Celebrate Pride Month

Dear editor,

For the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and allies, the month of June includes remembrance of both tragedy and celebration.

Among the many acts of violence committed against this community was the Pulse nightclub massacre on June 12, 2016, when a gunman opened fire, killing 49 people and injuring 58 others in one of the deadliest mass shootings in a country that has experienced far too many such events.

But June is also a time of celebration. In New York City on June 28, 1969, riots broke out after a police raid at the Stonewall Inn. Over the next six days, in what came to be known as the Stonewall Rebellion, thousands of people took to the streets to oppose social expectations and laws that anyone who wasn’t heterosexual should remain hidden and out of sight.

After years of struggle, on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples have a Constitutional right to marry.

As members of the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, we join with our LGBTQ+ friends to protest the hatred and harm that has been directed toward them/us. We celebrate Pride Month in June as a time to recognize that for so many among us, sexuality is not a simple matter of female and male but a spectrum of possibilities.

We affirm the right of this community to celebrate love, to love and to be loved. We join with the Unitarian Universalist Association of America in proclaiming: “Every part of you is sacred, including your gender and sexuality. . . . we not only welcome LGBTQ+ people, we celebrate the full diversity of gender and sexuality as a spiritual gift. We build inclusive communities and work for justice and equity as a core part of who we are.”

And we support the November 12, 2025 Interfaith Statement, signed by leaders of 11 diverse, religious traditions: “You are holy. You are sacred. We love you. We support you, and we will protect you.”

Victoria Bergvall, Chair

Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry

Houghton

Transfer Station inadequate

Editor,

In response to the Gazette’s article about the Transfer Station on Tuesday, May 12, “Outgrowing the Facility”, it is very clear that the Transfer Station is outdated, woefully inadequate and doesn’t serve the needs of the citizens of Houghton County. We know that approximately one third of what we discard is trash, one third is recycling, and one third is compost. Our Transfer Station offers recycling for a few hours on Wednesday morning and does not offer composting. An updated Materials Management Plan that provides more sustainable options will substantially benefit residents and prolong the life of the landfill. It is an investment that will pay off and needs to be supported by the County Commission. County residents are encouraged to let their Commissioners know that they support the proposed Feasibility Study for improvements in efficiency and expanded access to recycling as well as lower costs.

Susan Burack

Member Houghton County Materials Management Committee

and Copper Country Recycling Initiative

Live by God’s word

To the editor:

Has the world gone completely insane? This writing concerns the Methodist Church in particular. Within the last year Rev. Phil Phaneuf announced from his pulpit that he was changing his name to “Phillippa,” would dress like a woman and also use hormone drugs to alter his body. More surprising was that his decision was approved by the United Methodist bishop and district superintendent in upstate New York.

This church not only affirmed their LGBTQ clergy but also called their identity “sacred gifts.” Excuse me, but how can sins be sacred gifts? The United Methodist Church took a left turn and promoted radical feminism and abortion. And now homosexuality and LGBTQ clergy reign. Ephesians 5:11 says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

Other churches are following, e.g., the Episcopal Church to which George Washington belonged. Has the church of the American founders become the church of American Sodom? Whatever church practices anti-biblical wickedness is no church at all. 1 Corin 6: 9-11 clearly states, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

In our 21st century, hope in combating spiritual war is found in the letters to the seven churches of Asia, which Jesus gave to the Apostle John. Please read them in Revelation 2 and 3. Speaking to the faithful remnant pursuing righteousness, Jesus encourages those who “have NOT this doctrine.” (Rev. 2:24) To another church He says, “which have not defiled their garments … they are worthy.” (Rev. 3:4) If John Wesley were alive today, he would insist that the name Methodist be removed.

Now, 2,000 years later, Jesus sees us. Earnest Christians are resisting today’s spiritual attack. True Christians are committed to spreading Gospel truth and living by God’s word.

Marilyn Sager

Houghton