Please support Senate Bill 14

I received a very supportive reply from Senate President Jeff Kessler this morning after contacting him about marriage equality in WV, he suggests we take immediate action and contact Senator Corey Palumbo, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Currently Senate bill 14, which would add sexual orientation to the Human Rights Act, thereby guaranteeing housing and employment protections is in his committee. Please contact Senator Palumbo and let him know that this bill needs to pass through his committee and on to the floor!  This bill also adds protections against age discrimination, so please contact Mr. Palumbo today.

Contact: corey.palumbo@wvsenate.gov or (304) 357-7880

Sample letter, feel free to expand it or write your own:

Senator Palumbo,

I urge you to pass Senate Bill 14 through the judicial committee. Adding sexual orientation to the protections afforded in the Human Rights Act is the right thing to d...o. Our WV schools have been so enlightened to add sexual orientation to their anti-bullying policies this year, won’t you afford those same protections to LGBT folks who are dealing with overgrown bullies in the workplace and even in their own homes? Please take a strong stand against this behavior and FOR this bill.

Sincerely,
[your contact info]

Thoughts on a new protest (but not a new concept)

I swell with pride when reading things like this in our church’s long and storied history:

“…First Congregational also has a long history of being on the forefront of the “peace and social justice” issues that our country has found itself in through out our, nearly, 140 year history.  First Congregational was the first church in the city of Huntington to rise up in the 1920’s during Women’s Suffrage in support of all women and equal rights.  First Congregational was the first church in the Huntington area to “officially oppose discrimination and segregation” of the 1950’s and 60’s.  First Congregational became the first church in the city to integrate.”

What a beautiful thing!  I remember a story from Janet Bromley about friends of hers, a Christian and a Jew, who wished to marry.  No church or pastor in Huntington would perform such a marriage at the time except for… you guessed it.  OUR church. First Congregational UCC of Huntington, WV.

It’s not a very far leap then to find that First Congregational is again, aligning itself on the right side of social justice in this day and age even just looking at marriage equality, we have a beautiful history!  Blacks could wed whites in our church before it was ever a thought in the minds of other churches.  A Christian and a Jew could unite in marriage when no other church would entertain them.  And now we are a church where two men or two women can enjoy a union ceremony while other churches won’t even let them gain membership (if they are even allowed through the doors).  This is a fact that we can and should be proud of, just as we can be proud of being on the right side of history for the past 140 years.

The Peace and Social Justice team is excited to be participating in a protest, a demonstration, a peaceful ploy to gain attention for marriage equality.  We continue in the heritage of the UCC by actively supporting those who are fighting for equal rights. 

As a Christian, a dad, an engaged gay male and a progressive thinker, standing up for marriage equality is a no brainer.  As a member of First Church’s new Peace & Social Justice team, I am proud to be offering up opportunities such as this for our membership to be involved in. Let us not shy away from being on the right side of history, EVER!

We invite you to join us on Valentine ’s Day, February 14^th at 10am at the Cabell County courthouse as William and myself, along with many other same-sex couples and like minded individuals proceed to ‘Apply for Equality’ as we symbolically apply for marriage licenses. I am boldy Christian, proudly progressive and ready to actively display that fact before this community. Just for LGBT issues? No! My vision (and hopefully yours!) is to also radically support the homeless and underprivileged, radically support the ‘green’ movement, radically support the victimized from any category, because I am UCC, I am First Church and I am radically proud of it.

For more info on the protest, please visit THIS LINK 

Peace,

Justin

Working in the Light.

Welcome to the blog of the First Church Peace and Social Justice Team. You may be inclined to clutch your pearls and ask who we are and what do we want, but we come in Peace! We are the new budding branch at First Congregational UCC in Huntington, founded in a rich tradition of spiritual and Christ-led work. As we shape our identity, we will author and share entries on Social Justice issues including but not limited to:

• Advocate for equality, safety, and freedom from oppression for all people
• Access to basic needs (shelter, clothing, food, medical access)
• Environmental protection and maintenance 
• Disaster relief
• Food Security

Some are the kinds of work you expect from a Christian organization, and some are "hot buttons" that will open dialog and steer the evolution of the church and its people in society. Recently UCC has been able to light its steeple, both figuratively and literally lighting the way to the sanctuary and the fellowship within. What our team does is carry that light out to the community, lighting the darkness of need and despair, or lighting the paths to improving the world we've inherited.

It can be disheartening and alienating to sit and watch the world today. We hope to be an example of how to walk and engage in this world with love and promote Social Justice and Positive Change. 

Please join us for meetings and visit here often. We hope you join in on doing good!

..."Freely you have received; freely give."