[Reader-list] Press release--Aanchal Trust & Humsafar Trust Oppose Vatican's Same-Sex Marriage Stand

[nkarani at hotmail.com]

Press Conference at Press Club Mumbai, Azad Maidan, Mahapalika Marg,
on 8th August 2003 between 4.30pm - 6.30pm


Aanchal Trust and Humsafar Trust Oppose Vatican's Same - Sex Marriage Stand

On July 31 2003, the Vatican released a twelve-page document entitled "
Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions
Between Homosexual Persons." It encourages lawmakers and religious leaders
alike to oppose extending marriage rights to same-sex couples. Aanchal and
Humsafar, a lesbian and gay support group reject and oppose this stand and
urge the Indian public to view our side of the story.

By not recognizing homosexuality to be natural, the Vatican is encouraging
discrimination into the minds of people. The Vatican is nervous now that
Homosexual marriages are being recognized all over the world, and is using
its power to propagate homophobia and discrimination all over the world.
Homosexuals add life and well-being to heterosexual society and
homosexuality is not a cause of concern to anybody, especially not the
Vatican. We believe in non-violence, and acceptance of any form of life and
believe in the same principles of truth, honesty and love that the Vatican
preaches.

Marriage is a bond between two people, not necessarily man and woman. As
long as the marriage is consensual why should the Vatican impose its
conservative views upon such a union? Is the Vatican then stating that
homosexuality and homosexuals are not human, and should be rejected? Doesn't
the Church preach and encourage love towards all people?  Isn't love
universal? By denying us our rights, the Church is contradicting its own
principles of love towards all and hatred towards none. If by telling the
world that the Vatican opposes same-sex Unions, then isn't the Vatican
breeding hate in the minds of vulnerable people who blindly follow the
values and principles of the Church?

It is a known fact that more and more priests are coming out as gay. Now
that the Vatican knows about this, do they spurn them? Or do they accept
them and treat them as equals, as we homosexuals do to heterosexuals.

What gives the Vatican the right to state what kind of marriages should be
accepted and should not be accepted? Why doesn't the Church open its eyes
and accept the fact that homosexuality is slowly being legalized and
accepted all over the world and change its myopic and conservative view of
this union?

We, Aanchal Trust and Humsafar Trust oppose the stand taken by the Vatican,
and as Kursad  Kahramanoglu Secretary General of the International Lesbian
and Gay Association states "This Vatican document against same-sex marriages
may seem like an attack on LGBT people - but it is not. It is an admission
if failure. Conservative popes come and go, but the tide of History is
unstoppable. When people look at this document years from now, they will be
very amused - in the way we are now amused with the debate "How many angels
can you fit on the head of a pin?"

If you would like any further information, please call Aanchal Trust at: 235
22787 / 235 22886.