Sunday 29 January 2017

LGBT couple Expelled from Rotary Club

LGBT couple Expelled from Rotary Club

At a Rotary Club in Salinas Ecuador, an LGBT couple were expelled from the club for supporting the local Red Cross.
As members of the Rotary Club you are encouraged to adopt new members and bring in speakers.
A week  before this meeting on January 25, 2017, plans were confirmed with the president of the Salinas chapter of the Rotary to have the  speaker from the Red Cross give a presentation.
The meeting starts at 18.00 and is normally finished by 19.00. The Red Cross was first to give the presentation to last 10 minutes.
After some deliberation about dues, which took an unusually long time, the president (Rick Racinskas) stated that the second speaker was to present first. This would have prevented the Red Cross speaker from speaking because of lack of time.
An objection was raised by ( Evelyn McIntosh ) that the arrangement had been for the Red Cross to have presented first.
At this point, hecklers, some of whom are club members ( Manuel Pereira ) was demanding that the Red Cross not be allowed to speak because he did not  recognize the person as representing the Salinas Red Cross.
This behavior is unusual for the Rotary Club as they are non- political and serve the community where they can.
The president accepted the demands of the hecklers and said that the Red Cross speaker was not to give her presentation.
When this decision was made, four club members got up and walked out with the Red Cross speaker.
As a result of the action of the LGBT couple, they have been expelled from the Rotary Club for supporting the Red Cross.
In an email sent from the president of the Rotary Club, it clearly stated that the LGBT couple have been singled out.
As far as we know, the two other members have not been served with the same email from the president of the Rotary Club Salinas.
Below is an extract from the email sent to the LGBT couple.

“Evelyn,
You are welcome to take it to whatever level you like Since we are not official members of Rotary International yet, I don’t think you will get far.
As the local president, I am removing you both from the group as of today. Please do not attend future meetings.


Best Regards,
Rick”

There are a number of things troubling about this email. First, that it was sent at all; 
Second, it has singled out an LGBT couple that were standing up for the right of the Red Cross to speak.
Third, the other two members have not been expelled from the Rotary Club.

From the actions of the Rotary Club Salinas Ecuador, which as stated in the email from the president, is not a member of the Rotary Club International, has promoted homophobic behavior towards an LGBT couple that joined the Rotary Club so they can give back to their adopted community.
Also, the heckler was able to hijack a Rotary Club meeting merely by shouting the loudest, and the club president supported this?

I was told by a Rotary Club  (John) member of 35 years that this is not what the Rotary Club is about, and this is not the Rotary Club for me. I will not return.

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