For Immediate Release Area Church To Bring International Human Rights Campaign To Hartford Hartford -- An international human rights campaign on behalf of gay and lesbian Jamaicans is coming to Hartford, thanks to the gay-friendly Metropolitan Community Church. The world-wide faith communion of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) is calling on congregants to vigil locally and at Jamaican embassies, consulates and high commissions around the globe to demand an end to the violence that is endangering the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Jamaica. "A candle-light solidarity vigil and prayer service will take place on Thursday, February 21 at the Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford, 155 Wyllys Street, (parish house of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church) beginning at 6pm," said Rev. George Chien, senior pastor. Hartford's vigil will bring together faith communities, human rights organizations, local activists, and concerned citizens to raise visibility for the plight of gay and lesbian Jamaicans," added Rev. Julio Flores, Associate Pastor. "We're taking a stand against hatred," said Rev. Nancy Wilson, moderator of the MCC denomination, which has churches in 28 countries. "For too many years LGBT people in Jamaica have faced a horrific campaign of harassment, intimidation, violence, ostracism, hate crimes and even death." Citing a brutal January 29th attack in Greenvale, Manchester, Jamaica, where a club-carrying, machete-wielding mob forced their way into the private home of three gay men and attacked them, Rev. Wilson said, "People of goodwill across the globe must band together to demand an end to hatred and the violence it perpetrates." The January 29th incident was the latest in a long series of documented attacks against gays and lesbians stretching over many years. "Most of these anti-gay crimes have received scant attention from Jamaica's civil authorities and most have gone under-reported by the Jamaican press," said Rev. Wilson. In the Greenvale incident, a mob of 20 people surrounded a home chanting anti-gay epithets and demanding that three gay residents vacate the property. The mob then broke-in to the home, attacking the gay residents with clubs and machetes. Two of the men were seriously wounded and required hospitalization, including one man whose ear was cut off. A third man is still missing and presumed dead. Police were called at the time of the incident but failed to arrive for over 90 minutes. "Gay people in Jamaica have suffered a long history of religiously-inspired and socially-sanctioned violence," said Rev. Wilson, "and it must end now! It is time for the government of Jamaica to act to protect the lives and safety of its LGBT people, and it's time to end the use of religion as a justification for hatred and violence." The denomination's international campaign has already included demonstrations, protests, press conferences and prayer vigils from Pretoria to London, New York City, Miami, Toronto and Philadelphia. Hartford's vigil will is being co-sponsored locally by People of Faith and Queers Without Borders. "We will be calling upon The Honorable Dr. Kenneth Baugh, Deputy Prime Minister of Jamaica, to immediately authorize a thorough investigation into this most recent act of hatred and the simultaneous failure of law enforcement agencies to hold anyone in the mob accountable," said Rev. Chien. Hartford's vigil will include a letter-writing campaign to Dr. Baugh with the following demands: 1. That all political leaders and members of the police force in Jamaica uphold their sworn duty to equally protect and serve all people. 2. That people of goodwill in Jamaica and around the globe end their silence and speak out on behalf of tolerance and mutual respect as the values we most cherish. "We call upon religious leaders to condemn the violence and to speak out against using the Bible and other sacred texts to "justify" harming and taking human life," said Frank O'Gorman, Director of People of Faith. --30-- Additional information on is available by calling Rev. George Chien at (c) 860-690-7024 or (w) 860-724-4605 or Frank O'Gorman, Director, People of Faith at 860-841-5006. The Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford is a member congregation the world's largest and oldest Christian denomination with a primary, affirming ministry to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons. More than 225,000 persons annually attend programs and services of the Metropolitan Community Churches denomination, often referred to as "The Human Rights Church" for its commitment to social justice as an integral expression of Christian faith. To arrange media interviews with the denomination's international organizers, contact: Jim Birkitt MCC Communications Director Los Angeles, California Tel. (310) 625-4177 E-Mail: info@MCCchurch.net Queers Without Borders is a radical queer community that challenges spatial, physical, religious, gender, political and all other imposed boundaries. People of Faith works in collaboration with faith communities, organizations and people of goodwill to articulate faith-based values as a foundation for progressive politics and to mobilize constituents for social justice and peace activism. |