesbian and Gay Concerns (FLGC). Holding the October meeting
at State College Meeting allowed State College Friends for Lesbian
and Gay Concerns to join in our Committee meeting and share with
us.
We ended this calendar year on the optimistic note that the expansion
of our charge might also expand our membership to include more
energetic, advocacy-gifted “young” Friends (of all ages) to help
us continually put new life into the charge to “end the oppression.”
Bonnie Stockslager and Lauri Perman
|
