Testimony Before The Council of The District of Columbia
Regarding the Repeal of Sodomy Laws
By The Rev. Larry J. Uhrlg, Pastor
The Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C.
474 Ridge Street N.W. 20001
(202) 838-7373
I speak to you today as the representative of hundreds of members of our faith
community, The Metropolitan Community Church of Washington. Our members represent the wide
diversity of the population of our city. They are young and old, Black, White, and
Hispanic. They are multi-lingual, multi-cultural, male and female, homosexual, and
heterosexual.
As a pastor and spiritual leader in this community for
sixteen years I am here to urge you to repeal the sodomy laws of this city. Why? Because
they are archaic and unenforceable in any equitable and just manner. The overriding reason
I speak in favor of repeal is that no government has the right to invade the privacy of
its citizens. What occurs in private between consenting adults should remain just that,
private, and not the concern of government at any level. .
The law must serve justice and honor individual freedom. It must not become the vehicle
of partisan, biased, or moralistic agencies.
No doubt the vast majority of the citizens of our city have transgressed these sodomy
laws. It is clear to me that continued existence of these laws serve only as a thinly
veiled attempt to justify the harassment of minority peoples.
The selective enforcement of sodomy laws serves to perpetuate injustice and the abuse
of the civil liberties of gay people. Those who argue to retain such legislation are surly
guilty of transgressing these same laws.
It is time for the city of Washington to once again take the lead in showing the nation
a model of justice and equality, under law, which upholds the rights and essential dignity
of every citizen.
These laws must go. They serve no valuable purpose for the city or its citizens. As a
long time resident of Washington I testify to you that I am guilty of transgressing the
sodomy law. How many of you who must sit in judgment on this issue are likewise guilty? I
urge you to act and to act now to bring our laws into the twentieth century. I wish to
thank the members of the Council for this opportunity to speak and for holding these
hearings.
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