What’s going on... June 2010

Sunday Services

Sunday, June 6 – Rev. Fred Howard, “A Picture May be Worth 1000 Words, But…”

A picture, like any other information source, is often inadequate as a basis for coming to conclusions and making important decisions.  Yet we often jump to conclusions based on first impressions of people and events.  This morning I will illustrate this with some classic examples from popular media.  Then I will invite the congregation to explore some coded situations with me and hopefully we can learn some ways to round out our perception of the world around us, and maybe learn from each other the value of asking the right questions.  The intent here is to get our mind going in slightly different directions, something I always find to be a useful exercise.

Sunday, June 13 – Dr. Michael Stoltzfus, “Jesus in Hinduism:  Multivalent Perspectives”

While Hinduism can be seen a pluralistic faith, radically open to different religious traditions and figures, Hindu responses to and interpretations of Jesus are quite diverse and not always positive.  We will discuss the concept of the Asiatic Christ (quite different from the Jesus of Christian missionaries), the universal Jesus that strongly rejects Christian claims for Jesus’ uniqueness, and Hindu realignment of Jesus as an ethical, rather than a salvation figure. 

Sunday, June 20 – Dr. Keith Johnson, “Moses Maimonides: His Life and Times”

On April 25 Rabbi Moshe M. Elbaz referenced a phrase that he briefly explained regarding prophets: “From Moses to Moses.”  Though tongue-in-cheek in reference to Moses the emancipator Moses to Moses can imply Moses is the final word; however, the meaning of the latter Moses is to Moses Maimonides who Rabbi Elbaz referenced.  Keith will give a brief background of Moses Maimonides’ life and times, how he and Averroes essentially recovered Aristotle, some of his theological teachings and an overview of one of his most important works outside of commentaries and work on the Talmud, Guide for the Perplexed.  He was, like few people, a polymath versed in religion, language, medicine, philosophy, and science among other disciplines.

Sunday, June 27 – Rev. Fred Howard, “The Place of Ritual”

Rituals have been a part of religious practice throughout time.  Unitarians and Universalist traditions are no different.   We will incorporate a simple ritual into this morning’s service so that we can explore this vital part of what it means to be a religious community -theologically, psychologically, mythologically and most important of all, experientially.

Fred Howard is our part time minister.  You may contact Rev. Howard by email (preferable) at fredhoward435@hotmail.com.  He is available for consultations on Monday and Wednesday afternoons on most weeks from 2-5PM by appointment.  Fred welcomes any questions you may have about membership in our congregation.  He is also available for weddings and rites of passage ceremonies by prearrangement.

Parking Problems - Can you Believe it?!

The Board has asked that some of us “old-timers” start parking on the school property that abuts our land.  A path has been recut through our woods to the church.  This will free up spaces in front of the church for newcomers and visitors.  Help out if you can and provide our visitors a more welcoming first visit.

 

 

Sunday Service Announcements – New Policy!

The Board has adopted a new policy on announcements at the beginning of Sunday services.  All announcements will be made by the layleader for the service. Preferably, anyone, who has an announcement, should notify the layleader, early in the week, so that the announcement can be printed in the order of service.  Any late breaking announcements should be given to the layleader in writing before the service begins for reading at the beginning of the service.  There will be no announcements from the floor during the service.    Members and friends are also reminded that Joys and Concerns during the service is not an appropriate time for announcements or long explanations.

 

Infants and Toddlers: Sue Bailey wants to be sure that new members or visitors know that infants and toddlers are welcome in the RE room during services.  They may be too little to participate, but we do have someone available to watch them so the parents can enjoy the service.

 

 

Religious Education

For Children: The RE program for children meets at. 10:45 AM concurrent with the Sunday morning service.  There are still plans for a Spring Kids Retreat in the works.  Sue Bailey says watch for announcements about when and the details soon.  Mya will be out of town in late May and early June so volunteers are especially needed.  Contacts: Mya Storey; Susan Bailey. 

 

Adult Religious Education: The recent discussion series ended in May.  Watch for future plans in coming months.

 

INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP If you are interested in becoming a member of our fellowship, we encourage you to talk with our minister, Rev. Fred Howard or our President, Doug Tanner or Membership Director, Mya Storey.  We welcome your questions, and we extend an open invitation to all who want to join our liberal community of faith.

 

 

 

. Newsletter Editor:  Betty Derrick Website:  Carol Stiles Local Publicity: Dee Tait June 15: Deadline for July newsletter.

 

 

 

 

MINISTERIAL MUUSINGS

Rev. Fred Howard                                               June 2010

June typically marks the end of the school year and the beginning of vacations, getaways, and leisure time.  I thought it would be a good time for us to reflect on this past year and share some of my thoughts on where we are going.

In September ’09 I began serving as your minister.  We celebrated a water communion and ingathering service that invited the sharing of stories from our summer adventures as a way of coming back together in community.  Kenn Hurto, the Florida District Executive, met with the Board and led us in worship.  In October, we welcomed three new members into our congregation and formed an Adult RE ministry team that continues to lead a vibrant religious ed program for us.  In November the focus was on social justice issues, and our congregation was quite active in the Habitat for Humanity build.  We also had a worship services centered on our international engagement through the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Transylvania pilgrimages.  December was a time of celebration of the holidays through conventional and some rather unconventional reflections on Christmas and its place in the liturgy of liberal religion.  In January we reflected on New Year’s resolutions and the theology of MLK.  Then in February and March we explored the dynamics of spiritual growth.  April marked further involvement in the local community as several members of our congregation participated in providing dinner for the homeless shelter.  A congregation based community organizing event was also held in Valdosta, largely due to the efforts of our congregation.  The radical vision of Universalism in building a multicultural community, the subject of a sermon that month, fit well with the direction we are taking, as we move out and engage more with other faith groups.  We continue on this trajectory in May with the Interfaith Day of Prayer event.  While reaching out we are also reaching in by holding our second small group experience called All About Unitarian Universalism for those interested in learning more about our faith tradition.  Our attendance at Sunday Services has been on a continual upswing this year, and we held another New Member Ceremony in May also to welcome those who are joining with us for the journey.

This summer I will be doing a couple of interactive worship services.  This will represent a slight change from our routine liturgical practice and I will see how well this type of worship experience is received.  Depending on the response and feedback, we may offer more variety during the Sunday hour in the future both in style and format.   For now, it is a bit of an experiment, and I hope the congregation will join with me in seeing these services as a bit of an adventure in exploring new possibilities of our life as a community of faith.

The congregation gave me a vote of confidence at our annual meeting by expressing your desire to have me continue as your minister.  I have many new ideas for next year that I think will capitalize on many things we already have going for us, and will grow our congregation both organically and in numbers.  We have an enthusiastic slate of board members with some new faces, bringing some new ideas and new energy.  Thank you for extending to me the opportunity to continue the journey with you.     

President’s Corner

Doug Tanner

As many of you begin your summer travels I wish you all a safe journey and speedy return.  Unfortunately, not everyone will be back in the fall.  The Wells family will be moving to Miami this summer.  They have been active members of our church and Pat and Kari and the boys will be greatly missed by all.  Please take a moment to let them know how much they have meant to us.  I sincerely hope that they find a new beloved community which will welcome them.

The new member service was great fun and everyone seemed to enjoy the day together.  It is always thrilling to see new people join our community and, although there are definite challenges in the increased numbers, it is with great joy that we see that our little church is not so little any longer.

Finally, all good things must end so that others may begin.  After serving on the Board of Directors in various roles for the last 5 years I had to ask that I be given a break.  Just this last week, I was passed the gavel at our spring conference and began a year term as the president of the Georgia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.  It will be challenging and take up much of my time but is a worthwhile cause for Higher Education in Georgia and the thousands of students we serve.  GASFAA faces huge challenges in this changing economy and I hope to have a positive impact for Georgia students and aid administrators.

I sincerely thank all the members of the UU Church of Valdosta for your support over the 5 years and look forward to serving you again in the future.  If we have accomplished anything worthwhile, and I believe that we have accomplished much, it is only because of your effort and dedication.

I’ll see you all on Sunday.

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Let’s Have Some Fun!!

 

Book Discussion and Potluck

Friday, June 25

At the church

Potluck: 6:00 PM – Discussion: 7:00 PM  

The book is “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” a novel by Mohsin Hamid published in 2007. Wikipedia states: “The novel takes place during the course of a single evening in an outdoor Lahore cafe, where a bearded Pakistani man called Changez (the Urdu name for Genghis) tells a nervous American stranger about his love affair with, and eventual abandonment of, America.” The author is Pakistani, educated at Princeton University.   Bring a dish to share.  Coffee and tea will be provided.  You are welcome to bring other beverages.  We’ll plan to wind up by around 8:00 PM if you have other end of the week commitments.  We have been selecting books which deal with different cultures, religions, and life styles.  Let us know your suggestions.  Contact: Betty Derrick.

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ABOUT OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

 

Thought you might like to know that

v Jeff Gallant’s fiancé, Jennifer Elsie Stanley, has just graduated from university and will soon be joining him in Valdosta.  They will be marrying in June.  Greet her and extend your best wishes to them both.  Turns out they both have musical talents and a mutual love of music, perhaps something we can all look forward to sharing!  Jeff recently joined the library faculty at VSU and has been attending our services since he got to Valdosta this spring.

v Kari and Pat and their sons, Cameron and Eric will be moving to Miami soon.  Pat’s tour of duty at Moody Air Force Base is ending and he is already spending time at his next posting.   We’ve enjoyed their participation in our congregation and wish them well in their new location.  Hope they’ll stay in touch.

v Halley Little has just received a scholarship (one of 15) to cover her Master’s degree work in library science at VSU.  Congratulate her!

v Frances Patterson’s daughter has just been ordained as an Episcopal priest.  Frances has also just sold her first copy in a series of books on Professional Ethics for Teachers specifically written to include legal issues in each of 12 different states which she is editing.  Frances will be the author of the Georgia book which is still in preparation.  Illinois and Texas have just been published.  Congratulate Frances, who is on the faculty at VSU and a specialist in school law.

v Rose and Jon Baker, our snow birds, will be returning to Ohio soon.  Wish them good travels and look for them again next winter.  They have bought some property south of Valdosta and plan to return.

 

Keep in your thoughts

v Our members and friends with health issues and concerns about family serving in Afghanistan and around the world.

 

Welcome our new members when you see them

v Brian and Kat Nickola

v Halley Little

v Jennifer Tyler

 

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 At the Church-in-the-Woods

New Hope Christian Community Church- Sunday evenings: Choir practice at 4:30 PM. Service at 6:00 PM.  http://internationalchristiancommunity.ning.com

Taoist Tai Chi – Monday and Thursday: Continuing Class 6:00-7:30 PM for the summer. A new beginners class will start in late August.  Contact Dennis Bogyo or Luana Goodwin.

PFLAG Meeting – 4th Tuesday each month, 7:00PM  Contact: Doug Tanner The web page for PFLAG Valdosta:
http://pflag-valdosta.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

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Social Action Activities  

 

Break Bread Together

Our date for meal deliveries with the Break Bread Together program is the 2^nd Monday (and 5^th when there is one) of each month.  If you would like to help deliver meals beginning about 11:00 AM, please contact Frank or Rosie Asbury.   

  Juneteenth Celebration: Halley Little, one of our new members, is selling tickets for the Valdosta Juneteenth Celebration which includes a dinner on June 15 at 7:00PM at Mathis Auditorium($7.00) and a “Fun Day” on June 19 at Pinevale Learning Center from 1AM-6PM.  This event will feature Bouncehouses for kids, face painting, a book give away, a Gospelfest, a youth talent show and a free lunch.  Juneteenth celebrates when the last slaves were freed, years after the Emancipation Proclamation.  Contact Halley Little if you want tickets.

Accepting Difference Project

This project works to bring attention to and build diverse coalitions to address systemic problems in our community.  Among other activities, this group initiated the Book Discussions and Potlucks that occur at the church on a regular basis.  The books chosen over the last several years all feature some aspect of difference in our world.  These discussions have broadened participant’s perspective on differences in cultures, life styles, socio-economic status, religions, the availability of health care around the world, etc.  All are invited to participate in this aspect of the Accepting Difference Project.  You’ll find information about the next book and gathering elsewhere in the newsletter.  

"Come-and-See" Training:  Ana Garcia-Ashley from the Gamaliel Foundation will lead a second Come and See Training on Monday, June 21.  The Accepting Difference Project, under Carol Stiles' leadership for this project, is inviting participants and planning details for this event.

 

Rev. (Dr.) Ronnie Mathis, pastor of Crossing Jordan Baptist Church (right) engages in conversation with Gamaliel Foundation facilitator Dr. Ana Garcia-Ashley during an April 17 workshop of community participants representing local churches, education and service organizations.  The workshop is a continuation of community involvement in the Accepting Difference Project, funded by gifts to the Unitarian Universalist Church after vandalism of its facility in 2003.

 

 

                                Rev. Fred Howard

Interfaith National Day of Prayer Service:  For the second year the Accepting Difference Project along with VAMA sponsored this interfaith event  held on  May 10 at 1:00 PM on the grounds of the Lowndes County Courthouse.  Our minister, Fred Howard participated along with representatives from a number of different churches and religious groups in the Valdosta area.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Turner Project:  Several of our members attended the program on Saturday, May 15 to dedicate the new state historical marker commemorating Mary Turner’s death at the hands of a mob near the Lowndes/Brooks County line in May 1918.  As many as 13 were killed in a “lynching rampage” a  result of the death of a Brooks County plantation owner who was killed by one of his black workers.  Mary Turner lost her life because she publicly protested her husband’s murder at the hands of the mob.  Members of both Mary Turner and Hayes Turner families attended the dedication.  Sue Bailey is a member of the Mary Turner Project.  

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Annual Congregational Meeting:  Our President, Doug Tanner, provides the following information about the Annual meeting held in late April, after the May newsletter had already been printed.

·         The proposed budget for the upcoming year was approved.  (Rosie Asbury is still accepting pledges if you have not already contacted her. )

·         The Slate of Officers for 2010-2011, nominated by the Nominating Committee, was approved:

President - Lars Leader

Vice President/Programs - Bill and Valerie Webster

Treasurer - Rosie Asbury

Secretary – Kat Nickola

Director of Membership – Kimberly Tanner

Director of Religious Education - Susan Bailey

Director of Building and Grounds - Jim Ingram

·         The congregation also approved the offer of a new 9 month contract to Rev. Fred Howard for 2010-2011.

Doug also thanks the members of the current Board and the Nominating Committee (Carol Stiles, chair, Dee Tait, Julie Halter) for their work in developing the budget and Slate of Officers and everyone who attended the meeting.   He also expresses a special thank you to all those who have agreed to serve on next year’s Board of Directors.  

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UU Church of Valdosta Board of Directors

May 5, 2010

Attendance: Doug Tanner,  Rosie Asbury, Sue Bailey, Fred Howard, Jim Ingram, Valerie Webster, Kat Nickola and Kari Wells.

Old Business: 

·         Jim will look into finding a Peace Pole for the Children's RE class to use.

·          The Greeter position has been added to the programs schedule, but it is the responsibility of the Lay Leader to fill this position, not the Program directors.  It was just added to make it easier for the Lay Leader.

New Business:

·         Program's Report:  Programs are set through June.  Michael will not be available in July so there will be a few spots to fill in the middle of summer.

·         Ministerial Report: Fred is planning to do a few interactive services to engage the congregation over the summer. Also, he would like to do a joint service with New Hope sometime this summer.

·         Along with more cars, we are getting more people inside.  We need to start adding 5 or 6 chairs/orders of service/hymnals  to each side.

·         It was requested that we purchase some new supplements  to the Hymnals so that we can start singing some of the newer songs.  We will also need to purchase some of the old books.  Doug is going to look into the cost and then we will vote.  We are looking to buy approx 7 old books and 30 supplements.  We may do a pledge drive to help fund this.

·         Board voted to allow Frank to buy a new vacuum  for the church. Up to $200 was approved.

Next meeting will be June 2nd, 2010  @ 6:00.

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Treasurer's Report – Rosie Asbury

April 30, 2010

Receipts                April                       July -present (10 mos.)

  Plate              $   87.00                                       $ 1617.00

  Pledge              575.00                                      13908.00

  Rent                 100.00                                          2220.00

  Miscell.                0.00                                             325.00

Total Reipts  $  762.00                                       $18070.00

Disbursements  

  Speakers            200.00                                         1875.00

  Minister Exp       700.00                                        9430.78

  Repairs                 0 .00                                           595.00

  Newsletter             0.00                                           104.57

  Pest Control        35.00                                            657.00

  Building Insur         0.00                                         1214.00

  Postage                  0.00                                           196.40

  Supplies               16.35                                           169.86

  Utilities               329.79                                        2503.09

  Ad/Website           0.00                                           350.00

  UUA Dues            0.00                                         1659.00

  UU Conference     0.00                                           325.00

  Donation               0.00                                           425.00

  Others                  0.00                                            127.92

Total  Disbr     $ 1281.14                                  $ 19632.62

Net Receipt              $ -519.14                                                  $  -1612.62

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UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS                    Joan Lund                                   June 2010                                      

The UUA Board of Trustees held a special meeting May 6^th, by teleconference to determine what action, if any, we will take regarding General Assembly (GA) 2012, scheduled to be held in Phoenix, AZ, in view of the recently enacted Arizona SB 1070. This column will reflect our thinking, and the decision we made (with thanks to two of my colleagues, Rev.’s Susan Ritchie and Jake Morrill for their summaries of our meeting). By the end of our meeting, we concluded that a values-first decision would make meeting in a location where UUs would be potentially subject to hostile, dangerous, and undignified treatment intolerable. We must also acknowledge our solidarity with those standing on the side of love within the state requires that not meeting in Phoenix represents a deeper, not lesser, engagement with the important witness against such hateful legislation.

We voted to include a resolution on the agenda of GA in Minneapolis: 

Whereas the state of Arizona has recently enacted a law—SB 1070—that runs counter to our first principle, affirming the worth and dignity of every person,

-Whereas the Association stands in solidarity with allies using a widespread economic boycott of Arizona as leverage of Love against this hateful legislation;

-Be it resolved: we will not meet in a state of fear.

- Accordingly, the Assembly hereby:

• Directs the UUA GA Planning Committee to recommend to the Board of Trustees an alternate location for GA 2012 at a location outside the state of Arizona;
• Pledges to generate fro Member Congregations the amount sufficient to cancel arrangements in Phoenix for GA 2012;
• Pledges further to generate an equal or greater amount to fund ongoing efforts to Stand on the Side of Love in Arizona;
• Pledges to renew and redouble our efforts to become a multicultural, anti-racist Association; to live as a people standing faithfully in opposition to systematic racism in our congregations, local communities, and in our own lives.

There are also financial costs for making the decision, and for not making the decision. The cost to people in Arizona who could be arrested or treated violently because they “look illegal” is obvious, and may be an issue for many members of our own congregations. There would also be an impact on our UUA from UUs who would boycott a GA in Phoenix. The most serious cost would be to our authenticity in declaring our support for the inherent worth and dignity of every person. If we are not willing to support our principles with action, we sacrifice the heart of our covenant with each other.

Please know I am available for conversation regarding your questions and concerns: jlund@uua.org and/or Thanks for your support. I look forward to seeing many of you at GA.

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UU Activities and Announcements

June 23-27- UUA General Assembly, Minneapolis , MN

July 18-24 - Southeast UU Summer Institute (SUUSI), Radford , VA

August 8-13- Southland UU Leadership Experience, The Mountain, Highlands, NC

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Greetings Florida District Friends and Leaders

Kenn Hurto , Florida District Director  

Conversion: from Latin conversio, conversion-, a turning around.

Frequently, congregational leaders say to me, "We have many newer members who don't have a good background in Unitarian Universalism. At times, they can be extremely negative when we try to be a 'church.'"

Unitarian Universalism long has been a sanctuary for the religiously abandoned and disillusioned, many of whom are better at rejecting than affirming. We even have a phrase, "come-outers," that captures the sense in which some remain more attached to what they have left than to what they have found. Candidly, we do a poor job of converting them,  turning our people from what did not work toward something that could. Most of our member orientations are theologically and historically shallow, our expectations of members notoriously lax. We should not wonder that the religiously ignorant either define us in a series of "we don't believe..." or declare "Unitarian Universalists can believe anything you want!" -  surely the most nonsensical thing anyone could utter.

It's not new. Even Unitarian Nathaniel Hawthorne complained of it in The Blithedale Romance, his 1856 fictional recollection of the doomed-to-fail utopian community Brook Farm. Hawthorne parodied his fellow Unitarians -- Emerson, Bronson Alcott, Margaret Fuller -- noting:

On the whole, it was a society such as has seldom met together; nor, perhaps, could it reasonably be expected to hold together long. Persons of marked individuality - crooked sticks, as some of us might be called - are not exactly the easiest to bind up into a fagot. Our bond, it seems to me, was not affirmative, but negative. We had individually found one thing or another to quarrel with in our past life, and were pretty well agreed as to the inexpediency of lumbering along with the old system any further. As to what should be substituted, there was much less unanimity.

Integrating changing life convictions is a task of on-going faith development. Regrettably, too many of our good people fail to complete their conversions. They remain stuck in their "don't believe." They just don't turn. When that happens, they remain vulnerable to their woundedness. This then is expressed angrily in our midst whenever something we do echoes that old hurt. Too often, our halls resound with rude and aggressive disapproval and disdain - mostly of traditional faith expressions, Christianity in particular. We polarize over words. Our atheists cannot abide our theists; our secularists despise the language of spirituality. Our former Jews and Christians squirm if the Bible is mentioned.

This is bad enough. Sadly and worse, when you define yourself negatively, you readily slip into insisting others must agree with you - or else you must reject them as well. As I work with our congregations, I hear one painful report after another in which a congregation is at war with itself as some insist the whole congregation conform to the words and practices they condone. For a non-creedal faith, we have our own orthodox fundamentalists. As elsewhere, fundamentalism leads to division and brokenness. As ever, it makes faith expression an idolatry.

What to do? Spiritually, we all need to grow up, or at least keep growing. The Free Church needs ever to guard against a relapse into any of us insisting there is only one path to holiness, or goodness, or justice. Our Universalists are better at this, being less caught up in the right-belief arguing of the Unitarians. The Universalists affirmed we are all children of one divine grace, all are worthy, able to be and to give love. As David Ferenz (16th ct.) put it, "We need not to think alike to love alike!"

This is our essence: To teach the fragile art of love. We are less a belief-driven faith than a love-acting one. Let's stay there and lay aside all these divisions. With faith in you and us, I wish you all blessings and much love.

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Unitarian Universalist Service Committee News

UUSC Reacts to Gulf Coast Oil Drilling Disaster

On April 20, the BP oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and capsized off the coast of Louisiana, unleashing an environmental and economic catastrophe in one of the world’s most sensitive marine ecosystems. As more than 200,000 gallons of oil a day leak into the Gulf, UUSC is deeply concerned by the tragedy itself and the corporate and government response. UUSC is consulting with Gulf Coast allies to determine the best ways to pressure BP and the federal government to fulfill their responsibilities to clean up this oil drilling disaster, protect the environment, compensate those who suffer losses, and hold responsible parties accountable. Take action now to join us in these efforts.

Haiti Relief Donations Make a Difference

UUSC members and supporters have donated more than $1.8 million to the UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, enabling UUSC to partner with grassroots organizations on the ground to provide relief in the form of food, shelter, supplies, trauma treatment, and alternative fuel technologies — as well as strategize for long-term recovery.

Learn by Experiencing: UUSC Civil Rights Journey

There’s still time to register for Freedom Summer: A Civil Rights Journey! Join UUSC July 10–17 for an experience that will change your life. As you travel through Georgia and Alabama , you’ll explore the U.S. civil-rights movement of the 1950s and ‘60s, hearing directly from courageous people who worked to desegregate schools, register new voters, and forge a way forward against racial discrimination in the United States . Register now!

Stock Up for Summer Reading

Fill your bookshelves with essential human-rights reading — and support UUSC at the same time through our Powell’s Partner program. You can browse our list of recommendations, and every purchase you make earns UUSC a percentage of the sale, even on titles not on our recommended list. So you can even indulge in guilty-pleasure summer reading and feel good about it! Start browsing now.

 

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 News and call for action from the Standing on the Side of Love Campaign:

After centuries of being forced into the closet, gay, lesbian and bisexual service members are on the verge of breaking out this year.

Just last night, lawmakers reached a compromise that could pave the way to the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" before the year ends! But this compromise all hinges on key votes this week in the House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee.

We need you to call and email your representatives in the next 24 hours and ask them to repeal "don't ask, don't tell".

No matter how you feel about the military in general, I hope we can all agree that the key tests for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve - not the gender of the person you love.

Please make the call so that gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans can serve this country with dignity and honor.

Love,
Adam

Adam Gerhardstein
Standing on the Side of Love 

Campaign Manager