Whoever is a loving person has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 I am a loving person. I've come to know God through my experiences of loving and being loved. I've come to know God through my call to religious life. I am a woman religious and a lesbian. Embracing and honoring my lesbianism has brought me inner freedom to open myself to God's love and desire for me. My lesbianism has been my greatest gift and my biggest cross. I can easily choose to avoid this cross by hiding my gift, placing my lamp under a bushel basket and remaining silent. Silence and hiding take a great deal of psychic, emotional and spiritual energy. And what good can come from my silence? God cannot work through me, through you, through us, if we, together, do not speak to the issues of homoprejudice and homophobia and seek an end to them in ourselves, our communities, our church and our society. I ask that you, sisters in leadership, consider the following. Perhaps you'll consider 1) pondering and praying about your own beliefs and feelings about homosexuality and homosexual persons. a) What is the basis for your beliefs? Are your beliefs realistic and informed? b) Do you need more education on this subject? c) Do you know of resources from which to gather information? 2) encouraging discussions about homosexuality in your community. a) gathering information from your sisters. (What are their beliefs and attitudes regarding homosexuality and homosexual persons?) b) determining their educational needs on this subject. 3) inviting educators to speak on this subject at community meetings. 4) publishing facts and myths about homosexuality in your community publications. 5) building a resource library of books, videos and tapes on this subject. 6) openly supporting the work of your sisters who minister to homosexuals. a) encouraging these sisters to share their ministry stories and pastoral care of homosexuals. b) publishing these stories in your community newspaper. 7) sending sisters each year to the New Ways Ministry Symposium and encouraging them to share with the community what they have learned. 8) acknowledging the fact that within your community there are lesbian sisters. Acknowledging the goodness and value of your membership who are both heterosexual and lesbian. 9) developing an attitude of openness to sisters who may be struggling with issues of sexual identity. a) creating a "safe space" for lesbian sisters to meet and talk with each other. b) planning a gathering for your lesbian sisters and using your name as the contact person. c) respecting sisters' desire for anonymity. 10) encouraging and financially supporting lesbian sisters who wish to make a special retreat for lesbian religious. 11) befriending, embracing, supporting and defending and your lesbian sisters. 12) moving beyond your community to educate others about homosexuality and homosexual persons: your family members, your co-workers and those to whom you minister. 13) embracing as a community-wide work of justice the eradication of homophobia and homoprejudice. The issues of homosexuality are much bigger than these of a small group of lesbian sisters writing anonymous letters to their sisters in leadership. These are issues about people loving each other. These are also issues about society and church and the sanctioning and tolerance of prejudice and hate. These are issues about opening eyes and hearts to greater understanding and action on behalf of this group of marginalized persons of whom some are your sisters. These are issues which call us more deeply to consider the Gospel mandate to love and teach others to love. Sisters, by your very position as elected leaders, you have the power to influence hearts and minds and to call others to greater love. I beg you, do it!