August 1998 Newsletter on this page... The story of how PFlag came to Buenos Aires..... .....an illustration of the need for international networking, documentation centers, coalition building and sharing resourcess |
OTHER SHEEP NEWSLETTER AUGUST 1998
run off. Come, link up with us, because God's new just order finally has begun to dawn," (Mat 3:1; 4:17)!
you might even say, set out to sow his seed...but some managed to land on good soil." (Mat 13:3,8) Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA, August, 1998 Dear friends, The need for PFlag in South America (1986)
in Buenos Aires (for Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays) . Shortly after arriving here in January 1986 and beginning to work with sexual minorities, I became aware of the desperate need for such groups throughout Latin America. One father tried to strangle his daughter on learning she was lesbian. Almost no one was out to their parents, and both sexual minorities and their parents often were involved in family violence and suicide. I had copies of the wonderful literature from the USA Finding PFlag Literature in Spanish in New York (1990)
translate them, but never finished. I think it must have been around 1990, after several years of frustration and desperation, passing through New York I visited the Different Light book store, and down on my hands and knees pawing through a handful of dusty titles in Spanish, I literally shouted with joy and amazement to discover all the standard Pflag literature already translated in Spanish--apparently for use with hispanics in the USA, since none of the groups in Latin America seemed to know about them. Triumphantly I took them back to Buenos Aires and began to distribute copies, expecting Pflag chapters to spring up overnight. Many took copies for parents and friends in crisis, but somehow a Pflag group never materialized. John and Pepe distribute PFlag liturature throughout South America (1994)
visiting virtually every country in Latin America by bus, and depositing with interested groups and individuals the literature we considered most urgent (on the Bible, theology, human rights and AIDS), including of course all the Pflag pamphlets in Spanish. Again, I expected Pflag groups to sprout up overnight all over Latin America. But although lesbigay groups and parents eagerly received the folders and expressed enormous gratitude for the wisdom they offered, Latin America seemed mysteriously resistant to the establishment of any group that might strengthen the ministry in this areas, reach out to more parents and begin to affect public policy. Irmgard Fischer initiates a PFlag ministry (1996)
post with Bayer and had time for ministry. A widow with a gay son living in Germany, Irmgard began to sense a deep sense of call from God to work with other parents in her situation. With German thoroughness she began to contact parents, appear in the media, attend all kinds of lesbigay meetings throughout the country, and distribute Pflag literature as widely as possible. Often other family members were indignant and distressed and sought to make her swear never to embarrass them again with magazine articles and TV interviews, but Irmgard persevered. Ariel (of our Other Sheep scientific board) and I often tried to encourage her and shared other related literature.
Cordoba, I was overjoyed to hear that at last she had a solid group of 10 parents meeting regularly and determined to work with her to develop this ministry. The story of PFlag in Buenos Aires illustrates the need for international networking, documentation centers, coalition building and sharing resources
the "shame" factor with sexual minorities and their parents is much stronger even than in the USA and northern Europe. In every country we need to pray that God will thrust forth more Irmgards into the harvest, since literature distribution by itself evidently is not sufficient. I believe the story of Pflag in Buenos Aires well illustrates the importance of Other Sheep's efforts to encourage international networking, documentation centers, coalition building and sharing of resources. Years ago someone in Pflag had a vision for multicultural ministry and getting the literature into Spanish, and the investment was made in good translations. Lacking was a link with an international organization to assure effective distribution in all of Latin America and Spain. Other Sheep is an organization dependent on volunteers
what it's like to be lesbigay or a parent in Latin America, Africa or Asia, where usually even in the large cities no one has even heard of such an organization or such revolutionary perspectives ("Be proud of your gay child--not ashamed"!). Other Sheep, the only worldwide ecumenical lesbigay ministry, is seeking to make sure that resources that can save countless lives and do not just collect dust somewhere in our centers of privilege. From contributions received, no salaries are paid and no overhead deducted. A friendly law office in St. Louis handles much of the administrative work without charge and we count entirely on volunteers like Irmgard, Ariel, John and Pepe and myself to get the work done. It is not possible, in Latin America, to be a "doubting Thomas" where the need is great and as we give, we receive all the more
as during my 25 years service with an evangelical mission board, I am more convinced than ever that as we share and interact with those in even needier circumstances, we always receive more than we give. Perspectives on the Bible and the Christian faith that I have learned from Latin Americans do not permit me to be a "doubting Thomas" on that question, and I often notice how friends in the USA become energized for their local work as they network with God's project for humanity In the God of Hope, Tom Hanks
And the wonderful articles in OPEN HANDS (Spring), including three related to OTHER SHEEP and Pflag (www.pflag.org) in Latin America?
head" (Mark 4:28). |
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| Other Sheep Newsletter August 1998 |