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Longtime Activist Reverend William Sloane Coffin to Speak on Homophobia

For the past quarter century, the Reverend William Sloane Coffin has been active in peace, civil rights, and other social justice movements. On October 7, he will speak on "Homophobia: The Last 'Respectable' Prejudice" as part of the Inclusiveness Program (see CSJ calendar for details).

Coffin came to international attention during the 1960s, when--as chaplain of Yale University--he actively campaigned against racial segregation and America's military involvement in Vietnam. He was one of seven "freedom riders" arrested for protesting segregation laws in Montgomery, Alabama. Coffin was also one of the first to accept draft cards from young men protesting the Vietnam War, for which he was also arrested. Later, he turned his attention to disarmament, and is president emeritus of SANE/FREEZE: Campaign for Global Security, the largest U.S. peace and justice organization. As president, he was widely acknowledged as a leading proponent of a new political thinking that recognizes the fundamental connections among peace, the environment, and social justice. Most recently, Coffin has been lecturing widely on topics including the Christian Right and rights for homosexuals.

As senior minister of New York's Riverside Church, Coffin founded the acclaimed disarmament program and traveled globally to promote international peace and human rights. He is also the author of four books, including A Passion for the Possible and his autobiography, Once to Every Man.