White House Sends Mixed Signals During Bush-Endorsed Anti-Gay "Marriage Protection Week"

West Hollywood Call it a mixed-message at best. Or maybe politics at worst. During the same week that U.S. President George W. Bush endorsed the anti-gay Marriage Protection Week, he sent enthusiastic 35th anniversary congratulations to the predominantly gay and lesbian Metropolitan Community Churches, a group that performs more than 6000 same-sex weddings annually.

Metropolitan Community Churches is one of the world's largest gay organizations, and was founded by openly gay Rev. Dr. Troy D. Perry in 1968. Today, MCC provides almost 300 local churches for its 43,000 members and adherents in 22 countries.

In his letter dated October 14, 2003, to MCC Los Angeles, the founding congregation of Metropolitan Community Churches, President Bush wrote, "By encouraging the celebration of faith and sharing of God's love and boundless mercy, churches like yours put hope in people's hearts and a sense of purpose in their lives. This milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on your years of service and to rejoice in God's faithfulness to your congregation."

The letter was written during the anti-gay "Marriage Protection Week, "an effort endorsed by President Bush and organized by such Religious Right leaders as Jerry Falwell, Dr. James Dobson, the Southern Baptist Convention and the American Family Association to deny equality under the law to gays and lesbians. In his proclamation endorsing "Marriage Protection Week," President Bush wrote, "Marriage is a sacred institution, and its protection is essential to the continued strength of our society. Marriage Protection Week provides an opportunity to focus our efforts on preserving the sanctity of marriage and on building strong and healthy marriages in America."

Rev. Troy Perry, human rights activist and Founder of Metropolitan Community Churches, expressed alarm at President Bush's proclamation in support of "Marriage Protection Week," which was designed "to preserve the sacred institution of marriage" by denying the right to marry to gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people.

Of President Bush's proclamation, Perry, "President Bush was wrong in his endorsement of a week dedicated to denying equal rights to gay s and lesbians. And while we appreciate the sentiments he expressed on MCC's anniversary, the President has sent a very mixed message that makes his effusive praise of MCC's 35th anniversary all the more puzzling."

President Bush's letter to MCC Los Angeles left Rev. Neil Thomas, senior pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles, baffled.

"How does one denounce the right of gays and lesbians to marry in their churches and suggest they are incapable of having healthy marriages in one moment, and in the next rejoice in God's faithfulness to a gay and lesbian congregation that perfoms such same-sex mariages?" Rev. Thomas asked.

Photos of Rev. Troy Perry and Rev. Neil Thomas with the Bush letter are aviailable online at www.MCCchurch.org.