Clergy Call for Justice and Equality

On May 22-24, 2011, hundreds of clergy and faith community leaders from across the country joined HRC's Religion and Faith Program to build up the faithful movement for LGBT justice. Their voices rang loudly in our nation's capital as they urged our Congressional leaders to keep equality at the forefront of our nation's conscience.

HRC’s Religion and Faith Program is deeply grateful to all those who participated in our 2009 Clergy Call for Justice and Equality.  The two-day event - including a plenary conference, an interfaith celebration, a press conference, and hundreds of clergy meetings with their members of Congress - showed our strength as a growing faith-based movement speaking out for LGBT justice.

This year's conference was the largest yet! The 2011 Clergy Call brough nearly 300 clergy and religious leaders from all backgrounds and faith traditions to ensure Congress knew that people of faith believed in fairness for LGBT people.  Religious leaders returned from Clergy Call energized with a new sense of possibility for change at home and a deeper sense of how their local work could embolden a new dialogue about LGBT people and faith throughout the nation. 

Clergy Call Media Coverage

Below is a Sampling of Press Coverage from the 2011 Clergy Call for Justice and Equality. If you have additional press stories to share from your Clergy Call experience, please email us at religion@hrc.org so that we can post the link here:

• Hundreds of Faith Leaders Converge on Capitol Hill for HRC Clergy Call
  HRC Blog – May 24, 2011
• Melissa Harris-Perry: LGBT Advocates Need Public Progressive Faith
  by Peter Montgomery – Religion Dispatches – May 31, 2011
• My time at the Human Rights Campaign’s 2011 Clergy Call
  by Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow – Patheos – June 6, 2011
• New Poll Reveals American Christian Majority in Support of LGBT equality
  San Diego LGBT Weekly - May 23, 2011
• HRC Poll: Majority of Christians Support LGBT equality
  San Diego Gay & Lesbian News – May 23, 2011
• Why 300 (Mostly Straight) Religious Leaders Are Gathering in Washington to Support LGBT Equality
  by Jay Michaelson – Huffington Post – May 22, 2011
• Utah Pator Pushes Congress for Equality
  by Rosemary Winters - Salt Lake Tribune - May 20, 2011
• Obama Faith-Based Advisor: Same-Sex Marriages Count
  by Nicholas Ballasy  - CNSNews.com - May 25, 2011
• Reflections on the Journey: Clergy Call Debrief
  by Rev. Susan Russell – An Inch at a Time – May 28, 2011
• Preachers Nationwide Lobby for LGBT Rights
  by Ed Ness - San Francisco Bay Times - June 2, 2011
• Melanie Martinez: There are Clergy in the Lobby
  by Rev. Melanie Martinez - Abilene Reporter News - May 21, 2011
• Clergy Call Reflections
  by Rabbi Denise Eger - walking humbly. seeking justice. living with hope. - May 27, 2011
• Could God Be Gay?
  by Faith Freed – May 21, 2011
• Pagans at the Clergy Call for Justice and Equality
  by David Salisbury and Iris Firemoon - The Wild Hunt - May 26, 2011
• MCC @ Clergy Call: Comments from individual MCC clergy and lay leaders who attended the 2011 HRC Clergy Call
  by Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson; Rev. Candy Holmes; Rev. Mel Martinez
• Rev. Megan Rohrer Blogging from Clergy Call and More from Megan
  by Rev. Megan Rohrer - Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries - May 23 and 25, 2011
• HRC Taps Living the Question Contributors to Promote LGBTQ Rights
  Living the Question - May 27, 2011 
• Music to My Ears
  by Jessica - The Secular Gospel According to Jess - May 24, 2011
• Clergy Call
  by Rev. David Weekley - In From the Wilderness- May 17, 2011
• Community Must Have Better Treatment for All
  by Rev. Kyle Walker - theeagle.com - May 20, 2011
• Don't Tolerate Homophobia
  by Min. T.J. Williams - Vindy.com - May 21, 2011