Former AFA Staffer on How AFA is Using Hate to Fight Hate Crimes Bill

Joe Murray, who used to write some of the right-wing propaganda for the American (Straight) Family Association continues to speak out against the organization, particularly the tactics they use to try and get their way. Murray has most recently written about their campaign against the Matthew Sheppard Bill (the pending Hate Crimes legislation being considered by Congress).

First, Murray speaks out about the despicable Tony Perkins, head of the (Straight) Family Research Council:

"Under this legislation, the crimes at Virginia Tech, which some are calling one of the deadliest rampages in U.S. history, would not be punishable to the level of these so-called 'hate-crimes'," wrote Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council (FRC), in an email alert sent out to FRC supporters. Perkins' analysis, however, was far from over.

Explaining why the hate crimes bill is not good for America, Perkins wrote, "If the House approves H.R. 1592 and the Senate follows, a homosexual would have more federal protection under the law than the 32 victims of last week's massacre."

Words cannot describe how disheartening such a comment, from a man who champions the values of Christianity, is.

While parents, siblings, students and staff mourned the senseless killings of 32 members of the Virginia Tech community, Perkins thought it was an opportune time, and perhaps even an exercise of his Christian duty, to exploit the tragic situation to aid in the manufacturing of a "homosexual agenda." This is not only degrading to Virginia Tech and to the gay community, it clearly prostitutes any notion of family values.

Murray then speaks out against the AFA's approach:

Make no mistake - Christians, blacks and a handful of other groups already enjoy hate crime protection under a 1968 federal civil rights law. All homosexuals are asking is that they be included. If one wants to be against hate crime legislation on the principle that all crimes are motivated by hate, so be it. But one cannot lobby against hate crimes while one enjoys the benefit he is seeking to deny to others. This is the height of hubris.

This debate, though, is not a principled debate on the legitimacy of hate crimes; it is a debate that seeks to pit gays against Christians. It is a debate that seeks to separate, not unite, a debate that seeks to deny truth with tension. For proof, look no further than the American Family Association (AFA).

"Let's face it," wrote AFA founder Don Wildmon in an email, "homosexual and transgender activists know full well that the church is one of last bastions in Western culture that has yet to cave in to the demands of a radical agenda that seeks to redefine fundamental concepts such as marriage, family and gender." There you have it - no middle ground can be had and a scorched earth policy must proceed against the gays to protect Christendom.

Is this what Jesus would do? Nobody knows for sure, but one would think that Christ's name is more in line with an olive branch rather than a billy club.

It's nice to have Mr. Murray on our side of this and other important issues.

Thanks to Good As You for the tip.

New York State Becomes Next Marriage Battleground

As he promised during his election campaign, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has introduced legislation that would give same-sex couples full marriage rights in the state.

According to the report in New York's Gay City News, analyists believe the legislation has a good chance of passing the Democratic controlled Assembly, but getting it through the Republican-led Senate will be a much tougher challenge. An ally in that fight could be New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is on record as committing to testify in favor of this type of legislation.

I commend Governor Spitzer for backing up his campaign promise with action, something that is becoming more of a rare occurrence in this nation's political arena,

One of the right-wing's favorite arguements against same-sex marriage is that the majority of people don't want it. That appears not to be the case in New York according to this survey taken by Crain's Business. Published in Crain's New York Business magazine, the poll showed that 63% of voters support a gay marriage law.

I wonder how the right wing will react if they lose this battle in the New York state legislature. Wouldn't it be interesting if they took the issue to court? That wouldn't surprise me and would serve to reinforce my view that hypocrisy is no obstacle as long as they succeed in restricting the rights of GLBT people and recording their bigotry in the laws of this nation.

Do GLBT Celeberties Have a Greater Responsibility?

Are they obligated to come out? That's an interesting question posed in this blog post by Kevin Naff, the editor of the Washington Blade.

The obligation is not to hold pinkies, it’s merely to be honest about who you are. And what straight celebrity feels the need to keep their sexual orientation a “mystery”? From Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson, whose videotaped sexual romps were released for mass consumption, to Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, whose divorce generated headlines for months, the personal lives of straight celebrities are on full view. You can debate whether or not that’s a good thing, but it’s reality. And the standards should be the same for gays.

If Alec Baldwin’s private voicemails to his daughter are fodder for mainstream news coverage, then other gay celebrities should at least be able to answer truthfully whether or not they are gay.

The issue received renewed attention thanks to Out magazine’s deliciously brilliant May cover that features the faces of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and actress Jodie Foster to illustrate a story about the “glass closet.” The magazine also named the ambiguous duo on its list of the 50 most powerful gays.

My colleague, Chris Ciompi, editor of Genre magazine, which is affiliated with the Blade, denounced the Out cover in an interview with the New York Daily News.

"Your right to privacy is a constitutional right," Ciompi said. "Maybe Jodie and Anderson would prefer to be known for their work, not their sexuality. The climate of the United States today still would not allow that to occur. With Anderson, many people would perceive his credibility to be undermined."

The problem with Ciompi’s reasoning is that straight celebrities don’t have the option to be “known for their work,” and the rules should be the same for their gay counterparts. And how does being gay undermine your credibility as a journalist? Cooper has cited that offensive canard in refusing to answer questions about his sexual orientation and the gay media ought not give him cover. As for privacy rights, there are far different legal standards of privacy for public figures. Just ask Alec Baldwin.

I agree with Naff up to a point. Anyone who is marketing themselves as something they are not (which includes a GLBT person passing themselves off as straight) should be held to a standard of at least being honest about who they really are.

Where I part ways with Naff is that you can hardly say straight celeberties are held to that standard. Yes, as he points out, they can flaunt a heterosexual lifestyle and no one even blinks, but sexual orientation is only part of who a person really is. It would be quite a reach to say that the general public has much true insight into the type of people Paris Hilton or Alec Baldwin truly are.

Therefore, if a celeberty is disengenous about his or her sexual orientation, it's hard for me to say that is much if any worse than the difference between image and reality many straight celebs work hard to maintain. I'm not sure at all that GLBT celeberties should be held to a higher standard.

What do you think?

LA Times Sports Columnist is a Transsexual

Now that's not the kind of headline you see every day, but it is true. Los Angeles Times sports columnist Mike Penner announced in his column on April 26 that he was leaving for vacation and coming back in a few weeks as Christine. He is also able to see where this fits in with the big picture:

I am a transsexual sportswriter. It has taken more than 40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy for me to work up the courage to type those words. I realize many readers and colleagues and friends will be shocked to read them.

That's OK. I understand that I am not the only one in transition as I move from Mike to Christine. Everyone who knows me and my work will be transitioning as well. That will take time. And that's all right. To borrow a piece of well-worn sports parlance, we will take it one day at a time.

As extensive therapy and testing have confirmed, my brain was wired female.

A transgender friend provided the best and simplest explanation I have heard: We are born with this, we fight it as long as we can, and in the end it wins.

I gave it as good a fight as I possibly could. I went more than 40 hard rounds with it. Eventually, though, you realize you are only fighting yourself and your happiness and your mental health — a no-win situation any way you look at it.

This AP story contains some reactions:

"Mike Penner has been an exemplary contributor to the Los Angeles Times sports pages for over two decades and today's column is no exception," Randy Harvey, the newspaper's sports editor, said in a statement. "The decision to go public cannot have been an easy one and, while we do not make a habit of commenting on the personal and private lives of our journalists, we do look forward to continuing our relationship into the future."

John Amaechi, the first NBA player to publicly come out of the closet as being gay, said he read Penner's column Thursday after returning from a speaking engagement in Berkeley at the University of California.

"It's incredibly bold and far more courageous than anything I could have done," said Amaechi, who spent five seasons in the NBA. "I commend him."

Gay and lesbian activists praised Penner and the Los Angeles Times.

"Christine's still-unfolding story sends a powerful message about the importance of living openly and honestly as does the Times' public support of her transition," said Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

God bless "New Christine" as she enters what will be a fascinating (given the nature of the sports world) and hopefully fulfilling walk in the next chapter of her life.

Colorado Springs: Home Base for Homophobia?

It sure seems that way at times, especially since that city is the headquarters for James Dobson's Focus on the (Straight) Family.

Not everybody there is happy about that image, especially those who are trying to attract business to Colorado Springs:

Mike Kazmierski wants the world to know that not everybody in Colorado Springs - home of Focus on the Family, the anti-gay-marriage amendment, the anti-domestic-partnership initiative and Will Perkins - is a flaming anti-gay-rights activist.

"We're really very diverse," said the president of the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp.

As they travel nationally trying to attract new industry, the question comes up all the time," said Jay Patel, a member of the Diversity Forum along with Kazmierski. "They are constantly having to apologize and try to rectify that perceived image."

Kazmierski said the reputation of the Springs as intolerant is widespread. "But like the misperception that Colorado Springs is covered in snow eight months of the year, it's wrong."

Ted Trimpa, a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and a prominent gay activist, agreed.

The image of the Springs "is stuck at where the city was three or four years ago," he said, "and it's a little unfair."

While Focus and other conservative religious organizations still wield tremendous political power in the community, "the dynamic has changed," he said. "People within the Republican Party there have started saying no to extremism.

"We actually may be reaching a tipping point."

Trimpa said gay-rights leaders have an obligation to help the city become genuinely diverse.

"I tell my gay friends we have to let go of the notion of the epiphany.

"There is not going to be a day when the opposition wakes up and says, 'You're right. We're so sorry."'

Instead, the strategy should be one of building mutual respect, he said. "We have got to move to respecting where they come from and at the same time building our own power base."

Could Colorado Springs be a tipping point where right-wing extremists lose their influence in favor of a balanced approach where all people are accepted?

Let's hope so. It would be wonderful to see the city known for being a trendsetter in acceptance rather than bigotry.

Indianapolis Billboards Stir Debate

Faith in America and the Jesus Metropolitan Community Church in Indianapolis, IN combined resources to put together an ad campaign with 22 billboards and 1,000 yard signs in the Indiapolis area that contained slogans (and Bible references) such as "Jesus affirmed a gay couple."

Their goal was to get people engaged in discussion and debate about the issues they are raising. Given some of the opposition reported in this article from the Indianapolis Star, mission accomplished.

"Most people right now think the debate over homosexuality is between those who love the Bible -- conservative Christians -- and those who want to throw the Bible out -- godless homosexuals," said Jesus Metropolitan pastor Jeff Miner, who is gay. "That is not reality. This is a debate between people who love the Bible."

Boy, I've learned that lesson first-hand at my church, Believers Covenant Fellowship. There are gay and lesbian members there, especially Apostle Dale Jarrett, that love the Lord and His word as much as any straight person possibly could. I've learned a lot about loving God from him and other GLBT members of my church family.

Other ministers remain certain that the Bible consistently says homosexuality is sinful. In Genesis, the story of Sodom's destruction decries homosexuality, said the Rev. Bob Taylor, of Colonial Hills Baptist Church, a Northeastside congregation.

The billboard campaign doesn't worry him, though, Taylor said, because the Bible is so clear on the issue. "People will always find an excuse to do what they want to do."

That's true, especially when it comes to hating GLBT people.

More on African-American Churches and Homosexuality

This article from the Southern Poverty Law Center profiles several of the more outspoken opponents of homosexuality in the African-American church.

Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of a 25,000 member church near Atlanta:

"The problem today and the reason society is like it is, is because men are being feminized and women are being masculine!" he roars. "You can not say, ‘I was born this way.' … I don't care what scientists say!"

The crowd erupts in "amens," laughter and clapping.

Eddie Long is just one example of a growing number of powerful, politically active African-American pastors who are increasingly aligning themselves with the white evangelical Christian leaders who have been building a religiously based anti-gay movement for more than 30 years now. Like their white counterparts, these black anti-gay preachers routinely identify the so-called "homosexual agenda" — not poverty, racism, gang violence, inadequate schools, or unemployment — as the No. 1 threat facing black Americans today. Often, they take their cues from white Christian Right hard-liners like Traditional Values Coalition chairman Louis Sheldon, who told TV pundit Tucker Carlson in January 2006 that homosexuality is "the biggest problem facing inner-city black neighborhoods." Sheldon later delivered the same message to the Congressional Black Caucus, this time accompanied by Bishop Paul Morton, a black anti-gay minister from New Orleans.

Some black ministers have been attracted to the white-dominated religious anti-gay movement by the money and power of white Christian leaders, not to mention "faith-based" grants under the Bush Administration. But it's also obvious that a segment of the black community in America has long had its own negative attitudes toward gays and lesbians. "I'm sure [black ministers] are being co-opted, but they don't need a great deal of co-optation," is how the Rev. Peter Gomes, chaplain of Harvard University, put it to the Village Voice in 2004.

"I think they come to the prejudice on their own."

Sadly, white power brokers like James Dobson aren't the only ones willing to sell out African-American ministers like Eddie Long are also getting their cut and their flocks, particularly any GLBT members, are the ones getting the short end of the deal.

"Normalizing Homosexuality"

That's a phrase I've seen recently creep into right-wing rhetoric, so their connotations are obviously negative. Actually, I think developing a sense of normalcy regarding homosexuality in our society would be an important and wonderful step forward.

This is an excerpt from a column written for The Christian Post by former political operative/fellon now evangelist Charles Colson.

They are called “Personal Statements on Being Different.” One of them, from “Esperanza,” reads: “I’ve known for a long time that I am a lesbian.” As a little girl hearing fairy tales about a princess, Esperanza says she knew that, when she grew up, “I would marry the beautiful princess, not the prince.”

Another story involves “Portia,” a boy who grew up feeling like a girl. He changed his name and told his high school principal that he was a transgender. The understanding principal gave him an ID card with his new name on it. Now, “Portia” writes, “I speak about transgender concerns at school” and help other transgender youths get through “the challenges they face.”

These stories are part of the new Montgomery County, Maryland, health classes on homosexuality.

These so-called “personal statements”—all supportive of homosexuality and other disorders—are just the beginning. Students are also told that homosexuality is “innate” and permanent—despite much evidence to the contrary. They are taught that the homosexual lifestyle is not only to be tolerated, but also celebrated. Students are told about “transgendered persons” and so-called sex-reassignment surgery.

.....kids are encouraged to identify their sexual orientation early.

I took the liberty of deleting some of Colson's inflamatory/inaccurate statements because without them he is describing the best way to avoid another generation of anti-gay bigotry--by education. I'm proud to be a resident of Montgomery County and support their progressive actions regarding education about homosexuality. The organization Teach the Facts.org has also had a lot to do with this cirriculum.

Here is how Colson concludes his piece:

We need to make sure our children hear some real-life “personal statements” about homosexuality: by those who overcame same-sex attraction, left the gay lifestyle, and entered a joyful—and healthy—new life.

Now THAT's a fairy tale!

Lots At Stake For the GLBT Community In Congress

Along with the hate crimes legislation, the Matthew Sheppard Bill, that I have been writing about, a bill also just got introduced in Congress that would ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

From the report in the Boston Globe:

If Congress passes the bills, gay-rights advocates say, it reflects a dramatic change in the national political landscape. In the dozen years Republicans controlled Congress, GOP lawmakers paid little attention to the gay-rights agenda and kept some gay-friendly legislation from even being considered.

"For millions of Americans, it's a very important affirmation of their lives, and we're not talking about [just] symbolism here," said Representative Barney Frank, a Newton Democrat who is openly gay. "We are talking about real problems that exist in people's lives."

If anyone in Congress has earned the right to pop the cork on a bottle of champagne if these bills get passed, it is Rep. Frank who fought the good fight for equality with very little tangible support for a long time.

"We need stricter enforcement of present [anti discrimination] law, not a new law protecting special classes of people and not others," Cantor said. "Here in this Congress I feel it is not our duty, nor should it be our business, to distinguish between different kinds of murder. Murder is murder."

A group of African-American clergy members rallied on Capitol Hill yesterday against the hate crimes bill, which they said was akin to granting special legal protections to a class of "sinners."

Several of the ministers said they feared the measure could lead to prosecution of church leaders who preach against homosexuality if, for example, a church member were to commit a hate crime against a gay man or a lesbian after listening to a sermon that denounced homosexuality.

Well, then, perhaps they shouldn't preach a message that could stir anyone to violent acts against another person. Amazingly, these ministers showed up in DC to speak out for their right to do just that!

How can anyone claiming to be a Christian and seeking the will of God think that Jesus would want that type of message preached from the pulpit from where He is supposed to be exhaulted?

That is clearly people seeking their own will (to hate homosexuals) ahead of God's will, one of the primary definitions of sin.

"Ex-Gay' Leader Expresses Opposition to Federal Hate Crimes Bill

Alan Chambers, the President of Exodous International, a ministry that claims to be able to lead homosexuals into a straight lifestyle through "the Gospel of Jesus," has weighed in on "The Matthew Sheppard Bill," which would extend federal hate crimes protection to cases based on sexual identity:

"[R]eally what we're saying is this legislation is unfair, because it means that I was more valuable as a homosexual than I am today as a former homosexual," Chambers told reporters before he began visiting on Capitol Hill April 17. "You know, this law would give special protection to those who are gay and lesbian, yet it doesn't give any protection to those who are children. That's saying that a gay man is more valuable than a child, is more valuable than a grandmother, is more valuable than the majority of Americans. That's just not fair."

"The bill is "primarily being pushed by those in the homosexual activist community, really as a reinforcement that homosexuality is valid, that they need protection, and that's just not the case," said Chambers, who left homosexuality 15 years ago and has been married for more than nine years. "[Homosexuals are] protected as much as I am protected under the Fourteenth Amendment."

First, there is no such thing as a "former homosexual." There are homosexuals like Mr. Chambers who are leading a straight lifestyle. The number of cases of ex-gay leaders being caught in gay bars are too long to list here.

Of course, no one is assigning "value" to a person based on their sexual orientation, or in Mr. Chambers' situation, their current practice. In fact, hate crimes legislation, like that which punishes lynching of African-Americans or church burnings with extra penalties, are designed to prevent minorities from being treated as "less valuable" parts of society. History is littered with examples of violent acts committed against individuals or groups because they are different. Such is currently the case with the GLBT community.

Homosexuality IS valid and they do need protection. Just the fact that someone with the bully pulpit like Mr. Chambers can even question the validity of an entire group of people only, in my opinion, serves to reinforce the need for them to be protected by hate crime legislation accross the nation, not just in a few friendly states.

Thanks to Jesus Politics for the tip.

Even Safe Havens Not Free From Discrimination

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, is a nice little atlantic beach town that I've had the pleasure of visiting several times. It is also very friendly to GLBT residents and visitors:

"There's a good sense of community here, both gay and straight," said a man who recently came out of the closet and moved to the town, long known across the East Coast for its gay enclave.

Gays and lesbians elsewhere aren't so lucky.

Across Delaware, incidents that gay and lesbian advocates say amount to discrimination occur every day.

A teacher asked to remove a rainbow sticker. A male nurse subjected to rude comments by a doctor. An office worker who watched as his openly gay supervisor was fired. There could be as many as 500 complaints each year in the workplace alone, according to one analysis.

Members of Delaware's gay community -- estimated at 24,000 -- hope they can sway Senate leadership this year by convincing a majority of Democrats in a key committee to sign on.

The bill would bar discrimination based on sexual orientation in such areas as housing, public accommodations, insurance and employment, putting Delaware in line with 17 other states, according to the civil rights organization The Human Rights Campaign of Washington, D.C.

You can bet the GLBT population of Rehoboth Beach will be keeping a close eye on events in Dover, the state capital, to see if the life they enjoy within the friendly confines of the city limits can be extended throughout the entire state.

"Gays and the Black Church"

I thought this was a very interesting article from the site BlackNews.com. He tracks the public dialog about tolerance toward toward gays in the black community back to former NFL star Reggie White (an ordained Pentacostal minister) and the intolerant remarks he made about homosexuality before the Wisconsin state legislature in 1997.

The article cites poll results that show the Africian-American community remains overwhelmingly opposed to same-sex marriage, and that the numbers really aren't moving.

The writer also walks through the process where supporters of a state constitutional amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage in Virginia used black ministers to help them pass it.

Here's how the article is summed up:

".....the few black ministers that preach a message of tolerance even as their church’s hemorrhage with dwindling memberships and collections should be applauded. That’s the true Christian message; a message that many Christians seem to have forgotten."

Amen to that.

Free Speech Not Always a Two-Way Street

Among the hysteria some right-wing organizations are using to campaing against The Matthew Sheppard Act (the pending hate-crimes legislation being considered in Congress), one of their main scare tactics is the perceived loss of First Amendment right--some claim that this bill will restrict what can be said in public, even from a pulput, and open preachers to criminal charges under this Act (ridiculous).

Those same people are not screaming about First Amendment rights in this case in Indiana, however. Amy Sorell, the newspaper adviser at Woodlan Junior-Senior High School, has been suspended ever since she allowed an article that encouraged tolerance of homosexuality to be published without prior approval from the school's principal.

Let's clear a couple of things up:

This is not a process issue. There would not have been a problem if the subject had been almost anything other than homosexuality. The process is being used as an excuse to punish the adviser.

There will be no fundamentalist outcry about First Amendment rights being restricted, not because they aren't, but because of the subject matter. The right-wing does not want limits on expression, but only regarding content that supports their beliefs. Right-wing operatives like the Alliance Defense Fund will be sitting this case out.

Stan Pflueger, president of the Fort Wayne chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbian and Gays and a graduate of the school district, said he was disappointed with the school system's reaction.

''The spirit of the article is just asking people to consider what your previous beliefs were about this particular subject,'' he said. ''There's a difference between tolerance and agreement.''

Isn't that what school is supposed to do; make kids think?

I think I would have really enjoyed having Ms. Sorell as one of my teachers.

A Speaker Supporting the Federal Hate Crimes Lesiglation

Miguel De La Torre blogged at Ethics Today about his participation in a press conference held in Washington, DC, where several hundred clergy gathered to demonstrate their support for the proposed Hate Crimes legislation currently before Congress. The entire transcript is worth reading, but here are some highlights:

"My Lord and Savior, through words and deeds, has taught me to stand with those who are oppressed. Today, the Congress has an opportunity to redress some of the oppression faced by our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters. Today the Congress has an opportunity to be used by the Almighty as an instrument of salvation and liberation.

"Some Christians from the far Right will attempt to paint these as special rights for gays and lesbians, asking where will it all end. I'll tell you where it ends. It ends, in the words of the prophet Amos, when justice rolls down like water, and righteousness like an everlasting stream."

Regardless of what stance Christians take on the issue of homosexuality, all Christians can agree that violent acts against anyone need to be punished by our civil society.

As a Christian, I cannot imagine why the body of Christ would even think twice about supporting these laws.

Neither can I.

"Hate Crimes Begin Amid Christian Disapproval"

I pulled that title directly off the headline from a story on The Christian Post. Am I the only one who finds it troubline? Are Christian activist groups willing to be labeled "pro-hate" for opposing this bill primarily because it specifies protections for gender identity? Sadly, it appears some are.

"This is the most dangerous bill in America," said Janet Folger, president of Faith2Action – an organization that fights society’s “culture war,” in a statement.

More dangerous than ones that perpetuate our brave young men and women getting killed in Iraq? Talk about twisted priorities.

"We must stop it," Folger concluded, in a statement, "before they send your grandma, your pastor, or you to jail for sharing your faith or speaking the truth about an agenda that seeks to silence us."

Here's a different view, taking a tad more reasoned approached instead of the right-wing fear-mongering above:

"It punishes acts of discrimination, not bigoted beliefs," explained Caroline Fredrickson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Washington Legislative Office, in a statement. "This bill demonstrates that it's possible to vigorously pursue criminal civil rights violations without chilling our First Amendment rights."

Unfortunately, taking away people's ability to spew and encourage hatred could also infringe on the rights of someone like me to write this blog. However, there need to be consequences for bigoted and hatful actions, and I believe this legislation is an important step toward assuring that for GLBT people.

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Worse...

As families and loved ones make plans to bury the victims of Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech, the situation actually took another turn for the worse. Enter Fred Phelps and his band of psychopaths.

I've written about Phelps, the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, KS, here before. He gained notoriety by leading his church (almost entirely comprised of family members) to travel across the nation and picket the funerals of U. S. servicemen killed in Iraq. Phelp's twisted justification was that their deaths were a result of and punishment for the nation's embracing of homosexuals (that's a brief summary, you don't want to know more details).

Now Phelps plans to picket the Virginia Tech victim funerals. I only wish I was making that up. Phelps' daughter said, “The evidence is they were not Christian. God does not do that to his servants. You don’t need to look any further for evidence those people are in hell.”

This just in: Phelps has agreed not to picket the funerals in exchange for three hours of air time with conservative radio host Mike Gallagher on Tuesday. I doubt many people reading this blog listen to conservative talk radio, but next Tuesday would be a particularly bad day to check out that program at least. Gallagher's comments seem alturistic enough and his actions could result in sparing these victims' families another layer of pain they clearly don't need or deserve.

As I write this post, there is an ongoing siege at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX where a gunman is on the premisis. If you were uncomfortable with my overtly Christian message yesterday, let me know what you've got that could possibly bring sanity to this world.

Reflections on Virginia Tech: The Time To Decide Is Now

Since I'm still home recovering from complications following my gallbladder surgery (I've lost 10 pounds but I'm on the mend), I've had more exposure than I normally would to the media coverage of the horriffic Virginia Tech shooting on Monday. It helps that I live in the Washington, DC area, a prime feeder of students to the Blacksburg, Virginia campus five hours away and, tragically, the home of the shooter. Click here or here if your outside the US and don't know what I'm talking about.

One thing struck me during the moving convocation service Tuesday afternoon that brought me to tears; the time to decide is now! What do I mean? Simply, none of those victims, most of them 22 years old or younger, had no reason to suspect that day would be their final one on earth. What if they had not accepted Christ? What if they weren't right with God? They almost certainly have been exposed to the Gospel and had opportunities to say yes to Jesus. If they didn't, they're out of chances.

The cliche "life isn't fair" is most certainly true, or else this tragedy would not have happened. Think of how many times you have commuted to work and driven by a small wood cross on the side of a road where some youngster(s) had been killed in an auto accident. Had they accepted Christ?

Evangelists like Franklin Graham are seizing the opportunity to mobilize an outreach effort in the Blacksburg area and try to salvage something good out of this horror by saving some souls:

"Every one of us is going to die. Every one of us is going to have to stand before God one day. As the Virginia Tech tragedy reminds everyone of the brevity of life, the question is, are we prepared to stand before God," Graham posed.

Sounds a lot like the old man (his father Billy) there, doesn't he? Good stuff.

I know a lot of people who are still pushing God away because they are working through some serious anger or depression issues dealing with family, relationships, career, or the church itself. I really do have some understanding of that and in no way mean to trivialize the difficulty of walking through that emotional minefield.

The good news is, however, that you don't have to do it yourself. Walking with God makes that trip a lot more manageable. We don't have to be "fixed" before we present ourselves to God. If we think that way, we are probably sentencing ourselves to eternal damnation because we can't "fix" ourselves. Thank God, we don't have to. Jesus' death on the cross resolved that for us. If that doesn't make any sense, e-mail me at straight_notnarrow@yahoo.com or contact a local minister. If you don't know of one, I can probably point you in the right direction.

God gave us free will--we aren't mindless drones of His. The downside of that is people like the Virginia Tech shooter are able to commit atrocities and snuff out innocent human life. The upside is, if we choose Him, it won't matter because we'll have eternal life and fellowship with Him.

What's your choice? If you haven't made it for Jesus, I pray you make it today. This link to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will walk you through the steps.

Disney Hosting Gay Weddings, AFA Fears For Innocent Children

Kudos to the Disney corporation for being openminded enough (not to mention business savvy) to announce that it would sell theme park wedding packages to same sex couples.

"We are in the hospitality business and our parks and resorts are open to everyone,” said a Disney spokesman.

Seems pretty rational to me. Being both affirming and good for business is a win-win for the GLBT community and Disney. Now the other side:

Such inclusiveness, says AFA president Tim Wildmon, is why families must be warned. "You could be innocently taking your family to Disney World or Disneyland, and you're walking down the middle of the park and here's comes this parade of wedding attendees [that includes] two men who've just gotten 'married' at Disney World," he says. "That's something to take into consideration before you go and patronize the Walt Disney Company this summer."

My God, innocent children could get exposed to same-sex ceremonies! Oh, the humanity! Not so rational. Or maybe it is. If people see that same-sex couples aren't freaks of nature or deviants as groups like the AFA want us to believe, it would hurt their donations.

It's groups like the AFA, an organization led by an ordained minister that professes Christian values, that continue to be an embarassment to Christians like myself who don't spew hate and bigotry.

A Different Approach to GLBT Activists--Listening

Soulforce's Equality Riders are used to be hassled and arrested or ignored on their visits to Christian colleges, but that apparently won't be the case when they travel to Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. (the Boston area). From the article in the Boston Globe:

But officials at Gordon, where homosexual activity is barred by campus policy, have agreed to host the group for a series of presentations and conversations, saying they believe it will be good for students to hear a variety of views. The college has held three lectures about homosexuality and morality, the Bible, and science, and is highlighting the visit on its website.

"We present lots of ideas in the classroom that we don't agree with -- that's part of education," said Barry J. Loy , the dean of students. "I'm hopeful that they will come here to learn, and we will do the same. We're not keeping our students from them."

Did you catch that--"We present lots of ideas.....that we don't agree with--that's part of education." What a concept! It's easy to be angry as schools like Liberty that scorn these people and the message they are trying to spread, but not so much the folks at Gordon.

Exchanging ideas with those on the other side leads to greater understanding, which can eventually lead to acceptance. Of course the Regent of Liberty U, Dr. Jerry Falwell and his ilk don't want THAT to happen, do they?

Iowa: Another GLBT Rights Battleground State

With a 54-46 edge for Deomcrats in the state House, you would think passing a bill adding sexual orientation and gender idenity to an anti-discrimination bill regarding employment, housing, and public accomodations would get passed. However, in the state of Iowa, some of those Democrats represent some very rural, conservative districts that would have a hard time stomaching any such legislation.

The Iowa senate has already passed this bill, and pressure is coming to bear on the House to do the same as the legislative session comes to a close.

"Civil rights laws are designed to protect groups of people who have faced blatant and historic discrimination," said Carol Ryan Terrell, head of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and Action Fund. "Civil rights laws do not give special protection to any person. They simply create a level playing field and guarantee the provision of tools necessary to fight and end discrimination."

When right-wingers whine about "special rights" they are talking about equal rights being granted to a minority that they are determined to discriminate against. That's one of those phrases that really grinds my cookies.

The Rev. Michael Pater, senior minister at the Urbandale United Church of Christ, said much of the opposition to gay rights comes from conservative religious groups, and lawmakers need to know there is more than one point of view in the religious community.

"The only motivation to withhold civil protection from discrimination and harassment of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered is religious bias," said Pater. "This bias does not serve the public good."

No, discrimination NEVER serves the public good, only those who wish to discriminate. Hopefully 51 members of the Iowa House realize that in time to pass this important legislation before their session is over.

"Facing Truth of Being a Gay Christian"

First, sorry the site went a couple of days without being updated. I had my gallbladder removed on Thursday and I'm just beginning to get my legs back under me.

More importantly, Pastor David Shelton of the Christian Community Church of Clarksville, TN was featured in an article published in Clarksville's local newspaper, The Leaf Chronicle. Titled "Facing Truth of Being a Gay Christian," Pastor Shelton talks about that topic in some depth:

Shelton says people can "get away from trying to fix their gay identity, or absolve their gay identity, and be the child of God they were meant to be."

Through his writing and his church, Shelton hopes to show people who have been harmed by the Christian church that they can return to their faith and find love and welcome.

"I want to serve the people who have been hurt, wounded, crushed," he says. "I want to minister to the walking wounded — that's a hard thing to do. A lot of people, when they have arrows sticking out of their backs, they don't want to talk about God."

He offers a message of God's grace, hope and love with no expectation for how people will react to it.

"This is the path I'm taking. I invite people to join me. The good news is Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world. And he was resurrected, which is what we celebrate on Easter," Shelton says. "The grace of God is for everybody. That's my mission. That's my message."

It's a wonderful message indeed, one which Pastor Shelton wrote about at some length in his book, "The Rainbow Kingdom: Christianity and the Homosexual Reconciled," which I reviewed here a while back.

David also let me know that this article has spurred quite a discussion over at the site Topix.net. There are, as you would unfortunately expect, some nasty comments is a discussion that had 543 posts to it as I write this, so check it out only if you have the stomach for it.

African-American Gays Often Shunned at Historically Black Colleges

We often look to our institutions of higher learning to be on the cutting endge of social change, but according to this Associated Press story, one thing has been very slow in changing at America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)---GLBT students aren't particularly welcome.

At numerous black colleges students say outdated rules and homophobia block them from forming the gay campus voice common at majority white institutions.

According to the report, a cause-and-effect of this is likely many of these institutions having been founded by religious institutions and African-American churches' (often passionate) opposition to homosexuality.

It's kind of hard to be out on campus and still be successful," said Vincent Allen Jr., head of Safe Space at Atlanta's Morehouse College. "As an out gay man, if I wanted to pledge, that door is pretty much shut to me. That's just the way it is."

This report draws a comparision between some of the major HBCUs in Virginia and large universities like Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia regarding their acceptance of GLBT students and organizations. The HBCU's do not stack up very well.

I have written before that I believe GLBT activists need to find their own voice in the 21st century and not try to piggy-back onto the African-American civil rights struggles of the 1960's, but I still find it ironic that the HBCUs appear to be a stronghold against rights for GLBT students, even more so because of their ties to religious organizations.

Hopefully giving that situation some national attention will help enbarass leaders at those schools to reevaluate their policies and consider making ALL students feel welcome.

Feature on Ex-Gay Therapy...In Glamour Magazine?

I never pictured Glamour Magazine being a source for this blog, but there is a big-time story featured in the latest issue that certainly pertains to the scope of what I cover here.

Christine Bakke, who recently co-founded the community "Beyond Ex-Gay," was featured in a story titled "They tried to cure me of being gay." Christine talks about the influence Love In Action, the ex-gay group sponsored by Focus on the (Straight) Family had on her parents, and how her mother told her that, since she was a lesbian, they would not be able to spend eternity in heaven together.

Gee, I wonder why she suffered depression and had problems with alcohol?

Christine tried to force herself to live a straight lifestyle, but had a awakening when she saw Peterson Toscano perform his show "Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House," where he talked about his ex-gay experiences. Toscano is the other co-founder of the "Beyond Ex-Gay" community.

This is an interesting story that is far from over, but the new chapter Christine is writing is heading in a much happier direction.

I'm proud that Christine's blog, Rising Up Whole, links back to Straight, Not Narrow. After reading the Glamour article, you might be interested in visiting her site and keeping up with her journey.

Visit The 10th Edition of the Interntional Carnival of Pozitives

As always, I'm pleased to point readers toward the latest edition of the International Carnival of Pozitives. In case you haven't heard of this before, the ICP was founded by Ron Hudson, an HIV positive man, "for people living with HIV/AIDS around the world. This includes every human being on the planet Earth.”

My wife Pastor Brenda has known a disturbing number of people durning her ministry work in the GLBT community that have lost their battle with AIDS. Ron has worked to put together a collection of stories that emphasize surviving, even thriving, with HIV.

I'm proud to say I'll be hosting an edition here at Straight, Not Narrow, probably this summer. I encourage you to take some time to check out edition #10.

GSA Clubs "A Haven From Hurt"

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

When a student in Cara Cerise's ceramics class at Salt Lake City's Highland High School told her he had a solution to the gay marriage issue, she was ready to listen.

"Just kill everyone who's gay," she remembers the classmate saying.

Shocked, Cara started to cry. The daughter of a gay man, the teenager knew she needed to find a safe haven at school where she would not be judged.

It was through the school's gay-straight alliance (GSA), now melded into Highland's social-justice club, that Cara found a home.

Despite this and stories like it that are described in detail within the article, the Utah state legislature recently voted to add restrictions like requiring parental permission for students to join school-affiliated clubs. It was generally understood that this was an effort to undermine the ability of GLBT students to participate in GSAs since they would have to tell their parents what club they were joining.

Hal Newman, an openly gay history teacher at Hunter High, believes the mere existence of a GSA has the power to change the way people think. "Just by being, we raise consciousness," he said.

Of course, that's what religious conservatives don't want.

Several students have told him that without the club, they would have contemplated suicide.

For some students, the adult suspicion of GSAs can be explained by the age gap between politicians and teenagers today. They're criticizing something that's totally unfamiliar.

"I just don't think they understand what the club is all about, because they didn't have that when they were in high school," said Cara, the Highland student. "Things have changed."

True enough, and they continue to change despite efforts of anti-gay activists to turn back the clocks and keep GLBT students cowering in their closets.

Other Sheep Seeks Donors to Sponsor LGBT Trip to Kenya

I received this from Steve Parelli, the Executive Director of the organization Other Sheep. Their mission statement is "Other Sheep is the only worldwide ecumenical Christian organization dedicated to empowering sexual minorities throughout the world with the Good News of God's unconditional love for all and salvation through God's Son, Jesus Christ."

Steve forwarded this press release regarding their upcoming trip to Nairobi, Kenya. Please consider supporting their efforts.


Emmanuel Kamau (known as "Aunty Ivy" throughout Africa) has invited Steve Parelli and Jose Ortiz of Other Sheep to come to Nairobi, Kenya, this summer (July and August 2007) to conduct "safe space" groups that will focus on instruction and discussion on issues and interests pertaining to homosexuality.

Emmanuel Kamau is Founder (1997) and Director of Ishtar MSM (men who have sex with men), an organization that works among gay men for HIV and AIDS education and prevention. He has served on UN and state advisory councils and is an international speaker. He recently became interested in Other Sheep through contact with Other Sheep's New York City committee that works to distribute throughout Africa the book The Children Are Free: Reexaming the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationships, co-authored by Rev. Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley.

Kamau, while visiting family in the United States, traveled to New York City in March of 2007 and for eleven days resided in the home of Steve Parelli and Jose Ortiz during which time he met twice with the NYC Other Sheep committee to discuss and plan for Other Sheep's 2007 summer work in Nairobi with Ishtar MSM.

Steve Parelli, Executive Director of Other Sheep, and Jose Ortiz his partner of nine years and Other Sheep Coordinator for Africa, will conduct the Nairobi "safe space" groups. A curriculum will be used that will emphasize homosexuality as it relates to religion, society, family members, the social sciences and psychology, and human rights. Targeted participants will be the LGBT community, their parents and friends, and any interested party. Three different locations will be chosen in Nairobi for weekly meeting places in order to reach a wider range of people within the city. Each "safe place" class will run for four weeks. Kamau, Parelli and Ortiz will use the time between classes to meet and connect with individuals. It is hoped that a permanent pro-active group will grow out of these meetings and will continue to meet on a regular basis creating fellowship and addressing the areas of need particular to the group and the region.

Other Sheep is currently seeking donors to help with costs. Financial gifts can be sent to Other Sheep, c/o Gordon I. Herzog, Co-Chairperson, Board of Directors, 16768 Old Jamestown Rd. Florissant, MO 63034. Other Sheep is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization. Donors will receive a receipt for their contributions. Questions can be directed to Steve Parelli at sparelli2002@yahoo.com.

Here's a direct link with more information about this project:
http://www.othersheepexecsite.com/Kenya_Project_2007_Donor_Page.html

Tolerance Would Be a Start

I'm encouraged that columns like this seem to be appearing more often in the mainstream media. No new ground here, but I believe this piece in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is worth reading nonetheless for the way the writer, O. Ricardo Pimentel, approaches the subject:

Parents sued a Massachusetts school district after, in one case, class material that included a gay family came home and, in another case, after a teacher read from a book about two gay princes.

Given their resistance to having their children exposed to such notions, it's inescapable that what the suing parents are really saying is gays are bad. And because the parents cited their religion, that gays are against God's law. Which are all ways of saying, "You disgust me so much that I need to shelter my school-age children from even knowing you exist until I get a chance first to convince them that you are disordered."

Yes, this is the stuff tolerance is made of.

Or maybe they will, in what they perceive to be a burst of magnanimity, tell their children to hate the sin but love the sinner. The message in that for gays? Submit (change so that there are no more of you left); go away; just keep it to yourself (hide who you are and what you, yuck, do).

Yes, this is what people tell people they love.

This poppycock might be cloaked in the fine raiment of religious freedom or choice, but the folks who utter it are judging one group of people who, near as I and compelling research can tell, were made by the same God they believe in. In other words, not created by their social environments but by whatever occurs in that wondrous process when humans are created.

The courts ruled against the parents that brought suit, which of course resulted in charges of the court system furthering the infamous "homosexual agenda," which is what the right wing usually says when courts choose upholding the U. S. Constitution rather than their bigotry.

You've got to love a writer who uses the word "poppycock," but I wish Mr. Pimentel had not focused on the word "tolerance." Sure, that would be a major improvement over the attitudes he derides in his column, but is that the end goal we're seeking with the GLBT community? Should I walk up to the gay and lesbian members of my church next Sunday, hug them, and say, "I tolerate you." I know at least with a couple of them, I'd better plan on ducking if I pulled something like that.

Tolerance is an incremental step, much like civil unions are in the issue of same-sex marriage, but acceptance of GLBT people as full-fledged members of society needs to be the end result. A bad rash, you can tolerate. Traffic at rush hour, you can tolerate. Gay and lesbian people should be accepted.
Why? Because they're people and God made them.

Thanks to PageOneQ for the tip.

Hope: The Message of Easter

When I looked out at our congregation during this morning's church service as I prepared to read one of the scripture passages, I knew there were some people sitting there who desperately needed to hear the message of Easter--the message of hope.

I worship a God who came to earth in human form, allowed Himself to die a brutal death, then arose from the dead all to be the beacon of hope toward eternal life and eternal peace with Him once our time in the flesh was done.

He permitted His earthly body to be killed to show us what He was willing to endure for us, to show us how much He loved us. He then conquered death by rolling back the stone from his burial tomb and raising from the dead to show us how powerful faith in Him truly was.

I write this tonight, as I do most of my work here, to the GLBT community, especially those of you who have little or no hope of a better life awaiting you, either here on earth or in heaven. Part of that is probably because you've had it hammered in your head to where it saturates your psyche that you don't deserve God's love because you are a homosexual. You've probably been lectured to, possibly by your own family, how God hates gays and lesbians and the only path to heaven is to pray to Him to change your very nature.

That's God filtered through what they've been taught and/or their own prejudices. Unfortunately, that really tells you more about the person delivering that message than it does about God.

Apostle Dale, as he so often does, nailed it during his message this morning. He knows that people run across the Believers Covenant Fellowship website and see his smiling face on the home page. They know nothing about him, but sometimes they try to learn by asking others without making direct contact with him. It's tough to get a clear understanding of who someone is if you don't establish direct contact with them.

You see, that's what those who spread the message of hate toward homosexuals don't want GLBT people to do. They want gay and lesbian people to accept that God is as THEY say He is. Regardless of how authoratative they sound, how many years they may have spent in seminary, and how many verses of the Bible they quote to make their point, it is still THEIR point.

We all need to understand God by asking God who He is. We need to get into his word, the Bible, for ourselves. I regard the Bible as the roadmap to God, the pathway to understanding and receiving salvation and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Don't shake you head and say that He won't listen to you. Don't assume he won't communicate with you in some way. I know I don't hear his voice but I reach points of clarity and understanding when I seek him out. He will do the same for you. He wants to reach out and love you just as you are. I've seen first hand at my church when God has taken GLBT people from the depths of despair and given them love and hope.

Don't take my word for it. Seek God for yourself. If you don't know where to start, e-mail me at straight_notnarrow@yahoo.com or seek out Apostle Dale as bcfemail@aol.com. We can point you in the right direction, regardless of if you are straight, gay, lesbian, and no matter what type of sins you may have committed, so you can join us in walking with God.

Your peace and eternal happiness is not determined by any preacher, parent, spouse, family member, or friend. It's solely between you and God. He's reaching out for you right now. All you need to do is reach back.

God bless you on this Easter Sunday.

Another Anti-Bullying Battleground

Shouldn't governments do everything possible to insure that public schools are a safe place for ALL students? There are, to me at least, a surprising number of legislators who disagree, and it just makes my hair hurt.

One of the major issues being debated these days across the United States that affects the GLBT community is bullying in schools. Michigan has turned into a battleground state for that issue, and it's a battle GLBT students are in serious danger of losing.

The bill under consideration lists several specific areas for which students may not be harassed, one of them being homosexuality. From the Detroit Free Press article:

Opposition largely exists because the measure would prohibit bullying based on a victim’s sexual orientation — along with a number of other characteristics such as height, weight, religion and race.

Michigan law shouldn’t formally recognize homosexual behavior, conservatives say, nor should gays get special protection. Republicans favor a broad ban against all bullying in schools.

"Formally recognize homosexual behavior?" What are they doing, forming their own government and seeking diplomatic relations? Not recognizing GLBT students will keep them in their place, these conservatives are probably hoping--the closet.

Gay rights groups and others respond that the bills don’t single out any group and say listing why students may be harassed would keep schools from ignoring certain types of intimidation.

A law would send a strong message that bullying must be taken seriously, says Kevin Epling of East Lansing, whose 14-year-old son, Matt, killed himself in 2002 after being smeared with raw eggs and syrup during a hazing incident.

“This isn’t a political issue. This is a very simple issue of right and wrong,” Epling said. “Our kids should not have to be going to school and fearing for their own safety.”

If the measure is enacted, it would be the first time state law separates gays and lesbians into a protected class, according to the Midland-based American Family Association of Michigan.“Public school officials have a legal duty not to put children at risk by in any way legitimizing or encouraging homosexual behavior,” said Gary Glenn, the group’s president.

I wonder if Mr. Glenn has spoken to Mr. Epling. Perhaps Mr. Glenn should visit Matt Epling's grave and consider how legitimate Matt's life was.

GLBT Equality Advocates Need to Focus on the "Grays"

So what does that mean? It is a term used in this report on The Huffington Post. Writer Geoffrey R. Stone analyzes a new survey by The Third Way Culture Project that reveals "a general national warming trend on issues relating to gays and lesbians." More from that story:

The Third Way report found that heterosexual Americans fall into roughly three equal size categories when it comes to gay issues. The "pro-gay polars" strongly support equal rights for gays and lesbians and do not attach any moral value to sexual orientation. Most of these individuals have come to this view over time and believe that the transformation in their thinking reflects significant insight, understanding, and personal growth. The "anti-gay polars" believe that being gay is "unnatural and against God." They tend to view gays as "societal outlaws." Although they generally oppose violence and bigotry directed against gays, they fear that extending equal rights to gays and lesbians would "put America on a dangerously wrong path." The third group, the "grays," are conflicted. They are torn between their desire to be tolerant, fair, and respectful of individual liberty and their lingering discomfort with homosexuality. The "grays" tend to accept that sexual orientation is not simply a matter of choosing a lifestyle, but they worry that "society is moving too fast."

The Third Way report concluded that those who want to move public opinion along the path toward greater acceptance of equal rights for gays and lesbians should focus particularly on the "grays" and should emphasize three points: (1) Legal protections for same-sex relationships address a real, not a made up problem. (Interestingly, a majority of Americans (56% v. 39%) do not believe that same-sex couples lack significant legal protections.) (2) The legal recognition of same-sex relationships does not undermine the institution of marriage. (Perhaps ironically, at a time when fewer and fewer Americans are marrying, there is a concern that the legal recognition of same-sex relationships could be the death knell for the institution of marriage.) (3) The legal recognition of same-sex relationships represents progress for the nation. (Although 70% of Americans believe the United States will legalize civil unions within a decade, almost half of all Americans worry that this is not progress. They are concerned that greater acceptance of gays and lesbians could cause the erosion of moral standards and damage to children raised in such families.) These are all serious political concerns that merit a serious response.

In the end, the goal, in my view, should be to enlighten all Americans to understand that the legal recognition of equal rights for gays and lesbians is an appropriate extension of the American ideal of equality and the proper next stage in the nation's long and admirable struggle to provide equal treatment to all persons, regardless of race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, and now sexual orientation.

In political elections, the target audience for campaigners is usually the undecided voter. Regarding GLBT issues, a primary target audience for advocates needs to be the "grays." I hope some of them drop by and read this blog.

Go Ahead and Teach the Bible in Schools--Carefully

I read the controversial Time magazine article, "The Case For Teaching The Bible," and finally decided to throw in my two cents here since it could be a hot button issue for some of this blog's readers.

Back in the dark ages , the 1970's, when I went to high school and there actually was effective separation of church and state, my school offered classes titled, "The Bible as Literature." I regret not taking them then, but friends I spoke to didn't feel like they were being taught religion. They went through the text as they would books like Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations," (I'd love to have the month of my life back we spent studying that novel in English lit) going through and discussing writing styles and weaving the various stories together. It was an elective so nobody was forced to take it, and I never heard a complaint about those classes except the difficulty of the text and the demands of the teacher.

Not having kids, I've lost touch to some extent regarding school cirriculums, but I gather classes like that have been phased out over the years. I believe that, if taught within the perameters I recall from my high school days, this could be an interesting and challenging elective class. No student should be required to study the bible, and controversial issues like the time frame of creation and biblical views on homosexuality should be avoided. There is plenty of value to study in the Bible without addressing specific religious doctrine. It would be difficult to achieve this balance, but not impossible.

I would suggest going one better. I believe schools should offen classes in the Koran. If I were still a student, I'd be at the front of the line to sign up for it. I'm not Muslim nor do I have any interest in converting, but I would like to understand what that religion is truly about. I don't trust talking heads on television or biased radio talk show hosts to tell me if the Muslim faith is by its very nature dangerous. I think it would only benefit young people to study the book as it is written and draw their own conclusions.

Sadly, I think this is the last thing the Religious Right wants people, especially young ones, to do and will do everything they can to discourage it. If people like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and James Dobson come out and support Bible teaching in schools, I will be instinctively distrustful because I believe they would only support something that would suit their agenda of preaching hate and exclusion in God's name. They don't want people approaching the Bible with open minds, and they most certainly would not accept any teaching of the Koran that did not totally demonize Muslims.

I'm all for open, unbiased education--the best weapon to use against radical, conservative right-wing zealots.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" John 8:32

New Community for Ex-Gays

My fellow blogger Peterson Toscano has teamed up with Christine Bakke to start a new community for ex-gays, "Beoynd Ex-Gay." This from their website:

We believe that ex-gay experiences cause more harm than good. Certain people who currently identify as ex-gay say they are content as such. We don’t seek to invalidate their experience. For us such a lifestyle was not possible or healthy.

Not that it was all bad: Some of us received positive help through our ex-gay experiences. We grew to understand our sexuality better and in some cases even overcame life-controlling problems.

There's not anger or hatred there, just open hearts and open arms for others that they want to help either avoid the pain that they've endured or walk them through it and facilitate the healing process.

If you have gone through therapy with the goal of "curing" your same-sex attraction or are currently "struggling" with it, I highly recommend you hook up with these folks.

Peterson will also be appearing on the Tyra Banks show that will be brodcast on April 12--check it out.

Gay Youth: GLBT Ambassadors

That's the conclusion of this article from The Advocate.

Young people, some barely in their teens, are becoming the gay rights movement's newest ambassadors at statehouses from Olympia, Wash., to Montpelier, Vt. Their advocacy, unheard of as recently as a decade ago, reflects the slowly growing acceptance that is emboldening gays and lesbians to come out of the closet while they are coming of age.

Veteran activists credit the political participation of gay youths, their straight friends, and children of same-sex parents with a string of recent legislative victories, including last month's passage of an anti-bullying bill that provides specific protections for gay and lesbian students in Iowa.

One of the greatest challenges of being a young man or woman is figuring out what you believe in. Of course, a person is going to be much more effective with that if they understand and accept who they truly are. After all, can we really be effective advocates for any issue if we don't believe in ourselves?

The Right Wing Homophobes Lose One

This is an excerpt from a column written by Joe Murray for a publication in Philadelphia, The Evening Bulletin writtin in response to General Pace's recent "homosexuality is immoral" comments:

If troop safety is AFA's (American Family Association)primary concern, and not fear-mongering, why hasn't AFA demanded Bush bring these soldiers home? Does it really think the "political situation" of gays in the military presents a greater harm to soldiers than the bullets flying in Baghdad or are other motives being subtly conveyed to an America populace who are already fearful, thanks to past action alerts, of the "homosexual agenda?"

Conservative groups had an opportunity to bring a sense of Christian compassion to this debate, but opted instead to scare supporters into believing homosexuals were trying to raise the rainbow flag over the Pentagon. This is not political activism based upon Christian principle; it is fear mongering based on the politics of man.

Good stuff, and it gets better. Pace used to work for the AFA and was one of their propaganda writers. Over at Pam's House Blend, Pam Spaulding interviewed Murray about his change of heart. I recommend reading the entire interview, but here are a couple of highlights:

After adopting the AFA party line for some time, something in the back of my head kept tearing away at my conscience. How could AFA, an earthly organization, declare the divine intention of the God and condemn the souls of homosexuals? How was it that men could make the declaration of who was getting into Heaven and who was getting the one-way ticket to Hades?

That being said, the issue of gay rights has been weighing heavy on my mind for quite some time. The gay issue is a human issue, and thus I strongly believe that it must be approached with concern and compassion. Furthermore, the individuals engaging in the debate must recognized that behind the theories there are real life human beings that are made in the image of the Creator.

Gays and lesbians are "real life human beings made in the image of the Creator?" Boy, having a former employee say that must really grind the cookies of the AFA leadership.

Good.

Gaining Strength From Accepting Who You Are

This article from the New York Times does a wonderful job in showing how gay youngsters are coming to terms with their sexual identity and benefiting from it. The article also relates how parents are also doing a much better job than they used to in dealing with it.

Dan Woog, a writer and longtime soccer coach at Staples High in Westport, helped found OutSpoken in 1993. He says for the first 10 years, the typical member was 17 to 22 years old. “They’d come in saying: ‘I’m gay. My life is over,’ ” Mr. Woog says. “One literally hyperventilated walking through the door.”

But in recent years, he says, the kids are 14 to 17 and more confident. “They say: ‘Hi, I’m gay. How do I meet people?’ ”

For the first 10 years, Mr. Woog never saw a parent; meetings were from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, so members could get out of the house without arousing suspicion. Now, he says, parents often bring the child to the first meeting.

He believes teenagers are coming out sooner because the Internet makes them feel less isolated and they’re seeing positive role models in the media.

This article details the process of a teenager named Zach O'Connor and his family as they walked together through the process of Zach coming out. The thing that strikes me the most about this is all of the "unlearning" that Zach won't have to go through. Since I've been involved with the GLBT community, I've seen many horror stories of how people coming out in their 20's. 30's and 40's have to learn a brand new set of social skills. If you've been brought up to act one way, it is an uphill battle to develop an entirely new lifestyle.

Fortunately, it appears more young men and women are avoiding that these days.

Anglican Head Wants Churces to be "Safe Place" for GLBT People

From The Christian Post:

The Church is challenged to show that it is truly a safe place for people to be honest and where they may be confident that they will have their human dignity respected, said the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams spoke just after the Anglican Communion made available an interim report on churches' commitment to listen to the experience of homosexual people.

"The commitments of the Communion are not only to certain theological positions on the question of sexual ethics but also to a manifest and credible respect for the proper liberties of homosexual people," Williams stated.

"There are contexts where it is difficult to find a safe place for gay and lesbian people to speak about their lives openly," said the Anglican leader. "There are contexts where people assume the debate is over. The report shows that listening is possible, but also that there is a great deal still to be done. The work continues, but we have a solid start here."

"I share the concerns expressed about situations where the Church is seen to be underwriting social or legal attitudes which threaten these proper liberties [of homosexual people]," stated Williams. "It is impossible to read this [interim] report without being aware that in many places – including Western countries with supposedly ‘liberal’ attitudes – hate crimes against homosexual people have increased in recent years and have taken horrifying and disturbing forms."

Treating GLBT people like, well, people, is an important fundamental step toward not tolerating them but completely accepting them as full and equal partners in God's kingdom. It sounds like Archbishop Williams gets that, but the U. S. branch of the Anglicans, the Episcopal Church, is still under a September 30 deadline to respond to a moratorium on consecrating homosexuals and blessing same-sex unions.

I'll be keeping an eye on that situation as it develops.

UK Prime Minister Takes Strong Stand for LGBT Rights

United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair recently delivered the keynote address at a dinner for Stonewall, the UK's biggest gay rights organization - making Blair what is believed to be the first time a national leader has addressed an LGBT civil rights group while still in office.

Blair told the guests at London's ritzy Dorchester Hotel that one of his proudest accomplishments has been in enacting a national LGBT civil rights law and the passage of Britain's partnership unions law that gives gay couples all of the rights of marriage, although not the name.

"[By] taking a stand on this issue and by removing a piece of prejudice and discrimination, and by enabling people to stand proud as what they are, it has had an impact that I think is far more profound on the way the country thinks about itself."

Although joined at the hip with U. S. President Bush concerning the efforts in the Iraq war, Blair has taken a divergent path from Bush on gay rights since Bush has pushed for a Constitutional amendment making same-sex marriage illegal and is opposing a hate crime bill currently under consideration in Congress.

Kudos to Prime Minister Blair for bringing some civility back to Western civilization.

More Opportunities For GLBT People in the Jewish Faith

From an Associated Press report via the Washington Post:

The seminary considered the flagship institution of Conservative Judaism said Monday it will start accepting gay and lesbian applicants, after scholars who guide the movement lifted the ban on gay ordination.

The Conservative branch holds the middle ground in American Judaism, adhering to tradition while allowing some change for modern circumstances.

The larger and more liberal Reform Jewish movement, as well as the smaller Reconstructionist wing, allow gays to become rabbis; the Orthodox branch bars gays and women from ordination.

In December, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards voted to allow the seminaries to decide on their own whether to admit openly gay students. However, their decision also left leeway for synagogues to reject gay and lesbian clergy if the congregations believe that same-sex relationships violate Scripture.

There is more detail within the article I've linke to. Kudos to these Jewish leaders who have taken an important step forward for GLBT equality.

Rising From Humble Beginnings to the "World's Largest Gay Church"

The Washington Post ran a recent Reuters report about the Cathederal of Hope, a gay-affirming church in Dallas, Texas (how deliciously ironic is that location?) that claims to be the world's biggest gay church. Recently affiliating itself with the gay-friendly United Church of Christ, the Cathederal of Hope has 3,500 members and a worship center that can seat up to 900 people.

Jo Hudson, the senior pastor and rector of the church, estimates up to 90% of the membership is GLBT.

You can click here to visit the Cathederal of Hope website. It sounds like their message directly ties in with their name.

There Are Traeoffs for Black Pastors Who Accept GLBT People

Accoring to this report in the New York Times, Rev. Dennis Mereith of Tabernacle Baptist Church began preaching about acceptance of gay men and lesbians and promptly lost 300 of the 1,100 members of his church. Rev. Oliver White, senior minister of Grace Community Church, lost nearly his entire 70 person membership after he supported same-sex marriage in their denomination, the United Church of Christ. Attendance at Victory Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia fell from 6,000 a week to 3,000 after Rev. Kenneth L. Samuel began preaching acceptance of GLBT people.

It is no coincidence that both of these churches have congregations primarily made up of African-Americans.

“The church has to come to a point when it has to embrace all the people Jesus embraced, and that means the people in the margins,” Dr. Samuel said. “It really bothered my congregation when I said that as people of color who have been ostracized, marginalized, how can we turn around now and oppress other people?”

Speaking for the other side:

“It is one of several factors that are taking away the interest in traditional marriage in the African-American community,” said Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr., the president of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, a black conservative Christian group.

I recommend checking out the entire article to read about those black preachers who are courageous enough to stand up for equality inclusive of ALL people.

Another Interesting View On Same-Sex Marriage

This essay on the site Online Journal is another well presented case for legalizing same-sex marriage. I particularly liked this part:

And equality is really all they want. That’s really all there is to the so-called “gay agenda.” Simple equality. No special privileges, just the same rights as everyone else.

Those who oppose same-sex marriage say that it would undermine the institution of marriage. But isn’t heterosexual infidelity already doing that?

I fail to see how legalizing same-sex marriage would have any effect on heterosexual marriages. As James Carville once said, “I was against gay marriage until I found out I didn’t have to have one.” No, anyone who feels that his own heterosexual marriage would be threatened if gays could marry obviously has some very deep issues that can’t be fixed through legislation.

This country was founded on the principle that all people -- not just the heterosexual ones -- are created equal. It’s time to make that principle a reality. It’s time for the homophobes of America to stop worrying about what consenting adults are doing in the privacy of their own homes. After all, time and time again we’ve seen that those who want to control what goes on in other people’s bedrooms seem to have the most to hide in their own. (Can you say “Ted Haggard”?)

This reminds me of the cliche, "the best defense is a good offense." Doesn't it seem like people with an awful lot to hide are among those most vociferously opposing same-sex marriage and anything that would move GLBT people even a centimeter closer to equal rights?

It's usually easier to attack someone else for their perceived shortcomings than to look in the mirror and address one's own.

Help a GLBT Activist Who Is Reaching Out to Help Local Kids

My good friend Sharone, a proud member of the GLBT community, is participating in the Big Brothers Big Sisters "Bowl For Kids' Sake" on April 22. I met Sharone when I joined Believers Covenant Fellowship, and she is a passionate advocate for GLBT people and anyone who is on the short end of society's stick. She lives in New Mexico now and is blessing a new community with her volunteer work, which includes performing as a clown.

Please consider helping to support a worthy cause. Here is the link to her webpage for the event--you can donate online like I did.

A Straight GLBT Ally In Wyoming

If you're scouting the United States trying to find straight people who are standing up for GLBT equality, Wyoming is probably one of the last places you would look. If you did check that state, however, you would find Dan Zwonitzer, a Republican state representative.

According to this report by the Washington Blade, Zwonitzer spoke out against a proposed bill in the Wyoming house that would ban recognition of same-sex marriages performed outside the state.

“I believe this is the civil rights struggle of my generation,” Zwonitzer, who is straight, said during the meeting (see page 44 for full text). In the brief speech, he emphasized the importance of promoting equal rights so future generations wouldn’t look back on lawmakers with dismay.

Zwonitzer, a fifth-generation Wyomingite, says he became more conscious of the needs for civil rights for gays during his four years at Georgetown, where he was friends with several gay students.

“I guess I really began to understand their struggle and the struggle of the gay population to get basic rights,” Zwonitzer says. “It’s not special rights, it’s just equal rights. I guess it really was the politics of the East that broadened my horizons. Hopefully, I brought that back to Wyoming and expanded our horizons back here.”

A few days ago, I wrote about the lack of leadership being demonstrated on GLBT equality issues by current presidential candidates. In this situation, Zwonitzer showed the kind of leadership I felt was lacking at higher levels. Hopefully the people of Wyoming appreciate having a politician with the strength of character to stand up for something not because it was politically expedient, but because he felt it was the right thing to do.

A Gay Activist Speaks Out About Hatred From Straight People

Larry Kramer, the founder of the "Act Up", an AIDS-advocacy organization, recently wrote an op-ed piece for the Los Angeles Times that was more of an open letter to straight people. It began:

Dear Straight People:

Why do you hate gay people so much?

Sweeping generalizations like that often trouble me, but Kramer made a good case for his. He wrote:

Gays do not realize that the more we become visible, the more we come out of the closet, the more we are hated. Don't those of you straights who claim not to hate us have a responsibility to denounce the hate? Why is it socially acceptable to joke about "girlie men" or to discriminate against us legally with "constitutional" amendments banning gay marriage? Because we cannot marry, we can pass on only a fraction of our estates, we do not have equal parenting rights and we cannot live with a foreigner we love who does not have government permission to stay in this country. These are the equal protections that the Bill of Rights proclaims for all?

Why do you hate us so much that you will not permit us to legally love? I am almost 72, and I have been hated all my life, and I don't see much change coming.

I think your hate is evil.

What do we do to you that is so awful? Why do you feel compelled to come after us with such frightful energy? Does this somehow make you feel safer and legitimate? What possible harm comes to you if we marry, or are taxed just like you, or are protected from assault by laws that say it is morally wrong to assault people out of hatred? The reasons always offered are religious ones, but certainly they are not based on the love all religions proclaim.

You may say you don't hate us, but the people you vote for do, so what's the difference? Our own country's democratic process declares us to be unequal. Which means, in a democracy, that our enemy is you. You treat us like crumbs. You hate us. And sadly, we let you.

I know how I feel and how I act, but I can't offer up a strong arguement against his points. I do know, however, that hatred is directly against God's word.

Click here to read the entire piece.

Somebody Has to Write the Checks

One of the problems with advocacy and lobbying is that it costs money. The effort the GLBT community is making to achieve equality in American society is no exception.

Tim Gill is one man who is writing some of the big checks. The founder of Quark software, he cashed out for about $500 million so he could concentrate on philanthropy.

Gill says, "My goal is to see that all Americans are treated equally regardless of sexuality.”

It's a shame that GLBT people have to campaign for that, but people like Gill and the network of donors he has helped put together are writing checks that help make those efforts possible.

Click here to read about Tim Gill in the Atlantic Monthly article, "They won't know what hit them."

Thanks to Dale Jarrett for the tip.

Traditional Marriage--Which Tradition?

We've heard the phrase "traditional marriage" frequently used to defend the status quo and argue against same-sex marriage--why should tradition be changed just so people of the same sex can wed?

This article from the Hartford Courant (a newspaper that has a lot to say in favor of same-sex marriage) digs back into history and finds that traditional marriage has indeed changed over the years.

Claims of historical fact about marriage can be proved true or false, and three of the historical claims made by opponents of same-sex marriage in Connecticut are demonstrably untrue.

First is the claim that the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman goes back thousands of years. Second is the claim that the Judeo-Christian heritage has always seen marriage as a sacred relationship that must be defended above all others. Third is the claim that marriage has endured for thousands of years without change.

The most commonly approved form of marriage in the past (and the one mentioned most often in the first five books of the Old Testament) was polygamy - one man, many women.

This is yet another example of how ignorance is one of the Religious Right's main weapons.

Is It Right or Is It Wrong?

That sounds like a simple question, doesn't it? Take any action or policy and ask that question; is it right or is it wrong. In my view, leaders are able to answer that decisively and then support their answer. Agree or disagree, at least that shows leadership. Politicians, on the other hand, weigh their answers toward public opinion and evaluate how those views will affect their base of supporters and their financial backers.

In the aftermath of the statements made by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Peter Pace about his views on the immorality of homosexuality, Democratic presidential hopefuls Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama were asked if they thought homsexuality was immoral. Both candidates initially sidestepped that question so fast they should qualify for "Dancing With the Stars." Although they later stated that they held no beliefs that homosexuality was immoral, it comes accross to me as a political calculation rather than a sincere statement of belief.

We've already got plenty of politicians. Where are the leaders?

Gay Bashing From the Religious Right--All About Power?

That is a conclusion reached by author Chris Hedges, who wrote the book, "American Facists: The Christian Right and the War on America." He does an outstanding job of supporting that thesis with points like this regarding attacks on the GLBT community by religious right leaders:

These attacks mask a sinister agenda that has nothing to do with sexuality. It has to do with power. The radical Christian right -- the most dangerous mass movement in American history -- has built a binary worldview of command and submission wherein male leaders, who cannot be questioned and claim to speak for God, are in control and all others must follow. Any lifestyle outside the traditional model of male and female is a threat to this hierarchical male power structure. Women who do not depend on men for their identity and their sexuality, who live outside a male power relationship, challenge this pervasive cult of masculinity, as do men who find tenderness and love with other men as equals. The lifestyle of gays and lesbians is intolerable to the Christian right because its existence is a threat to the movement's chain of command, one they insist was ordained by God.

Click here to read Hedges' column on AlterNet, "For the Christian Right, Gay-Hating Is Just the Start."

Hasn't that also been one of the primary traits of the Bush administration, you're either with them 100% or against them? Sadly, I believe it has all tied together and greatly diminished what the United States stands for. I'm still looking for someone who can lead the religious right radicals and the entire nation away from that and embrace democracy and God's love again.

Does anyone see that leader on the horizon? At this point in time, it saddens me to say that I don't.

Christian Researchers Call Gay Marriage "a moral good"

From Whosoever.org:

A new Christian think tank has issued the first articulation of gay marriage as "a moral good" that "spiritually liberates straight people as well as gay people.'" The Institute for Progressive Christianity (IPC) considers the paper - "The Kingdom of God and the Witness of Gay Marriage" - a theological breakthrough.

The academic "white paper" could change the outcome of the great battle over same-sex unions now raging inside several mainline Protestant denominations including the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) and follows the recent ultimatum from the Anglican Communion to dioceses and parishes within the ECUSA to cease blessing such unions and stop consecrating openly gay bishops.

The Rev. Mark Farr, an Episcopal priest and IPC co- director, called the paper "a truly groundbreaking scriptural affirmation of gay marriage as an almost iconic window into the reality of God's love."

"The paper recognizes fundamental Christian teaching about the nature of God is central to the concept of gay marriage and affirms gay marriage as a necessary moral good within Christian theology," declared the author of the paper, Otis Gaddis III, Co- Director of the IPC Academic Review.

Click here to read the entire article on Whosoever.org.