Gay activists debate faith at Indiana U. forum

[davidinalameda]

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.php?id=36402&adid=city

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Hoosiers face increasing challenges to their Constitutional rights as American citizens, but the battle toward recognized statewide GLBT human rights continues.

Indiana Equality and the Interfaith Coalition on Nondiscrimination co-sponsored a three-part forum June 24 titled "Journey to Justice: Promoting a Welcoming Society for GLBT People in Your Faith Community and Beyond" to introduce the idea all Hoosiers are made in God's image regardless of their sexual orientation. About 60 community members attended the event at First United Church Bloomington, and the agenda included a presentation by ICON Executive Director Dan Funk, a panel discussion and small group dialogue about what local congregation members can do to provide a welcoming and inclusive faith-based home to the local GLBT community.

"Homosexuals and heterosexuals both have sacred worth," said panelist and St. Marks Methodist Church representative Tom Shafer. "We say 'you can be homosexual but don't practice it.' We have a real conflict in the Methodist Church."