Michael Adee, National Field Organizer for More Light Presbyterians, reports on his week at Hastings

April 15, 2006   [posted 4-17-06]

Hello from Hastings, Nebraska, and one of our Presbyterian colleges, Hastings College. I am serving this week as the educator, chapel preacher and guest lecturer with The Alliance for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Equality on campus. 

The Alliance is the student-led organization with faculty and staff support that offers education, awareness and solidarity events and experiences on campus to provide safety for and understanding of LGBT persons and their families. The Alliance is similar to other "Gay-Straight Alliances" on college and high school campuses.

An extraordinarily talented student leadership team organized a week of activites around their annual observance of a Day of Silence on April 12. Judy Sandeen, Director of the Student Health Center, and Antje Anderson, Professor of English, are sponsors of the Alliance and work closely with the students.

The Day of Silence at Hastings College is observed in solidarity with GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network's annual Day of Silence held in April. From www.glsen.org: "The Day of Silence®, a project of GLSEN in collaboration with the United States Student Association (USSA), is a national student-led day of action where those who support making anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) bullying and harassment unacceptable in America’s schools participate in activities to recognize and protest the discrimination and harassment - in effect, the silencing - experienced by LGBT students and their allies."

At Hastings, the Alliance students offered an educational table at the student center, gave rainbow ribbons to be worn on the Day of Silence, Ally buttons, wore solidarity t-shirts, participated in the chapel service and created the Breaking the Silence Vigil evening program.

Working with David McCarthy, campus chaplain and 2 student leaders, I offered the chapel sermon, A "No Boundaries" Gospel inspired by Micah 6: 6 - 8 and Mark 12: 28 - 31. Because MLP has such a strong and comprehensive library of educational materials, I was able to offer an LGBT-faith focused resource table for chapel and the vigil. The educational materials on LGBT/faith issues, the Bible, etc. were taken quickly and I had to keep restocking the table. Always a good sign.

The Alliance students produced the Vigil and they offered poetry readings, Terrence McNally's "Andre's Mother," media, music, powerful first-person narratives of coming out and what it means to be an ally. The Vigil ended with candelight, a breaking of silence and a sending out commitment to solidarity and safety for all students.

In addition to preaching in chapel, speaking at the Vigil, meeting with the Alliance group, PHIVE-O Peer Educators, I also offered guest lectures in three college classes, a luncheon "table talk" on faith and sexual ethics, an educational program for the Hastings PFLAG Chapter, and an Adult Forum at First Presbyterian Church, Hastings followed by an after-church educational luncheon.

It has been a remarkable and rewarding "more light" week here. I am so impressed by the students, those who are out and proud, and those who are heterosexual allies who are friends and stand with them. I am impressed and grateful to see the rainbow "safe zone" stickers on faculty, staff and administrators' office doors all over campus.

Hastings College offers a remarkable model for other Presbyterian college campuses with its Alliance group, Day of Silence and other LGBT-supportive programming. Judy Sandeen who has worked with the Alliance, Day of Silence, etc. and I are ready to consult with you to start or advance LGBT-support on your campus, to help get "A Day of Silence" as part of your campus' life, etc. If you are a graduate of a Presbyterian college and it does not have an Alliance group, a "safe zone" project, or Day of Silence, why not? Let's talk.

LGBT/faith outreach to Presbyterian colleges and seminaries is one of the educational and spiritual support priorities for MLP. Your financial support of MLP made this week of field outreach to Hastings College possible. Thank you. Together we are building a Church for All God's People.

with hope and grace,

Michael

Michael J. Adee, M.Div., Ph.D., National Field Organizer

More Light Presbyterians, 369 Montezuma Avenue # 447, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 820-7082,michaeladee@aol.com, www.mlp.org