Straight Not Narrow-Presenting Jesus Beyond the Walls: 6/1/08

June 07, 2008

"Sacred Conversations"

The seemingly radical idea of talking with someone instead of at them when there are areas of disagreement is the topic of a column by a UCC minister in the Des Moines Register:

Our religious discourse, particularly when mingled with politics, often creates chasms between people who have aims that are akin. The recent public pillorying of pastors Jeremiah Wright, John Hagee and Rod Parsley reminds me how intense it can be. If those pastors and I were to discuss our views on the nature of God, an appropriate use of the Bible, or how to remedy sin, we would likely have a degree of disagreement. But, as I tried to demonstrate to my breakfast companion, we do share similar core values and have related goals. Among them, we want to be better spouses, provide for the homeless and feed the hungry.

When our God talk leads to an excessive focus on the nature of the divine, especially when we put an emphasis on being right, we usually find ourselves in the briar patch. It can lead to a lot of talk: talking at each other, not with one another. Sometimes we demand correct doctrine to the detriment of collective action.

Another approach is to engage in sacred conversations. This style of communication seeks the divine within us and shared between us. An attitude of curiosity decreases the judging, and our attention focuses on justice and peacemaking. Some might claim that I am reaching for the lowest common denominator. I would submit that I am reaching for our greatest common capacity for good.

Click here to read the rest of the column.

June 06, 2008

Rebuttal to "Love Won Out"

I am proud to say I participated in an organized protest when this group came to the Washington DC area. They will be in Orlando, FL this weekend. and Wayne Besen's organizaiton is gearing up to shed light on their efforts.

From Truth Wins Out:

A coalition of gay and lesbian community leaders held a media conference today to counter Focus on the Family’s ex-gay Love Won Out symposium, which will take place on Saturday. The ex-gay road show was specifically planned to coincide with Gay Days at Disney and to push Focus on the Family’s election year political agenda, says TruthWinsOut.org (TWO).

“Love Won Out distorts gay life and confuses stereotypes with science, while selling false hope to vulnerable people,” said TruthWinsOut.org’s Executive Director Wayne Besen, at the media conference. “The symposium promotes outdated ideas that are rejected by every reputable mental health association in America. Unfortunately, the real goal of this conference is to pass anti-gay laws and stigmatize gay men and women.”

The conference is strategically timed in a presidential year that will include a constitutional amendment on the Florida ballot that seeks to prohibit same-sex marriage and domestic partnership benefits. The event also coincides with Gay Days at Disney and takes place in the shadow of the monumental California Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. Focus on the Family has exploited these opportunities and promoted this conference by placing offensive billboards in Orlando.

“This is a hurtful symposium that sends the toxic message that some people are inferior and need to change,” said Besen. “Love Won Out divides communities and pits people against each other for political gain.”

To highlight the trauma ex-gay ministries often cause families, TWO released an exclusive video today documenting the story of “ex-gay” survivor Robert Elster, who participated in ex-gay programs for 20 years. Convinced by these groups that he was cured, he married his wife Judy for 15 years and they had two children. Unfortunately, the marriage ended because Robert had not become straight. He had been sold false hope and bought into what he now calls his “inauthentic self.” Today, he lives as an out, proud openly gay man in California.

Additionally, TWO will participate in a Saturday PFLAG-sponsored prayer vigil in front of the Love Won Out conference at 7AM. (First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, 106 East Church Street).

You can watch the video by clicking on the link above. If you are in the Orlando area and care about GLBT people being accepted for who they are, I urge you to participate in the prayer vigil.

June 05, 2008

The Words of Robert Kennedy Ring True Today

Today is the 40th anniversary of Senator Robert F. Kennedy's assasination, which occurred as he exited a celebration after winning the 1968 California Democratic presidential primary.

I saw this excerpt from a speech he gave only a few weeks before, on April 5, 1968, the day following the assasination of Martin Luther King, Jr. These words were spoken toward racism, but they apply just as well to attitudes of hate and bigotry directed in our day toward GLBT people.

"When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies, to be met not with cooperation but with conquest; to be subjugated and mastered.

"We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens, men with whom we share a city, but not a community; men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort. We learn to share only a common fear, only a common desire to retreat from each other, only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force. For all this, there are no final answers.

"Yet we know what we must do. It is to achieve true justice among our fellow citizens. The question is not what programs we should seek to enact. The question is whether we can find in our own midst and in our own hearts that leadership of humane purpose that will recognize the terrible truths of our existence.

"We must admit the vanity of our false distinctions among men and learn to find our own advancement in the search for the advancement of others. We must admit in ourselves that our own children's future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge.

"Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.

"But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can."

They Love Us, Or at Least Like Us.....

Stay tuned for a shameless plug.....

I was notified that this blog had received a rating of 8.5 from Blogged.com, an online community that aggregates blogs by category then rates them. Here is their comment on SNN

Our editors recently reviewed your blog and have given it an 8.5 score out of (10) in the Society/Culture category of Blogged.com.
This is quite an achievement!

http://www.blogged.com/directory/society/culture

We evaluated your blog based on the following criteria: Frequency of Updates, Relevance of Content, Site Design, and Writing Style.

After carefully reviewing each of these criteria, your site was given its 8.5 score.

To put this in perspective, that put SNN 84th out of 1,241 ranked in that category, comfortably in the top 10%.

I appreciate their affirmation of the work that has gone into this blog, especially as our 3rd birthday is upon us later this month.

You can see the most current ranking on the right hand side of the front page (unless is really drops, then the link might not, ahem, work anymore).

Will Same-Sex Marriage Become "Ordinary Life"?

Anna Quindlen, author and columnist, expresses that view in the new issue of Newsweek:

One of the most transformative social movements over our lifetime has been the battle for gay rights, and the key to its great success has been the grass-roots phenomenon of exploding stereotypes by simply saying, "Yes, I am." Each time the woman at the next desk or the guy down the street lets it be known that he or she is gay, it takes another brick out of the wall of division. Or, as Ellen DeGeneres told John McCain on her show recently, "We are all the same people, all of us."

That's what the said when it ruled that gay couples should have the right to marry as a matter of basic equality. Before you could say "Jonathan and Andrew request the honour of your presence," opponents were suggesting that civilization would crash and burn if two guys could register at Pottery Barn and raise kids in a ranch house.

In the wake of the court's decision, those folks vowed to find a way to protect the sanctity of hetero marriage, that time-honored staple of sitcom mockery and savage custody fights. Polls showing opposition to gay marriage were proffered to prove that the court had overstepped its bounds, ignoring the fact that the most sacred business of judges is not to ratify the will of the majority but to protect the minority from its tyranny.

Gay men and lesbians have prospered because they've refused to acquiesce to the notion that they should hide their lives from public view. Two by two they've adopted children, bought homes, volunteered in their communities and slogged through life together just the way hetero couples do, except without preferential tax codes, inheritance rights and the automatic assumption that they can make decisions for one another in emergency situations. Too often, without legal protection, they have found themselves dependent on the kindness of those who were not kind, like the man in Indiana who became severely disabled and whose parents prohibited his partner of 25 years from visiting him in their home.

Someday soon the fracas surrounding all this will seem like a historical artifact, like the notion that women were once prohibited from voting and a black individual from marrying a white one. Our children will attend the marriages of their friends, will chatter about whether they will last, will whisper to one another, "Love him, don't like him so much." The California Supreme Court called gay marriage a "basic civil right." In hindsight, it will merely be called ordinary life.

Click here to read the rest of the column. The anti-gay comments are starting to build up below it, so you may want to skip that part.

June 04, 2008

Please Consider Signing This Petition

From the Human Rights Campaign and wholeheartedly endorsed by us:

Do you want to live in a country that legalizes discrimination? Despite the recent California Supreme Court decision that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is unconstitutional, efforts are underway throughout the country to take away rights from same-sex couples.

I just joined thousands of others in showing my support for marriage equality for all. But recently, proponents of bigotry and hate collected even more signatures in an attempt to invalidate the California Supreme Court decision. And they won't stop with California - extremists are even trying to add a same-sex marriage ban to the U.S. Constitution. We are at a turning point in our nation's history and I'm hoping you'll join me in standing up against discrimination. Please sign the Million for Marriage petition and get us one name closer to showing that Americans overwhelmingly support marriage equality!

Every committed couple deserves to enjoy the privileges andresponsibilities conferred by marriage. Add your name to thepetition and be a part of the movement to fight for marriageequality for all.

Thank you!

SIGN UP!

Let the Nuptuals Begin.....On June 17

The Associated Press reports that the California State Supreme Court has refused to stay its decision to allow same-sex marriage in the state, so as of June 17, there will be no gender restrictions for couples to be legally married in California. Since Governor Patterson of New York is working toward having those marriages recognized in his state, there could be a lot of coast-to-coast trips happening in the near future, especially since there is a chance an amendment could be voted into California's state constitution that would overrule the court's decision.

Here is the AP report.

Bishop Harry Jackson Should Be a Politician

That title is not a compliment. I'm making that statment based on these two videos of Bishop Jackson posted on Dr. Jerry Maneker's blog. The first one is him speaking to the group from Soulforce that visited his church, Hope Christian Church is the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC. The second is an interview he gave the following week to Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network.

I make the politician remark because (1) he clearly tailors his remarks to his audience (2) he did not show the courage to make the negative remarks he made during the CBN interview to the faces of the people they were directed at when he had the opportunity a few days earlier and (3) since someone who truly had the heart of Christ wouldn't do that, he seems more suited for politics, where that is a fairly common occurrence.

The post on Dr. Maneker's blog also includes a response from Soulforce, expressing their disappointment with Bishop Jackson's obvious duplicity.

Here's the link. Don't watch the second video if you have high bloodpressure.

June 03, 2008

AIDS/LifeCycle Sets Record by Raising $11.5 million

From Gay News Blog:

More than 2,500 cyclists from all over the world rode exuberantly from San Francisco this morning, beginning a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride to Los Angeles as participants in the annual AIDS/LifeCycle. This year's riders and 500 volunteer roadies raised a record $11.5 million, more than any other annual HIV/AIDS fundraising event.

Now in its seventh year, the event benefits the HIV/AIDS-related services of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, two of the largest AIDS services providers in the country. Since its inception, AIDS/LifeCycle has raised more than $40 million for HIV/AIDS services. No other annual event raises more money in the fight against AIDS.

Lorri L. Jean, chief executive officer of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, said the ride is critical in fighting the widespread misperception that HIV and AIDS are no longer a problem.

"We've made many advances in the struggle against HIV and AIDS, but the fight is far from over," Jean said. "During the time it will take us to reach L.A., more than 1,000 Americans will become newly infected with HIV. What's more, HIV continues to be nothing less than a healthcare crisis internationally and in our own back yard. The 3,000 riders and volunteer roadies -- and the 60,000 people who sponsor them -- are raising awareness and making a statement that we will not stand idle in the face of the monumental challenge before us."

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Stephen Colbert Strikes Again

A few weeks ago, Stephen Colbert, the host of the infamous "Colbert Report" on Comedy Centra, interview the head of the Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solomonese, and hilarity insued as Solomonese engaged in some witty banter with the host.

Last week, Colbert reached across to the other side on the gay marriage issue when he interviewed Tony Perkins, the President of the right-wing Family Research Council. In my opinion, hilarity again insued, although Perkins was more of a recipient than a participant.

I link it here because I think satire, which this interview was, is often a good way of exposing just how silly a particular view of an issue is. I believe Colbert does just that here to the right-wing opposition to same-sex marriage.

Enjoy, thanks to PageOneQ.

June 02, 2008

Blogging for LGBT Families Day is Today!

The 3rd annual Blogging for LGBT Families Day is being celebrated at Mombian today. I encourage you to pop over there and check out this year's contributions!

Focus on the Family is at it again!

I first heard about this bill and Focus on the Family's fight against it from a podcast I get called "transponder". They played a clip from a radio ad that was absolutely disgusting. They make it sound like if this bill is passed, it will open the floodgates to sexual predators entering a women's restroom to assault someone! Or, that sexual predators will enter the girls' restrooms in schools!! It's just sad that they continue to make sex their priority. There's so much more in the world to be concerned about...like the economy! Smile.

Sharone

Focus on the Family lobbies against anti-bias bill
By Electa Draper The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 05/22/2008 05:41:18 PM MDT

A gay and lesbian Democratic group and conservative Christian lobbyists are battling over a bill expanding protections against discrimination in public life based on religion and sexual orientation.

Senate Bill 200 would ban discrimination based on a person's religious beliefs or sexual orientation — including transgendered people — in places of public accommodation, housing practices, family planning services and 20 other public spheres.

Gov. Bill Ritter has until June 5 to sign or veto the bill. Without gubernatorial action, the bill automatically becomes law.

Ritter has not yet indicated whether he will sign the bill, spokesman Evan Dreyer said Thursday.

Focus on the Family Action and Colorado Family Action say the bill would have serious consequences, such as opening Colorado public restrooms and locker rooms to all genders and transgendered people, exposing children and women to sexual predators.

The conservative lobbyists launched a radio ad campaign Wednesday urging Ritter to veto the bill.

"The disingenuous media attack campaign utilizes bigoted, unfounded and hate-inspiring scare tactics," the El Paso County Stonewall Democrats said in a statement.

"They spin the whole intent of the bill in a negative light just to cloak their claims for a bogus right to discriminate against gays, lesbians and transgender individuals," the statement said.

National Stonewall Democrats is a grassroots network connecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Democratic activists, according to the Colorado chapter's website.

Focus on the Family spokesman Tom Minnery said the anti-discrimination bill is so broadly drawn that it violates common sense and invades privacy.

Jim Pfaff, president of Colorado Family Action, said the measure could have numerous repercussions. For example, a wedding photographer would have to shoot the commitment ceremony of a gay couple, regardless of the photographer's religious beliefs about homosexuality.

"These are just scare tactics," said bill sponsor Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver. "These kinds of problems just don't materialize because of this kind of legislation."

The bill passed both houses May 2. Veiga said she expects Ritter to sign it.

"Our understanding is that the bill simply updates and brings consistency to existing anti-discrimination laws," Dreyer said.

"Focus on the Family is waging a political campaign based on misconstruing the facts and creating fear," Dreyer said.