Speak Up Against Baha'i Discrimination Against Homosexuals

Target:

The Universal House of Justice [Baha'i supreme administrative body]

Sponsored by:

The Baha'i Faith, a world religion that espouses many beautiful, forward thinking ideas, also unfortunately overtly condemns homosexuality and teaches that it is a spiritual "handicap." Gay Baha'is face the loss of their Baha'i administrative rights if they are open and honest about their sexual orientation and lifestyle.

Recently, the Baha'i community of Uganda participated in an interfaith effort to deport an American journalist for covering a LGBTI human rights event called, "Let Us Live in Peace." The Baha'is of Uganda also advocated the arrest of all LGBTI individuals in Uganda for their "immorality." Please see the following links for more information:

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/peter_tatchell/2007/09/ugandan_gays_demand_freedom.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6952157.stm

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/aug/07082103.html

Baha'is who disagree with this blatant discrimination face administrative and spiritual "sanctions" from their religious authorities.

It is time to speak up.

If you find the Baha'i position on homosexuality offensive and discriminatory, please sign this petition.

If you are a Baha'i, and you sign, please be aware that you risk administrative sanctions from the Baha'i institutions.* But ask yourself why you should have administrative rights, when they are denied your gay brothers and sisters. Perhaps it is time to demonstrate your commitment to justice, fairness, and the oneness of humanity by risking your own administrative rights in a stand for justice. Do not let the type of actions that happened in Uganda be done in your name. Take a stand.

For more information about the Baha'i Faith's stance on homosexuality, please visit:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bah.htm

If you are a Baha'i and receive warnings, counseling, or sanctions due to your voicing your disaggreement with Baha'i discrimination through this petition, please consider informing us so that we might inform the media, anonymously if you prefer. Consider the words of Martin Luther King, Jr:

"I submit that an individual who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law." (Why We Can't Wait, Page 83)

We, the undersigned, find the Baha'i teachings and policies regarding homosexuality morally unacceptable on the following grounds:

- Homosexuality is not a handicap, spiritually or otherwise
- To malign or attempt to eradicate a natural, healthy, and unchangable part of a human being is abusive and wrong
- The denial of full Baha'i administrative rights, including the right to marry, based on sexual orientation is blatant and unacceptable discrimination
- The Baha'i condemnation of homosexuality perpetuates the spiritual and physical abuse of LGBTI individuals across the globe
- Baha'i institutional backing of homophobic, discriminatory and abusive agendas, as in Uganda, is antithetical to regard or human rights, justice, and equality

In the modern world, all organizations should be held accountable to public scrutiny and opinion. The Baha'i position on homosexuality is unscientific, promotes fear and loathing of homosexuals as persons, and denies homosexuals their basic human right to marry and live free of censure and discrimination based on who they are and who they love.

The world is watching. Any further action by the Baha'i community that promotes a hate-filled, homophobic agenda either at the level of the individual believer or at the community level, as in Uganda, will not be tolerated and will be put to public scrutiny.

We invite you to change your ways and join with the people of good will across the globe in fully embracing and enfranchising the LGBTI community.

Thank you for taking the time to review our concerns.

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We signed the "Speak Up Against Baha'i Discrimination Against Homosexuals" petition!

# 154:

8:46 pm PST, Nov 21, Kristin Etzel, Texas
Acceptance is a basic human right and a religion should not exclude those who wish to reach god based on sexual orientation. I have a friend who is a gay Baha'i.

No.

# 153:

8:34 pm PST, Nov 21, Name not displayed, Texas
I am a gay man. I came to the Faith because it spoke to me. God spoke to me through his revelations. This is a faith that unifies science and religion, people of all nations and creeds, but most importantly, one that unifies God and mankind. The idea that homoxesuality is wrong and something to be fixed is in many ways contrary to these ideas. Though I am disturbed by this intolerance, I am firm in my faith, and I am, and shall remain a Baha'i.

Yes. I am a man, a child, a person, a follower of God, Adam, Moses, Abraham, Christ, the Buddha, Krishna, the Bab, and Baha'u'llah

# 152:

2:22 pm PST, Nov 20, Anne Seidel, Germany

# 151:

11:59 pm PST, Nov 15, Name not displayed, California
This issue is important to me because I firmly believe that God does not discriminate against /any/ of His children, regardless of how they may chose to love one another. Whether it is a religious organization or society in general, this deplorable stance has proven to do nothing but further divide people. The Baha'i Faith is a faith based on the principle of Unity. I find this stance on homosexuality to be contrary to the notion of Unity.

Though I have never "officially" left the Baha'i Faith because of my love for Baha'u'llah, I have not been active for years primarily because of this antiquated and shameful stance on homosexuality. How can this teaching promote unity, the core of all Baha'i teachings? I do not intend to ever be active in the Faith again unless and until this belief and teaching ends and true Unity begins.

# 150:

2:32 pm PST, Nov 7, Felicia Trautman, Ohio
Yes

# 149:

4:38 pm PST, Nov 3, Robert Berry, California
I am a Baha'i and have Baha'i friends that are gay. Homosexuality is a personal issue and doesn't bother me. I have no hatred or fear of homosexuals. I do agree that sex is for the procreations of children. I voted for gay marriage because I don't believe in oppressing people with my own religious interpretations.

Yes I am a Baha'i.

# 148:

4:51 pm PDT, Oct 25, Carole Hagen, Oregon

# 147:

12:05 pm PDT, Oct 20, Linda 'Osk Spencer-Gallagher, Michigan
This issue is very important for me because as loving and open as the bahai's are, they are closed to this. I truly enjoy their community and have family in the faith. They are all beautiful people. Maybe this is actually their spiritual handicap. I am not one for organized religion, but if I was, I would be a Bahai except for this issue.

No, I am not a Bahai, but it has been a part of my life since I was born

# 146:

2:17 pm PDT, Oct 16, Mark Cappetta, California

# 145:

11:28 am PDT, Oct 5, Nik Rowley, United Kingdom
This issue is important to me because I consider myself a gay baha'i, and this religion which I love propegates a correlation between faith and science but fails to take notice of what science has to say on the subject and repeatedly states that the sientific finding on homosexuality is 'biased', all I want is to please my creator without being made out to be spiritually handicapped or a 'second class citizen'. Sexuality cannot be fundamentally changed and I find it offensive that the faith says it can, sexuality is a part of a human beings personal identity, and by stating that it can be changed is taking away a part of a persons identity, I choose to remain a bahai but worship on my own and not with my community which I should rightfully feel comfortable doing simply because of how this law makes me feel. The UHJ cannot change this law but in light of scientific evidence and society attitudes as well as the teachings on 'breaking down barriors' bewteen groups, they can relax their position on the law of homosexuality and they should rightfully do so in order to us gay baha'is a greater form of equality within the community but also because how can humanity become unified as the teachings claim we will if the belief system propegating unity discriminates against homosexuals ?

Yes.

# 144:

9:11 pm PDT, Oct 1, Ashley McNamara, California
I have wanted to investigate the Ba Hai religion and learn more, and maybe become part of it, but the discriminatory position towards gay people has caused me to stay way.

# 143:

11:35 am PDT, Sep 28, Pam DeLitta, Texas

# 142:

3:54 pm PDT, Sep 27, Jonah Bossewitch, New York
The core of the Baha'i teachings are unity - of religions, humans, and all-there-is. Divisiveness, discrimination, and inequality should be condemned whenever they rear their heads. This hypocritical doctrine, and the lack of courage to overturn it, is a dark festering boil on the beautiful message and teachings of the Faith.

Yes, though at the moment, not particularly proud of it.

# 141:

11:02 am PDT, Sep 15, Jeremy Lowe, Kentucky

# 140:

10:57 am PDT, Sep 13, Name not displayed, Alabama
I find that it is an absolute travesty that anyone of the Baha'i Faith should stand against same-sex couples. For a Faith that has such beautiful teachings and such a lack of dogmatism, it is absolutely appalling, sickening, and disappointing and an outright and blatant slap in the face to God Himself that anyone should discriminate or show prejudice against individuals with a same-sex orientation. The tendency towards fundamentalism this early in the religion's history is pathetic, and I seriously hope that God saves us all from it, that Truth might be revealed once again.

# 139:

8:11 am PDT, Sep 12, Name not displayed, Sweden
The world will only become a better place when those institutions which perpetuate ignorance and bigotry are stopped.

No.

# 138:

8:20 pm PDT, Sep 5, Name not displayed, Ecuador
As I mature in the Baha'i Faith, I find I open up and understand better. I have carefully explained "the Teachings" on homosexuality to gay friends, and my shame at remembering this probably does not undo the harm caused...

I am a Baha'i till they throw me out for some sincere gesture, hopefully half as brave as the efforts reflected in this petition!

# 137:

3:19 pm PDT, Sep 3, Joe Crone, Canada
I have friends that are gay, who am I to judge?

I was a Baha'i for 19 years but am no longer a Baha'i.

# 136:

3:29 pm PDT, Aug 31, Pat Kohli, Maryland
The American Psychiatric Association determined in 1973 that homosexuality is not a disease or illness. Furthermore, they point out that discrimination against them is deplorable. http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/policy/discrimination.html. Baha'u'llah says we should seek competent physicians. http://bahai-library.com/books/rg/rg.biblio10.html

Yes.

# 135:

8:46 am PDT, Aug 28, Dan Jensen, California
This kind of discrimination needlessly hurts many Baha'is directly, and also gives the Baha'is a bad image. I believe the Baha'is can do better as a community.

Only by birth.

# 134:

9:08 pm PDT, Aug 14, Cale Lynn, Texas
As a Baha'i, I have been taught not to discriminate anyone for what they do or things that are beyond their control. Homosexuality is not a choice, and for this reason, we should for not discriminate against them.

Yes

# 133:

7:05 pm PDT, Aug 7, Sara Goodman, New York
I was very close to becoming a Bahai as I believe in almost everything the religion is about except for this one piece.

no...but very interested in this faith

# 132:

3:14 pm PDT, Jul 29, Tony Naaman, Texas

# 131:

7:16 am PDT, Jul 19, Paul Rowlandson, United Kingdom
This issue is important because it reeks of hypocrisy. Bahais are persecuted in Iran, and rightly complain of it. Yet they propagate hateful attitudes towards homosexuals. I oppose the persecution of Bahais, and I oppose the Bahai persecution of gays. The Bahai attitude toward gays greatly surprised me. I thought they were a liberal, tolerant religion. I am very disappointed by their attitude.

I am neither a Bahai nor a homosexual. My good will toward Bahaism has been greatly weakened by their anti-gay stance.

# 130:

12:34 am PDT, Jul 7, Jozef A Blazej, California
because homosexuality is not a changable part of a person, and even if it were, the Baha'i faith should still respect people for who they are- does Baha'i not teach that all mankind is one?

i would be if only they accepted LGBT folks...

# 129:

7:30 am PDT, Jun 27, Daile O'Connor, New Jersey

# 128:

7:48 pm PDT, Jun 26, Charley Hooper, Canada

# 127:

9:42 am PDT, Jun 24, Carole Blakey, Washington

# 126:

8:26 pm PDT, Jun 21, Tatiana Costa, Brazil

# 125:

11:35 am PDT, Jun 15, JOLLY Marc, Belgium
Everybody must be free of his sentimental life hetero or homo. It's something personnal and private. Let's all be tolerant and living in a beautiful faith.

I like the baha'i faith and I was baha'i years ago. I still have a long way to go to wisedom !

# 124:

6:46 pm PDT, Jun 12, Bernhard Kolbe, New Jersey
I am a Christian who almost became a Bahai, when I heard about the beautiful teachings of the faith. Then I was shocked to find out about the stand taken against same sex couples and others and realized that this couldn't be real and progressive revelation since this was such a basic matter of simple justice.

Independent Catholic Christian

# 123:

3:53 pm PDT, Jun 11, Mark Fear, United Kingdom

# 122:

1:27 pm PDT, May 25, Thomas Raukamp, Germany
If we are here to build a future society it should be a society for all upright people. Sexual orientation shouldn't matter. I support full administrative rights for gay Baha'is.

Yes.

# 121:

8:55 am PDT, May 20, Glynn Shaffer, California

# 120:

5:36 am PDT, May 15, Simon Robson, United Kingdom

# 119:

11:41 am PDT, May 12, Name not displayed, United Kingdom
Because, for a religion that speaks of equality, discriminating against bahai's isn't the sort of thing a religion that believes in equality should do!

Yes

# 118:

3:17 pm PDT, May 10, Courtney Blouzdis, Indiana

# 117:

10:21 pm PDT, May 9, Name not displayed, Missouri
I have been searching for a religion that is progressive, accepting in which I can grow spiritually. I was disappointed to learn about Baha'is stance on homosexuality. I find it especially ironic as they have suffered persecution and discrimination during their own history. Perhaps God doesn't accept them as the newest true faith after all. Their persecution in the Middle East might be God's punishment for their own hipocracy.

# 116:

2:20 pm PDT, May 9, Emma Trefethen, United Kingdom
I was very close to becoming Baha'i but the discrimination against gay people was a deal-breaker for me. I have gay relatives and I could never follow a belief system that didn't support them. I find the homophobia in the Baha'i to be a strange anomaly in what is otherwise the most promising modern religion in the world.

# 115:

11:00 am PDT, May 9, Sarah Geinosky, Illinois
I would be if not for this issue

# 114:

4:45 pm PDT, May 4, Victoria Sobczak, Washington
The Baha'i teachings are centered on unity of ALL humankind. How is it possible to subscribe to the faith and still discriminate towards homosexuals? It's impossible, contradictory, and hypocritical.

Yes.

# 113:

2:45 pm PDT, Apr 29, Ciaran Clarke, Ireland

# 112:

3:27 pm PDT, Apr 23, Lauren Fant, Florida

# 111:

8:43 pm PDT, Apr 19, Name not displayed, Oregon
I have all but renounced my Baha'i beliefs because I can not be who I am and be a Baha�i. While I believe in the teachings of Baha�u�llah, I can not spread the faith in good conscious knowing that I am actively oppressing other individuals like myself. I believe that the answer lies in progressive revelation. The Universal House of Justice bears the responsibility of leading the world in to the new world order and maintaining the integrity of the writings not only to the believers, but to the people of the world. It will be impossible to carry out that momentous of a task without sincere veracity on all levels. I will continue to practice equality in all aspects of my life because it is my belief that that is what God and Baha�u�llah would want. It saddens me that I will have to do this without the support of the faith. I applaud all those who stand up for who we are. After all, we are all seekers of the truth and we have found our truth.

Yes

# 110:

3:40 am PDT, Apr 14, Jon Corlett, Florida

# 109:

1:53 pm PDT, Apr 9, Mekeah Penny, California

# 108:

9:02 pm PDT, Apr 5, Melissa Flory, South Carolina
As a lesbian Baha'i this issue is of incredible importance to me. The Baha'i mandate is of unity and equality, to discriminate against not only against some of their own members and their community is against everything a Baha'i stands for and it is wrong.

Yes

# 107:

9:59 pm PDT, Apr 4, Jennifer Boyd, Georgia
I am deeply interested in becoming involved as a bahai, but the message of unity and equality seems totally in contradiction with the faith's stance on homosexuality. While I am very much aligned with what I have learned about Baha'i, I could not commit to supporting and being supported by a faith that practices any sort of bigotry, especially one that is based on sexuality, which I believe to be from God...gay straight, bisexual or transgendered.

no, but if the faith were to change its position, both my husband and I would be.

# 106:

10:45 pm PDT, Mar 29, Viktoria Johansson, Sweden

# 105:

11:12 am PDT, Mar 22, Doreen Cecilia Mendes, Spain
Change can only come about when human beings speak out on behalf of others who are oppressed. The Baha'i institutions are complaining about the treatment of Baha'is in Iran, Egypt and other countries. They forget that they do the same - discriminate against those who are different. I like to remind them that what they dish out, they get back. It is the law of the jungle.

I am an ex-Baha'i.

# 104:

5:38 pm PDT, Mar 13, Emily Fischer, Massachusetts
Because I have several lesbian Ba'hai friends to whom this issue is incredibly important; therefore, it is important to me.

# 103:

12:52 am PDT, Mar 11, Adrienne Corradini, Australia

# 102:

2:18 pm PDT, Mar 9, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania

# 101:

6:05 am PDT, Mar 9, Debra Shrader, California
Everyone has family or friends who identify as homosexual. Discrimination does not fit with a faith in God who created us all. I urge Baha'i's to take the BEST of the world's religions, not the worst.

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