Senator Chang-Diaz addresses concerns

Appeared at event hosted by anti-gay church.

Massachusetts State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz attended a fundraiser held on April 1 at Lombardo's in Randolph that benefited Agencia ALPHA, a non-profit Latino organization owned by a South End church. The Leon de Judah was the only Latino church to stage an anti-gay rally during Massachusetts' same-sex marriage debate, and their website is rife with anti-gay rhetoric.

"I do not agree with the position of the Leon de Judah church on same-sex marriage," Chang-Diaz said in a public statement released by her office on May 3. "That's not a secret to anyone, including Leon de Judah congregants. ...[M]y support for LGBT rights is very public. I don't check any of that at the door when I go into an Agencia ALPHA event or into the Leon de Judah church."

Christian organization Agencia ALPHA offers social services and training for Boston's Latino community, including citizenship education and English classes, and legal aid. The Agencia shares an address with its owner and operator, the Leon de Judah church. The church's website (leondejudah.org) offers archives of sermons given by senior pastor Dr. Roberto Miranda in Spanish and in English. The topic of gay and lesbian relationships frequents the archives. "It is love that leads us to say 'no' to a practice that destroys our children, destroys our families, and destroys the foundation of society," a translation of a 2006 sermon on same-sex marriage given by Miranda reads. He also referred to homosexuality as "a prime example of the perversion of man."

An e-mail was circulated by LGBT activist and former Dianne Wilkerson supporter Jeff Ross, highlighting Chang-Diaz's appearance at the event. "As a lawyer who has done considerable pro-bono legal work for immigrant communities, I respect the work that the [Leon de Judah] church does for the Latino community," Ross said. "But I cannot as a gay man and LGBT activist respect their engagement in efforts to deny equal marriage to my community. Politically, that may be an acceptable balancing act, but our elected officials, who represent one of the most diverse districts in the city, must be accountable to the LGBT community and always represent themselves as standing solidly and unequivocally in support of the civil rights of all people."

Chang-Diaz, who told Bay Windows that she was indeed aware of Leon de Judah's position regarding same-sex marriage before attending the event, compared her participation in the fundraiser with the decision local politicians face when it comes to marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, which has banned LGBT groups from joining in the parade. "In the case of the Agencia ALPHA, their mission is a social service mission and I don't know of any role that they have of excluding people from participating in the organizing efforts that they do around immigration reform or ESL classes," Chang-Diaz said. "If that were the case, it would be a different story for me. Their mission is social service, and I see them delivering that service. It's a mission that I share and that's why I feel appropriate supporting their work by going to the event."

MassEquality political director DeeDee Edmondson echoed Chang-Diaz in the importance of supporting social service organizations. "To support a social service agency that provides critical safety net services to some of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised members of the Boston community is something an elected official should support," Edmondson said. "Sen. Chang-Diaz's support of Agencia ALPHA is one example of supporting the social service mission of a congregation while also providing a witness to Leon de Judah that a progressive way of thinking about the world, and especially towards the LGBT community, is...right and just."

Although she has not been asked, Chang-Diaz said that she would consider working with Agencia ALPHA in the future on a "case-by-case" basis. "I do respect the work that they do in terms of social services and the ways in which the [Leon de Judah] church ministers to people," she said. "When there are times when it's valuable and important to disagree with the church's position, I will also do that."

The Senator indicated that she would be willing to work to build bridges between the LGBT community and groups or organizations that may be opposed to same-sex marriage. "[O]nce you have credibility with an organization or with a group or with another person, then I think that person is inclined to listen," she said. Echoing the statements in her office's press release, Chang-Diaz again affirmed her support of same-sex marriage and LGBT rights. "I really would be surprised if anyone in the South End -- Leon de Judah included -- were not aware of my position on same-sex marriage and on LGBT issues in general," the Senator said.

Local activists are holding up Chang-Diaz's presence at the Agencia ALPHA event as a cautionary tale. "All political individuals have the right to attend any of their constituents' events/gatherings but I recommend that they get informed on the background of the individuals/constituents they are meeting at these events and who is hosting these gatherings before making a commitment to be present," Wilfred Labiosa, Latino LGBT community organizer and member of Unid@s: the National Latino LGBT Human Rights Organization, warned.

For Chang-Diaz, however, striking the balance between faith and fairness is an important stand to take, and she does not apologize for her presence at the event. "Faith, religion, and social justice activism -- very much including LGBT rights -- are very linked for me," she said. "They intertwine in sometimes great and sometimes uncomfortable ways."

Representatives of the Leon de Judah church and Agencia ALPHA did not return calls or e-mails for comment by press time.