Quaker views of homosexuality
Encyclopedia
The views of Quakers
around the world towards homosexuality
encompasses a range from complete celebration and the practice of same-sex marriage
, to the view that homosexuality is sin
fully deviant and contrary to God's intentions for sexual expression. The Religious Society of Friends
began as a Christian movement (though a few contemporary Quakers in some meetings do not consider themselves Christian, while some consider themselves as part of a Universal religion, that for historical reasons is rooted in Christianity), founded in 17th Century England; it has around 350,000 members. In the UK, Canada
, New Zealand
and Australia
, many Quakers value the depth of a loving relationship and disregard the gender balance, while views are divided among American and African Friends.
(convened sometimes for business, and more often for worship, and is the basic unit of Quakerism—a meeting is equivalent to a single congregation, sometimes to a parish or group of churches in an area), determining a particular Quaker attitude is difficult on this or any topic. Monthly meetings are organized into larger groups such as Yearly meeting
s or other "umbrella" groups, but often these larger groups have conflicting stances on particular issues. Some groups, for example the 57th Street Meeting in Chicago
, may have joint membership in umbrella groups that have mutually contradictory stances on the issues. In the end, the true "Quaker view" on homosexuality is probably best analysed meeting by meeting (or, better, Friend by Friend.) However, there are some general patterns, and for reasons of space and completeness this article deals mainly with the largest organizations on a country-by-country basis.
Quakers as a whole do not have a specific, set creed
. The Richmond Declaration
is a confession of faith that expresses the experience of two branches of American Quakerism, but does not reflect the views of others.
are overwhelmingly accepting of homosexuality and will celebrate same sex marriages (although such marriages are not legally recognised in Australia). In 1975 Australia Yearly Meeting
officially stated:
Australian Quakers have supported the celebration of same sex and different sex commitment ceremonies since 1994 and recognize them on an equal basis with other committed and loving relationships. In January 2010, Quakers meeting in Australia Yearly Meeting in Adelaide
agreed to treat all requests for marriages in accordance with Quaker traditions, regardless of the sexual orientation or gender of the partners.http://www.newsmaker.com.au/news/2189 Before this Australia-wide decision, Canberra Regional Meeting celebrated the first same sex marriage among Australian Quakers on 15 April 2007.http://www.abc.net.au/rn/religionreport/stories/2007/1937145.htm The most recent information pamphlet as a.pdf can be downloaded from http://www.quakers.org.au/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=21 www.quakers.org.au.
, the yearly meeting Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri
, in 1992, resolved "to seek formal ways of recognizing a variety of commitments, including gay and lesbian partnerships.".
, which includes meetings in Northern Ireland, has no recent public statement on its attitudes towards homosexuality. With regards to same-sex unions, in 1993, the IYM declared "we believe in the institution of marriage, and in common with many others are currently wrestling with the problem of what our attitude should be to the other forms of human relationships which are increasingly being accepted by society at large." Subsequent statements have continued to fail to resolve this issue. While their position on marriage remains divided the IYM has decided to include un-married Gay partnerships in the 'family and relationships' section of their forthcoming book of guidance 'Quaker Life – the Christian Experience of the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland' which is due for publication in August 2010.
are similarly accepting, and at their annual business meeting
in July 2009, formally expressed support for same-sex marriage, and are now lobbying the government for the necessary legal changes. While the decision was not difficult in 2009, the decision was only taken after 22 years since being raised at Meeting for Sufferings
, and 46 years after the publication of 'Towards a Quaker view of Sex'. Controversial in its day, the book forms one of the first Quaker statements regarding sexuality, and includes affirmation that gender or sexual orientation are unimportant in a judgement of an intimate relationship and that the true criterion is the presence of "selfless love"; further consideration arose from Harvey Gillman's Swarthmore Lecture
, in 1988.
A number of British meetings, probably more than a couple of dozen since 1994, have celebrated same-sex relationships through an official meeting for commitment – a public act of worship something very like the traditional Quaker wedding, but without legal significance. British Quakers also supported the 2005 introduction of the legal status of 'civil partnerships
' in the UK, and were taken to their 2009 support of same-sex marriage with the idea that "marriage is the Lord’s work and we are but witnesses".A free pamphlet on BYM
s view on same-sex marriage, We Are But Witnesses, is available from Friends House outreach or the Quaker Centre Resources department.
are divided on the issue of homosexuality, with some (mostly Friends affiliated with programmed meetings) not approving of either homosexuality or the legalization of same sex unions. Friends associated with Friends General Conference
(FGC), the more liberal group of Friends encompassing a large number of yearly meetings and approximately a fifth of all Quakers in the country, are the most tolerant with many monthly meetings and some yearly meetings providing full equality for homosexuals including marriage. FGC itself in 2004 made a statement on including LGBT quakers as equals in worship and acknowledging their past contributions to the conference http://www.fgcquaker.org/library/fgc-news/lgbtq-minute.php. The largely FGC-based FLGBTQC (Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns
) group holds meetings twice a year http://flgbtqc.quaker.org/.
Similar positions from other unprogrammed Quaker meetings not affiliated with FGC include that taken by North Pacific Yearly Meeting and Pacific Yearly Meeting, which support same-sex marriage.http://npym.org/archives/minute1997_bgmarriage.html
On the other hand, Friends associated with Friends United Meeting
(FUM) and Evangelical Friends International
(EFI), which represent mostly programmed Quaker meetings, and thus the majority of American Friends, have taken stands condemning gay marriage and, in some cases, homosexual relationships altogether. Indiana and Western Yearly Meetings (members of FUM) issued a statement of "core values" which includes both an insistence on abstinence outside of marriage, and a definition of marriage to heterosexual relationships only. Evangelical Friends Church Southwest, a yearly meeting and a member of EFI, states in its Faith and Practice that homosexuality is a sin and grounds for termination of employment in the church.
However there is dissension within the Evangelical groups. The Friends of Jesus Community, some of whose members were affiliated with EFI, took a public stance in favor of the equal worth of same-sex relationships. In NorthWest Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (EFCI)[q.v.]nwym.org, one Portland-area Monthly Meeting has minuted its support of same-sex unions, sparking a re-evaluation of sexuality in the whole Yearly Meeting. Patuxent Friends Monthly Meeting, a member of Baltimore Yearly Meeting
(BYM, a member of both FGC and FUM) has taken a similar position. Similarly, although perhaps to a lesser extent, some meetings associated with groups on the other side of the issue have dissented. Swansea Monthly Meeting, under care of New England Yearly Meeting
, is one of two meetings in that group to publicly oppose same-sex marriage.
In 2002, FUM and BYM began a dialogue on homosexuality and same-sex relationships. At the 2002 FUM Triennial, Clerk Lamar Matthew was excluded from leading a worship sharing group because he was in a relationship with another man. (Minutes of 2002 BYM Annual Sessions, page 23) http://www.bym-rsf.org/quakers/pubs/minutes/YM%20Minutes%202002.pdf FUM has affirmed in a minute of its General Board that its policy that anyone in sexual relationships outside of marriage - "which is understood to be between one man and one woman" - cannot be in paid leadership positions (a minute approved in 1988) also applies to those in other leadership positions and to their overseas workers. Since that time, BYM has had a program of intervisitation with other Yearly Meetings on the issue of same-sex relationships. It should be noted that this policy of FUM has been in constant discussion in the FUM board ever since it was originally proposed. BYM is not the only dual-membership Yearly Meeting (membership in both FUM and FGC). Many members of the New England and New York Yearly Meetings have also been struggling with the FUM position.
, the main "umbrella" Quaker body, Canadian Yearly Meeting
, shares a similar view to the more liberal American Quaker groups, and stated in 2003 that Canadian Quakers "support the right of same-sex couples to a civil marriage and the extension of the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples." Since then a number of same-sex marriages have been performed at Canadian Monthly Meetings. CYM is a member of both FUM and FGC. As a result of FUM's position on homosexuality, there is ongoing debate within Canadian Yearly Meeting about CYM's relationship with FUM. Canadian Yearly Meeting in 2007 approved a letter to be sent to FUM stating that CYM has appointed a committee "to review the involvement and participation of CYM in FUM". In the mean time, CYM's financial contribution was earmarked for a specific purpose.
and Latin America
, most meetings are programmed and under the care of either FUM or EFI although meetings in http://www.dosima.org/communities/quakers/ Central and Southern Africa are unprogrammed; in Asia
, many of the meetings are unprogrammed and have connections with more liberal groups elsewhere in the world.
African Friends in general are supportive of the position taken by FUM. In 2007, at the first meeting of FUM held in Africa, the clerk of Uganda Yearly Meeting delivered a devotional in which he quoted Romans 1:8–32, saying that "homosexuals and even those who support them are worthy of death." Although in a later letter of apology he said that he was referring to spiritual death, many more liberal Quakers found his comments hateful and unrepresentative of broader Quaker thought.
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
around the world towards homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
encompasses a range from complete celebration and the practice of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, to the view that homosexuality is sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
fully deviant and contrary to God's intentions for sexual expression. The Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
began as a Christian movement (though a few contemporary Quakers in some meetings do not consider themselves Christian, while some consider themselves as part of a Universal religion, that for historical reasons is rooted in Christianity), founded in 17th Century England; it has around 350,000 members. In the UK, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, many Quakers value the depth of a loving relationship and disregard the gender balance, while views are divided among American and African Friends.
Friends' policy and decision-making
Since Quaker decision making is generally based on seeking "unity" at the level of a Monthly meetingMonthly meeting
Monthly Meetings are, traditionally, the basic unit of administration in the Religious Society of Friends .For some Friends a Monthly Meeting is a single Meeting , while for others it is a grouping of Meetings which come together for administrative purposes. Membership in the Religious Society of...
(convened sometimes for business, and more often for worship, and is the basic unit of Quakerism—a meeting is equivalent to a single congregation, sometimes to a parish or group of churches in an area), determining a particular Quaker attitude is difficult on this or any topic. Monthly meetings are organized into larger groups such as Yearly meeting
Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to refer to an organization composed of a collection of smaller, more frequent constituent meetings within a geographical area. These constituent meetings go by various names such as Quarterly Meetings, which...
s or other "umbrella" groups, but often these larger groups have conflicting stances on particular issues. Some groups, for example the 57th Street Meeting in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, may have joint membership in umbrella groups that have mutually contradictory stances on the issues. In the end, the true "Quaker view" on homosexuality is probably best analysed meeting by meeting (or, better, Friend by Friend.) However, there are some general patterns, and for reasons of space and completeness this article deals mainly with the largest organizations on a country-by-country basis.
Quakers as a whole do not have a specific, set creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
. The Richmond Declaration
Richmond Declaration
The Richmond Declaration was made by 95 Quakers in September 1887, at a conference in Richmond, Indiana...
is a confession of faith that expresses the experience of two branches of American Quakerism, but does not reflect the views of others.
Australia
Quakers in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
are overwhelmingly accepting of homosexuality and will celebrate same sex marriages (although such marriages are not legally recognised in Australia). In 1975 Australia Yearly Meeting
Australia Yearly Meeting
Australia Yearly Meeting is the body of members of the Religious Society of Friends in Australia. Quakers within Australia Yearly Meeting generally follow the unprogrammed style of worship....
officially stated:
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia calls for a change in the laws ... to eliminate discrimination against homosexuals. This statement is made in the light of the Society's desire to remove discrimination and persecution in the community. The Society also calls on all people to seek more knowledge and understanding of the diversity of human relationships and to affirm the worth of love in all of them.
Australian Quakers have supported the celebration of same sex and different sex commitment ceremonies since 1994 and recognize them on an equal basis with other committed and loving relationships. In January 2010, Quakers meeting in Australia Yearly Meeting in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
agreed to treat all requests for marriages in accordance with Quaker traditions, regardless of the sexual orientation or gender of the partners.http://www.newsmaker.com.au/news/2189 Before this Australia-wide decision, Canberra Regional Meeting celebrated the first same sex marriage among Australian Quakers on 15 April 2007.http://www.abc.net.au/rn/religionreport/stories/2007/1937145.htm The most recent information pamphlet as a.pdf can be downloaded from http://www.quakers.org.au/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=21 www.quakers.org.au.
New Zealand
In New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the yearly meeting Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri
Te Hahi Tuhauwiri
The Yearly Meeting of Aotearoa/New Zealand is the umbrella body and Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in New Zealand....
, in 1992, resolved "to seek formal ways of recognizing a variety of commitments, including gay and lesbian partnerships.".
Ireland
The unprogrammed Ireland Yearly MeetingIreland Yearly Meeting
The Ireland Yearly Meeting is the umbrella body for the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland. It is one of many Yearly meetings of Friends around the world....
, which includes meetings in Northern Ireland, has no recent public statement on its attitudes towards homosexuality. With regards to same-sex unions, in 1993, the IYM declared "we believe in the institution of marriage, and in common with many others are currently wrestling with the problem of what our attitude should be to the other forms of human relationships which are increasingly being accepted by society at large." Subsequent statements have continued to fail to resolve this issue. While their position on marriage remains divided the IYM has decided to include un-married Gay partnerships in the 'family and relationships' section of their forthcoming book of guidance 'Quaker Life – the Christian Experience of the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland' which is due for publication in August 2010.
United Kingdom
Quakers in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
are similarly accepting, and at their annual business meeting
Britain Yearly Meeting
The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain, also known as Britain Yearly Meeting , is a religious organisation in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, often defined as a denomination of Christianity.It is a part of the international religious...
in July 2009, formally expressed support for same-sex marriage, and are now lobbying the government for the necessary legal changes. While the decision was not difficult in 2009, the decision was only taken after 22 years since being raised at Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings is an executive committee of Britain Yearly Meeting, the body which acts on behalf of members of the Religious Society of Friends in Great Britain and the Crown Dependencies...
, and 46 years after the publication of 'Towards a Quaker view of Sex'. Controversial in its day, the book forms one of the first Quaker statements regarding sexuality, and includes affirmation that gender or sexual orientation are unimportant in a judgement of an intimate relationship and that the true criterion is the presence of "selfless love"; further consideration arose from Harvey Gillman's Swarthmore Lecture
Swarthmore Lecture
Swarthmore Lecture is one of a series of lectures, started in 1908, addressed to Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends .The preface to the very first lecture explains the purpose of the series....
, in 1988.
A number of British meetings, probably more than a couple of dozen since 1994, have celebrated same-sex relationships through an official meeting for commitment – a public act of worship something very like the traditional Quaker wedding, but without legal significance. British Quakers also supported the 2005 introduction of the legal status of 'civil partnerships
Civil partnerships in the United Kingdom
Civil partnerships in the United Kingdom, granted under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, give same-sex couples rights and responsibilities identical to civil marriage...
' in the UK, and were taken to their 2009 support of same-sex marriage with the idea that "marriage is the Lord’s work and we are but witnesses".A free pamphlet on BYM
Britain Yearly Meeting
The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain, also known as Britain Yearly Meeting , is a religious organisation in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, often defined as a denomination of Christianity.It is a part of the international religious...
s view on same-sex marriage, We Are But Witnesses, is available from Friends House outreach or the Quaker Centre Resources department.
United States
Quakers in the United States of AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
are divided on the issue of homosexuality, with some (mostly Friends affiliated with programmed meetings) not approving of either homosexuality or the legalization of same sex unions. Friends associated with Friends General Conference
Friends General Conference
Friends General Conference is a North American Quaker organization primarily serving the Quaker yearly and monthly meetings in the United States and Canada that choose to be members...
(FGC), the more liberal group of Friends encompassing a large number of yearly meetings and approximately a fifth of all Quakers in the country, are the most tolerant with many monthly meetings and some yearly meetings providing full equality for homosexuals including marriage. FGC itself in 2004 made a statement on including LGBT quakers as equals in worship and acknowledging their past contributions to the conference http://www.fgcquaker.org/library/fgc-news/lgbtq-minute.php. The largely FGC-based FLGBTQC (Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns
Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns
Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns is a faith community within the Religious Society of Friends.-Purpose:From a minute approved in 1999 , FLGBTQC states:...
) group holds meetings twice a year http://flgbtqc.quaker.org/.
Similar positions from other unprogrammed Quaker meetings not affiliated with FGC include that taken by North Pacific Yearly Meeting and Pacific Yearly Meeting, which support same-sex marriage.http://npym.org/archives/minute1997_bgmarriage.html
On the other hand, Friends associated with Friends United Meeting
Friends United Meeting
Friends United Meeting is an association of twenty-six yearly meetings of the Religious Society of Friends in North America, Africa, and the Caribbean. In addition there are several individual Monthly meetings and organizations that are members of FUM...
(FUM) and Evangelical Friends International
Evangelical Friends International
Evangelical Friends Church International is a branch of Quaker yearly meetings around the world that profess evangelical Christian beliefs.- History :...
(EFI), which represent mostly programmed Quaker meetings, and thus the majority of American Friends, have taken stands condemning gay marriage and, in some cases, homosexual relationships altogether. Indiana and Western Yearly Meetings (members of FUM) issued a statement of "core values" which includes both an insistence on abstinence outside of marriage, and a definition of marriage to heterosexual relationships only. Evangelical Friends Church Southwest, a yearly meeting and a member of EFI, states in its Faith and Practice that homosexuality is a sin and grounds for termination of employment in the church.
However there is dissension within the Evangelical groups. The Friends of Jesus Community, some of whose members were affiliated with EFI, took a public stance in favor of the equal worth of same-sex relationships. In NorthWest Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (EFCI)[q.v.]nwym.org, one Portland-area Monthly Meeting has minuted its support of same-sex unions, sparking a re-evaluation of sexuality in the whole Yearly Meeting. Patuxent Friends Monthly Meeting, a member of Baltimore Yearly Meeting
Baltimore Yearly Meeting
Baltimore Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends headquartered in Sandy Spring, Maryland that includes Friends from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. It was the first Yearly Meeting founded in North America, meeting in May 1672...
(BYM, a member of both FGC and FUM) has taken a similar position. Similarly, although perhaps to a lesser extent, some meetings associated with groups on the other side of the issue have dissented. Swansea Monthly Meeting, under care of New England Yearly Meeting
New England Yearly Meeting
New England Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts that includes Friends from the New England region of the United States....
, is one of two meetings in that group to publicly oppose same-sex marriage.
In 2002, FUM and BYM began a dialogue on homosexuality and same-sex relationships. At the 2002 FUM Triennial, Clerk Lamar Matthew was excluded from leading a worship sharing group because he was in a relationship with another man. (Minutes of 2002 BYM Annual Sessions, page 23) http://www.bym-rsf.org/quakers/pubs/minutes/YM%20Minutes%202002.pdf FUM has affirmed in a minute of its General Board that its policy that anyone in sexual relationships outside of marriage - "which is understood to be between one man and one woman" - cannot be in paid leadership positions (a minute approved in 1988) also applies to those in other leadership positions and to their overseas workers. Since that time, BYM has had a program of intervisitation with other Yearly Meetings on the issue of same-sex relationships. It should be noted that this policy of FUM has been in constant discussion in the FUM board ever since it was originally proposed. BYM is not the only dual-membership Yearly Meeting (membership in both FUM and FGC). Many members of the New England and New York Yearly Meetings have also been struggling with the FUM position.
Canada
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the main "umbrella" Quaker body, Canadian Yearly Meeting
Canadian Yearly Meeting
Canadian Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends , with approximately 1200 members in Canada and border areas of the United States. Its offices are located in Ottawa...
, shares a similar view to the more liberal American Quaker groups, and stated in 2003 that Canadian Quakers "support the right of same-sex couples to a civil marriage and the extension of the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples." Since then a number of same-sex marriages have been performed at Canadian Monthly Meetings. CYM is a member of both FUM and FGC. As a result of FUM's position on homosexuality, there is ongoing debate within Canadian Yearly Meeting about CYM's relationship with FUM. Canadian Yearly Meeting in 2007 approved a letter to be sent to FUM stating that CYM has appointed a committee "to review the involvement and participation of CYM in FUM". In the mean time, CYM's financial contribution was earmarked for a specific purpose.
In other countries
The majority of Friends live in countries not mentioned above. Kenya, for example, has a Quaker population larger than that in the United States. In AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, most meetings are programmed and under the care of either FUM or EFI although meetings in http://www.dosima.org/communities/quakers/ Central and Southern Africa are unprogrammed; in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, many of the meetings are unprogrammed and have connections with more liberal groups elsewhere in the world.
African Friends in general are supportive of the position taken by FUM. In 2007, at the first meeting of FUM held in Africa, the clerk of Uganda Yearly Meeting delivered a devotional in which he quoted Romans 1:8–32, saying that "homosexuals and even those who support them are worthy of death." Although in a later letter of apology he said that he was referring to spiritual death, many more liberal Quakers found his comments hateful and unrepresentative of broader Quaker thought.
See also
- Bayard RustinBayard RustinBayard Rustin was an American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, pacifism and non-violence, and gay rights.In the pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation , Rustin practiced nonviolence...
- Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer ConcernsFriends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer ConcernsFriends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns is a faith community within the Religious Society of Friends.-Purpose:From a minute approved in 1999 , FLGBTQC states:...
Australia and New Zealand
Ireland and the United Kingdom
North America
- FUM "core values for Indiana and Western Yearly Meetings" statement
- EFCSW statement on homosexuality
- Newspaper article on a split between Friends in the Northwest
- Patuxent Friends on their membership in FUM
- NEYM minutes on same-sex marriage