News

Log Cabin Condemns Texas Court Ruling Against Church

District Court Ruling Against Gay Parent is "Appalling and Unconstitutional"

April 26, 1999

(WASHINGTON, DC) – The nation's largest gay Republican organization condemned a ruling by a Texas district court which declared a predominantly gay Christian denomination, the Metropolitan Community Church, is not an acceptable church for a child to attend services and Sunday school. The ruling came in the midst of a custody decision as part of a divorce between a lesbian mother and her husband.

In his opinion, Judge Keith Nelson of the 78th Judicial District of Texas wrote: "The primary issue is where the child would attend Sunday school and church... the intent was for mainline churches to be utilized in the religious training of the daughter. This would include the Catholic Church, and church in the Protestant faith such as Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Christian, Episcopalian, which are considered to be the standard religious institutions in the Protestant field. The Metropolitan Community Church does not fall within this category."

"This ruling is an appaling and unconstitutional overreach of the government, and a clear violation of the separation of church and state," said Rich Tafel, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans. "Clearly, the far right's obsession with attacking gay people continues to produce incidents like this across the country. It is another example of how the far right has a big government agenda of their own, despite their claims of being supporters of limited government. This state-sanctioned attack on the MCC must be reversed, and all people of faith should join together in demanding that it be overturned. If it is allowed to stand, who will be next?"

"It is time for anti-gay organizations like the Christian Coalition, the Family Research Council and the Traditional Values Coalition, all of whom have claimed that they are only concerned with religious freedom, to immediately join in condemning this ruling and demanding it be reversed," Tafel said. "If they don't join in defending the MCC, then they can't avoid the charge of blatant hypocrisy."