UPDATE TEXT OF SPPECH AT THE BOTTOM
"A diverse group of organizations banded together to confront hate from visiting our community,” said Michael Gagne, a protest organizer. “Mayor Jack Seiler has decided welcoming Hate at The Mayor's Prayer Breakfast is more important that representing the thousands of LGBT citizens that elected him to office over the years.”
Sponsored by the National Christian Foundation which funds the anti-LGBT movement worldwide.
The 55th annual event faces controversy after announcing Jim Daly as the featured speaker. Daly is the CEO of Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian policy institute with an anti-LGBT history.
Local LGBT activists had requested Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler decline the breakfast invitation — however, Seiler considers his involvement an honor.
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| Michael Gagne |
Text of Mayor Siler's Speech Below
Good morning.
First of all, let us all thank our Heavenly Father for this beautiful morning, this wonderful City that we call home, and this incredible lifestyle that we live – we are truly blessed here in Fort Lauderdale.
Thanks to the committee, organizers, and volunteers – year in and year out, you all do a remarkable job bringing our community together in friendship and fellowship.
Thanks to the speakers and participants – you have shared powerful and impactful messages of love, compassion, and kindness, and we have been charged and challenged to live better lives, to practice what we preach, and to not ust “talk the talk” but instead “walk the walk”, and maybe even take that walk with our Lord.
Thanks to all the attendees – by being here, you have confirmed that prayer matters, that communication matters, that exchanging ideas and beliefs matter, and that faith matters.
You gather here this morning from diverse backgrounds, different houses of worship, and various neighborhoods, and you send a message that God doesn’t discriminate, that God’s love isn’t limited to a certain select group of people, and that God bestows his blessings on all who believe in him.
Special thanks to all our veterans, members of the armed services, police, fire, and first responders who protect us; keep us safe; allow us to gather here this morning and every day to live, work, play, raise our family, and worship; and, provide the order, safety, and security in our society that permit us to enjoy peaceful and prosperous lives.
As I serve my last year as Mayor, I want to emphasize that, now, more than ever, we need prayer breakfasts!
We need prayer breakfasts in Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C.
In Fort Lauderdale, we need these spiritual opportunities to come together as a City and just sit, chat, listen, and learn from one another.
Catholics need to communicate with Protestants. Christians need to communicate with Jews and Muslims. Whites need to communicate with Blacks. Conservatives need to communicate with liberals. I could go on but you understand: it is not just about the prayers we shared this morning and it is certainly not about the breakfast we ate – it is bigger than that and it is greater than that.
It is what we can do together when we truly try. It is what we can do together when we stop yelling and start listening. It is what we can do together when we stop judging and start understanding. It is what we can do together when we stop protesting and start praying. In fact, it is what we can do together when we stop just reading the Bible and start living the Bible.
Now, more than ever, we need prayer breakfasts!
After this last election season, we really need to focus our efforts on conducting our campaigns like ladies and gentlemen. We need to tell our children and grandchildren that personal attacks, false statements, and dishonest practices are not okay.
We need to emphasize that we don’t elevate ourselves by knocking others down. We need to remind ourselves that all of us, including both political parties and the media, have the duty to uphold the dignity and greatness of our democracy, and to show the world that “one Nation under God” means something; that this Country, which was endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and which relied upon the protection of Divine Providence, must remain a shining light across the globe; and, that our freedoms come with real responsibilities, including being concerned about how our actions impact others.
Now, more than ever, we need prayer breakfasts!
We need to resolve among ourselves that kindness, compassion, inclusion, tolerance and respect are virtues. We need to recognize that diversity creates challenges but, more importantly, creates opportunities for us to practice our faith in a positive way. How
wonderful do we feel when, instead of criticizing or condemning someone, we show restraint; instead of hurting someone, we help them; instead of alienating someone, we embrace them; and, instead of hating someone, we love them. In fact, we need our differences to not divide us, but, in fact, somehow unite us. How awesome would we feel if race, religion, skin color, and sexual orientation didn’t trigger bias or prejudice, but instead motivated us to love our neighbor and empowered us to treat others like we would like to be treated?
Yes, we need this Prayer Breakfast!
To bring our community together, to unite individuals of from every background, to unify houses of worship of different faiths, and to positively impact our City.
In closing, I pray that this very diverse group here today leaves motivated, excited, and energized to assist others and build community; exits focused on all that lifts us up, rather than on what divides us; and departs truly blessed by a good and gracious God.
May God bless all of you, May God bless this great City, and may God bless America.
