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Before the Action Begins: MAKE YOUR CASE.
(Case: A brief statement explaining why you are conducting this vigil)
DISTRIBUTE YOUR CASE
- Before the Action
- To leaders of the organization you are protesting;
- To the media; To those in charge of the vigil’s location; To local authorities.
- During the Action
- To those you protest, to Spectators, and to Possible Recruits for the Vigil.
A SAMPLE CASE
WHY WE VIGIL
December 2008
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Bi-Annual Meeting at the Capitol Hilton, Washington D.C.
We, the people of Soulforce, stand vigil today to profess our faith and to implore the Vatican through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to sign the non-binding “United Nations Statement on Human Rights, Orientation and Gender Identity.” The Statement, put before the U.N. in December, 2008, condemns violence, harassment, discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization, and prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also condemns killings, executions, torture, arbitrary arrest, and deprivation of economic, social, and cultural rights on those grounds. In 77 countries, homosexuality is illegal. In 7 countries it is punishable by death.
While proclaiming all life as sacred, the Vatican has failed to date to join the 54 countries who have welcomed this important document. Just weeks ago, President Obama indicated that the U.S. would rescind the vote of the Bush administration and sign on to the Statement. We are here today to remind the Vatican that recognition of the inalienable dignity of the human person is the only path toward justice and reconciliation.
For almost ten years now, Soulforce has challenged the Catholic Church to recognize that it is most catholic when it is inclusive and embracing, reflecting the gospel message of the all-inclusive Jesus. Unfortunately over these last ten years we have witnessed the Church becoming even more rigid in its statements and proactive in its anti-gay legislation, not just here, but throughout the world.
We gather to invite the Holy See to a new atmosphere of openness and dialogue, a dialogue which includes the lived experience of its many Catholic members. The arguments used by the Vatican to justify discrimination are based on stereotypes that have long since been renounced by psychological and sociological experts. These stereotypes cause psychic and spiritual damage to LGBTs everywhere.
We invite all justice-minded people to join with us today to invite the Vatican to repent its destructive rhetoric and begin to live out the Gospel of love. If you would like to join this VIGIL see Vigil Director to for instructions and for signing Nonviolence Pledge.
Soulforce, P.O. Box 1234, Lynchburg, VA. 24503
Vigil Contact: Kara Speltz, Soulforce Catholic Team Co-Chair Vigil cellphone: 562-123-4567 Office Phone: 562-123-4567 Office Email: Soulforce@aol.org Official Webpage:www.soulforce.org
