Groups rally for diversity
Call for inclusive Lehigh Valley in wake of letter opposing effort
About 70 people gathered Saturday in Nazareth Borough Park in what organizers said was an effort to make every area resident feel safe, included and welcome.
Nazareth Together, a firsttime rally of residents, local businesses and organizations, was created in response to a letter sent from a group called Parents for Choice Nazareth. The letter opposes the “You Matter. You Belong” campaign, an effort that aims to make the Lehigh Valley an inclusive environment. The letter, sent to businesses displaying signs supporting the campaign, denounced “You Matter. You Belong” as part of an effort to sexualize children.
April Gabriel-Ferretti, a Nazareth resident, one of the rally organizers and a “You Matter. You Belong” supporter, said the turnout to the event outweighed any negative comments.
“The positive feedback that we’ve gotten in response to Nazareth Together has far surpassed any of the hateful, oppressive rhetoric,” Gabriel-Ferretti said.
Jeffery Brinks, a pastor with St. John’s United Church of Christ in Nazareth and one of the rally’s guest speakers, said the message of Nazareth Together is “right where the United Church of Christ is nationally. [The church’s] slogan has been no matter who you are,
or where you are in life’s journey, you’re welcome here,” Brinks said. “So we’ve always strived to be an inclusive community. And that’s what we tried to do here at our congregation.”
Allentown Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach also addressed the rally saying she knows the struggles efforts such as “You Matter. You Belong” face. Gerlach emphasized the importance of events such as Saturday’s rally as a way of coming together for a cause.
“Being someone that’s in a marginalized community, I definitely understand some of the challenges that go along with that in a small town,” Gerlach said. “So I think it’s important to have events like this to show people, especially people who don’t feel like they fit in, that, no, you belong, and we want you here and we’re glad you’re here.”
Rodney Holt of Bethlehem said he came to Nazareth Together after reading an article about the backlash over the “You Belong. You Matter” signs. He said he was “shocked” to see people opposed to the signs and added that “half the people of the Lehigh Valley” should have attended the event.
“It has nothing to do with what those people wrote in that letter,” Holt said. “It has nothing to do with children or sex or anything else. Just about being accepting of other people.”
Gabriel-Ferretti said it was encouraging to hear the support from speakers and those who attended the rally and she is excited to work alongside them.
“It allows for me to feel hopeful
“I hope that this will go beyond Saturday and that it opens up future conversations and future possibilities in terms of painting Nazareth for what it really is, and that’s a town full of people that genuinely care about one another and want to welcome diversity into the community.” — April Gabriel-Ferretti, a Nazareth resident
that, again, despite some of the opposition and the pockets of resistance, there are people in organizations that are willing to stand up for what’s right, that are willing to be the voice of those who have been suppressed.” She said her hope is that with “one small change,” Nazareth will serve as “a beacon of hope” for other areas and that Nazareth Together will show how the town truly is.
“I hope that this will go beyond Saturday and that it opens up future conversations and future possibilities in terms of painting Nazareth for what it really is,” Gabriel-Ferretti said, “and that’s a town full of people that genuinely care about one another and want to welcome diversity into the
community.”