By Bill Fancher and Ed Vitagliano
May 12, 2003

(AgapePress) - The announcement that Patricia Ireland is the new president of the YWCA has been met with concern from some in the Christian community.

YWCA stands for "Young Women's Christian Association," and those words are inconsistent with the new president of the group, according to Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition. Lafferty insists that Ireland, who was a self-proclaimed bisexual and formerly head of the radical feminist group, National Organization for Women, should not be in charge at the YWCA.

"She is none of the above. She's not young ... and she's not a Christian," she said. Lafferty noted that, in an appearance on the popular FOX News channel show The O'Reilly Factor, Ireland would not answer host Bill O'Reilly's specific questions concerning whether or not she was a Christian. "She wouldn't respond and called that 'McCarthyism,'" Lafferty said.

Lafferty said Ireland is not the type of role model for young Christian women.

Also of concern
The YWCA receives over $272 million in tax dollars per year. Lafferty said, "We have asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services to look into how that money is spent. And again, we are concerned with someone like Patricia Ireland, how is she then, going to be spending tax-payer dollars?"

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