SPEECH FROM DIVERSITY IN THE PARK 6/27/2004

I find it amazing in the world today that we have groups fighting wars, killing, condemning and hating each other over the proper pathway to a "Loving God." It's a "not so divine" absurdity. I almost said comedy, but it's not the least bit funny.

A very dear Minister friend, we call "The Rev." tells us that the creator has given us a precious gift, a gift of unimaginable beauty and worth. That gift has become encrusted beyond recognition with the garbage and excrement of greed, hatred and material desires. It has been twisted and redefined to accommodate and justify personal prejudices, hatreds and ambitions. We're at the point where His precious gift is difficult to find.

To rediscover that gift we have to look beyond the hatred and prejudices and into our hearts. For that is where this special gift resides. It is the bond that unites us. It is the ladder that lifts us up beyond ourselves. It is the instrument that creates the music of our souls.

That gift of unimaginable beauty and worth is the gift of Love. It is the love we have in our hearts that takes us to and unites us with the Creator. It is the love that only has value when we give it away to others.

Hate tears us down and divides us. It is destroying the world. It is destroying us. It is time that we unite in that love to celebrate, support, nurture and protect each individual's right to their own faith. Freedom of religion means the right of each individual to live by the dictates of their own conscience without interference and without retribution. It means the right to be who you are and to be respected for how you were created.

Freedom of Religion can never give anyone the right to use coercion, legal or illegal, to force their beliefs on anyone else. It is the role of government to make it possible for all beliefs to be treated equally. To accomplish that role, the government must remain neutral. It must accommodate all. Love enters in our hearts not on our lips.

There are thousands of GLBT young people who are in pain because of the attitudes of people like Phelps. It is our mission to reach out to these young people and to this community to stop the pain and to stop the hate. We must let these young people know that they are worthwhile and loved. and we must help them unite with all of us as "One Human Family." No more hate! No more abuse! No more victims!

Thank you for your support.