7/26/14

 WASHINGTON—Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) will gather at a Fayetteville, Arkansas church to share experiences about building stronger faith communities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their families. The faith gatherings are part of HRC’s Project One America, which is an effort to improve the lived experience of LGBT people. The conversation on faith and inclusion will be held July 26 from 11 am – 12pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 224 North East Avenue.

According to a recent survey commissioned by HRC, a third of LGBT respondents in Arkansas are people of faith, including 44 percent of African-American LGBT people. However, 18 percent have experienced harassment monthly or more at their respective houses of worship. To address the concerns of LGBT people within the faith community, HRC launched project One America.

“Like many people across the state, LGBT Arkansans embrace their faith communities with open and loving hearts,” said Project One America Faith and Religion associate director Joseph Ward. “Increasingly, Americans from all walks of life support equality as an extension of their faith, not in spite of it. This event aims to build more inclusive spaces across Arkansas.”

Participants will have the opportunity to share their diverse experiences in faith communities and hear from a panel of clergy and other local faith leaders. Each will talk about their journey leading inclusive faith communities. Project One America is working to change hearts and minds, advance enduring legal protections and building more inclusive institutions.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. HRC’s Project One America--an unprecedented effort to dramatically expand LGBT equality in the South through permanent campaigns in Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas—is generously supported by the HRC Foundation.

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