The Rainbow Declaration

Editor's Note: It really is shameful and despicable to take the most glorious day of the year and use it for a political statement. This tells you what the gay lobby in ecusa is about. On the day of highest attendance, with the most visitors of any Sunday of the year, the focus of the gay lobby in ecusa is on themselves and not the resurrected Christ. Easter is a day of rejoicing and proclamation of the resurrection. The gay lobby in ecusa plans to make it a day of political statement. Again, this is shameful and despicable.



But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you. Psalm 5:7

To our sisters and brothers in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion:

In their Communiqué of February 19, 2007, the Primates of the Anglican Communion laid out steps to be taken by the Episcopal Church, specifically by the House of Bishops, by September 30, 2007. As lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members of the Episcopal Church and heterosexual supporters of full and equal participation for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender people in the church, we do not agree as to the course of action the Episcopal Church should take in response to the Primates’ Communiqué.

We agree that:

* The Episcopal Church must understand what is being asked of it—especially in terms of its lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members.
* The Episcopal Church needs to know who its lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members are in order to know who is being asked to pay the price of unity in the Anglican Communion.
* Until lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members of the Episcopal Church have full and equal access to all the sacraments and rites of the church, lesbians/gays/bisexuals/transgendered people are essentially second-class members of the Episcopal Church.

We acknowledge that:

* No matter what course of action the Episcopal Church decides to take, faithful Episcopalians will feel it necessary to leave the Episcopal Church.
* Some of us may be among those who leave the Episcopal Church.
* There are lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender people who live in places where making themselves visible is unsafe and even life threatening.

We affirm the presence in the church of our lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender sisters and brothers who preceded us, giving of themselves and their gifts while remaining invisible as lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender people.

Therefore, on Easter Sunday we (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender and all allies) will be present in our churches and make ourselves visibly known to our fellow parishioners, clergy, bishops, and leadership through the wearing of rainbow sashes, stoles, hats, buttons, and other articles of clothing and accessories.