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DignityUSA Calls Halloween "Hell House" Kit Bigotry for Profit

Washington, DC, October 30, 1997 -- DignityUSA denounces the latest attempt to use Halloween to demonize lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender individuals and people with AIDS by the Abundant Life Christian Center of Arvada, Colorado.

"Once again, the Religious Right is using bigotry and hatred of gay men and lesbians for their latest fundraising efforts. The "Hell House" kit is just another example of how the Abundant Life Christian Center likes to market its form of prejudice and discrimination," said Charles Cox Executive Director of DignityUSA. The kit which costs $150 and could raise as much as $40,000 for Abundant Life, includes a 270 page manual on howto construct the hell house and scare people, seeks to portray gays and people with AIDS as evil and deserving of divine punishment. "The concept and intent of the 'Hell House' is bad enough, but what is truly disturbing is that parents are allowing their children to be active, paying participants in bigotry and teaching them intolerance."

"The message of the 'Hell House' is quite clear: if you are anything but straight, you simply do not belong in their community. The intolerance that this group, and that of the Religious Right, are advocating is a gross misuse of the message and spirit of Christ. It is our hope that all women and men of faith will reject the Abundant Life Christian Center's message of intolerance and their blatant attempt to profit from their bigotry, " said DignityUSA President Robert F. Miailovich.

DignityUSA, founded in 1969, is the nation's largest organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics, and their families and friends.