I write on behalf of members of the Olds United Church, who have offered input into this letter.
We were very upset at the one-sided reporting of the Unveiling the Truth event that was held in Olds last month.
Nowhere did that paper identify any credentials associated with the speakers, whose presentations, in our opinion, could be seen as biased and discriminatory.
It pained us to read the comparison of being transgender to having an eating disorder. In our opinion, such a comparison serves to amplify the discriminatory bias of the speaker and to give such a view so much coverage in the paper demonstrated a lack of understanding of human rights and compassion.
We do agree that a newspaper's job is to report the news in a balanced way and appreciate the brief apology found in the paper on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
It is unfortunate that you did not have the wisdom to consider “balanced reporting” for the Oct. 25 paper. We also wonder, in the attempt at offering some balance this past week, why the perspectives of any other Christian denominations were not included in your reporting, on either understandings and beliefs around creation or expressions of sexuality.
You must realize that there are indeed Christian communities within the region who do hold very different perspectives than those reflected by the Unveiling the Truth event.
We worry that the LGBTQ community, as well as their families and friends, who may be seeking support and understanding, may fear that there is no safe place for them within a Christian community in Olds. That is the message the articles published on Oct. 25 convey.
We want to assure any who are seeking the support of an open and inclusive community that there is such a place in Olds, where they would be welcomed. We are a Christian community who believes that God's love is for all people, and that all love is an expression of the divine within and among us.
It is our hope that the Olds Albertan will seek to be not only more “balanced” in the future, but also more just and inclusive.
Rev. Tammy Allan, with members of the Olds United Church
