4 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE April 24, 2009

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www.GayPeoplesChronicle.com

Obama's faith-based office to be broader than Bush's It will be open to LGBT and liberal groups, says gay panel member

by Eric Resnick

Washington, D.C.-President Barack Obama's proposals for social service delivery are shaping up to be a radical departure from past practices, with religious leaders setting the priorities and having more of a role than ever before in deciding where federal money goes.

This has created both consequences and opportunity for the LGBT community, though many concerns about churches' attitudes and discriminatory practices toward LGBT people are not yet being addressed.

A few days after his appearance at the Human Rights Campaign Cleveland dinner, Harry Knox, HRC's director of religion and faith, was appointed to the commission advising the newly created White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. He joins Fred Davie of Public/ Private Ventures as the only openly LGBT representatives on the 25-member panel.

Rev. Otis Moss of Cleveland's Olivet Institutional Baptist Church is also a commission member.

Knox said he knew his name had been submitted while he was in Cleveland, but he didn't mention it because he didn't know he had been selected until the next week.

In previous administrations, faith-based programs have been funded from an entirely separate pot of money.

The Obama White House sees the newly created office deciding the funding priorities for all the federal government with regard to social services, with advice from the commission and working groups.

The use of the word "neighborhood" in the office's title is more than nomenclature. It is operational.

Federal agencies including Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, Departments of Energy, Education, and Homeland Security will take their domestic policy cues from this White House office.

Obama has charged the office and the commission with setting broad policy and funding priorities in four areas: help with economic recovery; promoting fatherhood; reducing the need for abortions;

and reducing global warming.

Knox talked about the commission and his role on it a few days after the commission met for a two-day briefing at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door to the White House.

Directing the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships is 26-year-old Pentecostal minister and former Xenia, Ohio resident Joshua DuBois.

DuBois was the force behind the relationship between Obama and anti-LGBT activist megachurch pastor Rick Warren. He also set up the controversial campaign appearance of anti-LGBT Christian rocker Donnie McClurkin, an "ex-gay" who proclaims that homosexuality is "a curse."

"My experience with Josh was very positive," said Knox. "He was welcoming and forthcoming, and it's clear Josh understands that he works for the president."

The commission membership is varied, and includes LGBT allies Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Religious Action Center of reform Judaism and others to hard core anti-LGBT forces including the Southern Baptist Convention and the Salvation Army, which has two representatives.

Knox says the commission will take recommendations to the president. He is not sure if there will be occasion for the committee to vote.

"The president has not gathered people who will kowtow to him," said Knox, "rather people who will bring him varying ideas." "My sense is that decisions will not be made by a vote of the council," said Knox, "The council will advise, and the president will act on the benefit of our best advice. I have no sense that the president will be bound by up or down votes by the commission."

While faith-based groups receiving federal grants is not new, serious concerns appeared during the Bush administration, specifically the ability of the churches to use federal money to discriminate against LGBT people in service delivery and employment.

This arrangement's primary proponent in 2001 was the Salvation Army. A July,

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Obama has not repealed Bush's executive order allowing the Salvation Army and others to use federal money to discriminate.

According to Knox, however, a task force has been set up to "put the office on a firmer legal footing, a more constitutional footing, and assure there is no discrimination."

Knox will serve on that task force. At press time, he did not know who else would be.

He believes another concern of LGBT people can be dealt with, even temporarily, through regulation.

When candidate Obama introduced this plan in Zanesville, he was vague on how he would protect LGBT people who are not covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Obama's campaign did say that federal funds would not fund "ex-gay" ministries, but other than putting out a statement saying grant recipients "must comply with federal anti discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964," the campaign stopped short of saying how protecting LGBT people would happen under the present law.

When pressed, the campaign answered that "Senator Obama has been working to pass a fully-inclusive Employment NonDiscrimination Act, so that employment discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation or gender identity is not permitted. He will continue to fight for ENDA's passage as president.”

With the faith-based program getting off the ground and ENDA's passage possibly years down the road, the administration is being as evasive as the campaign was.

The campaign ignored 11 written questions submitted by the Gay People's Chronicle last year seeking clarification. This year, the White House also asked for written questions and got four, including if Bush's order would be canceled. Again, there has been no response.

Knox said whatever regulations may get put into effect, "they will be stronger after ENDA has passed."

"I think ENDA will pass during the president's first term," Knox said.

In his book Tempting Faith, David Kuo observed that the churches most likely to apply for money are the most conservative. Kuo was deputy director of Bush's the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Kuo also says that those are the churches most likely to believe that "God's law" reigns supreme over civil laws, hence they aren't inclined to follow federal laws they don't like.

Knox said, "That won't happen here." "That was true of the Bush administration," said Knox, "because those churches

were the only ones welcome to apply.” "This administration will be welcoming to all," Knox said, "including LGBT churches and community groups."

"They are making it clear to us that clear change is a reform of the office, itself," Knox said, adding that the office will be evaluated on its work advancing the four priority areas and in its ability to "put more overall money on the ground to move the marble."

"The money will be mixed between churches and secular organizations," Knox said. "This is a new approach."

According to Knox, the requests for proposals will go out for bid by churches and secular organizations alike, treated equally, with the winner being the one with the ability to provide the service.

Another concern is that while Obama has said no federal money would go for proselytizing or "ex-gay" ministries, money is fungible, and federal money received for soup kitchens could free up money for those purposes.

"That is a concern," Knox said. "but the flip side is my hope that LGBT centers and LGBT agencies will apply and get funds.”

Also of concern, especially to lesbians and other homes with children headed by women, is the part of the office that will promote fatherhood.

Serving with Knox on the commission is Roland Warren, president of the right wing National Fatherhood Initiative.

Warren was also a commission presenter during a session titled "Fatherhood and Healthy Families."

Founded by anti-LGBT activists Wade Horn and Don Eberly, both of whom were advisors to Bush's faith-based initiative, the National Fatherhood Initiative has a church-based component.

The working group behind the fatherhood component of the office is headed by former professional football coach and anti-LGBT activist Tony Dungy, who would be one of the 25 commissioners except for scheduling conflicts.

Asked if he is prepared to walk away from the commission if it appears to be moving in a direction discriminatory or disfavorable to LGBT concerns, Knox said, "No ultimatums."

"I'm greatly encouraged by my invitation to be part of it and offer direction," Knox continued.

"The president has pledged that no money will be spent in a discriminatory fashion," Knox said, adding that his appointment is for one year.

The commission will meet three more times, with the next scheduled meeting in July.

Knox finished by saying that he is also charged with hearing citizens' concerns and taking suggestions back to the commission, and that he welcomes that opportunity from the community, too. ✓

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