ISSUES AND PROJECTS

[This page is under construction.  Please check back soon.]

Marriage Equality in California

We are opposed to Proposition 8, which is attempting to take away civil rights from lesbian and gay couples which both the California legislature and the California Supreme Court have affirmed.

Equality for All.   Help reverse this dangerous and unnecessary Proposition 8.  Get involved and contribute if you can!   See:  www.NoonProp8.com; also, a new site, NoOn8Church.org maintained by one of our members, has more links, contacts, legal issues and headlines about the movement to overturn the H8.

Faith for Equality.  Organized to heal the rift between faith communities and lesbian gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, to engage our congregations and people of faith in the movement for LGBT equality and to safeguard religious freedom. See:  www.CaFaithforEquality.org.

Crystal Meth Addiction and Abuse

Another web site is under construction as part of the Interfaith ClergyAssociation's work to rid the LGBT community of this enormous problem.  Check back soon.

Los Angeles Event To Provide Opportunity
for Open Discussion About SoCal Meth Use
Unique Workshop, Open to the Public Without
Charge, Is Underwritten by The Elton John AIDS Foundation


Saturday, August 22, 2009, from 9am-2pm

Sunday, August 23, 3.30pm-5.30pm

(Los Angeles) – Beyond the stigma associated with drug use and addiction, the specter of crystal meth imposes a degree of shame that presents unique obstacles for everyone from users seeking treatment to community members who are often unaware of its local prevalence.

In an attempt to address the complexities of meth use, its effects, and consequences, Deconstructing Meth, a community forum and educational workshop will be offered on Saturday, August 22, 2009, from 9am-2pm at Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles, 4953 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles, 90027.

The free workshop will be facilitated by Joshua Love, Director of Metropolitan Community Church’s Drug and Addiction Ministry, an initiative of the Metropolitan Community Church’s Global HIV/AIDS Ministry.

According to Rev. Dr. Neil Thomas, senior pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles, "No community is left untouched by the impact of meth, in large part because communities and social networks everywhere have become more connected and intertwined than ever before. The rising toll associated with meth use has permeated nearly every geographic region and social environment around the world."

Workshop presenter Joshua Love noted, "Perhaps more than any drug, crystal meth knows no boundaries. Its impact cuts across practically all lines of human difference, including age, race, gender, sexual identity, nationality, and countless social and economic conditions. Much like the global spread of HIV infection, meth affects everyone, whether they realize it or not," said Love, who is also a survivor of meth addiction.

While local campaigns have been increasingly waged to prevent, legislate, and provide education about meth use in recent years, international leaders of the Metropolitan Community Church began to identify a larger pattern of needs that demanded a more systemic response. Their approach encompasses innovative methods that address not only the proliferation of meth use, but also the pervasive misunderstandings and conflicted emotions that frequently accompany its unacknowledged presence.

Having already developed the necessary infrastructure and leadership for addressing issues of such widespread concern, Metropolitan Community Church expanded the scope of its successful Global HIV/AIDS Ministry to include a novel and inventive Drug and Addictions Ministry with generous funding from the Elton John Foundation and other sources of support.

Los Angeles is one of 10 cities in North America where Deconstructing Meth will be presented, and the Ministry is in the process of producing an educational curriculum guide and accompanying DVD that will be made available later this year.

Although Deconstructing Meth was conceived and developed by MCC, the workshop is not restricted to participants of any particular faith or spiritual affinity. The seminar is open to everyone, including active substance users, people in recovery, interested and affected loved ones, service providers, educators, faith leaders, and the community at large. There is no charge for the workshop.

According to Rev. Dr. Thomas, "A key element of the presentation will be an exploration of the powerful links between meth, sex and HIV." In addition to the presentation, participants will engage in group reflection and frank discussion.

Love, a national expert on sexual health and HIV prevention, explained, "It's an opportunity for growth, inquiry, and sharing in a safe and supportive environment." He added, "This is not a meth recovery program, but we will explore avenues for accessing treatment services in Southern California, and participants will be encouraged to pool their own knowledge of local and regional resources."

"As with so many faith communities, the denomination of Metropolitan Community Churches is acutely aware that drug abuse fosters conditions of social, spiritual and economic suffering and damage," said Love The primary goal of Deconstructing Meth is to bridge a diversity of experience fostering new insights of mutual understanding that empower collective compassion and productive action."

"I also want to note how grateful we are for the opportunity The Elton John AIDS Foundation has offered Metropolitan Community Churches to share the expertise of our staff and volunteers in this critical time concerning this critical issue," said Rev. Dr. Thomas. "Crystal meth impacts the lives of men and women, the young and old, and the wealthy and poor. Crystal meth does not discriminate."

Pre-event interviews with Rev. Dr. Neil Thomas and workshop presenter Joshua Love can be arranged via the contact information provided above.

Additional information on the MCC Drug and Addiction Ministry can be accessed online at www.MCCGHAM.org.

Additional information on the work and ministry of MCC Los Angeles can be found online at www.mccla.org.

# # #

BIO of Joshua Love, Seminar Presenter
Joshua L. Love, director of the Metropolitan Community Churches Global HIV/AIDS Ministry (MCCGHAM) and Metropolitan Community Churches Drug and Addictions Ministry (MCCDAM) is a passionate advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health and wellness. He is a survivor of HIV and drug addiction, an active participant in the gay men’s health movement and is committed to serving people where HIV/AIDS and addiction support services are either not available or significantly limited by extreme poverty and religious oppression. He travels the world to share a message of hope and spiritual renewal through preaching, workshops, and retreats. Published in the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (Spring 2007) and producer of a documentary, "A Spiritual Walk with AIDS: We Who Are One Body," Love is completing his Masters of Divinity at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. His first book, Uncommon Hope, an HIV/AIDS curriculum for communities of faith, is being released in 2009; and a second book, Deconstructing Meth, funded by the Elton John Foundation, is scheduled for publication in 2010.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
MCC's Global HIV/AIDS Ministry and Drug and Addictions Ministry

Deconstructing Meth Seminar
This seminar creates an intelligent dialogue about crystal meth use and abuse in our lives, our bodies and our communities. The seminar is open to EVERYONE without charge, including active substance users, people in recovery, interested and affected loved ones, service providers, educators, faith leaders, and the community at large. We will critically examine the way meth is portrayed in the media, the powerful link between meth and sex, meth and HIV/AIDS, and why addiction to meth seems so hard to overcome.

There will be a presentation, time for group reflection and discussion. This is not a meth recovery program but does include ways for people to access recovery resources in their own community. Participants are encouraged to share their knowledge of local resources.