Acceptance of Openly Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Persons in the United States Military 1993 Resolution of Immediate Witness

BECAUSE the Unitarian Universalist Association affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every person and calls for justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; and

WHEREAS the Unitarian Universalist Association has, since 1970, adopted ten resolutions in support of lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons, including two resolutions adopted at the 1992 General Assembly that urged all Unitarian Universalists to support those who opposed the legalization of discrimination against lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons in Colorado and Oregon, and called for the Board of Trustees to express to the Boy Scouts of America its disapproval of the Boy Scouts' policy of discrimination against gay and atheist scouts and leaders;

WHEREAS the President of the United States has expressed his intention to reverse the 50-year-old Department of Defense policy which systematically hunted down, threatened, intimidated, and discharged lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons from the U.S. military because of their orientation and not because of misconduct;

WHEREAS the United States Senate and House Armed Services Committees have held public hearings to further study the issue of lifting the ban; and

WHEREAS forces of intolerance, hate, and bigotry have mounted a campaign of distortions, half-truths, and outright lies about lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons;

WHEREAS men and women who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual daily defend the rights of all citizens, yet cannot secure their own rights and responsibilities under the nation's covenant without the moral commitment of their President and Congress, and do endure constant assault on their nature and character by political and religious leaders in defiance of the evidence of history, military records, and common experience;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the delegates of the 1993 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association are outraged at the hate campaign being conducted against lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons as a reaction to the President's stated intention to lift the ban on lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons in the military;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 1993 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association strongly urges all Unitarian Universalist congregations to inform their members of the President's inten-tion to lift the military ban and urges all Unitarian Universalists to send their letters of support to the President and to members of Congress; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association directs the Unitarian Universalist Washington Office to inform the President and members of Congress of the 1993 General Assembly's support for lifting the military ban of lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons.