People of Faith for Equality in Virginia

From Hill and Dale:

Introductions are in order...

There are over 7,000 faith congregations in Virginia, and more than 2,000 pieces of legislation introduced this year alone by the 140 members of the Virginia General Assembly.  That said, I have been brought to this organization by the grace of God, to attempt the quixotic task of extending a hand to as many of them that will take it on behalf of all the religious people I know – and the many more that I hope one day to meet—who emphasize God’s love and inclusion over fear and judgment.   I believe that it is through community that we best do the work of God; over the coming months I hope to build our community and strengthen bonds, so that we can come back to the General Assembly as a united front, speaking with one voice (through many traditions) that God loves all his children and demands justice, dignity, and equality for them all.

I am Cameron Hunt, the new Program Director for People of Faith for Equality in Virginia.  I am a proud member of the Church of the Holy Comforter Episcopal in Richmond.  I have worked for GLBT rights with college groups for many years at both James Madison in Harrisonburg, and VCU in Richmond.  But as I found my strength in my church and my faith to continue this work, it often pained me, as it does for many of you, when I heard others invoking my God against the cause of love.  I hope to one day be ordained into the Episcopal Priesthood, but I refuse to wait for that day to begin to fight back against the slanderous misconception that faith and gay are somehow oxymoronic.  

Given the numbers above, it may seem a difficult task that we have set before us, but everywhere I turn I find new company for the journey in the faithful friends and allies who are tired of having our traditions misused against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allied people.  It is a very long road ahead of us here in Virginia, and sometimes I think it would be easier to find a more welcoming state, but when I think of the leaders of our traditions who stood in the name of love against hate I am heartened. “The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice,” as a great man of faith and change said. I know that together we can help our legislators to get that arc bending a bit faster.

For the next few weeks it will be my privilege to try and build relationships on that little hill in Richmond that has for many years been deaf to the GLBT community.  Already we have prepared to bring in many voices from numerous faith traditions to the ears of the Virginia General Assembly. Every Tuesday morning we shall gather to pray for them, and for a more inclusive Virginia; culminating in our Annual Equality Prayer Breakfast at 7am on the 15th of February, after which I hope many of you will come with me back to the assembly building and speak to your representatives in person about these long ignored issues.

During the rest of the year I will try and strengthen our network and find new friends and allies that can lend their voices to ours in strengthening the chorus for next year’s meeting of the legislature.  Year by year, session by session; our collective sound will rise until justice and equality comes to our home in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  This will not be achieved by lobbying alone; we do intend to have a increased presence at prides events, marches and festivals, new programming and outreach, and good old fashioned demonstrations and public events: like our annual Marriage Witness on Valentine’s Day at noon at the City of Richmond Court House across the street from the capitol building.