Attention surrounds trial
By Dane Stickney
Staff writer
While the Rev. Jimmy Creech
once again stands trial for performing
same-sex marriages, eyes and ears of
Lincoln.citizens will be tuned in.
The* trial of Creech, a Methodist
pastor,"begins in Grand Island today.
Creech, a member of Nebraska’s
Methodist conference, is accused of
breaking church law by performing a
same-sex marriage in North Carolina.
Although the debate surrounding
the trial is based on same-sex mar
riages and church doctrine, the out
come of the case could send reverber
ations through the state.
Barbara DiBernard, a UNL
English professor, said the outcome
of the trial could have a profound
impact on the gay community in
Nebraska.
“It’s a big deal,” she said. “If the
marriage of gay people is more cultur
ally accepted, we’ll be one step closer
to equality.”
DiBernard said Lincoln is fairly
accepting of gay people, but more
steps need to be taken to create a more
tolerant atmosphere for gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered people.
“As-'a lesbian, I have not experi
enced open discrimination,-but there
are many people and agencies that
might not make gay people feel wel
come,” she said, “lhave to think, ‘Am
I going to come out to my doctor or a
certain agency, and if I do, what does
that mean?’”
DiBemard said almost half of the
hate crimes in Lincoln last year were
motivated by sexual orientation, and
the fear of violence against gay people
_is not going away.
“The violence is very detrimental
to young people coming out,” she
said. “I wouldn’t walk on Lincoln’s
streets holding my partner’s hand.”
Barbara Kimberly, a board mem
ber of Lincoln’s Parents and Friends
and Families of Lesbians and Gays,
said the attention from the Creech
trial will make the climate toward the
gay community better because it will
make people think about the situation.
“There’s a great deal of violence
and hateful rhetoric circulating,” she
said. “The more tilings like the Creech
trial that happen, the more the public
is aware of the injustices, and things
can’t help but get better.”
Lincoln’is climate toward gay peo
ple is reasonably positive and is con
stantly getting better but has plenty of
room to grow, Kimberly said.
“The police department is sup
portive, and the religious support is
improving,” she said. “But things
could always get better. Maybe a pos
itive outcome from this trial would
help.”
Dan Parsons, executive director of
Lincoln’s Family First organization,
said he hoped the Methodist Church
didn’t approve of Creech’s actions.
Family First is a public policy
think tank concerned with children
and family issues, Parsons said.
Parsons said the Methodist
Church should condemn Creech
because same-sex partner relation
ships would be detrimental to children
who could be adopted into the family.
“Research has clearly shown that
children raised in a family with a male
and a female role model do better with
academics, and they do better socio
logically,” he said. “Many of us feel
that the church is the last true means
of support for the family, and if the
church decides to approve this kind of
lifestyle for a family unit, it could be
dangerous to society.”
Parsons’ organization and many
like it are keeping a close eye on the
happenings in Grand Island, he said.
“We’re very interested,” he said.
“If the church doesn’t support tradi
tional values, then they’re not sup
porting Christian values, which shape
the vast majority of opinions in
Nebraska and in the country.”
His organization is not attempting
to offend gay people, Parsons said.
“We don’t mean any disrespect to
homosexuals,” he said. “Statistically,
a traditional marriage is better for the
children, and that’s what we’re wor
ried about.”
Storyteller gets Sandoz award
JONES from page 1
such as elementary school students,
church and civic groups and the elderly.
He has performed in places such as
Canada, Mexico, Atlanta, Washington
D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago.
Jones was given the Mari Sandoz
award for his unique contribution to the
Nebraskabook-world, aid Mary Nash,
president of the Nebraska Library
Association.
A committee of six members chose
the recipient of the award. Candidates
must be' nominated, and the committee
reviewed letters supporting each nomi
nee, Nash said. Sandoz was also a story
teller, so Jones was a natural choice for_
the award
“He’s just an amazing person,”
Nash said.
The most influential person to
Jones’ stories was his grandfather.
Through his grandfather, Jones is able
to trace his family genealogy back 28
generations, almost 300 years.
Jones’ grandfather was given the
While searching for inspiration in 4
the Rocky Mountains, Jones’ grandfa
ther came across a chipmunk playing,
completely uncovered by trees. The
chipmunk, vulnerable to birds and
other prey, continued on, oblivious to
imminent danger.
Jones’grandfather decided that
“Foolish Chipmunk Who Plays” didn’t
quite have the ring he was looking for,
so he continued on.
He then encountered a bear on his
path, resulting in Jones being named
“Sitting Bear.”
Using stories passed down from his
relatives, Jones can recount the creation
of his tribe, which occurred 10,000
One of Jones’ goals as a storyteller
is to erase stereotypes people have of
American Indians.
‘Teople have the image of Indians
never laughing, and through my stories
I hope to fight that stereotype,” he said.
“We are all similar; we have common
ality. Humor is universal.”
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Creech to commence
second church trial
TRIAL from page 1
between the pastor and die congrega
tion,” he said, “fcould conceive a situ
ation where I would perform a same
sec marriage, but I would do it to help
people deepen and strengtheh their
commitment to each other, not for
political reasons.”
- Vetter said he is afraid the church’s
position on same-sex marriages will
portray the wrong image to the public.
“The Methodist Church supports
the thought that gay people are God’s
children and have the same human
worth as heterosexuals,” he said. “But
then we turn around and deprive them
certain rights inside the church. In that
respect, we’re very schizophrenic
about it.
“I have big fears that we’ll be seen
as gay-bashers. We should be open
and loving. I’m hopeful that the rest of
the church give homosexuals more
rights in church, but I am saddened by
their reaction to Jimmy Creech’s
actions.”
Steve Todd, a pastor at Horizons
Community Church, and officials at
St. Paul United Methodist church
declined to comment on the situation
because they participate on a board
that could possibly be asked to make
an appellate decision on the outcome
of the trial.
Lauren Ekdahl, pastor of
Lincoln’s Trinity United Methodist
Church, was the equivalent of the
prosecuting attorney in Creech’s first
trial.
Even though he disagreed with the
severity of the church’s opposition to
same-sex marriages, Ekdahl said it is
important for Methodist religious
leaders to follow the church rules.
“I am not unsympathetic to the
cause of homosexuals, but I do sup
port strong discipline within the
church,” he said.
Ekdahl said the Methodist Church
is split between two schools of
thought: those who are conservative
and strictly follow the literal interpre
tation of the Bible and those who are
progressive and follow the teachings
of Christ.
“I see myself as a progressive,” he
said. “But there is a need for democra
tic process and a strong authority base
in die church.”
The United Methodist Church
will hold another national conference
in May 2000 where the policy about
same-sex marriages will be discussed
and possibly changed, Ekdahl said.
“Until die principles are changed,
all Methodist pastors must follow the
rules,” he said. “Hopefully, people
will become more educated on the
topic by the next conference. Right
now, we do not know enough to be as
dogmatic as we are trying to be.”
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