Residents listen, talk about homosexuality

Talk about it

The city was not expressing a point of view but hoping to create more understanding and acceptance toward homosexuals by sharing a film Tuesday evening, a commission member said. However, at least one community member felt the film was one sided.

About 40 people came to the library to watch “For the Bible Tells Me So,” presented by the Dickinson Human Relations Commission.

The documentary features various people from various religious backgrounds, both heterosexual and homosexual.

“We do this kind of thing periodically,” Bruce MacDuffie, commission member said of the event, adding it’s an area they feel needs to have more understanding.

According to Dickinson’s Web site, the goal of the City Commission is to address human relations issues such as: attitudes, understandings and acceptance of people of varied backgrounds, beliefs, races, lifestyles and promoted diversity.

The 90-minute film explores the experiences of five sets of parents and their gay or lesbian children and offers comments by religious leaders, scholars and psychologists.

“This is an award-winning piece,” MacDuffie said. “We’re not representing any particular point of view, we’re just presenting the documentary and hoping it promotes understanding and dialogue.”

Gia Cummisk, commission chairperson, introduced the documentary by stating that the commission does not endorse any particular religious views and hopes to be able to encourage open dialogue and promote acceptance.

“The commentators represent a wide variety of backgrounds,” MacDuffie said. “It delves into the religious side and examines the results of religious discrimination.”

Ron Hodson, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Dickinson, attended the showing and said he felt it was one-sided.

“I believe with all my heart that it misrepresented conservative Christianity,” Hodson said. “I think conservative Christianity was painted with a broad brush of hatred.”

Hodson said the film did portray an important

message.

“It’s a message that needed to be heard,” Hodson said. “But the other side needs to be heard as well.”

After the film, residents discussed the message.

Other members of the commission include Gail Ebeltoft, Jackie Miller, Ron Dockter, Teddie Brannin, Megan Dollinger and Fernando Quijano.

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