wfn.org | TITLE: UFMCC Gay Clergy, 3 Church Members Attacked

[UfmccHq@aol.com]

 From The Universal Fellowship Of Metropolitan Community Churches

A Message From
The Rev. Elder Troy D. Perry, Moderator

UFMCC Minister, 3 MCC Members Attacked
In Roanoke, Virginia

Friday afternoon, August 3, 2001

On Wednesday evening, the Rev. Catherine Houchins and three members of the 
Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge (Roanoke, Virginia) were 
attacked following evening church services.

As Pastor Houchins was closing the church, three skinheads attacked and beat 
two of the church members who were on the street outside the church, The 
attackers screamed "faggots" and other anti-gay slurs during the attack. They 
also assaulted a third member.

Pastor Houchins was also attacked and hit in the face by the attackers. 

She reports that she and the MCC members are shaken, but okay. The police 
have been cooperative, but no one has yet been arrested in the attack.

Pastor Houchins also reports that today (Friday), the NAACP in Roanoke held a 
press conference to express their solidarity with the gay community and with 
MCC of the Blue Ridge in the face of this anti-gay hate crime. Pastor 
Houchins attended and participated in the press conference at the invitation 
of the NAACP.

The full story of the attack appears in the Friday edition of The Roanoke 
Times. I have included the story below so that you will have full details.

Pastor Houchins reports that the congregation is strong and united in the 
face of this attack, that the doors of the church will be open on Sunday and 
the services will continue without interruption.

Please keep this congregation and pastor in your prayers. As I have said so 
many times, with all of the hopeful progress we've made over the past 30 plus 
years, incidents such as this are powerful reminders that we still have much 
work and ministry to do to bring understanding, acceptance and reconciliation 
to our society.

Also, please allow me to share a pastoral word: After more than 30 years of 
UFMCC ministry, I know how distressing and unsettling this type of news can 
be. I encourage each of us to draw strength from our faith in the face of 
these events.

You may send messages with your prayers and encouragement to Pastor Houchins 
and the congregation of MCC of the Blue Ridge by e-mail at 
MCCBlueRidge@aol.com

The Rev. Elder Troy D. Perry
Founder and Moderator
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches

______________________
UFMCC EDITOR'S NOTE:
To arrange press interviews with Rev. Troy Perry, founder of UFMCC, please 
call (310) 360-8640, Ext. 226. Our communications staff is traveling this 
week, but all phone messges will be promptly returned.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29996-2001Aug3.html

Anti-Gay Attack at Va. Church Leaves 3 Injured
The Rev. Catherine Houchins listens as NAACP President Brenda Hale speaks out 
against the attack on two men at the church where Houchins is pastor.

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 4, 2001; Page B01 

Minutes after finishing a Bible study session and prayer service at a 
predominantly gay church in Roanoke, two congregants and the church's pastor 
said they were attacked by three men who screamed anti-homosexual slurs at 
them.

The assault occurred a little more than a week after Ronald Gay, 55, was 
sentenced to four life terms for the September 2000 shooting at a gay bar in 
Roanoke that killed one person and injured six others. Police said they 
consider Wednesday night's attack at the church to be an isolated incident, 
but some in the city's gay community said it has reignited fears that had 
just begun to subside since last year's shooting at the Backstreet Cafe.

"It's going to cause a lot of people to worry and wonder if there's going to 
be a new rash of violence," said John Collins, 40, who was shot at 
Backstreet. "I do believe this will bring up some conversation, especially at 
the clubs. We've always worried that it would be done again, or worse. I have 
hoped to God that it wouldn't happen again."

Roanoke police said the attack occurred about 8:30 p.m. as groups of 
congregants were leaving the Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge 
after a regular study and prayer meeting. The three men approached two 
congregants who were getting into a car -- Richard Justus, 36, of Cedar 
Bluff, Va., and Armen Grigoryan, 28, of Roanoke -- and began to shout 
anti-gay slurs at them.

The Rev. Catherine Houchins said she came running out of the downtown church 
after hearing the shouts and other loud noises. She said the men had thrown 
Grigoryan to the ground and then jumped Justus as he came around the car to 
help his friend. When Houchins tried to call 911 on her cell phone, she said, 
one of the men hit her in the face to stop her."

The whole time they were yelling, '[Expletive]. Get out of our town,'over and 
over," Houchins said. "They were very loud, very abusive, very intense. One 
of the blessings of this was that they were not armed, except by their anger, 
their voices and their fists."

Houchins and police said the three men fled after realizing that someone had 
called police. Four officers searched the downtown area for about 30 minutes 
but didn't find the attackers, said Shelly Alley, a police spokeswoman.

The church received significant media attention after the Backstreet Cafe 
shooting last year, and Houchins has been a prominent figure in rallying 
Roanoke's gay community since. Houchins said it particularly bothered her 
that the men used the phrase "get out of our town," indicating they are from 
Roanoke. Gay was a drifter from out of town."

They sit in our pews. They work in our businesses," Houchins said. "We have a 
lot of growing and a lot of learning to do."

Gay told police that he fired the shots because he had long resented the 
derogatory comments people made about his surname. He pleaded guilty to 
first-degree murder and six malicious wounding charges and was sentenced on 
July 23 to four life terms.Collins said a feeling of normalcy had begun to 
return after the sentencing."

This bothers me because it seems like something might be stirring up again," 
Collins said, adding that a Web site devoted to the shooting victims was 
vandalized by hackers after Gay's sentencing. "I'm always watching over my 
back, and I don't trust people like I used to. Our lives were rearranged 
because of all of this."    

(END)

For Additional Information, Contact:
Jim Birkitt
UFMCC Communications Director
8704 Santa Monica Boulevard, Second Floor
West Hollywood, CA  90069
Tel. (310) 360-8640, Ext. 226
E-Mail: UFMCCHQ@aol.com
Website: www.ufmcc.com