national interfaith rights conclave predicts religious progress for gays

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http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1127900335163700.xml&coll=2

Rights conclave in Cleveland predicts religious progress for gays

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

The Vatican may be on the verge of delivering a stunning setback to homosexuals in the Catholic Church, but a ban on celibate gay seminarians cannot stop the momentum for gay and lesbian rights among the nation's religious groups, advocates for change say.

Members of a national interfaith coalition on gay rights in religion concluded a two-day strategy meeting Tuesday in Cleveland, condemning a proposed Vatican document that they say links homosexuality with pedophilia.

However, leaders seeking change in faiths from Catholicism to Islam to mainline Protestantism said the decision of the Episcopal Church to stand behind its election of a gay bishop and the United Church of Christ's vote to endorse same-sex marriages is part of a "great awakening" on gay rights issues.

"Collectively, we have to feel good about progress that is being made," said Debra Weill, executive director of DignityUSA, an independent Catholic gay-rights group. "Some of the churches have taken amazing steps."...