Clergy Call 2009 Transcript: Joe Solmonese
HRC President Joe Solmonese
May 5, 2009
Behind me are clergy and religious leaders who have come to Washington, D.C. to speak for justice at this, our second Clergy Call for Justice and Equality. To come to this event is a sacrifice for them. These are hard economic times and clergy who rely on the financial commitment of their congregants are often the first to feel the economy’s sting. These are spiritually difficult times as well as war, job loss and disease leave many needing the religious counsel of their pastor. Nonetheless, they have come here today to speak out for the much needed protections of H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Why?
Because caring for their congregants, for their neighbors, and for their communities is central to their faith. These clergy have in many cases witnessed firsthand how hate motivated violence ripples through an entire community, leaving everyone it touches scared. They have seen the anguish on the faces of those who have been violently attacked and they have seen the palpable rise of fear when such crimes are left unaddressed because law enforcement did not have the recourses it needed to properly investigate a hate-motivated crime. They are here in short because they know we need the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act to help our communities feel safe.
These religious leaders are also here because they understand that discrimination in the workplace is most devastating in a recession. As with so many Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people know that layoffs can happen to them. They share the concern felt throughout the workforce that their jobs are less secure than they once were. Yet for LGBT people the anxiety around potential layoffs is compounded by the added worry that they could lose their job because of the whim of an employer who did not “approve” of their gender identity or sexual orientation. These clergy know that such discrimination is economically, emotionally and spiritually devastating and when left unchecked hurts all of us. As their congregations have taught them and as they in turn teach us, when discrimination is perpetuated against one segment of the community everyone suffers.
I am honored today to stand with these men and women who have said no to intolerance and no to injustice. These are the indeed people who are praying with their feet and we at the human rights campaign give thanks for their spirit and their advocacy.
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