Sexual Orienta Letters Petition
Sexual Orientation Subcommittee
p.o. Box 524, Dubuque, 1A52004-0524
January 4, 2005
Dear Honorable Mayor and Members of the Dubuque City Council:
During the course of the past year the Sexual Orientation Subcommittee of the Human Rights
Commission has been committed to seeking input from a diverse representation of our
community. Churches and religious institutions ftequently have been in the foreftont in seeking
social justice and equal rights for all members of their local communities. The same is true in
Dubuque, both historically and currently. In this spirit, over eighty local religious leaders,
representing traditions as diverse as Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Presbyterian,
Unitarian Universalist, Quakers, United Methodist and United Church of Christ have signed the
following petition to you:
We, as clergy, women religious, diaconal and lay ministers, and seminary faculty serving
in the Dubuque area, support the proposal of the Human Rights Commission that the City
of Dubuque include sexual orientation in the city's non-discrimination policy. Neither we
nor most of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil unions or gay
marriages. Nonetheless, on theological, moral, and constitutional grounds, we believe
deeply that all citizens, irrespective of sexual orientation, should be protected from
discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, credit and education.
Please note the signatures of these eighty leaders who serve the Dubuque community and who
call upon you to support the Human Rights Commission proposal. Included in the list are two
bishops who serve the people and congregations of Dubuque: Bishop Gregory V. Palmer of the
Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church and Bishop Alan Scarfe of the
Episcopal Diocese ofIowa. All names are on the attached sheets; the originals are on file in the
Human Rights Commission office.
Part of the task of the Sexual Orientation Subcommittee is to "educate the community." To this
end we will be issuing a news release on Monday, January 10, so that residents of Dubuque may
know how strongly the religious leadership stands against discrimination and in support of the
Human Rights Commission proposal.
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We, as members of the Subcommittee, thank you for your attention to this matter.
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of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil unions or gay marriages.
Nonetheless, on theological, moral, and constitutional grounds, we believe deeply that all
citizens, irrespective of sexual orientation, should be protected trom discrimination in
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To the Dubuque City Council and to the Community at-large:
We, as clergy, women religious, diaconal and lay ministers, and seminary faculty
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the City of Dubuque include sexual orientation in the city's non-discrimination policy.
Neither we nor most of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil
unions or gay marriages. Nonetheless, on theological, moral, and constitutional grounds,
we believe deeply that all citizens, irrespective of sexual orientation, should be protected
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We, as clergy, women religious, diaconal and lay ministers, and seminary faculty
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Neither we nor most of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil
unions or gay marriages. Nonetheless, on theological, moral, and constitutional grounds,
we believe deeply that all citizens, irrespective of sexual orientation, should be protected
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our church bodie~ are of one mind about homosexuality, civil unions or gay marriages.
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of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil unions or gay marriages.
Nonetheless, on theological, moral, and constitutional grounds, we believe deeply that all
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Neither we nor most of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil
unions or gay marriages. Nonetheless, on theological, moral, and constitutional grounds,
we believe deeply that all citizens, irrespective of sexual orientation, should be protected
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Neither we nor most of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil
unions or gay marriages. Nonetheless, on theological, moral, and constitutional grounds,
we believe deeply that all citizens, irrespective of sexual orientation, should be protected
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of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil unions or gay marriages.
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the City of Dubuque include sexual orientation in the city's non-discrimination policy.
Neither we nor most of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil
unions or gay marriages. Nonetheless, on theological, moral, and constitutional grounds,
we believe deeply that all citizens, irrespective of sexual orientation, should be protected
trom discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, credit and
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To Dubuque City Council and to the Co=unity at.large:
We, as clergy, women religious, diaconal and lay ministers, and seminary faculty serving
in the Dubuque area, support the proposal of the Human Rights Commission that the City of
Dubuque include sexual orienmtion in the city's non-di5crimination policy. Neither we nor most
of our church bodies are of one mind about homosexuality, civil unions or gay maniages<
Nonetheless, on theological, moral, and constitutional grounds, we believe deeply that all
citizens, irrespective of sexual orienmtion, should be protected trom discrimination in
employment, housing, public acco=odation, credit and education.
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January 5/05
City Council Members
City Hall
Dubuque, IA 52001
To: City Council:
I am writing this letter to encourage you to vote to include sexual orientation in
Dubuque's non-discrimination policy. Regardless of your personal feelings on this
subject we must protect all neighbors regardless of sexual orientation, color, economic
status or anything that makes him/her different from us.
It took a long time for us to include women or people of other races as equal citizens with
all rights protected by law. Let us move quickly to accept the lesbian and gay person too.
Sincerely,
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Helen Johnston
3460 Starlite Dr., #301
Dubuque 52003
Hi88keys(ÍÌ)mwci.net
PS Maybe some of you got this on the internet. When Oprah interviewed Billy Graham,
she asked him, "What would you do if you found out your son was homosexual?" Rev.
Graham answered, "I would love him even more". We must work to see that
EVERYONE enjoys equal rights under the law.
(--
Page 1 of!
Jeanne Schneider
From:
To:
"Manene Apel" <apelpark@dubuque.net>
"Joyce Connors" <jconnors63@mchsi.com>; "DBa Roy Buol" <rbuoI1@mchsi.com>; "DBa
Patricia Cline" <patriciacline@mchsi.com>; "DBa Mayor Duggan" <jschneid@cityofdubuque.org>;
"DBa John Markham" <jmarkham@cornerenergy,com>; "DBa Dan Nicholson"
<dnicholson@cityofdubuque.org>; "DBa Ann Michalski" <aem10@mchsLcom>
Monday, January 10, 20051:08 PM
addition to city ordinance
Sent:
Subject:
As lifelong Dubuquers and business owners for 24 years, we are writing
today to address a very important issue facing our city: adding sexual
orientation to the city's civil rights ordinance.
Our work force is dwindling as our young people move away trom Dubuque.
Each year it becomes more difficult to find qualified employees because so
many young people are leaving our city. Presently, Dubuque has a great PR
campaign going on to bring those people back.
We've seen some growth in Dubuque; going from an ultra-conservative,
"closed to the outside world" attitude to a city who is, in
theory, trying to open itself to real growth, opportunity and diversity.
The
"outside" world is diverse and if we expect to stop the brain drain, we need
to become welcoming to all people.
I encourage you to vote yes to add "sexual orientation" to the city's civil
rights ordinance. If this issue is turned down, we will, in the world's
human right's eye, be pushed back 50 years.
Please write us back today to let us know how you plan on voting on this
issue.
Sincerely,
Daniel Apel
Marlene Apel
Apel Paving & Parking Lot Service
4485 Dodge Street
Dubuque, IA 52003-2601
Phone 563-556-6231 Fax 563-588-1240
www.apelinc.com e-mail: apelpark@)dubuque.net
'.,,'
1/10/2005
January 10, 2005
Dear Members of the Dubuque City Council:
I am writing in support of the proposal by the Dubuque Human Rights Commission to add
sexual orientation to the current city ordinance forbidding discrimination. I recognize that
many citizens may be opposed to such protection for this minority based on moral or other
reasons. Some of these arguments are made by Jim Giese in his "My View" piece in the
1/9/04 TH opinion pages:
- that there have not been sufficient complaints of such incidents to justify a change in the
law. Mr. Giese bases this on statewide statistics regarding "hate crimes", a narrower
category of behavior than simple discrimination, thus not a good representation of the
extent of the problem of discrimination.
- that there are numerous victims of discrimination - overweight or short persons, for
example - who may want "protected status", and thus lead to a glut of lawsuits. He submits
the sarcastic proposal for "The Trial Lawyers Ordinance" forbidding discrimination "against
anyone for any reason". Discrimination ("to note or observe a difference, to distinguish
accurately" in the dictionary) is not only permissible but justified based on numerous
grounds, mostly behaviors: illegal, destructive or offensive behavior - including public or
coercive sexual behavior regardless of sexual orientation. Some characteristics are
legitimate reasons to not hire a person: poor hygiene or social skills, for example, when
dealing with the public is important. There are other legitimate reasons to decline to rent to
someone: a history of loud parties and/or providing alcohol to minors, or not caring for
property, or the well-founded fear of other criminal activities being conducted on the
property, based on that person's past behavior.
Simple sexual orientation should not be a basis for such discrimination, however. It is clearly
an issue of growing public concern nationwide in the past years, and the number of locales
which have added it to their human rights ordinances demonstrates the growing recognition
of this. The analogies to protection from racial and religious discrimination are clear. Years
ago, especially in Dubuque, there were probably very few complaints of discrimination
based on these two characteristics, given the tiny number of blacks, or relatively few non-
Catholics, in our city. I grew up here, and saw none of the former, and was aware of few of
the latter, until I reached college age.
I believe that a decision such as this should be made not based only on the extent of the
problem, or the risk that it will open the floodgates to groundless or frivolous complaints. I
believe that the city council should recognize its opportunity to make a "moral" statement of
its own: that there are some areas of an individual's life that deserve respect and protection
from economic, employment or housing discrimination, even if we find them disagreeable or
vary from our personal preferences, even if these preferences are based on religious or
other moral grounds. One's sexual orientation (not behavior, which is legitimate to limit in
public) - but orientation - should be included in our city's statute.
;'
Re'!l'~
t e Heer
1514 Auburn
Dubuque, IA 52001
ph: 556-0606 (home)
556-3310 ext 716 (work)
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345 West Locust Street #3
Dubuque IA 5200]-4555
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January 10, 2005
Dubuque IA Mayor and City Council
C/O City Clerk Office
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque IA 52001
Dear Mayor and Council Members:
I would like to add my voice to the many who are calling for the inclusion of
sexual orientation as a protected class in the city of Dubuque,
I have graduate degrees in both psychology and theology and work as a school
counselor for the Holy Family Schools in Dubuque. My education and life
experiences have taught me the importance of extending basic human rights to alL
Those of a minority sexual orientation should have equal justice under the law.
This is not only a principle of good citizenship in a democracy, It also reflects
good theology in the Catholic Christian framework.
I agree with the recommendation of the Human Rights Commissioners, Because
they are your recognized advisors in such matters, I hope that you will give their
opinion and this matter your serious consideration.
Thank you for your leadership and service to our city.
Sincerely,
i~i;;~w~
Billie Greenwood
Cc: Human Rights Commission