Editing Homosexuality and Quakerism (section)

===North America===

====United States ====
Quakers in the [[United States]] are divided on the issue of homosexuality, with some (mostly Friends affiliated with programmed meetings) not approving of either homosexuality or the legalization of same sex unions. Friends associated with [[Friends General Conference]] (FGC), the more liberal group of Friends encompassing a large number of yearly meetings and approximately a fifth of all Quakers in the country, are the most tolerant with many monthly meetings and some yearly meetings providing full equality for homosexuals including marriage. FGC itself in 2004 made a statement on including LGBT quakers as equals in worship and acknowledging their past contributions to the conference.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fgcquaker.org/library/fgc-news/lgbtq-minute.php |title=FGC Epistle on LGBTQ Friends |access-date=2016-02-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414211425/http://www.fgcquaker.org/library/fgc-news/lgbtq-minute.php |archive-date=14 April 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The largely FGC-based FLGBTQC ([[Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns]]) group holds meetings twice a year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flgbtqc.quaker.org/ |title=Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns |access-date=25 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317120331/http://flgbtqc.quaker.org/ |archive-date=17 March 2018 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Similar positions from other unprogrammed Quaker meetings not affiliated with FGC include that taken by [[North Pacific Yearly Meeting]] and [[Pacific Yearly Meeting]], which support same-sex marriage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npym.org/archives/minute1997_bgmarriage.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110413212200/http://www.npym.org/archives/minute1997_bgmarriage.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-04-13 |title=North Pacific Yearly Meeting |access-date=2018-10-09}}</ref>

On the other hand, Friends associated with the [[Central Yearly Meeting of Friends]] (CYMF), [[Friends United Meeting]] (FUM) and [[Evangelical Friends Church International]] (EFCI), which represent mostly programmed Quaker meetings, have taken stands condemning gay marriage and homosexual relationships altogether.<ref name="CYMF2018"/> Indiana and Western Yearly Meetings (members of FUM) issued a statement of "core values" which includes both an insistence on abstinence outside of marriage, and a definition of marriage to heterosexual relationships only, as does the Central Yearly Meeting of Friends in its ''[[Book of Discipline (Quaker)|Manual of Faith and Practice]]''.<ref name="CYMF2018"/> [[Evangelical Friends Church - Southwest]], a yearly meeting and a member of EFI, states in its ''Faith and Practice'' that homosexuality is a sin and grounds for termination of employment in the church.

However, there is dissension within the Evangelical groups. The Friends of Jesus Community, some of whose members were affiliated with EFCI, took a public stance in favor of the equal worth of same-sex relationships.<ref>{{citation | title = Report and Questions from a Retreat on Same-Sex Issues 3/15-17/1996 | location = [[Wallingford, Pennsylvania]] | url = http://www.pendlehill.org/frames+lectures/same-sex-issues.html | access-date = 29 June 2009 | date = 6 October 2003 | orig-year = 1996 | publisher = [[Pendle Hill]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060404190624/http://www.pendlehill.org/frames%20lectures/same-sex-issues.html | archive-date = 4 April 2006 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref> In Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (NWYM), associated with EFCI, one Portland-area Monthly Meeting has minuted its support of same-sex unions, creating a discussion on their statement of human sexuality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwym.org/ |title=nwym.org is under construction |date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050926133711/http://www.nwym.org/ |access-date=2021-11-24|archive-date=26 September 2005 }}</ref> This led to a number of other NWYM churches discussing this matter, leading some of them to form a new yearly meeting, and at least one of them to split.<ref>{{cite web |title=Quaker Church Splits Over Disputes on LGBT Issues |url=https://www.gfucrescent.com/news/2017/11/10/quaker-church-splits-over-disputes-on-lgbt-issues |website=The Crescent |access-date=9 October 2018 |archive-date=10 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010011001/https://www.gfucrescent.com/news/2017/11/10/quaker-church-splits-over-disputes-on-lgbt-issues |url-status=live }}</ref>

Most monthly meetings of [[Baltimore Yearly Meeting]] (BYM, a member of both FGC and FUM) have taken a similar position.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bym-rsf.org/file_download/0059c89c-afbc-441f-8511-1a780ef84637|title=BYM Gender and Sexual Diversity Minutes Collection|website=Bym-rsf.org|access-date=28 September 2015|archive-date=19 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019014731/http://www.bym-rsf.org/file_download/0059c89c-afbc-441f-8511-1a780ef84637|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, although perhaps to a lesser extent, some meetings associated with groups on the other side of the issue have dissented. Swansea Monthly Meeting, under care of [[New England Yearly Meeting]], is one of two meetings in that group to publicly oppose same-sex marriage.

In 2002, FUM and BYM began a dialogue on homosexuality and same-sex relationships.  At the 2002 FUM Triennial, Clerk Lamar Matthew was excluded from leading a worship sharing group because he was in a relationship with another man.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bym-rsf.org/quakers///pubs/minutes/YM%20Minutes%202002.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326002729/http://www.bym-rsf.org/quakers///pubs/minutes/YM%20Minutes%202002.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 March 2009|title=Minutes of 2002 BYM Annual Sessions, p. 23|access-date=9 October 2018}}</ref> FUM has affirmed in a minute of its General Board that its policy that anyone in sexual relationships outside of marriage – "which is understood to be between one man and one woman" – cannot be in paid leadership positions (a minute approved in 1988) also applies to those in other leadership positions and to their overseas workers. Since that time, BYM has had a program of intervisitation with other Yearly Meetings on the issue of same-sex relationships. This policy of FUM has been in constant discussion in the FUM board ever since it was originally proposed. BYM is not the only dual-membership Yearly Meeting (membership in both FUM and FGC). Many members of the New England and New York Yearly Meetings have also been struggling with the FUM position.

==== Canada ====
In [[Canada]], the main "umbrella" Quaker body, [[Canadian Yearly Meeting]], shares a similar view to the more liberal American Quaker groups, and stated in 2003 that Canadian Quakers "support the right of same-sex couples to a civil marriage and the extension of the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples." Since then a number of same-sex marriages have been performed at Canadian Monthly Meetings. CYM is a member of both FUM and FGC. As a result of FUM's position on homosexuality, there is ongoing debate within Canadian Yearly Meeting about CYM's relationship with FUM. Canadian Yearly Meeting in 2007 approved a letter to be sent to FUM stating that CYM has appointed a committee "to review the involvement and participation of CYM in FUM". In the meantime, CYM's financial contribution was earmarked for a specific purpose.<ref>[http://www.quaker.ca/cfriend/cfriend-2007.html#20074 The Canadian Friend – 2007<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208051112/http://www.quaker.ca/cfriend/cfriend-2007.html#20074 |date=8 February 2008 }}</ref>