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Title: ELCA Asks Parties to Stop Politcal Gay Bashing ELCA NEWS SERVICE - NEWSBRIEF April 24, 1996 STOP POLITICAL GAY BASHING The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is asking the Democratic and Republican parties to discontinue "discriminatory speech aimed at gay and lesbian people" in political campaigns and not to allow it to taint their party platforms. In letters to planners for the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention, the Rev. Charles S. Miller, executive director of the ELCA Division for Church in Society, says such rhetoric has already been used in the political process leading up to general elections in November 1996. "Anti-gay speech, while wrong in itself, is additionally harmful when some members of our society interpret it as legitimating physical violence against gays and lesbians," he wrote. Miller cited ELCA documents opposing "all forms of verbal or physical harassment or assault of persons because of their sexual orientation" and other forms of housing or employment discrimination. "We believe that political speech should call forth the best in our citizens: the virtues of tolerance, justice, humility, responsibility and loyalty to the nation," said Miller. "Such responsible rhetoric may not be a short-cut to political success, but in the long term it preserves human community." For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2958; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956