"Gay and
transgender Americans are our neighbors" will be the
simple message of faith leaders across the nation
during the week of September 14-20.
These religious
leaders are part of Seven Straight Nights for Equal
Rights 2008, a week that will spotlight fair-minded straight
people across the nation. In 2007, the
project's inaugural year, nighttime vigils lit
up 36 American cities in 25 states over seven nights.
This year,
churches in cities as diverse as Brooklyn, N.Y., Superior,
Wis., Danville, Ind., Modesto, Calif., Denver, Colo., and
Portland, Ore., will sponsor Seven Straight Nights
events.
Among the clergy
speaking out is Jay Bakker, son of Jim Bakker and Tammy
Faye Messner and pastor of Revolution NYC Church. "As
Christians, if we follow the example of Christ in
loving our neighbor as ourselves, then we have to
realize that everyone is our neighbor, everyone deserves to
be treated with love and respect and grace,"
says Bakker.
Bakker's
nontraditional approach to ministry achieved national
attention in the Sundance Channel documentary One
Punk Under God, which documented his journey
to become a gay-affirming Christian.
Nationally, Seven
Straight Nights is sponsored by Atticus Circle and
Soulforce, who are currently seeking straight people who are
interested in organizing a Seven Straight Nights event
in their communities. For more information, visit www.sevenstraightnights.org. (The
Advocate)
