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Bishop Gene Robinson, Gay Rights Leaders to Reject Discrimination; Urge Full Inclusion in Episcopal Church
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Jun 13, 2006, 09:56

On Wednesday June 14, the Rt. Rev. Bishop Gene Robinson will lead a press conference with the president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Joe Solmonese; the president of Integrity USA, Rev. Susan Russell; and HRC Religion and Faith Director Harry Knox, to urge the Episcopal Church to stay the course towards equality and reject discrimination based on sexual orientation.

"It's time we took the Bible back," said Bishop Robinson. "It's time we took our faith back and stopped having to apologize for being Christian or Jewish or Muslim without having to explain, 'No, we're not that kind of a Jew, we're not that kind of a Christian.'"

The press conference will be held during the General Convention of the Episcopal Church USA. During the event, Joe Solmonese and Harry Knox will bring greetings on behalf of the national LGBT movement, and Rev. Susan Russell will speak on behalf of all volunteers, activists and donors at Integrity USA.

Bishop Robinson is the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal church, invested as the Ninth Bishop of New Hampshire on March 7, 2004. He is co-author of three AIDS education curricula for youth and adults and has done extensive work on AIDS in the United States and Africa.

-- Speaker: Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign

With over 600,000 members, HRC is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.

-- Speaker: Rev. Susan Russell, president of Integrity USA

Integrity USA is a 30-year-old national Episcopal LGBT advocacy organization. Rev. Russell is also Senior Associate for Pastoral Life at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, CA, and convener of "Claiming the Blessing," a national collaborative ministry focused on the full inclusion of the LGBT baptized into the Episcopal Church.

-- Speaker: Harry Knox, director of the HRC Religion and Faith Program

HRC's Religion and Faith Program gives voice to the fair-minded faithful, opens hearts and minds to new ways of viewing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and effectively works to reclaim the faith-based debate from the intolerant and radical right.