This article by Joanne Herman in the Advocate resoundingly concludes that yes, he would, despite what most fundamentalists would have people believe.
Herman does an excellent job in illustrating two key points about misusing the Bible; 1) focusing on one or two scripture verses that, taken out of context, contradict the message of God's love and 2) picking and choosing what scripture to take literally.
Herman points out how Deuteronomy 22:5 and 23:1 are used to condemn transgender people--very isolated references that are not as black and white as many people choose to interpret them. At the same time, she points out, people focus on scriptures like that and the clobber passages while ignoring the laws of the time written right along with them that would, for example, condemn a person to death for working on the Sabbath and prohibit the eating of shellfish.
Could the Bible include any positive references to transgender people?
Meanwhile, biologist Joan Roughgarden has noted that the Bible actually provides evidence that transgender people were a part of regular life even in biblical times. Roughgarden is a transgender woman who has taught at Stanford University since 1972. In her book Evolution's Rainbow, Roughgarden wondered why, if Darwin’s theory of evolution were correct, diversity in the animal population did not seem to be disappearing.
But Roughgarden is also a Christian who has done extensive reading of the Bible. In her latest work, Evolution and Christian Faith, she offers the radical notion that the two beliefs are actually quite compatible. And she goes a step further to claim that Jesus’ beliefs and teachings actually were intended to help Christians live with the diversity that existed then and that would continue to be present.
Of relevance to trans people is her discussion of eunuchs. She references Matthew 19:12, in which Jesus describes three types of eunuchs—those “which were so born from their mothers’ womb,” those “which were made eunuchs of men,” and those “which made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake.”
Roughgarden interprets the first category as describing intersex individuals and the latter transsexual individuals. She notes that Jesus’ descriptions line up with those of ancient Roman writers who described those we would today call cross-dressers as well as those who transitioned genders without physical alteration.
She points out that some eunuchs held powerful positions and that “eunuchs were common enough that writers referred to them with such phrases as ‘armies of eunuchs.’” And she asserts that the apostle Philip's baptism of the eunuch in Acts 9:27–38 serves as an “explicit instruction to include eunuchs within the church.”
Newman closes with a critically important point:
Many LGBT people have been hurt by religion used in hate, and transgender people are no exception. I nervously returned to church only when my wife, Barbara, was dying of cancer and I needed a spiritual connection during those difficult days. What I discovered was that there are progressive mainline churches that truly welcome LGBT folks, and their leaders are convinced that Jesus would (and did) too.
So don’t hesitate to question sweeping generalizations about Jesus. And if you are a Christian, please do your own research.
Don't take my word for it either. Hopefully what you read here and other welcoming and affirming resources leads you to consider these points, do your own study, and work out with God through the Holy Spirit what is right and who he accepts.
I'm confident you'll find a lot more of the new covenant Jesus established and a lot less of the Old Testament judgementalism that fundamentalists work so hard to hang on to.
June 07, 2007
June 06, 2007
The Evolution of Marriage Laws
June 12 is the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in the Loving vs. Virginia case that struck down bans on interracial marriages. The law that was struck down was Virginia's "Racial Integrity Act." Sound a lot like today's marriage protection acts? That's the point of this op-ed piece in the Washington Post.
Interracial marriage bans now seem obviously invidious. But go back far enough and the consensus flips. At one point, most everyone thought such bans were legitimate. The same is true of segregated schooling and discrimination against women. It is true of just about everything the Supreme Court has held that the equal protection clause prohibits: At one point, all of these practices were seen as legitimate reflections of the world, not as invidious attempts to impose inequality. When the court held these practices unconstitutional, it was neither enforcing a rule that had existed since 1868 nor creating a new rule. It was recognizing that social attitudes had shifted, and with them the understanding about what is reasonable and what is invidious.
This point connects Loving to current social struggles, most notably the debate over same-sex marriage. Opponents decry the "activist judges" in Massachusetts who struck down that state's same-sex marriage ban and warn that the Supreme Court will someday follow. So it may -- but, if it does, responsibility will not lie primarily with judges.
The past few decades have brought a dramatic change in social attitudes about homosexuality. The American Psychiatric Association, which once classified homosexuality as a mental disease, abandoned that position in 1973. Public opinion polls show an increasing acceptance of homosexuality, and state legislatures are beginning to follow. Restricting the benefits of marriage to opposite-sex couples is increasingly seen as invidious, an inequality inflicted for no good reason.
If the trend continues, this view eventually will find expression at the Supreme Court level, just as it did in Loving. This is not judicial activism. It is how we make the Constitution ours.
The writer of this piece, Kermit Roosevelt, is author of the book "The Myth of Judicial Activism," which is the phrase right-wingers use to describe rulings they don't like, so he's done his homework.
I saw a piece from Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council where he writes that, of course, interracial marriage is fine because it still involves a man and a woman but same-sex marriage is against God's plan. It is obvious, though, that 40 years ago there were Tony Perkins types arguing that interracial marriage was also a violation of God's will. Fortunately over time people grew to learn that was wrong, just as it appears will happen for same-sex unions.
Interracial marriage bans now seem obviously invidious. But go back far enough and the consensus flips. At one point, most everyone thought such bans were legitimate. The same is true of segregated schooling and discrimination against women. It is true of just about everything the Supreme Court has held that the equal protection clause prohibits: At one point, all of these practices were seen as legitimate reflections of the world, not as invidious attempts to impose inequality. When the court held these practices unconstitutional, it was neither enforcing a rule that had existed since 1868 nor creating a new rule. It was recognizing that social attitudes had shifted, and with them the understanding about what is reasonable and what is invidious.
This point connects Loving to current social struggles, most notably the debate over same-sex marriage. Opponents decry the "activist judges" in Massachusetts who struck down that state's same-sex marriage ban and warn that the Supreme Court will someday follow. So it may -- but, if it does, responsibility will not lie primarily with judges.
The past few decades have brought a dramatic change in social attitudes about homosexuality. The American Psychiatric Association, which once classified homosexuality as a mental disease, abandoned that position in 1973. Public opinion polls show an increasing acceptance of homosexuality, and state legislatures are beginning to follow. Restricting the benefits of marriage to opposite-sex couples is increasingly seen as invidious, an inequality inflicted for no good reason.
If the trend continues, this view eventually will find expression at the Supreme Court level, just as it did in Loving. This is not judicial activism. It is how we make the Constitution ours.
The writer of this piece, Kermit Roosevelt, is author of the book "The Myth of Judicial Activism," which is the phrase right-wingers use to describe rulings they don't like, so he's done his homework.
I saw a piece from Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council where he writes that, of course, interracial marriage is fine because it still involves a man and a woman but same-sex marriage is against God's plan. It is obvious, though, that 40 years ago there were Tony Perkins types arguing that interracial marriage was also a violation of God's will. Fortunately over time people grew to learn that was wrong, just as it appears will happen for same-sex unions.
June 05, 2007
Democratic Presidential Candidates All Oppose "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
This article from The Advocate spells out in some detail the views of the eight announced Democratic presidential candidates regarding the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, but the bottom line is that they are came out against it during Sunday's debate.
In Tuesday night's Republican debate, all ten candidates supported "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Pretty easy to draw a line there, isn't it?
In Tuesday night's Republican debate, all ten candidates supported "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Pretty easy to draw a line there, isn't it?
Much More on Gay Republicans
I ran across this story which is a good follow-up to a story I posted on Sunday where I questioned how a GLBT person could be a member of the Republican party. I appreciated the conversation that resulted, but here is a lengthy research piece posted on the website of Political Research Associates.
The article focuses on the Log Cabin Republicans, which it reports has about 20,000 members, and some of the best known gay conservatives like Andrew Sullivan. Here are a couple of the points I found particularly interesting:
Among the cadre of gay conservative writers, people of color are also conspicuously absent. This makes sense if we realize that issues like affirmative action, racism, and public education are mostly off the radar of gay right pundits. While gay conservative people of color certainly do exist, their relationship with the gay movement has been problematical, and no one has emerged to represent them nor has anyone been sustained by the usual media.
The power of gay conservative pundits has successfully focused LGBT issues on the narrow frame of gay marriage. This has effectively erased from their line of vision those LGBT people who do not stand to receive its benefits, those not in the solid middle class, poor single parents, and the uninsured.
In 2007, the gay agenda that so worries the Christian Right as a radical remaking of society amounts to the single issue of gay rights, manifest in a primary demand of gay marriage and the remnants of interest in non-discrimination of gays in the military. While gay conservatives may not have consciously engineered this single issue focus, their increasing visibility in the cause during a period of conservative resurgence reinforces the narrow scope of contemporary gay politics.
Strikingly, these narrow goals can be seen as conservative, or non-radical demands - to be allowed to defend national security and to be recognized as identical to heterosexuals under the law. This toes the line of the gay conservative position as does the reality that the gay movement, despite its political diversity, has embraced same sex marriage as its central political demand. Whether done consciously or not, this choice allows some, including parts of the Right, to separate the LGBT community into "good gays," those who just want to get married and settle down, and "bad gays," those who flaunt their sexuality, demand radical change, or challenge gender-normative images. This, riding on the demise of a functioning radical gay left, represents the true influence of gay conservatism on the politics of homosexuality: the gay movement continues to be pulled to the right.
While I believe the extreme left among gay political activists have been effectively marginalized, I personally don't find that the "gay movement" is drifting to the right. I welcome your opinions on that point.
The article focuses on the Log Cabin Republicans, which it reports has about 20,000 members, and some of the best known gay conservatives like Andrew Sullivan. Here are a couple of the points I found particularly interesting:
Among the cadre of gay conservative writers, people of color are also conspicuously absent. This makes sense if we realize that issues like affirmative action, racism, and public education are mostly off the radar of gay right pundits. While gay conservative people of color certainly do exist, their relationship with the gay movement has been problematical, and no one has emerged to represent them nor has anyone been sustained by the usual media.
The power of gay conservative pundits has successfully focused LGBT issues on the narrow frame of gay marriage. This has effectively erased from their line of vision those LGBT people who do not stand to receive its benefits, those not in the solid middle class, poor single parents, and the uninsured.
In 2007, the gay agenda that so worries the Christian Right as a radical remaking of society amounts to the single issue of gay rights, manifest in a primary demand of gay marriage and the remnants of interest in non-discrimination of gays in the military. While gay conservatives may not have consciously engineered this single issue focus, their increasing visibility in the cause during a period of conservative resurgence reinforces the narrow scope of contemporary gay politics.
Strikingly, these narrow goals can be seen as conservative, or non-radical demands - to be allowed to defend national security and to be recognized as identical to heterosexuals under the law. This toes the line of the gay conservative position as does the reality that the gay movement, despite its political diversity, has embraced same sex marriage as its central political demand. Whether done consciously or not, this choice allows some, including parts of the Right, to separate the LGBT community into "good gays," those who just want to get married and settle down, and "bad gays," those who flaunt their sexuality, demand radical change, or challenge gender-normative images. This, riding on the demise of a functioning radical gay left, represents the true influence of gay conservatism on the politics of homosexuality: the gay movement continues to be pulled to the right.
While I believe the extreme left among gay political activists have been effectively marginalized, I personally don't find that the "gay movement" is drifting to the right. I welcome your opinions on that point.
Worlds Don't Have to Collide, They Can Hopefully Coexist
That's the hope for this coming weekend in Binghamton, NY, where a evangelical festival led by Franklin Graham will be held near a gay pride fair. Leaders of both events have openly invited people attending the other one to come to theirs, and there does seem to be a spirit of at least peaceful co-existence if not cooperation. Hopefully that will come to pass.
From the Christian Post:
Tens of thousands of people are expected to hear the message of sin and salvation at an evangelistic festival in Binghamton, N.Y., this weekend. Also coming to town that same weekend is a gay pride fair.
The NYPENN Franklin Graham Festival will hit Binghamton this Friday for a three-day event complete with popular Christian music artists, KidzFest and free admission. It's the first time a Graham festival is landing in the Southern Tier and local organizers are readying two additional overflow venues at the Binghamton University Events Center.
With praying and preparation months into the event, John O'Neil, chairman of the event's executive committee of local volunteers, says the festival is to "reach the un-churched, to provide a message of love, a message of hope, a message of meaning," according to the local Press & Sun-Bulletin.
And one group of people that organizers have extended the festival invitation to is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community (LGBT). June is “gay pride” month and members of the Binghamton Pride Coalition have a series of events planned for the entire month, including its third annual Pride Fair celebrating the LGBT community on Saturday.
"I'd like to invite them to come to our meeting. I think everyone, no matter what your preferences, can certainly find hope in the message of the Gospel," Art Bailey, director of the Graham festival, told the local newspaper. "People of all persuasions want you to look at everything with an open mind. I think we'd say the same thing."
As Binghamton prepares to welcome Graham to the city for the June 8-10 festival, the city's mayor has already raised the gay flag and shown his support to the LGBT community.
On June 1, Mayor Matthew T. Ryan and members of the Binghamton Pride Coalition kicked off the month with a proclamation, calling it a month to celebrate community diversity and to raise awareness of LGBT issues. Ryan also issued an executive order recognizing same-sex "marriages" in the city. The City of Binghamton now joins Ithaca, Rochester, Albany and Nyack in recognizing same-sex "marriages" legally performed in other states and jurisdictions.
Some students and faculty at Binghamton University protested an evangelistic festival being held on school grounds, claiming the event contradicts the Student Handbook's provision against bias-related activities, as well as a disregard for diversity, according to Press & Sun-Bulletin.
Protestors were rebuffed as the school's administration confirmed that Graham's organizers met all the conditions for rental of the Events Center.
Claudia Stallman of Binghamton, who directs the Lesbian and Gay Family Building project, told the local newspaper that the LGBT community has no plans to disrupt the Graham festival and hopes people who attend the evangelistic event do not disrupt their celebration.
Meanwhile, organizers have high expectations for the Franklin Graham festival and hundreds have been praying for its success.
"It's something that's going to transform this community forever," said O'Neil.
From the Christian Post:
Tens of thousands of people are expected to hear the message of sin and salvation at an evangelistic festival in Binghamton, N.Y., this weekend. Also coming to town that same weekend is a gay pride fair.
The NYPENN Franklin Graham Festival will hit Binghamton this Friday for a three-day event complete with popular Christian music artists, KidzFest and free admission. It's the first time a Graham festival is landing in the Southern Tier and local organizers are readying two additional overflow venues at the Binghamton University Events Center.
With praying and preparation months into the event, John O'Neil, chairman of the event's executive committee of local volunteers, says the festival is to "reach the un-churched, to provide a message of love, a message of hope, a message of meaning," according to the local Press & Sun-Bulletin.
And one group of people that organizers have extended the festival invitation to is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community (LGBT). June is “gay pride” month and members of the Binghamton Pride Coalition have a series of events planned for the entire month, including its third annual Pride Fair celebrating the LGBT community on Saturday.
"I'd like to invite them to come to our meeting. I think everyone, no matter what your preferences, can certainly find hope in the message of the Gospel," Art Bailey, director of the Graham festival, told the local newspaper. "People of all persuasions want you to look at everything with an open mind. I think we'd say the same thing."
As Binghamton prepares to welcome Graham to the city for the June 8-10 festival, the city's mayor has already raised the gay flag and shown his support to the LGBT community.
On June 1, Mayor Matthew T. Ryan and members of the Binghamton Pride Coalition kicked off the month with a proclamation, calling it a month to celebrate community diversity and to raise awareness of LGBT issues. Ryan also issued an executive order recognizing same-sex "marriages" in the city. The City of Binghamton now joins Ithaca, Rochester, Albany and Nyack in recognizing same-sex "marriages" legally performed in other states and jurisdictions.
Some students and faculty at Binghamton University protested an evangelistic festival being held on school grounds, claiming the event contradicts the Student Handbook's provision against bias-related activities, as well as a disregard for diversity, according to Press & Sun-Bulletin.
Protestors were rebuffed as the school's administration confirmed that Graham's organizers met all the conditions for rental of the Events Center.
Claudia Stallman of Binghamton, who directs the Lesbian and Gay Family Building project, told the local newspaper that the LGBT community has no plans to disrupt the Graham festival and hopes people who attend the evangelistic event do not disrupt their celebration.
Meanwhile, organizers have high expectations for the Franklin Graham festival and hundreds have been praying for its success.
"It's something that's going to transform this community forever," said O'Neil.
Understanding God's Perfect Love for GLBT People
One of the things I've learned during the last two years of writing this blog is how difficult it is for so many GLBT people to find a path to God that does not require them to forsake their sexual identity for the guise of a heterosexual or a life of celibacy.
This post on Ex-Gay Watch by Eugene Wagner does as good a job of explaining it as any essay I have run across:
Every time I recount the story of how I transitioned from a place of unquestioning acceptance of ex-gay ideology into the journey that I find myself on today, it comes out a bit differently as I focus on different aspects of what was, at the time, a far more complex process than a few pages of text could ever fully capture. If there’s one pivotal event that I hope I adequately account for in every retelling, it’s how I came to truly understand, for the first time, that God loves me exactly the way I am, and that I don’t have to change who or what I am to earn his acceptance
Words cannot fully convey just how revolutionary it was to come to the realization that not only did I not have to become somebody else in order to appease God, but he didn’t want me to be somebody else. Yet somebody else was precisely what I was trying to become through my efforts to “reclaim my natural heterosexuality.”
In practice, the lessons drummed into me in church every Sunday led me to a life of fear - fear of what God would do to my worthless self if I didn’t say and do all the right things, fear of what God will do to those I love if I can’t persuade them to adopt my beliefs and standards, and fear of the terrible judgment God will pour out on our nation if his followers can’t bring enough of our neighbors to repentance.
But if “perfect love drives out fear,” as we’re told in 1 John 4:18, then something must be amiss in our churches. If fear is ever our motivation for doing anything, then perhaps it’s time for us to stop and reexamine what we really believe, underneath what we claim to believe.
Fortunately, Eugene came out of this struggle at peace with himself and with God's love for him as a homosexual child of God.
That path, although difficult and often painful, is available to any and all GLBT people who seek it. It is worth the effort.
This post on Ex-Gay Watch by Eugene Wagner does as good a job of explaining it as any essay I have run across:
Every time I recount the story of how I transitioned from a place of unquestioning acceptance of ex-gay ideology into the journey that I find myself on today, it comes out a bit differently as I focus on different aspects of what was, at the time, a far more complex process than a few pages of text could ever fully capture. If there’s one pivotal event that I hope I adequately account for in every retelling, it’s how I came to truly understand, for the first time, that God loves me exactly the way I am, and that I don’t have to change who or what I am to earn his acceptance
Words cannot fully convey just how revolutionary it was to come to the realization that not only did I not have to become somebody else in order to appease God, but he didn’t want me to be somebody else. Yet somebody else was precisely what I was trying to become through my efforts to “reclaim my natural heterosexuality.”
In practice, the lessons drummed into me in church every Sunday led me to a life of fear - fear of what God would do to my worthless self if I didn’t say and do all the right things, fear of what God will do to those I love if I can’t persuade them to adopt my beliefs and standards, and fear of the terrible judgment God will pour out on our nation if his followers can’t bring enough of our neighbors to repentance.
But if “perfect love drives out fear,” as we’re told in 1 John 4:18, then something must be amiss in our churches. If fear is ever our motivation for doing anything, then perhaps it’s time for us to stop and reexamine what we really believe, underneath what we claim to believe.
Fortunately, Eugene came out of this struggle at peace with himself and with God's love for him as a homosexual child of God.
That path, although difficult and often painful, is available to any and all GLBT people who seek it. It is worth the effort.
June 04, 2007
International Carnival of Pozitives Issue 12
We are ALL living with HIV/AIDS. This is a carnival about living with HIV/AIDS and how HIV/AIDS has affected your life. This site assumes that HIV/AIDS is caused by a variety of HIV viruses, either wild strains or those generated from drug resistance, and is not a forum for those who do not believe that HIV causes AIDS. Your stories of life with HIV/AIDS, including your survival strategies, your medication issues, your friends or loved ones with HIV/AIDS, your efforts for the cause, in fact, anything to do with how you live positively will be accepted.
That's the call for contributions for the International Carnival of Pozitives, which has just published its 12th issue. Here's the link, and I always highly recommend these moving stories of focusing of the positives in a life touched by the HIV/AIDS virus.
That's the call for contributions for the International Carnival of Pozitives, which has just published its 12th issue. Here's the link, and I always highly recommend these moving stories of focusing of the positives in a life touched by the HIV/AIDS virus.
Exxon Adds Insult to Injury
With gas prices well over $3.00 a gallon across the United States, it's easy to hate on the big oil companies, especially while they are recording record profits. Unfortunately, Exxon is piling on by the way they continue to show disrepect towards GLBT people.
This from the Human Rights Campaign:
ExxonMobil shareholders voted today with record support for a resolution to add “sexual orientation” to the company’s written equal employment opportunity policy. The percentage of shares voted in favor of the proposal has grown each of the last eight years, with 37.8 percent of shares voting in favor of the policy this year, an increase from 34.6 percent in 2005. The tally represents about 1.78 billion total shares voted in favor of the proposal.
“ExxonMobil continues to have the dubious distinction of being the only Fortune 50 company that refuses to add sexual orientation to their non-discrimination policy,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “With a record number of shareholders voting in favor of equal protections and siding with the overwhelming majority of Americans supporting the right of all employees to earn a living free of discrimination, it is irresponsible for ExxonMobil not to join the majority of companies that provide equal protections and benefits to all families.”
ExxonMobil is alone as the only Fortune 50 company that refuses to write sexual orientation protections into its primary non-discrimination policy. A total of 435 — nearly 90 percent — of Fortune 500 companies include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies and 124 — or 25 percent — include gender identity. ExxonMobil’s competitors, BP Corp., Chevron Corp., Dow Chemical and DuPont all have non-discrimination statements inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. Moreover, ExxonMobil does not provide domestic partner health insurance to all of its employees.
Solmonese continued, “In 2006, for the first time, a majority of the Fortune 500 — a total of 266, or 53 percent — offered domestic partner benefits. While most of corporate America recognizes and respects the diversity of their workforce, ExxonMobil continues to resist the most basic protections that should be afforded to all Americans.”
The Human Rights Campaign was on hand at the annual shareholder meeting in Dallas to present the resolution. A group of 21 organizations, including HRC, make up the Coalition to Promote Equality at ExxonMobil.
Mobil Corp. offered such written protection, and domestic partner benefits, to its employees; however, upon its 1999 merger with Exxon, the basic non-discrimination protection was removed and the domestic partner benefits program closed to new employees. Twenty-four members of Congress, and thousands of stockholders and consumers, wrote to ExxonMobil Chairman Lee R. Raymond in December 1999 to protest the policy reversals. In January 2000, stockholders and activists protested at a company facility in Houston, causing the facility to close for the day.
I hope you keep this in mind the next time you select where to buy gas.
This from the Human Rights Campaign:
ExxonMobil shareholders voted today with record support for a resolution to add “sexual orientation” to the company’s written equal employment opportunity policy. The percentage of shares voted in favor of the proposal has grown each of the last eight years, with 37.8 percent of shares voting in favor of the policy this year, an increase from 34.6 percent in 2005. The tally represents about 1.78 billion total shares voted in favor of the proposal.
“ExxonMobil continues to have the dubious distinction of being the only Fortune 50 company that refuses to add sexual orientation to their non-discrimination policy,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “With a record number of shareholders voting in favor of equal protections and siding with the overwhelming majority of Americans supporting the right of all employees to earn a living free of discrimination, it is irresponsible for ExxonMobil not to join the majority of companies that provide equal protections and benefits to all families.”
ExxonMobil is alone as the only Fortune 50 company that refuses to write sexual orientation protections into its primary non-discrimination policy. A total of 435 — nearly 90 percent — of Fortune 500 companies include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies and 124 — or 25 percent — include gender identity. ExxonMobil’s competitors, BP Corp., Chevron Corp., Dow Chemical and DuPont all have non-discrimination statements inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. Moreover, ExxonMobil does not provide domestic partner health insurance to all of its employees.
Solmonese continued, “In 2006, for the first time, a majority of the Fortune 500 — a total of 266, or 53 percent — offered domestic partner benefits. While most of corporate America recognizes and respects the diversity of their workforce, ExxonMobil continues to resist the most basic protections that should be afforded to all Americans.”
The Human Rights Campaign was on hand at the annual shareholder meeting in Dallas to present the resolution. A group of 21 organizations, including HRC, make up the Coalition to Promote Equality at ExxonMobil.
Mobil Corp. offered such written protection, and domestic partner benefits, to its employees; however, upon its 1999 merger with Exxon, the basic non-discrimination protection was removed and the domestic partner benefits program closed to new employees. Twenty-four members of Congress, and thousands of stockholders and consumers, wrote to ExxonMobil Chairman Lee R. Raymond in December 1999 to protest the policy reversals. In January 2000, stockholders and activists protested at a company facility in Houston, causing the facility to close for the day.
I hope you keep this in mind the next time you select where to buy gas.
June 03, 2007
Mike Rogers Cleans Out Closets on Capitol Hill
From Yahoo News:
Mike Rogers, who writes the blogs Blogactive.com and PageOneQ (where I found this link), is fighting back against anti-gay politicians when he finds evidence that they are actually closeted homosexuals.
He outs them.
Rogers is a muckraking gay blogger who uses his insider's knowledge of Washington politics and broad blanket of contacts to "out" gay politicos — but only, he says, if they are undermining gay rights. Critics call his tactics divisive and politically motivated.
Rogers, a longtime gay activist, started blogactive.com in 2004, using it to yank out of the closet at least two dozen high-ranking political figures, including senators, congressmen and Bush administration officials.
He's outed so many closeted gay politicos, he's starting to make Capitol Hill look like Brokeback Mountain. All of them, he says, use their positions to actively oppose the equal rights of gay citizens while at the same time, secretly live a gay life.
People have called Rogers a gay terrorist, but he says, "The only people who say things like that are people who have a vested interest in protecting the closet."
"I feel more sad for [the people I out] than anger," Rogers says. "... That they are in this position, that they are self-loathing, willing to wake up everyday and go to work against the very community they are a member of is quite shocking.
"Many gay organizations are troubled by outing but stop short of condemning it. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation "doesn't encourage outing, period," says GLAAD's Rashad Robinson. "But there is an argument that can be made — and many make it — for holding closeted political figures who attack and exploit gay people and our families for political gain accountable for their actions.
"However, the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay Republican group, disagree. "Log Cabin is strongly against outing," says its president, Patrick Sammon. "It is unproductive and motivated by vengeance. It does nothing to further the cause of equality for gay and lesbian Americans."
I think the response by the Log Cabin Republicans (I still don't understand how a self-respecting GLBT person can be a Republican given that party's hostility toward the community) is really sad. I applaud Rogers' activities. Of course they are politically motivated, just like the actions of those who work hard to deny rights to GLBT people. I think exposing closeted, self-loathing politicans who work as enemies of gay rights need to be flushed out into an honest public debate outside of their closets.
Honesty and truth in politics--it's a radical idea but it just might work.
Mike Rogers, who writes the blogs Blogactive.com and PageOneQ (where I found this link), is fighting back against anti-gay politicians when he finds evidence that they are actually closeted homosexuals.
He outs them.
Rogers is a muckraking gay blogger who uses his insider's knowledge of Washington politics and broad blanket of contacts to "out" gay politicos — but only, he says, if they are undermining gay rights. Critics call his tactics divisive and politically motivated.
Rogers, a longtime gay activist, started blogactive.com in 2004, using it to yank out of the closet at least two dozen high-ranking political figures, including senators, congressmen and Bush administration officials.
He's outed so many closeted gay politicos, he's starting to make Capitol Hill look like Brokeback Mountain. All of them, he says, use their positions to actively oppose the equal rights of gay citizens while at the same time, secretly live a gay life.
People have called Rogers a gay terrorist, but he says, "The only people who say things like that are people who have a vested interest in protecting the closet."
"I feel more sad for [the people I out] than anger," Rogers says. "... That they are in this position, that they are self-loathing, willing to wake up everyday and go to work against the very community they are a member of is quite shocking.
"Many gay organizations are troubled by outing but stop short of condemning it. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation "doesn't encourage outing, period," says GLAAD's Rashad Robinson. "But there is an argument that can be made — and many make it — for holding closeted political figures who attack and exploit gay people and our families for political gain accountable for their actions.
"However, the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay Republican group, disagree. "Log Cabin is strongly against outing," says its president, Patrick Sammon. "It is unproductive and motivated by vengeance. It does nothing to further the cause of equality for gay and lesbian Americans."
I think the response by the Log Cabin Republicans (I still don't understand how a self-respecting GLBT person can be a Republican given that party's hostility toward the community) is really sad. I applaud Rogers' activities. Of course they are politically motivated, just like the actions of those who work hard to deny rights to GLBT people. I think exposing closeted, self-loathing politicans who work as enemies of gay rights need to be flushed out into an honest public debate outside of their closets.
Honesty and truth in politics--it's a radical idea but it just might work.
2nd Annual Blogging for GLBT Familes
Mombian.com hosted the second annual "Blogging for GLBT Families," which just wrapped up yesterday. I was happy to contribute last year and, although I did not directly participate this time there are still some wonderful posts that are worth your time to read. At last count there are over 130 different posts collected for this event so try to block out some time and check out as many as you can.
Here's the link to the 2nd annual "Blogging for GLBT Families."
Here's the link to the 2nd annual "Blogging for GLBT Families."
June 02, 2007
More Examples of Religion and Politics Mixing--Poorly
Two items came to my e-mail over the last couple of days that reminded me how the intertwining of politics and religion is often to the detriment of both.
First, this item from Americans United for Separation of Church and State:
Americans United asserts that Bill Keller Ministries seems to have violated federal tax law when its online division, Liveprayer.com, ran articles warning readers that a vote for Romney is a vote for Satan.
“If you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for satan!” asserted the ministry in the May 11 “devotional” posted on Liveprayer.com. “This message today is not about Mitt Romney. Romney is an unashamed and proud member of the Mormon cult founded by a murdering polygamist pedophile named Joseph Smith nearly 200 years ago. The teachings of the Mormon cult are doctrinally and theologically in complete opposition to the Absolute Truth of God’s Word….This message is about the top Christian leaders in our nation who are supporting this cult members [sic] quest to become the next President of the United States.”
Keller apparently saw this report, writing this under the heading of devotional (what?!) dated June 2:
A real tool of satan, Barry Lynn who runs a group called the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has called on the IRS to investigate Liveprayer for my comments about Mitt Romney. Since I highly doubt Lynn even knows who I am, it would be interesting to know if it was the Mormons who put him up to this.
Nice. Another reminder that when someone uses the phrase "Absolute Truth of God's Word" or anything akin to that they usually mean "The Truth According to Me Using Scripture to Justify It." These folks generally don't take criticism very well either. For what it's worth, I LOVE Rev. Lynn. I have seen him speak several times on television and have a great respect for his views and the effectiveness with which he presents them.
Personally, I don't think there's much chance I would vote for Mitt Romney for President, but it has nothing to do with the fact that he's a mormon. I'm not voting for Chief Pastor, I'm voting for Chief Executive. I wish anyone who makes a decision whether or not to vote for a political candidate based on their faith and not their political record and views could have their vote taken away from them.
Then this disturbing notice arrived in my e-mail from Wayne Besen's advocacy organization, Truth Wins Out:
Truth Wins Out announced its strong and committed opposition today to President George W. Bush’s nomination for U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. James W. Holsinger, after it was revealed that he started a church in Lexington, Kentucky that has a ministry to “cure” gay people.
“Holsinger is an ideologue whose medical views on gay and lesbian people resemble sorcery more than sound science,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The last thing America needed was another deplorable nominee who isn’t up to the job, but this is exactly what Bush delivered.”
Holsinger’s nomination will go before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) Presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) sit on this committee.
I'm way past the "you must be freakin' kidding me" reactions when Bush pulls something like this, jabbing a sharp stick in the eye of the GLBT and scientific communities yet again.
What I find particularly interesting here is the makeup of the Senate committee that will vote on this nomination. Senators Obama and Clinton have been making some ovetures to the GLBT community fishing for votes, but now it's their votes that will speak volumes about how much support they will actually give the gay and lesbian people they want to support them.
First, this item from Americans United for Separation of Church and State:
Americans United asserts that Bill Keller Ministries seems to have violated federal tax law when its online division, Liveprayer.com, ran articles warning readers that a vote for Romney is a vote for Satan.
“If you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for satan!” asserted the ministry in the May 11 “devotional” posted on Liveprayer.com. “This message today is not about Mitt Romney. Romney is an unashamed and proud member of the Mormon cult founded by a murdering polygamist pedophile named Joseph Smith nearly 200 years ago. The teachings of the Mormon cult are doctrinally and theologically in complete opposition to the Absolute Truth of God’s Word….This message is about the top Christian leaders in our nation who are supporting this cult members [sic] quest to become the next President of the United States.”
Keller apparently saw this report, writing this under the heading of devotional (what?!) dated June 2:
A real tool of satan, Barry Lynn who runs a group called the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has called on the IRS to investigate Liveprayer for my comments about Mitt Romney. Since I highly doubt Lynn even knows who I am, it would be interesting to know if it was the Mormons who put him up to this.
Nice. Another reminder that when someone uses the phrase "Absolute Truth of God's Word" or anything akin to that they usually mean "The Truth According to Me Using Scripture to Justify It." These folks generally don't take criticism very well either. For what it's worth, I LOVE Rev. Lynn. I have seen him speak several times on television and have a great respect for his views and the effectiveness with which he presents them.
Personally, I don't think there's much chance I would vote for Mitt Romney for President, but it has nothing to do with the fact that he's a mormon. I'm not voting for Chief Pastor, I'm voting for Chief Executive. I wish anyone who makes a decision whether or not to vote for a political candidate based on their faith and not their political record and views could have their vote taken away from them.
Then this disturbing notice arrived in my e-mail from Wayne Besen's advocacy organization, Truth Wins Out:
Truth Wins Out announced its strong and committed opposition today to President George W. Bush’s nomination for U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. James W. Holsinger, after it was revealed that he started a church in Lexington, Kentucky that has a ministry to “cure” gay people.
“Holsinger is an ideologue whose medical views on gay and lesbian people resemble sorcery more than sound science,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “The last thing America needed was another deplorable nominee who isn’t up to the job, but this is exactly what Bush delivered.”
Holsinger’s nomination will go before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) Presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) sit on this committee.
I'm way past the "you must be freakin' kidding me" reactions when Bush pulls something like this, jabbing a sharp stick in the eye of the GLBT and scientific communities yet again.
What I find particularly interesting here is the makeup of the Senate committee that will vote on this nomination. Senators Obama and Clinton have been making some ovetures to the GLBT community fishing for votes, but now it's their votes that will speak volumes about how much support they will actually give the gay and lesbian people they want to support them.
Lesbian Moms Taking Pride in Mormon Country
This is one of the best explainations of why the GLBT community celebrates in the annual Pride festivals.
From the Salt Lake Tribune:
Their household includes two parents and two sons, but they're rarely considered a family.
When Kim and Ruth Hackford-Peer visited a public recreation center, they were not allowed to buy a family pass. When they take their sons to pose for a family photo or visit the doctor's office, people call them sisters. And when they hold hands walking down the street, strangers stare in disapproval.
"There's just not an acknowledgement that we're a family," says Kim, who's been with Ruth for 10 years.
But once a year, Kim and Ruth look forward to their "favorite holiday" - the Utah Pride Festival, an annual four-day event better known in the gay community as Pride.
Here, Kim and Ruth don't have to be prepared to defend their family from adults who mumble rude comments. They don't have to tell people that they are lesbians and not best friends. They don't have to worry about their sons - 5-year-old Riley and 1-year-old Casey - being ridiculed for having two mommies.
If for only a few days during Pride, they are recognized as a family.
"It's celebrating our relationship, our family, our existence," Kim says, playing with her boys in their east side Salt Lake County home.
Ruth, a 33 year-old educator, describes Pride as an event where gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender (GLBT) people can be "open" and don't have to feel ashamed of their lifestyle.
"It's about loving myself and who I am," she says. "It's about GLBT people celebrating the joys of being a queer person."
Pride is also turning into an annual tradition for gay families as the event organizes more kid-friendly activities, say gay parents.
Pride started in 1969 as a protest against discrimination and violence against gays in New York City, and today there are Pride festivals in cities worldwide.
That's what I learned at my first Pride event two years ago. It's about people celebrating who they are, especially since there are still a lot of people around who want GLBT people to hide in shame and not express their God given gift of homosexuality.
I strongly encourage members of the GLBT community to support their local Pride activities. I also highly recommend these events, especially the street festivals, to straight folks like me. If you've never been, I suspect it will be eye opening.
My church, Believers Covenenant Fellowship, will have a booth at Capital Pride in Washington DC on Sunday, June 10, just a few blocks down from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. If you're in the area, please stop by and say hello.
Thanks to PageOneQ for the tip on the article.
From the Salt Lake Tribune:
Their household includes two parents and two sons, but they're rarely considered a family.
When Kim and Ruth Hackford-Peer visited a public recreation center, they were not allowed to buy a family pass. When they take their sons to pose for a family photo or visit the doctor's office, people call them sisters. And when they hold hands walking down the street, strangers stare in disapproval.
"There's just not an acknowledgement that we're a family," says Kim, who's been with Ruth for 10 years.
But once a year, Kim and Ruth look forward to their "favorite holiday" - the Utah Pride Festival, an annual four-day event better known in the gay community as Pride.
Here, Kim and Ruth don't have to be prepared to defend their family from adults who mumble rude comments. They don't have to tell people that they are lesbians and not best friends. They don't have to worry about their sons - 5-year-old Riley and 1-year-old Casey - being ridiculed for having two mommies.
If for only a few days during Pride, they are recognized as a family.
"It's celebrating our relationship, our family, our existence," Kim says, playing with her boys in their east side Salt Lake County home.
Ruth, a 33 year-old educator, describes Pride as an event where gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender (GLBT) people can be "open" and don't have to feel ashamed of their lifestyle.
"It's about loving myself and who I am," she says. "It's about GLBT people celebrating the joys of being a queer person."
Pride is also turning into an annual tradition for gay families as the event organizes more kid-friendly activities, say gay parents.
Pride started in 1969 as a protest against discrimination and violence against gays in New York City, and today there are Pride festivals in cities worldwide.
That's what I learned at my first Pride event two years ago. It's about people celebrating who they are, especially since there are still a lot of people around who want GLBT people to hide in shame and not express their God given gift of homosexuality.
I strongly encourage members of the GLBT community to support their local Pride activities. I also highly recommend these events, especially the street festivals, to straight folks like me. If you've never been, I suspect it will be eye opening.
My church, Believers Covenenant Fellowship, will have a booth at Capital Pride in Washington DC on Sunday, June 10, just a few blocks down from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. If you're in the area, please stop by and say hello.
Thanks to PageOneQ for the tip on the article.
June 01, 2007
Groups Intensifying Efforts to "Redeem" Homosexuals
The efforts to "change" GLBT people to straight people are racheting up with new pushes by two organizations.
First, the Christian Post reports on expanded efforts by "ex-gay" group Exodus International:
In the past three decades, Exodus has challenged churches and the wider public who respond to homosexuals with ignorance and fear as well as those who uphold homosexuality as a valid orientation. And over the last five years since Alan Chambers stepped into presidency, the ex-gay organization has increased its number of member ministries to over 130 as well as its involvement in public policy issues and has become a prominent voice on gender issues, particularly in the wake of the Ted Haggard sex-and-drugs scandal.
Last summer, Exodus launched the Exodus Church Network, declaring itself a ministry of the church. Currently with 40 churches aligned to its network, Exodus helps churches to stand boldly on the truth of Scripture with regard to homosexuality, to minister to individuals struggling with unwanted homosexuality, and to create a nationwide referral list of churches for those searching for a church that will walk alongside them in their journey.
This report only prints one side of the issue and fails to mention how organizations like Exodus, by spreading the "ex-gay" myth, have destroyed lives and helped drive people to suicide.
The Southern Baptist Convention is also beginning a new initiative to "redeem" gay people. From Ethics Daily:
The Southern Baptist Convention is hiring a minister specializing in "gender issues" to help churches reach out and minister to homosexuals, without condoning same-sex relationships.
On Friday, Bob Stith, after retiring as pastor of Carroll Baptist Church in Southlake, Texas, becomes director of Southern Baptists' Ministry to Homosexuals Task Force.
Thirteen years ago Stith began to feel guilty about negative attitudes toward homosexuals coming across in his own preaching. He got involved in Exodus International, a Christian ministry that leads people out of homosexuality, and Living Hope, a non-denominational Exodus referral agency in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
In 2001 Stith made a motion at the SBC annual meeting to establish a task force "to inform, educate, and encourage our people to be proactive and redemptive in reaching out to those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions." (The SBC didn't exactly rush into this did they?)
Stith told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that no one in his church or family had struggled with homosexuality. (No, they're probably tucked away in the closet)
"In all honesty, my preaching about it had been negative, focusing on biblical passages about sin but not redemption," he said. "Those who heard me preach would never have come to me for help. When I realized that, it broke my heart. This ministry is just something God put on my heart."
Stith's softer rhetoric contrasts with earlier statements by Southern Baptists denouncing homosexuality--such as the 1996 Disney boycott that targeted the company for providing domestic-partner benefits to gays--but it doesn't sway gay-rights groups like Soulforce and the Human Rights Campaign, who believe "ex-gay" outreach ministries do more harm than good.
I point these items out because it just makes it more impairative that GLBT Christians and their allies stand up and speak out, allowing THEIR message of God's love and redemption to carry the day. We needs to minimize the damage Exodus, the SBC, and any other groups that want people to deny who they are to conform to their limited understanding can do.
First, the Christian Post reports on expanded efforts by "ex-gay" group Exodus International:
In the past three decades, Exodus has challenged churches and the wider public who respond to homosexuals with ignorance and fear as well as those who uphold homosexuality as a valid orientation. And over the last five years since Alan Chambers stepped into presidency, the ex-gay organization has increased its number of member ministries to over 130 as well as its involvement in public policy issues and has become a prominent voice on gender issues, particularly in the wake of the Ted Haggard sex-and-drugs scandal.
Last summer, Exodus launched the Exodus Church Network, declaring itself a ministry of the church. Currently with 40 churches aligned to its network, Exodus helps churches to stand boldly on the truth of Scripture with regard to homosexuality, to minister to individuals struggling with unwanted homosexuality, and to create a nationwide referral list of churches for those searching for a church that will walk alongside them in their journey.
This report only prints one side of the issue and fails to mention how organizations like Exodus, by spreading the "ex-gay" myth, have destroyed lives and helped drive people to suicide.
The Southern Baptist Convention is also beginning a new initiative to "redeem" gay people. From Ethics Daily:
The Southern Baptist Convention is hiring a minister specializing in "gender issues" to help churches reach out and minister to homosexuals, without condoning same-sex relationships.
On Friday, Bob Stith, after retiring as pastor of Carroll Baptist Church in Southlake, Texas, becomes director of Southern Baptists' Ministry to Homosexuals Task Force.
Thirteen years ago Stith began to feel guilty about negative attitudes toward homosexuals coming across in his own preaching. He got involved in Exodus International, a Christian ministry that leads people out of homosexuality, and Living Hope, a non-denominational Exodus referral agency in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
In 2001 Stith made a motion at the SBC annual meeting to establish a task force "to inform, educate, and encourage our people to be proactive and redemptive in reaching out to those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions." (The SBC didn't exactly rush into this did they?)
Stith told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that no one in his church or family had struggled with homosexuality. (No, they're probably tucked away in the closet)
"In all honesty, my preaching about it had been negative, focusing on biblical passages about sin but not redemption," he said. "Those who heard me preach would never have come to me for help. When I realized that, it broke my heart. This ministry is just something God put on my heart."
Stith's softer rhetoric contrasts with earlier statements by Southern Baptists denouncing homosexuality--such as the 1996 Disney boycott that targeted the company for providing domestic-partner benefits to gays--but it doesn't sway gay-rights groups like Soulforce and the Human Rights Campaign, who believe "ex-gay" outreach ministries do more harm than good.
I point these items out because it just makes it more impairative that GLBT Christians and their allies stand up and speak out, allowing THEIR message of God's love and redemption to carry the day. We needs to minimize the damage Exodus, the SBC, and any other groups that want people to deny who they are to conform to their limited understanding can do.
Transgender Minister Reappointed to Baltimore Methodist Church
A transgender United Methodist minister will be reappointed to lead his Baltimore congregation, church officials announced Thursday at a regional convocation.
The Rev. Drew Phoenix was greeted with applause after telling 1,600 members of the church's Baltimore-Washington conference that he had gone through "spiritual transformation" in the past year, since changing his name from Ann Gordon and receiving medical treatment to become a man.
"It is my intention and hope that by sharing my story that we commit ourselves as Christians and as United Methodists to become educated about the complexity of gender," Phoenix said. "Each of us is a beloved child of God - no exceptions."
Click here to read the entire report. You'll see that the opposition is just starting to warm up.
The Rev. Drew Phoenix was greeted with applause after telling 1,600 members of the church's Baltimore-Washington conference that he had gone through "spiritual transformation" in the past year, since changing his name from Ann Gordon and receiving medical treatment to become a man.
"It is my intention and hope that by sharing my story that we commit ourselves as Christians and as United Methodists to become educated about the complexity of gender," Phoenix said. "Each of us is a beloved child of God - no exceptions."
Click here to read the entire report. You'll see that the opposition is just starting to warm up.
May 31, 2007
Religious Conservatives Overwhelm "Liberal Media"
Media Matters for America, a media watchdog organization, conducted a study to determine how the so-called "liberal media" balanced coverage of conservative and progressive religious news and views:
In order to begin to assess how the news media paint the picture of religion in America today, this study measured the extent to which religious leaders, both conservative and progressive, are quoted, mentioned, and interviewed in the news media.
Among the study's key findings:
o Combining newspapers and television, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed in news stories 2.8 times as often as were progressive religious leaders.
o On television news -- the three major television networks, the three major cable new channels, and PBS -- conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed almost 3.8 times as often as progressive leaders.
o In major newspapers, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed 2.7 times as often as progressive leaders.
o Despite the fact most religious Americans are moderate or progressive, in the news media it is overwhelmingly conservative leaders who are presented as the voice of religion. This represents a particularly meaningful distortion since progressive religious leaders tend to focus on different issues and offer an entirely different perspective than their conservative counterparts.
Reactions to these findings were presented at EthicsDaily.com:
"I have long felt the media have given Americans a distorted view of what people of faith believe," said Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches. "This research from Media Matters proves that."
"This important report makes a compelling case that Americans may be getting an incomplete story," said Alexia Kelley, executive director of Catholics in Alliance for Common Good. "It's a story that too often features strident commentary from the usual suspects, divisive culture warriors with a message that fails to speak to the fullness of our rich faith traditions."
But Robert Knight of the conservative Media Research Council found fault with the study.
"Religious liberals march in lockstep with the liberal, secular media, so they have to go to conservatives to get controversy, because that's what makes news," he said.
Knight said it isn't enough to say there are more conservatives cited in the media.
"It's what did they let them say," he maintained. "Often they'll let the liberal give a heartfelt argument for that point of view, and then they'll allow the conservative one of the weakest points a conservative made.
"Having been in journalism and seeing that side of it, and having been on the other side of the camera and the notepad, I can tell you often the most powerful points are just thrown into a wastebasket if you're the conservative."
People, at least book buyers, seem to be tuning out. According to this report from the Christian Post, sales of religious books dropped 10.2% in 2006 from the previous year.
Unfortunately, due to the judgemental rhetoric often offered by religious conservatives, I suspect they have soured people on reading books that actually could be a spiritual blessing to them, which also ties in to the rise of books on athiesim.
In order to begin to assess how the news media paint the picture of religion in America today, this study measured the extent to which religious leaders, both conservative and progressive, are quoted, mentioned, and interviewed in the news media.
Among the study's key findings:
o Combining newspapers and television, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed in news stories 2.8 times as often as were progressive religious leaders.
o On television news -- the three major television networks, the three major cable new channels, and PBS -- conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed almost 3.8 times as often as progressive leaders.
o In major newspapers, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed 2.7 times as often as progressive leaders.
o Despite the fact most religious Americans are moderate or progressive, in the news media it is overwhelmingly conservative leaders who are presented as the voice of religion. This represents a particularly meaningful distortion since progressive religious leaders tend to focus on different issues and offer an entirely different perspective than their conservative counterparts.
Reactions to these findings were presented at EthicsDaily.com:
"I have long felt the media have given Americans a distorted view of what people of faith believe," said Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches. "This research from Media Matters proves that."
"This important report makes a compelling case that Americans may be getting an incomplete story," said Alexia Kelley, executive director of Catholics in Alliance for Common Good. "It's a story that too often features strident commentary from the usual suspects, divisive culture warriors with a message that fails to speak to the fullness of our rich faith traditions."
But Robert Knight of the conservative Media Research Council found fault with the study.
"Religious liberals march in lockstep with the liberal, secular media, so they have to go to conservatives to get controversy, because that's what makes news," he said.
Knight said it isn't enough to say there are more conservatives cited in the media.
"It's what did they let them say," he maintained. "Often they'll let the liberal give a heartfelt argument for that point of view, and then they'll allow the conservative one of the weakest points a conservative made.
"Having been in journalism and seeing that side of it, and having been on the other side of the camera and the notepad, I can tell you often the most powerful points are just thrown into a wastebasket if you're the conservative."
People, at least book buyers, seem to be tuning out. According to this report from the Christian Post, sales of religious books dropped 10.2% in 2006 from the previous year.
Unfortunately, due to the judgemental rhetoric often offered by religious conservatives, I suspect they have soured people on reading books that actually could be a spiritual blessing to them, which also ties in to the rise of books on athiesim.
GLBT People in India Hope "QueerFest" Opens Minds
India is not an easy place to be gay, in no small part because it is illegal. Gay rights activists are hoping to change some minds this week with the 10-day festival "Queerfest 07." Sounding similar to the Gay Pride events we are so used to in the United States, this is a revolutionary event in India. From the Washington Post article:
Homosexuality is a crime in India and can result in a jail term of at least 10 years.
While the British colonial-era law has rarely been enforced, activists say it has become a tool for police to harass gay and lesbian couples in order to get bribes.
If couples refuse or are unable to pay a bribe, they are often put in dingy cells, brutally beaten and humiliated.
The anti-gay law, which dates back to the 19th century, is now being questioned by gay rights groups who argue that not only is it an abuse of human rights but also acts as an impediment in the fight against HIV/AIDS in India.
However, the government says Indian society is not ready to legalize homosexuality. A court judgment is pending.
Activists say the festival -- which will include talks, photo exhibitions, films, performances and a candlelight vigil -- is an attempt to use culture to help society recognize the rights of India's homosexuals.
Hopefully this festival will make a difference. It's unfortunate that right-wing Christians are not the only group who can aggressively discriminate against GLBT people.
The battle for equal rights is being fought on many fronts in many nations across the globe.
Homosexuality is a crime in India and can result in a jail term of at least 10 years.
While the British colonial-era law has rarely been enforced, activists say it has become a tool for police to harass gay and lesbian couples in order to get bribes.
If couples refuse or are unable to pay a bribe, they are often put in dingy cells, brutally beaten and humiliated.
The anti-gay law, which dates back to the 19th century, is now being questioned by gay rights groups who argue that not only is it an abuse of human rights but also acts as an impediment in the fight against HIV/AIDS in India.
However, the government says Indian society is not ready to legalize homosexuality. A court judgment is pending.
Activists say the festival -- which will include talks, photo exhibitions, films, performances and a candlelight vigil -- is an attempt to use culture to help society recognize the rights of India's homosexuals.
Hopefully this festival will make a difference. It's unfortunate that right-wing Christians are not the only group who can aggressively discriminate against GLBT people.
The battle for equal rights is being fought on many fronts in many nations across the globe.
May 30, 2007
Is the Same-Sex Marriage "Battle" Equivalent to World War II?
The title is, of course, a ridiculous question. Unfortunately, it is the premise for a letter sent out by MassResistance, the lobbying group that is trying to push same-sex marriage, legal in Massachusetts, onto a ballot referendum. Here is an excerpt, the entire letter is printed on Pam's House Blend:
This Memorial day, here in Massachusetts in 2007, the homosexual lobby dominates our State House, and is filing bills to push their agenda further than ever. They have homosexual clubs in high schools across the state. They use state money to bring kids downtown to mingle with adult cross-dressers and other hard-core activists. A federal judge ruled that schools can show picture books to elementary school children about homosexual romance. And our political leaders help raise money for their movement.
Sixty-five years from today, what will people remember about what you did to stop them? Will you dedicate yourself to this fight?
World War Two was won with guns and bullets and bombs. This war will be won with truth and fearlessness. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that we can and will prevail completely. Our adversary's movement has the illusion of indomitable strength, but at is really a house of cards, held up by threats and intimidation and a dysfunctional ideology. If you are willing to fight - to tell the truth and not be afraid - it will fall.
There is one difference from 1942. Today, one of the biggest obstacles in this battle is the mainstream conservative movement itself - our side. They value "dignity" and "polite behavior" over speaking the harsh and uncomfortable truth. They preach prayer as a way to avoid taking action. They seek to compromise as a way to avoid conflict. They talk about differences of opinion as a way to avoid facing good versus evil. It subverts our efforts and causes terrible results.
Did people in 1942 talk about respecting the Nazis "choice" of political philosophy? Or that we ought to consider letting Japan have Korea and the Solomon Islands if they'd let us have the Philippines - because that's what the "experts" say we could work out?
Don't listen to them. It's a false promise. It's extremely tempting but it's the road to hell.
Just when you think the right wing can't stoop any lower, they manage to pull it off. How dare this organization insult the brave men who risked, and often lost, their lives to defend the United States from a true threat of tyrany. How dare they diminish the sacrifices the people on the home front had to make to support this effort, from long separations from loved ones to rationing of gas, nylon, and other basic staples needed for the war effort. How dare they compare people who merely want the right to marry without in any way, shape, or form infringing on the rights of anyone else, to the freakin' Nazis!
If anyone is on the road to hell, it is the person or people who wrote this abomination of a letter.
This Memorial day, here in Massachusetts in 2007, the homosexual lobby dominates our State House, and is filing bills to push their agenda further than ever. They have homosexual clubs in high schools across the state. They use state money to bring kids downtown to mingle with adult cross-dressers and other hard-core activists. A federal judge ruled that schools can show picture books to elementary school children about homosexual romance. And our political leaders help raise money for their movement.
Sixty-five years from today, what will people remember about what you did to stop them? Will you dedicate yourself to this fight?
World War Two was won with guns and bullets and bombs. This war will be won with truth and fearlessness. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that we can and will prevail completely. Our adversary's movement has the illusion of indomitable strength, but at is really a house of cards, held up by threats and intimidation and a dysfunctional ideology. If you are willing to fight - to tell the truth and not be afraid - it will fall.
There is one difference from 1942. Today, one of the biggest obstacles in this battle is the mainstream conservative movement itself - our side. They value "dignity" and "polite behavior" over speaking the harsh and uncomfortable truth. They preach prayer as a way to avoid taking action. They seek to compromise as a way to avoid conflict. They talk about differences of opinion as a way to avoid facing good versus evil. It subverts our efforts and causes terrible results.
Did people in 1942 talk about respecting the Nazis "choice" of political philosophy? Or that we ought to consider letting Japan have Korea and the Solomon Islands if they'd let us have the Philippines - because that's what the "experts" say we could work out?
Don't listen to them. It's a false promise. It's extremely tempting but it's the road to hell.
Just when you think the right wing can't stoop any lower, they manage to pull it off. How dare this organization insult the brave men who risked, and often lost, their lives to defend the United States from a true threat of tyrany. How dare they diminish the sacrifices the people on the home front had to make to support this effort, from long separations from loved ones to rationing of gas, nylon, and other basic staples needed for the war effort. How dare they compare people who merely want the right to marry without in any way, shape, or form infringing on the rights of anyone else, to the freakin' Nazis!
If anyone is on the road to hell, it is the person or people who wrote this abomination of a letter.
Leave Tinky Winky Alone!
I have a confession to make.....
I love the Telletubbies (Po is my favorite).
There, that's a weight off my shoulders. My late wife Bette (La La was her favorite) and I just thought they were adorable. I ask you, how can you NOT love the Telletubbies?
Sadly, not everyone does. I thought the last hater was gone when Jerry Falwell recently passed away, but once again Tinky Winky (the purple one with the purse for those keeping score at home) is under attack.
From the BBC:
A senior Polish official has ordered psychologists to investigate whether the popular BBC TV show Teletubbies promotes a homosexual lifestyle.
The spokesperson for children's rights in Poland, Ewa Sowinska, singled out Tinky Winky, the purple character with a triangular aerial on his head.
"I noticed he was carrying a woman's handbag," she told a magazine. "At first, I didn't realise he was a boy."
EU officials have criticised Polish government policy towards homosexuals.
Ms Sowinska wants the psychologists to make a recommendation about whether the children's show should be broadcast on public television.
Poland's authorities have recently initiated a series of moves to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality among the nation's children.
Tinky Winky's psychological evaluation is being treated fairly light-heartedly by many people here.
One radio station asked its listeners to vote for the most suspicious children's show. Some e-mailed in, saying that Winnie the Pooh had only male friends.
Even Ms Sowinska has backtracked a little, insisting that she does not believe the Teletubbies is a threat to the nation's children. But the evaluation is still going ahead and her office can recommend that the show should be taken off the air.
Poland was criticised recently after its education ministry announced plans to sack teachers who promote homosexuality.
Last month the European Union singled out Poland for criticism in its resolution condemning homophobia in the 27-member bloc.
It's hard to take this very seriously, but I ask everyone to please refrain from leaving any Polish jokes in the comments. Your discretion is appreciated.
Save Tinky Winky!
I love the Telletubbies (Po is my favorite).
There, that's a weight off my shoulders. My late wife Bette (La La was her favorite) and I just thought they were adorable. I ask you, how can you NOT love the Telletubbies?
Sadly, not everyone does. I thought the last hater was gone when Jerry Falwell recently passed away, but once again Tinky Winky (the purple one with the purse for those keeping score at home) is under attack.
From the BBC:
A senior Polish official has ordered psychologists to investigate whether the popular BBC TV show Teletubbies promotes a homosexual lifestyle.
The spokesperson for children's rights in Poland, Ewa Sowinska, singled out Tinky Winky, the purple character with a triangular aerial on his head.
"I noticed he was carrying a woman's handbag," she told a magazine. "At first, I didn't realise he was a boy."
EU officials have criticised Polish government policy towards homosexuals.
Ms Sowinska wants the psychologists to make a recommendation about whether the children's show should be broadcast on public television.
Poland's authorities have recently initiated a series of moves to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality among the nation's children.
Tinky Winky's psychological evaluation is being treated fairly light-heartedly by many people here.
One radio station asked its listeners to vote for the most suspicious children's show. Some e-mailed in, saying that Winnie the Pooh had only male friends.
Even Ms Sowinska has backtracked a little, insisting that she does not believe the Teletubbies is a threat to the nation's children. But the evaluation is still going ahead and her office can recommend that the show should be taken off the air.
Poland was criticised recently after its education ministry announced plans to sack teachers who promote homosexuality.
Last month the European Union singled out Poland for criticism in its resolution condemning homophobia in the 27-member bloc.
It's hard to take this very seriously, but I ask everyone to please refrain from leaving any Polish jokes in the comments. Your discretion is appreciated.
Save Tinky Winky!
May 29, 2007
Book Review: "Bashing Back"
Wayne Besen, a syndicated columnist and Executive Director of Truth Wins Out, a GLBT advocacy organization, has released a new book titled, “Bashing Back” (Harrington Park Press, 207 pages, $14.95). The cover features Besen wearing boxing shorts and gloves, and the collection of his syndicated columns chosen for this volume live up to that image.
Besen’s was one of the first GLBT oriented websites I was linked up with when I started this blog, and it didn’t take very long to discover the creativity, biting wit, and insight that are featured in his writing. All of those qualities come through in “Bashing Back.”
Although his career has featured a lengthy stint as a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign and the establishment of Truth Wins Out (an organization that “counters right wing disinformation campaigns, debunks the ‘ex-gay’ myth, and provides accurate information about the lives of GLBT people.”), Besen has also worked for news organizations and goes beyond GLBT issues in his writing. “Bashing Back” features numerous columns on issues in culture and politics that affect the general population.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from his columns. There were plenty of quality ones to chose from:
On Civil Unions:
…..gay people are a small minority and can’t afford to be obstinate and reject civil unions as a last resort. Our families need protections today, and idealism won’t get them hospital visitations rights. However, fair-minded people should always push forward and be wed to the idea that America should never settle for a system that doles out different rights to different people simply for who they are.
On Republican Attitudes Toward GLBT People:
(President) Bush and his sophisticated Republican cronies have enough gay friends, colleagues, and family members to know their red-meat rhetoric is pure nonsense. Sadly, gay people are considered expendable and collateral damage in Bush’s unprincipled war for reelection.
On “Modern Conservatism”:
Modern Conservatism is a fraud. It is the province of hypocrites who stand for no core principles except amassing political power. Nowhere is hollowness of conservatism more evident than in cynical election year attempts by Congress to ban same-sex marriage.
I have to admit, I sometimes envy right-wingers. They can be as creative with reality as they wish, and their bamboozled base of boobs rewards their audacity with membership and money.
On Dating in Cyberspace:
In cyberspace, however, if you ask for Don Juan, you’re likely to get Don Knotts. Recently, I was flirting with a guy on the Internet who said he was a great catch. He wasn’t kidding. When I eventually met him in person he looked like a salmon. (What a great line!)
On Religion in the GLBT Community:
Unless we win the battle of heaven, the right wing will continue to make our lives hell. To win the hearts and minds of most Americans, powerful alliances with religious organizations must be forged, and GLBT people of faith must be respected. (Amen!)
On Evangelistic Response to AIDS in the GLBT Community:
AIDS has killed millions of people while evangelicals have been, at best, indifferent. It is great that they want to get in the compassion game a quarter of a century after the fact. However, if evangelicals want a truly loving marriage with the gay community, they need to treat us with respect in both sickness and in health. If they are going to condemn our loving relationships in the bedroom, there is no place for them at our bedsides.
I really enjoyed this book, which is organized alphabetically by the subject of the column. This makes it easy to pick and choose columns that are near and dear to your heart, but I recommend taking the time to read each one—you could miss something interesting and entertaining.
This book alternately made me nod my head in agreement (I read many excerpts to Pastor Brenda), laugh out loud, or wince at the edginess. Agree or disagree with Besen (I largely agreed), his writing will hold your interest, his information is well researched, and his conclusions/suggestions show creativity and a passion for doing the right thing, two qualities often lacking in today’s public discourse.
Besen is much more in-your-face and confrontational than I am, but I find his voice to be a very important one in leading the fight for GLBT equality. I highly recommend “Bashing Back,” and you can purchase it at Amazon.com or buy an autographed copy at Wayne Besen’s website.
Besen’s was one of the first GLBT oriented websites I was linked up with when I started this blog, and it didn’t take very long to discover the creativity, biting wit, and insight that are featured in his writing. All of those qualities come through in “Bashing Back.”
Although his career has featured a lengthy stint as a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign and the establishment of Truth Wins Out (an organization that “counters right wing disinformation campaigns, debunks the ‘ex-gay’ myth, and provides accurate information about the lives of GLBT people.”), Besen has also worked for news organizations and goes beyond GLBT issues in his writing. “Bashing Back” features numerous columns on issues in culture and politics that affect the general population.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from his columns. There were plenty of quality ones to chose from:
On Civil Unions:
…..gay people are a small minority and can’t afford to be obstinate and reject civil unions as a last resort. Our families need protections today, and idealism won’t get them hospital visitations rights. However, fair-minded people should always push forward and be wed to the idea that America should never settle for a system that doles out different rights to different people simply for who they are.
On Republican Attitudes Toward GLBT People:
(President) Bush and his sophisticated Republican cronies have enough gay friends, colleagues, and family members to know their red-meat rhetoric is pure nonsense. Sadly, gay people are considered expendable and collateral damage in Bush’s unprincipled war for reelection.
On “Modern Conservatism”:
Modern Conservatism is a fraud. It is the province of hypocrites who stand for no core principles except amassing political power. Nowhere is hollowness of conservatism more evident than in cynical election year attempts by Congress to ban same-sex marriage.
I have to admit, I sometimes envy right-wingers. They can be as creative with reality as they wish, and their bamboozled base of boobs rewards their audacity with membership and money.
On Dating in Cyberspace:
In cyberspace, however, if you ask for Don Juan, you’re likely to get Don Knotts. Recently, I was flirting with a guy on the Internet who said he was a great catch. He wasn’t kidding. When I eventually met him in person he looked like a salmon. (What a great line!)
On Religion in the GLBT Community:
Unless we win the battle of heaven, the right wing will continue to make our lives hell. To win the hearts and minds of most Americans, powerful alliances with religious organizations must be forged, and GLBT people of faith must be respected. (Amen!)
On Evangelistic Response to AIDS in the GLBT Community:
AIDS has killed millions of people while evangelicals have been, at best, indifferent. It is great that they want to get in the compassion game a quarter of a century after the fact. However, if evangelicals want a truly loving marriage with the gay community, they need to treat us with respect in both sickness and in health. If they are going to condemn our loving relationships in the bedroom, there is no place for them at our bedsides.
I really enjoyed this book, which is organized alphabetically by the subject of the column. This makes it easy to pick and choose columns that are near and dear to your heart, but I recommend taking the time to read each one—you could miss something interesting and entertaining.
This book alternately made me nod my head in agreement (I read many excerpts to Pastor Brenda), laugh out loud, or wince at the edginess. Agree or disagree with Besen (I largely agreed), his writing will hold your interest, his information is well researched, and his conclusions/suggestions show creativity and a passion for doing the right thing, two qualities often lacking in today’s public discourse.
Besen is much more in-your-face and confrontational than I am, but I find his voice to be a very important one in leading the fight for GLBT equality. I highly recommend “Bashing Back,” and you can purchase it at Amazon.com or buy an autographed copy at Wayne Besen’s website.
Opening of the "Creation Museum"
The Creation Museum opened Monday in Petersburg, Kentucky, not too far outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. From the article in the Washington Post,
Despite the showmanship behind the $27 million museum opening here Monday, the evangelists who put it together contend that none of the gleaming exhibits are allegorical. God did create the universe in six days, they say, and the Earth is about 6,000 years old.
But in this latest demonization of Darwinian evolution, there is a sticking point: For the biblical account to be accurate and the world to be so young, several hundred years of research in geology, physics, biology, paleontology, and astronomy would need to be very, very wrong.
"This may be fascinating, but this is nonsense," said Lawrence M. Krauss, a theoretical physicist at Case Western Reserve University and a vocal defender of evolutionary science. "It's fine for people to believe whatever they want. What's inappropriate is to then essentially lie and say science supports these notions."
Eugenie C. Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education, calls the sparkling facility "the creationist Disneyland."
I post this story here because (1) people behind this are some of those who demonize GLBT people and (2) I just needed to vent about it.
The mentality of taking the bible as the "literal and inerrant Word of God" was a driving force behind the construction of this museum. That is the same mentality that harps on specific translations and interpretations of the Bible (like the GLBT "clobber verses") and calls someone like me a heretic if I disagree. According to them, if you can't refute the staggeringly overwhelming evidence to the contrary and say without a doubt that the Earth was formed in six calendar days by God 6,000 years ago, well, you just don't belive enough if at all.
"When you're talking about origins, you're not talking about science," (Ken)Ham (an evangelist) said as charter members snapped photographs in an early walk-through. "You're talking about belief."
As for myself, I don't think it is really the big deal some conservatives are working hard to turn this issue into. I don't care if the seven days mentioned in Genesis were literal calendar days or something esle. My faith is not caught up in defending any specific timeline in the Bible. I focus on what the Holy Spirit does in my life and how He wants me to minister to others in a way that can make a positive difference in their lives.
How much difference do you think $27 million could have made in peoples lives? How many could it have fed and clothed. How many young single mothers the right wingers fought so hard to prevent from having abortions could some of those funds have helped? How many churches could have used that money for outreach ministry?
Jesus didn't build a museum for His Father, he focused his energy and the resources of his followers on helping people and saving their souls.
Aren't we supposed to be following his example?
P.S. My gifted, spiritual wife Pastor Brenda pointed this out when I read this post to her:
Genesis 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light" and there was light. God saw that the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the darkness light. And there was evening and there was morning the first day.
So then, what was God looking at as the "first day" began? How long had that been there, with solid ground, water, and gravity already in place?
Maybe a few billion years? The Bible does not tell us, and I'm perfectly fine with that.
Despite the showmanship behind the $27 million museum opening here Monday, the evangelists who put it together contend that none of the gleaming exhibits are allegorical. God did create the universe in six days, they say, and the Earth is about 6,000 years old.
But in this latest demonization of Darwinian evolution, there is a sticking point: For the biblical account to be accurate and the world to be so young, several hundred years of research in geology, physics, biology, paleontology, and astronomy would need to be very, very wrong.
"This may be fascinating, but this is nonsense," said Lawrence M. Krauss, a theoretical physicist at Case Western Reserve University and a vocal defender of evolutionary science. "It's fine for people to believe whatever they want. What's inappropriate is to then essentially lie and say science supports these notions."
Eugenie C. Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education, calls the sparkling facility "the creationist Disneyland."
I post this story here because (1) people behind this are some of those who demonize GLBT people and (2) I just needed to vent about it.
The mentality of taking the bible as the "literal and inerrant Word of God" was a driving force behind the construction of this museum. That is the same mentality that harps on specific translations and interpretations of the Bible (like the GLBT "clobber verses") and calls someone like me a heretic if I disagree. According to them, if you can't refute the staggeringly overwhelming evidence to the contrary and say without a doubt that the Earth was formed in six calendar days by God 6,000 years ago, well, you just don't belive enough if at all.
"When you're talking about origins, you're not talking about science," (Ken)Ham (an evangelist) said as charter members snapped photographs in an early walk-through. "You're talking about belief."
As for myself, I don't think it is really the big deal some conservatives are working hard to turn this issue into. I don't care if the seven days mentioned in Genesis were literal calendar days or something esle. My faith is not caught up in defending any specific timeline in the Bible. I focus on what the Holy Spirit does in my life and how He wants me to minister to others in a way that can make a positive difference in their lives.
How much difference do you think $27 million could have made in peoples lives? How many could it have fed and clothed. How many young single mothers the right wingers fought so hard to prevent from having abortions could some of those funds have helped? How many churches could have used that money for outreach ministry?
Jesus didn't build a museum for His Father, he focused his energy and the resources of his followers on helping people and saving their souls.
Aren't we supposed to be following his example?
P.S. My gifted, spiritual wife Pastor Brenda pointed this out when I read this post to her:
Genesis 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light" and there was light. God saw that the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the darkness light. And there was evening and there was morning the first day.
So then, what was God looking at as the "first day" began? How long had that been there, with solid ground, water, and gravity already in place?
Maybe a few billion years? The Bible does not tell us, and I'm perfectly fine with that.
May 28, 2007
Watch Out for Gay Terrorists in Alabama
At least that's what the Alabama Department of Homeland (In)Security was thinking when they included gay rights organizations on a list of groups that they alegedly felt could include terrorists.
Since the list reportedly included anti-war organizations, environmentalists, animal rights advocates, it's easy to think that instead of spawning terrorists, they included every group that was likely to skew Democratic when they voted.
This list has been dropped from the department's web site after, imagine this, people complained about the UTTER STUPIDITY OF IT.
The only thing they appeared to get right was also listing anti-abortion groups, since they actually do have a documented history of violently attacking abortion clinics.
While the Alabama Department of Homeland (In)Security was watching these groups, who was watching people who might have actually been planning on engaging in terrorist activity? After all, they couldn't let their own prejudice get in the way of protecting the citizens of their state, now could they?
Since the list reportedly included anti-war organizations, environmentalists, animal rights advocates, it's easy to think that instead of spawning terrorists, they included every group that was likely to skew Democratic when they voted.
This list has been dropped from the department's web site after, imagine this, people complained about the UTTER STUPIDITY OF IT.
The only thing they appeared to get right was also listing anti-abortion groups, since they actually do have a documented history of violently attacking abortion clinics.
While the Alabama Department of Homeland (In)Security was watching these groups, who was watching people who might have actually been planning on engaging in terrorist activity? After all, they couldn't let their own prejudice get in the way of protecting the citizens of their state, now could they?
GLBT Activists Have Rough Time In Moscow
From CNN.com
Russian police detained gay protesters calling for the right to hold a Gay Pride parade in central Moscow on Sunday while nationalists shouting "death to homosexuals" punched and kicked the demonstrators.
Riot police detained gay rights activists as they tried to present a petition asking Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who has called gay marches satanic acts, to lift a ban on the parade.
Nationalists and extreme Russian Orthodox believers held icons and denounced homosexuality as "evil" while a group of thick-set young men turned up with surgeon's masks, which they said would protect them from the "gay disease." (Watch angry opponents punch protesters)
"We are defending our rights," said a young gay man named Alexey, with blood pouring out of his nose after he was beaten up by a man screaming "homosexuals are perverts" opposite the mayor's office. His attacker was detained.
"This is terrible but I am not scared. This is a pretty scary place, a pretty scary country if you are gay. But we won't give up until they allow us our rights," he said.
In an understatement that I assume was not ment to be humorous, the report said:
Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993 but tolerance is not widespread.
No kidding! The report continued:
"We believe these perverts should not be allowed to march on the streets of Moscow, the third Rome, a holy city for all Russians," said Igor Miroshnichenko, who said he was an Orthodox believer who had come to support the riot police.
"It (homosexuality) is satanic," he told Reuters. One man holding a crucifix threatened to beat-up any gay person he saw.
A couple of things really strike me here. First, Russia didn't decriminalize homosexuality until 1993! Talk about a hostle environment for GLBT people. Second, despite being the ones getting physically attacked, it was the gay protesters who were arrested. There was this comment on that:
"It is very conspicuous when people are arrested in front of the mayor's office when they were doing nothing other than trying to present a peaceful petition," said Scott Long, a rights activist with Human Rights Watch who observed the events.
"There was no real attempt to separate the two sides and that led to people being beaten up," he said. "I would call on the Russian authorities to protect freedom of assembly, protect freedom of expression and protect demonstrators."
The Cold War may be over, but there are still some serious battles being fought on Russian soil for human rights, and GLBT people are really struggling in theirs.
Russian police detained gay protesters calling for the right to hold a Gay Pride parade in central Moscow on Sunday while nationalists shouting "death to homosexuals" punched and kicked the demonstrators.
Riot police detained gay rights activists as they tried to present a petition asking Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who has called gay marches satanic acts, to lift a ban on the parade.
Nationalists and extreme Russian Orthodox believers held icons and denounced homosexuality as "evil" while a group of thick-set young men turned up with surgeon's masks, which they said would protect them from the "gay disease." (Watch angry opponents punch protesters)
"We are defending our rights," said a young gay man named Alexey, with blood pouring out of his nose after he was beaten up by a man screaming "homosexuals are perverts" opposite the mayor's office. His attacker was detained.
"This is terrible but I am not scared. This is a pretty scary place, a pretty scary country if you are gay. But we won't give up until they allow us our rights," he said.
In an understatement that I assume was not ment to be humorous, the report said:
Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993 but tolerance is not widespread.
No kidding! The report continued:
"We believe these perverts should not be allowed to march on the streets of Moscow, the third Rome, a holy city for all Russians," said Igor Miroshnichenko, who said he was an Orthodox believer who had come to support the riot police.
"It (homosexuality) is satanic," he told Reuters. One man holding a crucifix threatened to beat-up any gay person he saw.
A couple of things really strike me here. First, Russia didn't decriminalize homosexuality until 1993! Talk about a hostle environment for GLBT people. Second, despite being the ones getting physically attacked, it was the gay protesters who were arrested. There was this comment on that:
"It is very conspicuous when people are arrested in front of the mayor's office when they were doing nothing other than trying to present a peaceful petition," said Scott Long, a rights activist with Human Rights Watch who observed the events.
"There was no real attempt to separate the two sides and that led to people being beaten up," he said. "I would call on the Russian authorities to protect freedom of assembly, protect freedom of expression and protect demonstrators."
The Cold War may be over, but there are still some serious battles being fought on Russian soil for human rights, and GLBT people are really struggling in theirs.
May 27, 2007
GLBT Cirriculum Passed--And Needed--In California
From the Christian Post:
The California Senate passed a bill on Thursday that would prohibit all classes, textbooks, and teachers from any instruction that "reflects or promotes bias against GLBT people.
Not everyone is happy:
"SB 777 is designed to transform our public schools into institutions that disregard all notions of the traditional family unit," said Karen England, executive director of Capitol Resource Institute (CRI), in a statement. "This reverse discrimination is an outright attack on the religious and moral beliefs of California citizens."
Fine. The CRI would probably prefer keeping this status quo:
From the Boston Edge newspaper:
A new study shows that anti-gay prejudice is rampant in America’s middle schools, making bias the norm, rather than the exception, and adding urgency to what has become recognized as a need to educate children about bullying and to enforce zero-tolerance anti-bullying policies.
The study, titled A Voice from the Middle, was released by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and Phi Delta Kappa International. The report reveals that 77 percent of middle schoolers believe that their classmates have a negative attitude toward people they think are gays or lesbians; 26 percent of middle schoolers went so far as to say that their classmates have a "very negative" attitude.
"This survey, like so many before it, illustrates the difficulties lesbian, gay and bisexual students experience in school," said Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network Founder and Executive Director Kevin Jennings. "
The Christian Post article mentions the fear of "normalizing homosexuality." Obviously the right wing benefits from GLBT people being considered "abnormal" and want to bring up the next generation with only negative impressions of homosexuality.
As a youngster, I went through some of the early teaching of African-American culture and, not coincidentally, gained a better understanding of their issues and learned acceptance at an early age. Civil rights for African-Americans just seemed to make sense since they were people like me.
The same truth applies to the GLBT community, but social conservatives don't want people to learn that. It would diminish their political power and reduce the number of people willing to financially support their bigotry and hatred.
Fortunately, legislatures across the nation have taken action similar to what California has done, mandating teaching acceptance of ALL people.
The California Senate passed a bill on Thursday that would prohibit all classes, textbooks, and teachers from any instruction that "reflects or promotes bias against GLBT people.
Not everyone is happy:
"SB 777 is designed to transform our public schools into institutions that disregard all notions of the traditional family unit," said Karen England, executive director of Capitol Resource Institute (CRI), in a statement. "This reverse discrimination is an outright attack on the religious and moral beliefs of California citizens."
Fine. The CRI would probably prefer keeping this status quo:
From the Boston Edge newspaper:
A new study shows that anti-gay prejudice is rampant in America’s middle schools, making bias the norm, rather than the exception, and adding urgency to what has become recognized as a need to educate children about bullying and to enforce zero-tolerance anti-bullying policies.
The study, titled A Voice from the Middle, was released by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and Phi Delta Kappa International. The report reveals that 77 percent of middle schoolers believe that their classmates have a negative attitude toward people they think are gays or lesbians; 26 percent of middle schoolers went so far as to say that their classmates have a "very negative" attitude.
"This survey, like so many before it, illustrates the difficulties lesbian, gay and bisexual students experience in school," said Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network Founder and Executive Director Kevin Jennings. "
The Christian Post article mentions the fear of "normalizing homosexuality." Obviously the right wing benefits from GLBT people being considered "abnormal" and want to bring up the next generation with only negative impressions of homosexuality.
As a youngster, I went through some of the early teaching of African-American culture and, not coincidentally, gained a better understanding of their issues and learned acceptance at an early age. Civil rights for African-Americans just seemed to make sense since they were people like me.
The same truth applies to the GLBT community, but social conservatives don't want people to learn that. It would diminish their political power and reduce the number of people willing to financially support their bigotry and hatred.
Fortunately, legislatures across the nation have taken action similar to what California has done, mandating teaching acceptance of ALL people.
Athiest's Books Selling Big-Time
From the Christian Post:
The time for polite debate is over. Militant, atheist writers are making an all-out assault on religious faith and reaching the top of the best-seller list, a sign of widespread resentment over the influence of religion in the world among nonbelievers.
Christopher Hitchens' book, "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything," has sold briskly ever since it was published last month, and his debates with clergy are drawing crowds at every stop.
Sam Harris was a little-known graduate student until he wrote the phenomenally successful "The End of Faith" and its follow-up, "Letter to a Christian Nation." Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and Daniel Dennett's "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" struck similar themes — and sold.
Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, a prominent evangelical school in Pasadena, Calif., said the books' success reflect a new vehemence in the atheist critique.
"I don't believe in conspiracy theories," Mouw said, "but it's almost like they all had a meeting and said, 'Let's counterattack.'"
Is this really a surprise? Not to me. I wonder just how many people the religious right has pushed away by their desire to establish a theocracy and write hatred and discrimination into the U. S. Constitution, not to mention all of the states.
With power-hungry bigots acting that way in the name of God, no wonder people are turning to alternatives. If you are an athiest with a message, there has been no better time to put a book out on the market because people are hungry to hear anything but the bluster and Old Testament judgementalism of the religious right.
That's why it is so important for Christians with a different message to get it out there in the public forum. There are other paths to God besides what the religious right spews.
We just need to tell people before they settle into a path further away from God.
The time for polite debate is over. Militant, atheist writers are making an all-out assault on religious faith and reaching the top of the best-seller list, a sign of widespread resentment over the influence of religion in the world among nonbelievers.
Christopher Hitchens' book, "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything," has sold briskly ever since it was published last month, and his debates with clergy are drawing crowds at every stop.
Sam Harris was a little-known graduate student until he wrote the phenomenally successful "The End of Faith" and its follow-up, "Letter to a Christian Nation." Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and Daniel Dennett's "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" struck similar themes — and sold.
Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, a prominent evangelical school in Pasadena, Calif., said the books' success reflect a new vehemence in the atheist critique.
"I don't believe in conspiracy theories," Mouw said, "but it's almost like they all had a meeting and said, 'Let's counterattack.'"
Is this really a surprise? Not to me. I wonder just how many people the religious right has pushed away by their desire to establish a theocracy and write hatred and discrimination into the U. S. Constitution, not to mention all of the states.
With power-hungry bigots acting that way in the name of God, no wonder people are turning to alternatives. If you are an athiest with a message, there has been no better time to put a book out on the market because people are hungry to hear anything but the bluster and Old Testament judgementalism of the religious right.
That's why it is so important for Christians with a different message to get it out there in the public forum. There are other paths to God besides what the religious right spews.
We just need to tell people before they settle into a path further away from God.
May 26, 2007
Conservatives Claiming Bias in Media Treatment of Transgenders
Recent attention that transgender people have received in mainstream media, including the cover story in Newsweek and a character on the popular TV show "Ugly Betty" has started the conservative whining about "media bias."
From the Christian Post:
"They're (media) trying to normalize transgender existence. There's no question about that," said Dr. Robert Gagnon, associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Not only are some Christians concerned about the normalizing of the transgendered life, but one pro-family activist noted mainstream media bias on the controversial issue.
Pete LaBarbera, executive director of Americans for Truth (and extreme right-winger), told One News Now that the American media is justifying its biased reporting on the transgender movement in the name of compassion.
Echoing LaBarbera's concerns, Gagnon said the media is "trying to present a case where they are able to demonstrate that these persons cannot help themselves, [that] this is not something they asked for. [And] if you don't allow them to become transgender, they'll probably kill themselves."
While media may be drawing more sympathetic hearts toward the transgender community, it's still hard to say when or whether transgenders will be fully accepted in American society, says Debra Rosenberg, assistant managing editor at Newsweek who wrote "Rethinking Gender."
"With more anti-discrimination laws being passed, though, it does seem like things are moving in that direction," she adds.
It always saddens me when professed Christians are quick to put people different from them in seperate categories. It seems to me it's the people who put God in a small, inflexible box are the ones quickest to put GLBT people in their own, seperate box far away from God.
I praise any media attention that shows transgenders for what they are--people.
From the Christian Post:
"They're (media) trying to normalize transgender existence. There's no question about that," said Dr. Robert Gagnon, associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Not only are some Christians concerned about the normalizing of the transgendered life, but one pro-family activist noted mainstream media bias on the controversial issue.
Pete LaBarbera, executive director of Americans for Truth (and extreme right-winger), told One News Now that the American media is justifying its biased reporting on the transgender movement in the name of compassion.
Echoing LaBarbera's concerns, Gagnon said the media is "trying to present a case where they are able to demonstrate that these persons cannot help themselves, [that] this is not something they asked for. [And] if you don't allow them to become transgender, they'll probably kill themselves."
While media may be drawing more sympathetic hearts toward the transgender community, it's still hard to say when or whether transgenders will be fully accepted in American society, says Debra Rosenberg, assistant managing editor at Newsweek who wrote "Rethinking Gender."
"With more anti-discrimination laws being passed, though, it does seem like things are moving in that direction," she adds.
It always saddens me when professed Christians are quick to put people different from them in seperate categories. It seems to me it's the people who put God in a small, inflexible box are the ones quickest to put GLBT people in their own, seperate box far away from God.
I praise any media attention that shows transgenders for what they are--people.
Trying to Change a Vote on the Matthew Shepard Bill
David Shelton, a pastor in Clarksville, Tennessee, is upset that one of his U. S. Senators, Republican Bob Corker, has stated he would NOT vote for the Matthew Shepard (hate crimes) bill when it comes to the senate floor. Shelton passionately expressed his feelings about that to Senator Corker in this letter, which he shared on his website and, since I strongely agree with them, I'm sharing them with you here:
I’m extremely disappointed to know that your office is more concerned about protecting your image than in protecting those that have been abused, beaten, and even killed. Your refusal to support Senate Bill 1105 is as heartbreaking as it is wrong.
You already know of the events surrounding the death of Matthew Shepard, after which this bill has been named. You might also know of the murder of Alabama teenager Scotty Joe Weaver, who was killed by his own friends because he was “a faggot.” Mr. Corker, this isn’t a rare thing at all. In fact, there have been people in your own state that have been killed just for being gay.
More than twelve years ago, a Clarksville man named Jerry Cope was brutally murdered in his own business. Mr. Cope was gay, and was also known to the local gay community as P’Knutts. For the rest of this email, I’ll address her by her chosen name. P’Knutts was highly popular, and was even involved in the political scene. She was loved by everyone who knew her. She left behind a daughter. She was 38.
When I say “brutally murdered,” Mr. Corker, I want you to understand. This was no “robbery,” as the local law enforcement said at the time. She was mutilated in a way so that it was clear that her death was to send a message to the local GLBT community. This was, in every possible way, a hate crime.
The bill, which you say that you will not support, would allow for FBI assistance to help bring justice in this horrible crime… which has yet to be solved. In fact, there has been nearly no activity since the first few weeks of her murder. Adding sexual orientation and gender identity isn’t controversial, Mr. Corker. It’s certainly not immoral. It is, in all reality, the right thing to do.
After all, how many small town law enforcement communities will not actively pursue a resolution in the murder of a local gay man, because “no one cares about that fag?” We’ll never know. This bill would put an end to that. We should expect that there would be federal protections for anyone, no matter who they are. It’s sad that you would disagree.
I’m not only disappointed, but I’m actually shocked that you would so casually dismiss a bill that would actually protect nearly ten percent of your constituents. The cavalier manner in which you and the rest of the Republican party, including President Bush, have dismissed the GLBT community only allows crimes of this nature to go on, and to remain unsolved when they do happen. You might also recall Pfc. Barry Winchell, the Fort Campbell soldier who was killed in July of 1999. Fort Campbell is in the cradle of Clarksville. This bill has clear Tennessee roots.
Mr. Corker, I urge you to reconsider. These are people with whom I have built solid friendships, and these are living, breathing, genuine people who desperately need to know that there is support for them and their families. I am a man of faith, and I’m a man of great passion… and there is nothing compassionate nor conservative in denying justice to people like P’Knutts and those who knew her. There is nothing Christian in denying federal support for smaller communities that need the assistance in solving hate crimes. In the end, Mr. Corker, I fear that you have little concern for protecting our citizens. And since I, too, am gay, would you dismiss me as well?
The time has come for this bill to be passed with bipartisan support. These hate crime laws will NOT restrict free speech in any way. And you know it. Our nation needs to support those who are denigrated and marginalized. Our great nation was founded on these principles, and the Constitution was framed to support those who can not support themselves, it was written to protect those who can not protect themselves.
You can dismiss this bill with a form letter, Mr. Corker. You can not dismiss the reality that this bill is a critical necessity for the future of our nation.
Please, Mr. Corker, don’t let the names of Jerry Cope, Scotty Joe Weaver, and Matthew Shepard fade into the obscurity of another failed attempt to bring meaning to their senseless deaths.
Sincerely,
David W. Shelton
Pastor, Christian Community Church of Clarksville
http://www.ccc-clarksville.com/
I’m extremely disappointed to know that your office is more concerned about protecting your image than in protecting those that have been abused, beaten, and even killed. Your refusal to support Senate Bill 1105 is as heartbreaking as it is wrong.
You already know of the events surrounding the death of Matthew Shepard, after which this bill has been named. You might also know of the murder of Alabama teenager Scotty Joe Weaver, who was killed by his own friends because he was “a faggot.” Mr. Corker, this isn’t a rare thing at all. In fact, there have been people in your own state that have been killed just for being gay.
More than twelve years ago, a Clarksville man named Jerry Cope was brutally murdered in his own business. Mr. Cope was gay, and was also known to the local gay community as P’Knutts. For the rest of this email, I’ll address her by her chosen name. P’Knutts was highly popular, and was even involved in the political scene. She was loved by everyone who knew her. She left behind a daughter. She was 38.
When I say “brutally murdered,” Mr. Corker, I want you to understand. This was no “robbery,” as the local law enforcement said at the time. She was mutilated in a way so that it was clear that her death was to send a message to the local GLBT community. This was, in every possible way, a hate crime.
The bill, which you say that you will not support, would allow for FBI assistance to help bring justice in this horrible crime… which has yet to be solved. In fact, there has been nearly no activity since the first few weeks of her murder. Adding sexual orientation and gender identity isn’t controversial, Mr. Corker. It’s certainly not immoral. It is, in all reality, the right thing to do.
After all, how many small town law enforcement communities will not actively pursue a resolution in the murder of a local gay man, because “no one cares about that fag?” We’ll never know. This bill would put an end to that. We should expect that there would be federal protections for anyone, no matter who they are. It’s sad that you would disagree.
I’m not only disappointed, but I’m actually shocked that you would so casually dismiss a bill that would actually protect nearly ten percent of your constituents. The cavalier manner in which you and the rest of the Republican party, including President Bush, have dismissed the GLBT community only allows crimes of this nature to go on, and to remain unsolved when they do happen. You might also recall Pfc. Barry Winchell, the Fort Campbell soldier who was killed in July of 1999. Fort Campbell is in the cradle of Clarksville. This bill has clear Tennessee roots.
Mr. Corker, I urge you to reconsider. These are people with whom I have built solid friendships, and these are living, breathing, genuine people who desperately need to know that there is support for them and their families. I am a man of faith, and I’m a man of great passion… and there is nothing compassionate nor conservative in denying justice to people like P’Knutts and those who knew her. There is nothing Christian in denying federal support for smaller communities that need the assistance in solving hate crimes. In the end, Mr. Corker, I fear that you have little concern for protecting our citizens. And since I, too, am gay, would you dismiss me as well?
The time has come for this bill to be passed with bipartisan support. These hate crime laws will NOT restrict free speech in any way. And you know it. Our nation needs to support those who are denigrated and marginalized. Our great nation was founded on these principles, and the Constitution was framed to support those who can not support themselves, it was written to protect those who can not protect themselves.
You can dismiss this bill with a form letter, Mr. Corker. You can not dismiss the reality that this bill is a critical necessity for the future of our nation.
Please, Mr. Corker, don’t let the names of Jerry Cope, Scotty Joe Weaver, and Matthew Shepard fade into the obscurity of another failed attempt to bring meaning to their senseless deaths.
Sincerely,
David W. Shelton
Pastor, Christian Community Church of Clarksville
http://www.ccc-clarksville.com/
May 25, 2007
"Civil Marriage Is a Civil Right"
That's the name of the new campaign Equality Maryland is leading to lobby for marriage equality in our state.
As a member of the organization myself, I encourage my fellow Marylanders to check out the website and sign the petition in favor of legalizing same-sex marrage in the state. I would encourage you to join me in requesting yard signs and bumper stickers to publicize your support for this important issue.
There is a case being reviewed now in the State Court of Appeals that could pave the way for this to happen, but one result of that would be an intensified effort by the right-wing to push for a state Constitutional amendment taking that right away. Equality Maryland is working to mobilize supporters now, before the ruling, so they will already be in place to fight that and any other initiatives that would leave GLBT people short of equality.
As a member of the organization myself, I encourage my fellow Marylanders to check out the website and sign the petition in favor of legalizing same-sex marrage in the state. I would encourage you to join me in requesting yard signs and bumper stickers to publicize your support for this important issue.
There is a case being reviewed now in the State Court of Appeals that could pave the way for this to happen, but one result of that would be an intensified effort by the right-wing to push for a state Constitutional amendment taking that right away. Equality Maryland is working to mobilize supporters now, before the ruling, so they will already be in place to fight that and any other initiatives that would leave GLBT people short of equality.
Familiarity Does NOT Breed Contempt With GLBT People
The Pew Research Center has released results of a survey where they asked three primary questions:
1) Do you have a close friend or family member who is gay?
2) Should schools be able to fire teachers because they are gay?
3) Should gays be able to marry legally?
You can click on the link to see the detailed results of the survey and form your own conclusions, but there is one critical takeaway for me here. People that know gays are significantly more willing to give them equal protection and equal rights under the law.
One example of that is the answer to the same-sex marriage question. Of those who knew a gay person, 55% responded that they should be able to legally marry. Of those who did not know a gay person, only 25% responded positively.
Now I realize some of that is quite likely due to the fact that some people are so passionately anti-gay that someone who is GLBT, either friend or family member, would be MUCH less likely to reveal it to that person.
Regardless, this survey again shows that it is easier for someone to be against a disembodied group of people having rights, but it is much more difficult to carry that over to a flesh and blood person you know.
This leads me to believe, although I acknowledge it is easy for me to say this in my straigtness, that the more GLBT people who do come out and live lives as positive examples, it really will make an impact on how the GLBT community is accepted in society and eventually lead toward full and equal rights.
1) Do you have a close friend or family member who is gay?
2) Should schools be able to fire teachers because they are gay?
3) Should gays be able to marry legally?
You can click on the link to see the detailed results of the survey and form your own conclusions, but there is one critical takeaway for me here. People that know gays are significantly more willing to give them equal protection and equal rights under the law.
One example of that is the answer to the same-sex marriage question. Of those who knew a gay person, 55% responded that they should be able to legally marry. Of those who did not know a gay person, only 25% responded positively.
Now I realize some of that is quite likely due to the fact that some people are so passionately anti-gay that someone who is GLBT, either friend or family member, would be MUCH less likely to reveal it to that person.
Regardless, this survey again shows that it is easier for someone to be against a disembodied group of people having rights, but it is much more difficult to carry that over to a flesh and blood person you know.
This leads me to believe, although I acknowledge it is easy for me to say this in my straigtness, that the more GLBT people who do come out and live lives as positive examples, it really will make an impact on how the GLBT community is accepted in society and eventually lead toward full and equal rights.
May 24, 2007
Wayne Besen's Take on the Current Status of the Religious Right
As usual, columinst Wayne Besen does not pull any punches in his latest column, titled "The Right's Crisis in Confidence."
While the religious right is down, they certainly are not out. Falwell, for example, built Liberty University and the Liberty Counsel, his legal arm, to train activists to carry on his shameful legacy. Surprisingly, Liberty has one of the top ranked debate teams in the nation, where students learn apologetics so they can effectively argue, rather than apologize, when they offend others.
The media is busy anointing new religious leaders to supposedly take the place of the outgoing Falwell-Robertson-Dobson-Kennedy Axis of Ignorance. They seem to think Rick Warren, the author of the bestseller, "The Purpose Driven Life" is the logical successor.
Warren, who gives sermons in tacky Hawaiian shirts, is portrayed as dripping with compassion because he and his wife minister to AIDS victims. While they deserve credit for helping the sick, they are far from moderate on social issues. In fact, Warren supports the "ex-gay" message, which heaps shame on gay men - leading to more HIV cases. I guess, after he breaks down their self-esteem, leading to reckless sexual behavior, he'll take care of them.
It is a measure of how far to the right Falwell and others of his ilk have moved society that troglodytes like Warren are considered "moderate." This is hardly a record to be proud of, and in their hearts, many social conservatives know their movement has harmed this nation.
Leave it to a gay man to find fault with how a religious leaders dresses. I find some of Besen's points rather harshly stated, but, as I often do, I found a lot of truth in what he wrote. I particularly hope he is correct in how social conservatives are viewing their movement.
Perhaps the most damning piece I have read about Falwell was written by Ann Coulter:
Let me be the first to say: I ALWAYS agreed with the Rev. Falwell.
What's that old saying, you can tell a lot about a person by who his friends are?
While the religious right is down, they certainly are not out. Falwell, for example, built Liberty University and the Liberty Counsel, his legal arm, to train activists to carry on his shameful legacy. Surprisingly, Liberty has one of the top ranked debate teams in the nation, where students learn apologetics so they can effectively argue, rather than apologize, when they offend others.
The media is busy anointing new religious leaders to supposedly take the place of the outgoing Falwell-Robertson-Dobson-Kennedy Axis of Ignorance. They seem to think Rick Warren, the author of the bestseller, "The Purpose Driven Life" is the logical successor.
Warren, who gives sermons in tacky Hawaiian shirts, is portrayed as dripping with compassion because he and his wife minister to AIDS victims. While they deserve credit for helping the sick, they are far from moderate on social issues. In fact, Warren supports the "ex-gay" message, which heaps shame on gay men - leading to more HIV cases. I guess, after he breaks down their self-esteem, leading to reckless sexual behavior, he'll take care of them.
It is a measure of how far to the right Falwell and others of his ilk have moved society that troglodytes like Warren are considered "moderate." This is hardly a record to be proud of, and in their hearts, many social conservatives know their movement has harmed this nation.
Leave it to a gay man to find fault with how a religious leaders dresses. I find some of Besen's points rather harshly stated, but, as I often do, I found a lot of truth in what he wrote. I particularly hope he is correct in how social conservatives are viewing their movement.
Perhaps the most damning piece I have read about Falwell was written by Ann Coulter:
Let me be the first to say: I ALWAYS agreed with the Rev. Falwell.
What's that old saying, you can tell a lot about a person by who his friends are?
"Is Christianism Peaking?"
From Andrew Sullivan's "Daily Dish."
.....there are clearly signs that American evangelicals - especially in the younger generations - do not share the conflation of faith and partisanship of the Falwell era. In this, of course, they are returning to the historical evangelical norm - and Falwell's harsh, exclusionary and condemnatory Republicanism is the real exception. Abortion remains non-negotiable, and I understand why. But I sense that more and more Christians realize that speaking out about the moral enormity of abortion, and attempting to restrain and decrease its prevalence, is not indistinguishable from legal prohibition in all cases. People's moral views on this are changed in the heart and soul, not by political power. And the depth of Christianity's rejection of earthly power is so great the temptations of Christianism can be resisted in the long run.
.....it was striking to me that same-sex marriage was not on the radar screen in the first two GOP debates. Is this battle over? On an intellectual level, it seems to me that only a handful of stragglers are clinging on. When the best argument against same-sex marriage is the recitation of a dictionary definition of heterosexual marriage, then you know they don't have much ammo left. The continuing drops in hetero divorce rates in the era of same-sex marriage doesn't bolster the case of the alarmists either. And the next generation of Christians have come to know gay people - and gay Christians - as their peers and fellow pilgrims. The demonization of the past is waning. But again, I wouldn't be too complacent. Maybe the attempt to roll back marriage rights in Massachusetts will galvanize the issue again in 2008. Or maybe the base really is exhausted from hysteria about gay couples who merely want to be treated equally under the law. I certainly hope so.
I echo Sullivan's call to avoid complacency and hope that the trend continues where more people are accepting GLBT equality on not only an intellectual level but a spiritual one as well.
.....there are clearly signs that American evangelicals - especially in the younger generations - do not share the conflation of faith and partisanship of the Falwell era. In this, of course, they are returning to the historical evangelical norm - and Falwell's harsh, exclusionary and condemnatory Republicanism is the real exception. Abortion remains non-negotiable, and I understand why. But I sense that more and more Christians realize that speaking out about the moral enormity of abortion, and attempting to restrain and decrease its prevalence, is not indistinguishable from legal prohibition in all cases. People's moral views on this are changed in the heart and soul, not by political power. And the depth of Christianity's rejection of earthly power is so great the temptations of Christianism can be resisted in the long run.
.....it was striking to me that same-sex marriage was not on the radar screen in the first two GOP debates. Is this battle over? On an intellectual level, it seems to me that only a handful of stragglers are clinging on. When the best argument against same-sex marriage is the recitation of a dictionary definition of heterosexual marriage, then you know they don't have much ammo left. The continuing drops in hetero divorce rates in the era of same-sex marriage doesn't bolster the case of the alarmists either. And the next generation of Christians have come to know gay people - and gay Christians - as their peers and fellow pilgrims. The demonization of the past is waning. But again, I wouldn't be too complacent. Maybe the attempt to roll back marriage rights in Massachusetts will galvanize the issue again in 2008. Or maybe the base really is exhausted from hysteria about gay couples who merely want to be treated equally under the law. I certainly hope so.
I echo Sullivan's call to avoid complacency and hope that the trend continues where more people are accepting GLBT equality on not only an intellectual level but a spiritual one as well.
May 23, 2007
The Religious Right In Flux
The recent passing of Jerry Falwell has brought attention to the challenges the religious right currently faces to remain a unified, effective political force. Here is some analysis from the Washington Post:
Although Falwell's personal influence had been waning for years, his death at age 73 last week threw into stark relief the current headless state of the political movement he founded with the establishment of the Moral Majority in 1978.
Headless does not mean weak. In the view of many social conservatives, their organizational structures -- from megachurches to Christian colleges, broadcasting networks and public interest law firms -- have never been stronger.
"It would be a mistake to draw the conclusion that because there is not one obvious or a few obvious leaders of this movement, that the movement is waning," said Mark DeMoss, president of an Atlanta-based public relations firm that works primarily for evangelical organizations.
But John C. Green, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, said four factors combine to make this a time of flux on the religious right.
There is no single leader who stands astride the movement as Falwell once did. Nor has a 2008 presidential contender emerged to galvanize the ranks. A generation gap is emerging between younger and older evangelicals on subjects such as homosexuality. And a sometimes bitter debate is pitting evangelicals who want to keep their political activity tightly focused on a few issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage, against those who want to embrace a broader agenda, including climate change and global poverty.
All these shifts present opportunities for younger leaders. But they also pose the possibility that the movement will become more fragmented.
Any weakening or moderation of the religious right, their fiercest advesary, is good news for the GLBT community
Although Falwell's personal influence had been waning for years, his death at age 73 last week threw into stark relief the current headless state of the political movement he founded with the establishment of the Moral Majority in 1978.
Headless does not mean weak. In the view of many social conservatives, their organizational structures -- from megachurches to Christian colleges, broadcasting networks and public interest law firms -- have never been stronger.
"It would be a mistake to draw the conclusion that because there is not one obvious or a few obvious leaders of this movement, that the movement is waning," said Mark DeMoss, president of an Atlanta-based public relations firm that works primarily for evangelical organizations.
But John C. Green, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, said four factors combine to make this a time of flux on the religious right.
There is no single leader who stands astride the movement as Falwell once did. Nor has a 2008 presidential contender emerged to galvanize the ranks. A generation gap is emerging between younger and older evangelicals on subjects such as homosexuality. And a sometimes bitter debate is pitting evangelicals who want to keep their political activity tightly focused on a few issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage, against those who want to embrace a broader agenda, including climate change and global poverty.
All these shifts present opportunities for younger leaders. But they also pose the possibility that the movement will become more fragmented.
Any weakening or moderation of the religious right, their fiercest advesary, is good news for the GLBT community
From City Manager to GLBT Activist
That's the unexpected journey Susan Stanton has taken in recent weeks. Known as Steve Stanton while the city manager in Largo, Florida, the announcement of a sex change where he would transition into becoming a woman landed Stanton in the national spotlight, and out of a job.
Susan made her public debut in Washington, DC this week to lend her voice to the lobbying efforts being made on behalf of transgender people.
From the Washington Blade report:
“I was joking with one of the newscasters that I wish I was gay,” said Stanton. “If I was, it would have been an easier issue. If you said 20 years ago that you were gay, the same thing would have happened, but many communities now acknowledge you can still be gay and be a doctor, lawyer, professional or a city manager. We’re not there yet in the trans community.”
Stanton said going to court with a lawsuit, even if it means taking a stand for other transgender people, doesn’t interest her because she would rather advocate for change outside a courtroom.
“At that point you don’t talk, you start deposing people. The legal process is not nearly as substantial as the ability to impact societal thinking through advocacy and providing information.”
You don't often see someone, especially during a major life changing event, who is willing to weigh the consequences toward the greater good against personal benefits, then choose the unselfish path. Having just getting involved in GLBT issues, Susan Stanton is already setting a very positive example.
There is a lot more about Stanton in the Blade article, including her struggles with transitioning and her current job prospects.
Susan made her public debut in Washington, DC this week to lend her voice to the lobbying efforts being made on behalf of transgender people.
From the Washington Blade report:
“I was joking with one of the newscasters that I wish I was gay,” said Stanton. “If I was, it would have been an easier issue. If you said 20 years ago that you were gay, the same thing would have happened, but many communities now acknowledge you can still be gay and be a doctor, lawyer, professional or a city manager. We’re not there yet in the trans community.”
Stanton said going to court with a lawsuit, even if it means taking a stand for other transgender people, doesn’t interest her because she would rather advocate for change outside a courtroom.
“At that point you don’t talk, you start deposing people. The legal process is not nearly as substantial as the ability to impact societal thinking through advocacy and providing information.”
You don't often see someone, especially during a major life changing event, who is willing to weigh the consequences toward the greater good against personal benefits, then choose the unselfish path. Having just getting involved in GLBT issues, Susan Stanton is already setting a very positive example.
There is a lot more about Stanton in the Blade article, including her struggles with transitioning and her current job prospects.
May 22, 2007
Labor Unions Fighting for LGBT Rights
Posted from 365Gay.com:
The trade union movement is taking a greater role in fighting for LGBT civil rights - from negotiating contracts with protections for gay workers, lobbying Congress for rights bills, and speaking out in favor of same-sex marriage.
The Transport Workers Union of America is the latest union to announce its support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
The legislation was introduced in Congress last month. (story) It would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire or refuse to promote an employee based on the person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
"You can't just wish discrimination away," said Transport Workers Union of America President James C. Little.
"The civil rights movement taught us that. We need a federal law that protects workers not only from discrimination in the workplace but from the evil of discriminatory and antiquated state laws as well. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is the law we need and we need it now."
Little said passage of ENDA has the full support of the unions 130,000 workers nationwide. The union represents workers in commercial aviation, public transportation and passenger railroads. The union is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO which has been a longtime supporter of LGBT rights.
Meanwhile, in New York, unions representing 850,000 workers in the state are urging the Assembly to pass a marriage equality bill.
The unions, including the New York State United Teachers, United Federation of Teachers, the United Auto Workers, the Service Employees International Union and the Retail, Wholesale, Department Stores Union/United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and nearly a dozen other labor groups have sent a letter to all New York State Assemblymembers calling for passage of the legislation.
"As unions, we have a particular responsibility to protect equal rights and promote economic justice in connection with collective bargaining, economic benefits, and legislation that affects our members," NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin said in his letter.
“I am urging you to continue to do the right thing and co-sponsor and vote yes on the Marriage Equality bill…As you make your decision, I want you to consider my full and unwavering support for this bill. I stand in solidarity with the supportive union leaders, local unions, and area labor federations on the attached list."
NY Gov. Elliott Spitzer last month introduced legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry in New York.
The trade union movement is taking a greater role in fighting for LGBT civil rights - from negotiating contracts with protections for gay workers, lobbying Congress for rights bills, and speaking out in favor of same-sex marriage.
The Transport Workers Union of America is the latest union to announce its support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
The legislation was introduced in Congress last month. (story) It would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire or refuse to promote an employee based on the person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
"You can't just wish discrimination away," said Transport Workers Union of America President James C. Little.
"The civil rights movement taught us that. We need a federal law that protects workers not only from discrimination in the workplace but from the evil of discriminatory and antiquated state laws as well. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is the law we need and we need it now."
Little said passage of ENDA has the full support of the unions 130,000 workers nationwide. The union represents workers in commercial aviation, public transportation and passenger railroads. The union is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO which has been a longtime supporter of LGBT rights.
Meanwhile, in New York, unions representing 850,000 workers in the state are urging the Assembly to pass a marriage equality bill.
The unions, including the New York State United Teachers, United Federation of Teachers, the United Auto Workers, the Service Employees International Union and the Retail, Wholesale, Department Stores Union/United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and nearly a dozen other labor groups have sent a letter to all New York State Assemblymembers calling for passage of the legislation.
"As unions, we have a particular responsibility to protect equal rights and promote economic justice in connection with collective bargaining, economic benefits, and legislation that affects our members," NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin said in his letter.
“I am urging you to continue to do the right thing and co-sponsor and vote yes on the Marriage Equality bill…As you make your decision, I want you to consider my full and unwavering support for this bill. I stand in solidarity with the supportive union leaders, local unions, and area labor federations on the attached list."
NY Gov. Elliott Spitzer last month introduced legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry in New York.
Out Soldiers Have Not Destroyed UK Military
According to a report in the International Herald Tribune, the absence of a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has had no significant impact on troops in Great Britian:
Since it began allowing gays to serve in the armed forces in 2000, none of the British military's fears - about harassment, discord, blackmail, bullying or an erosion of unit cohesion or military effectiveness - has come to pass, according to the Ministry of Defense, current and former members of the services, and academics specializing in the military. The biggest news about the policy, they say, is that there is no news. It has for the most part become a nonissue.
The Ministry of Defense does not compile figures on how many gays are openly serving, and says that the number of people who have come out publicly in the past seven years is still relatively low. But it is clearly proud of how smoothly gays have been integrated and is actively trying to make life easier for them.
"What we're hoping to do is to, over a period of time, reinforce the message that people who are gay, lesbian and the like are welcomed in the armed forces and we don't discriminate against them in any way," a Defense Ministry official said in an interview, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with ministry practice.
Click here to read the entire article, which also tells how careful the British government is to not be seen as trying to influence the policy toward gay soldiers in the United States military.
Thanks to Average Gay Joe for the tip.
Since it began allowing gays to serve in the armed forces in 2000, none of the British military's fears - about harassment, discord, blackmail, bullying or an erosion of unit cohesion or military effectiveness - has come to pass, according to the Ministry of Defense, current and former members of the services, and academics specializing in the military. The biggest news about the policy, they say, is that there is no news. It has for the most part become a nonissue.
The Ministry of Defense does not compile figures on how many gays are openly serving, and says that the number of people who have come out publicly in the past seven years is still relatively low. But it is clearly proud of how smoothly gays have been integrated and is actively trying to make life easier for them.
"What we're hoping to do is to, over a period of time, reinforce the message that people who are gay, lesbian and the like are welcomed in the armed forces and we don't discriminate against them in any way," a Defense Ministry official said in an interview, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with ministry practice.
Click here to read the entire article, which also tells how careful the British government is to not be seen as trying to influence the policy toward gay soldiers in the United States military.
Thanks to Average Gay Joe for the tip.
May 21, 2007
Gingrich Challenges "Radical Secularism" At Liberty U Speech
Former Speaker of the House and potential Republican presidential candidate in 2008 Newt Gingrich wasted little time in trying to claim the late Jerry Falwell's mantle of leadership in the religious right. Speaking at Falwell's Libery University's commencement last Saturday, Gingrich said:
''A growing culture of radical secularism declares that the nation cannot profess the truths on which it was founded,'' Gingrich said. ''We are told that our public schools can no longer invoke the creator, nor proclaim the natural law nor profess the God-given quality of human rights.
''In hostility to American history, the radical secularists insist that religious belief is inherently divisive and that public debate can only proceed on secular terms,'' he said.
Gingrich also decried what he called judges' overreaching efforts to separate church and state.
''Too often, the courts have been biased against religious believers. This anti-religious bias must end,'' he said.
Not surprisingly, Gingrich has the "us-against-them, black-and-white" mentality of the religious right down cold. Of course, it is that attitude that, in my humble opinion, has led to much of the devisiveness in today's society, both in the church and politics.
I'm not the only one that thinks so. Robert Parham, the executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics, writes:
With Falwell now passed from the scene, Gingrich wants America to believe the Moral Majority founder entrusted him to bear this witness, just as Falwell bore it before him.
By conflating the Bible and Declaration of Independence, the former House Speaker fashions a civil religion, which is an inauthentic religion, in the search for power.
In Gingrich, the witness becomes the politician. The Christian God becomes national deity. The Christian faith becomes the prevailing cultural ideology. The people of God become synonymous with the messianic American community.
That is a false faith, and dangerous.
Authentic religion from the best of the Christian tradition transcends every nation and sits in judgment of every culture.
Authentic religion advances the delivery of justice to the poor and marginalized over rallies to appoint conservative judges. It pursues peacemaking over self-righteous patriotism. It seeks the welfare of the minority neighbor over false claims of religious persecution of the majority.
Gingrich offered no such sense of authentic religion as articulated in the biblical witness. Instead he modeled a civil religion, invoking the name of God some 30 times in his commencement address at Liberty University.
He threw in multiple references to the "Creator," "the Lord," the "Almighty," the "Divine" and "to the Truth," using more terms referring to God more times than a standard Sunday morning sermon.
It was as if Gingrich thought that by referring often enough to the Deity, he could establish his spiritual authority to inherit Falwell's mantle.
"This is a false faith, and dangerous." Believe it.
Also dangerous is the vision Falwell established for his Liberty University School of Law:
Falwell, the prominent televangelist and father of the Moral Majority who founded Liberty University in 1971, died less than a week before the school granted its first law degrees to 50 graduates on Saturday. But his dream of "training a new generation of lawyers, judges, educators, policymakers and world leaders in law from the perspective of an explicitly Christian worldview" remains very much alive.
Perhaps Mel White's comment about Liberty turning out a bunch of "little Falwells" was closer to the truth than I hoped.
''A growing culture of radical secularism declares that the nation cannot profess the truths on which it was founded,'' Gingrich said. ''We are told that our public schools can no longer invoke the creator, nor proclaim the natural law nor profess the God-given quality of human rights.
''In hostility to American history, the radical secularists insist that religious belief is inherently divisive and that public debate can only proceed on secular terms,'' he said.
Gingrich also decried what he called judges' overreaching efforts to separate church and state.
''Too often, the courts have been biased against religious believers. This anti-religious bias must end,'' he said.
Not surprisingly, Gingrich has the "us-against-them, black-and-white" mentality of the religious right down cold. Of course, it is that attitude that, in my humble opinion, has led to much of the devisiveness in today's society, both in the church and politics.
I'm not the only one that thinks so. Robert Parham, the executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics, writes:
With Falwell now passed from the scene, Gingrich wants America to believe the Moral Majority founder entrusted him to bear this witness, just as Falwell bore it before him.
By conflating the Bible and Declaration of Independence, the former House Speaker fashions a civil religion, which is an inauthentic religion, in the search for power.
In Gingrich, the witness becomes the politician. The Christian God becomes national deity. The Christian faith becomes the prevailing cultural ideology. The people of God become synonymous with the messianic American community.
That is a false faith, and dangerous.
Authentic religion from the best of the Christian tradition transcends every nation and sits in judgment of every culture.
Authentic religion advances the delivery of justice to the poor and marginalized over rallies to appoint conservative judges. It pursues peacemaking over self-righteous patriotism. It seeks the welfare of the minority neighbor over false claims of religious persecution of the majority.
Gingrich offered no such sense of authentic religion as articulated in the biblical witness. Instead he modeled a civil religion, invoking the name of God some 30 times in his commencement address at Liberty University.
He threw in multiple references to the "Creator," "the Lord," the "Almighty," the "Divine" and "to the Truth," using more terms referring to God more times than a standard Sunday morning sermon.
It was as if Gingrich thought that by referring often enough to the Deity, he could establish his spiritual authority to inherit Falwell's mantle.
"This is a false faith, and dangerous." Believe it.
Also dangerous is the vision Falwell established for his Liberty University School of Law:
Falwell, the prominent televangelist and father of the Moral Majority who founded Liberty University in 1971, died less than a week before the school granted its first law degrees to 50 graduates on Saturday. But his dream of "training a new generation of lawyers, judges, educators, policymakers and world leaders in law from the perspective of an explicitly Christian worldview" remains very much alive.
Perhaps Mel White's comment about Liberty turning out a bunch of "little Falwells" was closer to the truth than I hoped.
May 20, 2007
John McNeil: A Pioneer in Reconciling Christianity & Homosexuality
After I first started attending Believers Covenant Fellowship in late 2004, I embarked on my own study to understand the place of GLBT people. One of the main resources I went to was the writing of John McNeil.
This from a feature in The South Florida Express Gay News:
After fighting in World War II, McNeill went to school and entered the Society of Jesus, a Jesuit order, in 1948. He then undertook a ministry of gay and lesbian Catholics. He became an ordained priest in 1959. McNeill then went on to earn his doctorate in philosophy in 1964.
McNeill started to write a series of articles on religion for his church newsletter. In 1976, they were compiled and published as the book “The Church and the Homosexual.”
“It was the first book by a theologian to challenge religion,” McNeill says. “It was the first book to call gay love good and holy.”
A year after the book was published, McNeill received an order from the Vatican’s “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith” under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI. The church wanted McNeill to be silent in the media.
“I observed [the order] for nine years,” he explains. “I was hoping the church would change its mind.”
Privately, he still provided ministry to gays and lesbians and led workshops and retreats.
In 1988, he received another order from Cardinal Ratzinger. This one told him to give up all ministry to the gay and lesbian community.
McNeill refused.
John McNeil rejected the authority of the Catholic Church because he had opened his heart to a greater revalation from God.
He set the example GLBT people need to follow, rejecting the authority of churches that have claimed homosexuality by its very nature is a sin. God wants to show his gay and lesbian sons and daughters a greater revalation, but they need the courage to break away and travel on a different path.
That does not have to be done alone. There are others, both straight and gay, who will walk with you, and God is ALWAYS with all of his children.
Thanks to A Christian Voice For LGBT Rights for the tip.
This from a feature in The South Florida Express Gay News:
After fighting in World War II, McNeill went to school and entered the Society of Jesus, a Jesuit order, in 1948. He then undertook a ministry of gay and lesbian Catholics. He became an ordained priest in 1959. McNeill then went on to earn his doctorate in philosophy in 1964.
McNeill started to write a series of articles on religion for his church newsletter. In 1976, they were compiled and published as the book “The Church and the Homosexual.”
“It was the first book by a theologian to challenge religion,” McNeill says. “It was the first book to call gay love good and holy.”
A year after the book was published, McNeill received an order from the Vatican’s “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith” under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI. The church wanted McNeill to be silent in the media.
“I observed [the order] for nine years,” he explains. “I was hoping the church would change its mind.”
Privately, he still provided ministry to gays and lesbians and led workshops and retreats.
In 1988, he received another order from Cardinal Ratzinger. This one told him to give up all ministry to the gay and lesbian community.
McNeill refused.
John McNeil rejected the authority of the Catholic Church because he had opened his heart to a greater revalation from God.
He set the example GLBT people need to follow, rejecting the authority of churches that have claimed homosexuality by its very nature is a sin. God wants to show his gay and lesbian sons and daughters a greater revalation, but they need the courage to break away and travel on a different path.
That does not have to be done alone. There are others, both straight and gay, who will walk with you, and God is ALWAYS with all of his children.
Thanks to A Christian Voice For LGBT Rights for the tip.
May 19, 2007
Reconciling Homosexuality and the Mormon Church
From New York's Gay City News:
Mormon writer Carol Lynn Pearson's new play, "Facing East," beginning performances in New York following a sold out run in Salt Lake City, takes as its subject a married couple's graveside encounter with their dead son's partner. The searing family confrontation concerning the gay son's suicide would make compelling drama on its own merits, but has a particular resonance given Pearson's personal background.
In 1978, Pearson and her husband Gerald divorced, after a decade of trying as a devout Mormons to manage and come to terms with his homosexuality. Six years later, she would nurse him on her couch as he lay dying of AIDS. Her writing career was initially championed by Gerald - on their honeymoon he suggested publishing her first book of poems and their $2,000 investment would lead to sales of more than 150,000 copies - and later it became her way of processing his death.
From an interview with Ms. Pearson:
In the 20 years now since I published "Goodbye, I Love You," about our relationship, I've been privileged to be the repository of hundred of stories, especially those of Mormon gay people and their families.
We know that the intersection of religion and especially conservative religions and homosexuality is one of the huge painful arenas that has to be addressed. As Gerald was going through his enormous struggle, the anguish was between his love of the Church and what he felt was the Church's condemnation of him. For his own sanity, he withdrew from the Church, which is the case with most gay Mormon men I know of.
I'd like to all of us to say, wait, we seem not to be doing this right. What are we missing here? Let us look again at scripture, at our own personal history. Let us invite in gay people and their families to tell us their stories. Let's open up new avenues of thinking on this, because there is still so much pain and we aren't where we need to be.
We're still not in the Promised Land.
What a wonderful way to work through the grief of losing a spouse. Ms. Pearson has doubtlessly had a positive impact on others who share common experiences with her and is hopefully causing some in the Mormon church to reconsider their views of homosexuality.
Thanks to gay & lesbian news blog for the tip.
Mormon writer Carol Lynn Pearson's new play, "Facing East," beginning performances in New York following a sold out run in Salt Lake City, takes as its subject a married couple's graveside encounter with their dead son's partner. The searing family confrontation concerning the gay son's suicide would make compelling drama on its own merits, but has a particular resonance given Pearson's personal background.
In 1978, Pearson and her husband Gerald divorced, after a decade of trying as a devout Mormons to manage and come to terms with his homosexuality. Six years later, she would nurse him on her couch as he lay dying of AIDS. Her writing career was initially championed by Gerald - on their honeymoon he suggested publishing her first book of poems and their $2,000 investment would lead to sales of more than 150,000 copies - and later it became her way of processing his death.
From an interview with Ms. Pearson:
In the 20 years now since I published "Goodbye, I Love You," about our relationship, I've been privileged to be the repository of hundred of stories, especially those of Mormon gay people and their families.
We know that the intersection of religion and especially conservative religions and homosexuality is one of the huge painful arenas that has to be addressed. As Gerald was going through his enormous struggle, the anguish was between his love of the Church and what he felt was the Church's condemnation of him. For his own sanity, he withdrew from the Church, which is the case with most gay Mormon men I know of.
I'd like to all of us to say, wait, we seem not to be doing this right. What are we missing here? Let us look again at scripture, at our own personal history. Let us invite in gay people and their families to tell us their stories. Let's open up new avenues of thinking on this, because there is still so much pain and we aren't where we need to be.
We're still not in the Promised Land.
What a wonderful way to work through the grief of losing a spouse. Ms. Pearson has doubtlessly had a positive impact on others who share common experiences with her and is hopefully causing some in the Mormon church to reconsider their views of homosexuality.
Thanks to gay & lesbian news blog for the tip.
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