WASHINGTON
—
President
Bush
sent
a
letter
on
White
House
stationery
enthusiastically
congratulating
members
of
the
Metropolitan
Community
Church
for
the
35th
anniversary
of
the
predominantly
gay
Christian
denomination,
the
same
week
he
issued
a
proclamation
declaring
Oct.
12-18
“Marriage
Protection
Week.”
Critics
and
supporters
of
the
Bush
administration
say
they
don't
know
if
the
letter
is
sincere
or
a
possible
political
gaffe.
“By
encouraging
the
celebration
of
faith
and
sharing
the
message
of
God's
love
and
boundless
mercy,
churches
like
yours
put
hope
in
people's
hearts
and
a
sense
of
purpose
in
their
lives,”
read
the
letter
received
by
the
MCC.
“This
milestone
provides
an
opportunity
to
reflect
on
your
years
of
service
and
to
rejoice
in
God's
faithfulness
to
your
congregation.
In
the
days
ahead,
may
your
community
continue
to
grow
in
faith
and
friendship.
Laura
joins
me
in
sending
our
best
wishes
for
a
memorable
celebration,”
the
letter
said.
Gay
Republicans
welcomed
the
sentiments.
“I
think
it
is
a
nice
sign
that
the
White
House
is
recognizing
these
churches,
and
I
hope
they
are
sincere,”
said
Mark
Mead,
political
director
for
the
Log
Cabin
Republicans.
But
Tony
Perkins,
president
of
the
Family
Research
Council,
called
the
letter
an
“apparent
gaffe”
since
"MCC
is
one
of
the
largest
homosexual
church
organizations
in
the
country,
and
has
openly
criticized
the
president's
policies
on
same-sex
‘marriage’
and
several
other
social
issues,”
he
wrote
in
an
e-mail
newsletter.
“Today
I
spoke
with
the
White
House
about
this
matter,”
Perkins
wrote.
“While
on
its
face
this
looks
troubling,
it
appears
to
have
been
a
form
letter
which
does
not
reflect
the
previously
stated
views
of
the
administration
on
the
issue
of
marriage.
We
look
forward
to
the
White
House's
official
response.”
The
White
House
did
not
respond
to
questions
about
the
letter
by
press
time.
Rev.
Troy
Perry,
founder
of
the
MCC,
said
he
doesn't
think
the
letter
was
a
gaffe
and
added
that
it
was
not
a
form
letter.
“While
we
appreciate
him
thinking
of
us
on
our
anniversary,
and
we
really
do,
he
knows
we
part
company
on
the
issue
of
marriage,”
Perry
said.
Perry
added
that
he
didn't
want
to
seem
like
he
was
"pouncing
on
the
president,”
but
it
seemed
a
bit
hypocritical
that
Bush
would
congratulate
MCC
the
same
week
he
declared
“Marriage
Protection
Week.”
The
president's
proclamation
coincided
with
a
series
of
events
last
month
by
24
religious
groups
to
keep
same-sex
marriage
in
the
spotlight
through
the
2004
elections,
conservative
groups
said.
In
his
proclamation,
the
president
said
that
protecting
marriage
is
"essential
to
the
continued
strength
of
our
society."
He
did
not
specifically
reference
a
proposed
federal
constitutional
amendment
that
would
define
marriage
as
a
union
between
a
man
and
a
woman.
Rev.
Neil
Thomas,
a
senior
pastor
of
MCC
Los
Angeles
who
also
received
the
letter,
said
in
a
recent
press
release
he
was
“baffled”
by
the
conflicting
messages.
“How
does
one
denounce
the
right
of
gays
and
lesbians
to
marry
in
their
churches
and
suggest
they
are
incapable
of
having
healthy
marriages
in
one
moment,
and
in
the
next
rejoice
in
God's
faithfulness
to
a
gay
and
lesbian
congregation
that
performs
such
same-sex
marriages?”
he
asked.
If
the
letter
is
indeed
genuine
and
not
a
gaffe
or
a
form
letter,
it
represents
a
tightrope
that
the
administration
continues
to
walk
between
“compassionate
conservatism”
and
placating
the
GOP's
socially
conservative
base,
said
Dave
Noble,
executive
director
of
the
National
Stonewall
Democrats,
a
gay
partisan
group.
“The
Republican
Party
is
trying
to
walk
a
fine
line
and
they
can't
get
away
with
both,”
Noble
said.
“You
either
work
with
all
members
of
society
or
appease
your
right-wing
base
by
having
exclusionary
policies
and
sadly,
the
Republican
Party
is
controlled
by
the
extremists.”
8704
Santa
Monica
Blvd.,
Second
Floor
West
Hollywood,
CA
90069
310-360-8640
www.MCCchurch.org
