In our movement for LGBTI Equality, faith-based organizing is taking center stage this year.

The religious right has used their faith to push an agenda of discrimination and bigotry. In the 2004 election, they played a key role in passing mean spirited and divisive same-sex marriage bans in eleven states. This year, however, mainstream religious organizations may be the key to turning the tide in our favor.

Since the very beginning, faith and our struggle for equality have been intertwined; the first Metropolitan Community Church was founded in 1968, one year before the Stonewall Riots. Unfortunately, our movement has not always drawn on the strength of LGBT and LGBT affirming religious communities.

A recent National Gay and Lesbian Task Force report, David vs. Goliath, has called LGBT affirming denominations as "some of the most underused resources in the progressive movement." That may not be the case for long. Just this week The Task Force announced that the Institute for Welcoming Resources (IWR), an umbrella organization 1,300 LGBT affirming religious organizations, will become a permanent project of the Task Force.

Also this month MCC and GLSEN announced a new joint venture to address anti-LGBT bias in schools. The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), a Christian denomination with a special focus on LGBTI communities, operates in 237 U.S. cities, covering 48 of the 50 states. MCC will partner with GLSEN to host 'Training of Trainers' programs across the country to give LGBT individuals and allies the tools they need work with their local schools.

Another important voice in this movement is Soulforce. Soulforce, which just a few years ago was relatively unknown, has steadily grown and become a powerful voice challenging religious and political oppression through the practice of non-violent resistance. Soulforce volunteers are currently in the middle of a 7 week 'Equality Ride', visiting Christian and Military Colleges and Universities across the country. They are taking the message of equality to the very Christian colleges that train the leaders of the religious right.

Soulforce depends mostly on volunteers and operates on a small budget in comparison to other national LGBT Groups. Still, according to Alexa Ratings, Soulforce has had more web traffic this week than larger, better funded groups, like the Human Rights Campaign. Clearly their strategy of challenging homophobia at it's source is resonating with the public.

Finally, this year the Chicago Theological Seminary launched the Lesbian and Gay Religious Studies Center. Funded in part by the Gill Foundation, this Center is our first 'Think Tank' devoted specifically to counter distorted religion and present sound religious arguments for LGBTI equality.

Time and time again, the far right has used their beliefs to justify bigotry and hate. Regardless of whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim or another faith; fundamentalists exist in every religion. Their voices are strong. It's easy to forget that the majority of people of faith stand with us.

In a recent op-ed, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum writes "What the movement is now learning is that religion per se is not the enemy. Like it or not, America is a profoundly religious society. But the American religious right has totally hijacked the language of religion and spirituality to promote the values of its reactionary political agenda. The enemy is not religion but their bigotry and divisiveness."

Rabbi Kleinbaum continues: "We are learning that if we are going to go on building on our successes so far, and not have to retreat from them, we must learn to confront our right-wing religious opponents on their home ground."

Posted by David at March 16, 2006 07:11 PM