Need an excuse to see the City by the Bay? The Catholic League threatens to boycott San Frncisco if authorities do not rescind a permit for a gay celebration on Easter weekend. American Atheists says this is another good reason to choose that city as a venue for its year 2000 National Convention!

he Catholic League for Religious Rights has announced that it wil be urging groups to boycott San Francisco following word that officials were granting a permit to a gay theater group to hold a block party over the Easter weekend.

    The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a camp and often outrageous collection of gays, lesbians, cross-dressers and supporters, plans to hold a day-long festival in the city's famous Castro Street district next weekend to celebrate its 20th anniversary. A city committee originally refused to grant a permit for the event citing traffic and parking concerns, but that decision was unanimously overruled by the Board of Supervisors. Outraged Catholics, though, say that they are insulted that the Sisters -- who dress in clerical garb as part of their routine -- should choose another date rather than the Easter weekend, which marks one of the most sacred times of the annual calendar for Christians.

    This past week, some supervisors as well as Mayor Willie Brown began to waffle under growing pressure from the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and laity groups including Catholics for Truth and Justice. Supervisor Tom Ammiano, however, stood by his decision to permit the Easter weekend Sisters bash, saying that the anniversary should not be moved around in order to satisfy the fears of every group which might be offended.

    Yesterday, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights announced that it would be taking out a half-page ad in the San Francisco Chronicle, and call for a boycott of the city. "The ad explicitly states that if the event is moved to a day after Easter, there will be no boycott..." reported the League broadside.

    The press statement added, "The league's objections to the Sisters does not center on the group's practice of men dressing as nuns. What the league finds most offensive about the group is its history of attacks on the Eucharist, the very nucleus of Catholicism..."

   The league added that it was "unimpressed" by the charitable activities of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The Sisters have staged a number of fund-raisers to assist their community.

    League President William Donohue added that he was "grateful to Mayor Willie Brown that he listened to our grievances and has asked Supervisors to reschedule the event..."

    Whatever the outcome of the Easter weekend flap, though, the Catholic League boycott was the "final incentive" that American Atheists needed to select San Francisco as the venue for its April 21-23, 2000 National Convention said AA President Ellen Johnson earlier today. "We had already been looking at the west coast as our next convention location, including cities like San Diego, L.A., San Francisco and Portland."

    "Thanks to the Catholic League," added Johnson, "we have an added incentive for heading to San Francisco." Johnson noted that American Atheists membership in the western states is significant, and that after holding two national conventions in the east, it was appropriate to find a different part of the country as the year 2000 location.

   The following press release is being distributed to the news media, announcing that American Atheists -- in light of the Catholic League's proposed boycott of San Francisco -- will be holding its Year 2000 National Convention in the bay area, April 21-23, 2000.

AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
PRESS RELEASE
MARCH 26, 1999

http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org

merican Atheists today announced that they have chosen San Francisco, the city of perpetual indulgences, as the host city for their National Convention Y2K. "It's a beautiful city, and a great way to say good-bye to the 20th Century," said Ron Barrier, National Spokesman for American Atheists.

   "Thanks to the current publicity surrounding San Francisco and the attempt by the Archdiocese and the Catholic League to boycott it, we feel this is the perfect place to gather Atheists together for a rock'em, sock'em convention. We go where Catholics fear to tread.

   "We'll have a gay old time," he said.

   Ellen Johnson, President of the organization, noted that "there is a great demand in the West Coast for an Atheists' convention. "This gathering will address the tremendous growth we have experienced this past year in California," she said. American Atheists noted that this year's convention is being held in Piscataway, NJ on April 2 through April 4. "Not everyone attaches magical significance to this particular weekend," stated Mr. Barrier. "Our convention is held as a service to rational Americans. There is no reason the rest of us have to sit on our hands at home just because others wish to participate in supernatural rites."

   Details for the American Atheists National Convention Y2K will be announced in the coming weeks.

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