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Editorial The bedrooms of the nation We’ve managed to prove something, in the newsroom of peacefulcommunities.ca. A few weeks ago we learned many people in the community were growing tired of the mainstream media’s approach to the same-sex marriage debate. That approach went something like this: find all of the fault lines possible in the issue and then bear regal witness to the ensuing verbal turmoil between gays, lesbians and church leaders. It was not journalism’s finest hour. It’s not that we had blinders on to the differences presented on both sides. It was just that we wondered why everyone had to constantly write about them. So, by design, we took the road less travelled by and created a different approach. As Peterborough planned to receive its first gay pride day parade, we simply got church leaders and members of the gay community talking with civility about this issue. The results might be considered real news, even to venerable media institutions. We had a Pentecostal minister – Rev. Murray Lincoln – who noted “the choices people make are their own.” “We have to be accepting of who they (gays and lesbians) are. It is how we live with their choice that is important.” The last sentence was particularly revelatory. For here was a church minister – who admitted he would not marry gay couples in his church – speaking in a very civil way about the nature of choice and freedom for all individuals. “Personally, I’m open to working with anyone. It’s finding the common ground” that is important, the reverend noted. His was not an isolated voice from the church community. Pastor Jamie Cox of the Christian Victory Church in Peterborough also said rights need to be respected. “We respect other people’s rights to choose, even if we don’t agree with their choices. It’s our responsibility to show people respect and compassion, whatever their choices.” When the parade actually occurred, about 400 people showed up in support. About 10 organized protestors gathered across the street from city hall during the rally. Ash Phipps, a co-organizer of the parade, told peacefulcommunities.ca they were simply holding their signs. “But they did not shout or anything, they protested in a mature fashion.” Where were these comments (or ones like them) in the local media? Where was the representation of common ground, the reaching out to community with thoughtful questions? Bill Gunson, a retired school teacher who is
gay, told peacefulcommunities.ca that there is a need to “stop
painting all religions and denominations as anti-gay and all gay
people as deviant.” Prepared by Roderick Benns |
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