Groundswell "The Catholic Church is bullying a workers' rights group over LGBT ties." for Friday, 18 July 2014

Groundswell "The Catholic Church is bullying a workers' rights group over LGBT ties." for Friday, 18 July 2014
Click here to stand with VOZ in solidarity.
http://action.groundswell-mvmt.org/petitions/catholic-foundation-withdraws-workers-rights-group-funding-over-lgbt-equality
News broke yesterday that a small Portland, OR based workers’ rights organization called VOZ is standing up to intolerant elements in the Church after they were told to cut ties with an LGBT friendly ally group, or lose a critical $75,000 grant.1
The workers of VOZ stood up and told the Catholic Campaign for Human Development that they would prefer to lose their grant than lose their principles. Here's what they wrote back:
“We are a worker-led organization that empowers immigrants and day laborers to gain control over their working conditions... [To] do this, we need all allies, day laborers, and immigrants to stand together in unity.

The philosophy of building borders between friends and allies has long been a debilitating instrument to slow the advancement of social justice and equality. Alone we cannot achieve anything."
Wow.
The leaders of VOZ have asked the Catholic and wider faith community to stand with them in their moment of need -- and to call on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development to stop bullying VOZ and other organizations like it over connections to organizations that support LGBT equality.
Click here to sign the petition. 
As a progressive Catholic who loves the church, I work with my colleagues at Call To Action to make our church better every day. Our faith tradition and scriptures never put conditions on supporting the poor and caring for the most vulnerable.
Each year, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, an official program of the US Bishops, appeals to Catholics in the pew across the U.S. to contribute to special collections. This annual appeal funds millions in grants like the one they gave VOZ to help the workers of Portland create change. Now they are using that money to bully organizations like VOZ, and draw lines between allies.
VOZ is scrambling to find how it will provide health insurance to its staff and keep alive its state-wide campaign to stop wage theft. They're trying to raise $75,000 to replace their lost funds from new allies and standing up for the work they are proud of. Will you stand with them?
Sign the petition right now. You can also donate here.
This is not the first time the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has pulled promised funding as a way to bully an organization from even associating with other organizations supporting LGBT equality. It has happened in Colorado, Illinois, and other places.2,3
VOZ is a workers rights organization who's primary work has helped generate over 22,000 jobs and recover $500,000 in stolen wages for working people. Yet they're in trouble with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development because they're in a national coalition with the National Council of La Raza, an immigrant rights organization that also endorses marriage equality.
As Catholics and people of faith, it is up to us to hold our institutional church leaders accountable and hold them to a standard of mercy and compassion. Tell the Bishops to act as Jesus would and work with others for justice!
Click here to sign the petition.
In Faith,
Jim FitzGerald
Executive Director
Call To Action
[1] "Same-sex marriage: Portland immigrant support group denied grant from Catholic charity." The Oregonian, July 15, 2014.
[2] "Catholic fund cuts off aid over groups’ affiliations." New York Times, April 5, 2012.
[3] "Immigrant groups lose Catholic funding over gay marriage issue." Chicago Tribune, October 19, 2013.
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