Equality Council is excited to launch All in God’s Family:
Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families, a new curriculum for
welcoming congregations. This resources was created in partnership
with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and COLAGE. To access the
resource, visit the Institute for Welcoming Resources website.
See our statement to the press below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 11, 2009
Contact:
Pedro Julio Serrano, Communications Coordinator, National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force, 646.358.1479, pjserrano@thetaskforce.org
Meredith Fenton, Program Director, COLAGE, 415-861-5437 x102,
Meredith@colage.org
Dustin Kight, Communications Manager, Family Equality Council,
617-502-8700 x228, dustin.kight@familyequality.org
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
family-inclusive faith curriculum launched, fills gap
Leading organizations partner to make faith communities more
welcoming of LGBT people
All in
God’s Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families is a
joint project of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s
Institute for Welcoming Resources, COLAGE and Family Equality
Council
WASHINGTON, May 11 — Leading organizations today released a
curriculum designed to help faith communities support and embrace
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their
families. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Institute for
Welcoming Resources, COLAGE and Family Equality Council announced
that this multimedia curriculum will go a long way in providing the
necessary tools to make faith communities affirming of LGBT people
and their families.
“While many churches have done very well welcoming individual
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members into their midst,
many have not done so well with LGBT families,” says the Rev.
Rebecca Voelkel, Institute for Welcoming Resources and faith work
director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “But LGBT
families deserve the same love and honor as all God’s beloved
families. This curriculum helps congregations extend God’s
extravagant welcome to all of God’s families — especially LGBT
families.”
All in God’s Family includes concrete tools to educate faith
leaders, including a step-by-step guide to supporting LGBT families
of faith and tools for facilitating group learning, community
dialogue, Bible study and community action planning to highlight
LGBT families in our communities. Additionally, the curriculum
includes Families Like Mine, a book about adults with LGBT parents
written by Abigail Garner, whose father is gay; the youth-produced
documentary In My Shoes: Stories of Youth with LGBT Parents; and a
CD containing the phototext exhibit “That’s So Gay: Portraits
of Youth with LGBT Parents.”
“I know many LGBT parents who struggle with faith,” says
Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of Family Equality Council.
“It can be difficult to find a congregation that feels welcoming
and supportive. Though they want raise their children in a
community that shares their values and beliefs, LGBT parents also
want their children to be embraced. That’s why we partnered to
put together All in God’s Family: Creating Allies for our LGBT
Families. We know there are thousands of congregations out there
that want to embrace our families. We want to give them the tools
to do so more fully.”
“For youth and adults with LGBTQ parents, finding a faith
community where your family is respected and reflected can be a
challenge,” says Meredith Fenton, COLAGE program director.
“COLAGE is pleased to be a partner on All in God’s Family:
Creating Allies for our LGBT Families and invites your faith
community to use these tools to move beyond acceptance to full
inclusion and celebration of LGBTQ families.”
All in God’s Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families can be
acquired for a suggested donation of $50.00. As a special
promotion, the first 50 congregations to request the curriculum
will receive it for free. All in God’s Family: Creating Allies
for Our LGBT Families can be acquired at www.WelcomingResources.org.
About the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Institute
for Welcoming Resources
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Institute for Welcoming
Resources (IWR) works to support the unconditional welcome of
people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and their
families in the church home of their choice and empower them to
work for justice in church and society. IWR works with more than
3,300 congregations worldwide that welcome and affirm lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people. www.welcomingresources.org
About COLAGE
COLAGE is a national movement of children, youth and adults with
one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer
parents. We build community and work toward social justice through
leadership development, youth empowerment, education and advocacy.
www.colage.org
About the Family Equality Council
Family Equality Council works to ensure equality for lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender families by building community, changing
hearts and minds, and advancing social justice for all families. We
recognize and believe that the laws, provisions and ordinances that
hurt LGBT-headed families also hurt so many others—single
parents, blended families, families of color, and more. To that
end, Family Equality Council is standing strong to defeat
anti-family legislation and promote pro-family legislation. For
more information, please visit www.familyequality.org.
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