Public statement adopted by the Board of Directors of GSMCC

Last week at the Leon County Commission meeting, during which the proposed Leon County Human Rights Ordinance was being discussed by the Commissioners, Commissioner Bill Proctor made statements which singled out homosexuality and implied a connection between pedophilia and “homosexuals in our churches”. He went on to say that he would not support the proposed ordinance as long as churches are not held accountable for these abuses.

First, let it be clear that Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) stand firm in opposing pedophilia and for the protection of all of our children from pedophiles (male or female, straight or gay) and from abuse of any kind. As committed Christian believers we do not, nor cannot, condone such behavior in any way, at any time, by anyone, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, and/or a person’s church or religious affiliation.

Second, MCC Churches stand firm in support of the First Amendment Constitutional rights afforded to all of us with regard to freedoms of speech, religion, and expression; and we defend these rights for all citizens regardless of whether we might share their particular viewpoints or not. But let it also be perfectly clear that we do not believe the right to freedom of speech extends to allowing a person to deliberately make misleading, false, untrue, and/or otherwise unproven, and unfounded statements and comments about other individuals and/or group(s) of individuals; especially when such statements are made in contexts that serve, by mere association, to unfairly impugn the character of those individuals or group of individuals.

By equating pedophilia with homosexuality in such a singled out way, we believe that Commissioner Proctor’s comments cross the line.

Members of MCC Churches profess faith in Jesus Christ and commit ourselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and straight individuals to living out God’s unconditional love for all people in our everyday lives. And yes Commissioner Procter, along with many others in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community - both those single and those in committed relationships, we are responsible citizens and tax payers. We hold all kinds of respectable jobs throughout the Leon County community – and we often have families and children of our own, with the same needs and desires to provide for them and to give something back to the communities in which we live. Yes, Commissioner Proctor, we are the regular people who live around the corner, down the street and who may even be neighbors to you… working alongside of you, and yes, maybe even going to church with you too! Commissioner Proctor’s comments represent the very essence of why the proposed Human Rights Ordinance for Leon County is not only needed, but so vital for the protection of ALL citizens of Leon County.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Congregation of Gentle Shepherd Metropolitan Community Church of Tallahassee,

Jay Hudson, Vice Moderator of the Board of Directors