More Progress in Washington State

For those who say that GLBT equality needs to be a gradual process, they can hold up the state of Washington as a positive example. After passing a domestic partnership law last year granting same-sex couple some basic rights like hospital visitation and property inheritance, they have added to that by passing more sweeping legislation. It's not marriage-yet, but it is significant progress toward equality for those couples in the interim.

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Gay and lesbian couples were brought one step closer to same-sex marriage Tuesday when the Legislature voted to extend 170 new rights to them, adding to groundwork begun last year with the passage of domestic partnership rights.

The Senate passed House Bill 3104, proposed by Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, by 29-20 along a mostly party-line vote.

The bill grants same-sex couples additional rights -- including the ability to share bank accounts, the right to hold common property and immunity from testifying against one's partner in court. Divorce rights -- including child-custody provisions -- were also granted.

The measure now goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who is expected to sign it into law.

Also, from the other side:

Republicans decried the bill for whittling away at the institution of marriage, saying the deterioration of marriage between a man and a woman would lead to a rise in crime, juvenile delinquency and parents working long hours.

Yeah, and I'm sure it will lead to more yellow waxy buildup on their kitchen floors and higher gas prices. Give me a break!

"This bill practically increases the number of rights to domestic partners ... that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Once we go that far, marriage will become meaningless," said Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester.

Well who's stopping them from getting married in the first place pal? Who is forcing them to have a seperate set of laws to immulate marriage? If you and your ilk want to strengthen the institution of marriage, make sure every couple has equal rights to it.

Some problems just aren't that difficult to solve.

Recently at the Affirming Christian Network

We've gotten into a nice rhythm at ACN, posting new sermons/teachings on a regular basis and continuing to add affirming churches to our master list.

We have established theme weeks with our sermons/teachings, where we post a new one every day from Monday-Friday relating to a central theme. Last week, we focused on prayer with sermons like "Persistence, Power, and Prayer" and "The Provision of Prayer: To Make a Way When There is No Way."

This week, our theme is Peace. We've already posted "Declaring Peace on Terror", "And His Name Shall Be Called Peace", and "Inclusion as a Path to Peace."

We vary the denominations and regions these teachings come from, usually featuring five different states and at least three different denominations every week. So far we've posted links from at least 50 different affirming ministries, and that number grows every week.

I hope you take a few moments to check out the Affirming Christian Network. Along with the teachings and affirming ministries are links to other valuable affirming resources and detailed information about our eight (and growing) affiliate members. If you do, please let me know what you think.

The Heart of the California Marriage Case Is.....

the definition of marriage. That's the takeaway from this article in the New York Times.

For almost four hours on Tuesday, the California Supreme Court heard arguments in the most important same-sex marriage case since Massachusetts’s highest court allowed gay and lesbian couples to marry there more than four years ago.

But it took only 15 minutes for Justice Carlos R. Moreno to identify the central question. “Doesn’t this just boil down to the use of the m-word — marriage?” he asked.

California has a domestic partnership law that gives gay and lesbian couples nearly all of the legal rights and responsibilities that come with heterosexual marriage. That leaves open the question posed by Justice Moreno, one freighted with history, symbolism and emotion: What is so special about marriage?

Lawyers for the same-sex couples seeking the right to marry said that marriage was a unique expression of love and commitment and that calling their unions anything else was a form of second-class citizenship.

Lawyers for groups opposed to same-sex marriage agreed that marriage was a fundamental bond with ancient roots, but they drew the opposite conclusion, saying that allowing same-sex couples to marry would undermine the institution of marriage itself.

I thought these few paragraphs summed the whole issue up just about as well as I've seen it.

Is there any real reason beyond forcing people to change the tradition of who can get married to require couples of the same-sex to essentially establish their own subculture in order to gain some, usually not all, of the rights afforded heterosexual couples?

I can't think of any.

"We've always done it this way" continues to be one of the worst reasons to continue a practice or policy. There were a lot of things done in previous generations that would seem inconceivable now, but they were deeply ingrained traditions back in the day.

Hopefully, future generations will be able to add the prohibition of same-sex marriage to that list.

Want To Improve the Quality of Your State's Workforce? Let Gays Marry

That's the conclusion drawn by this article from the Boston Business Journal. I've written before about how big business has been ahead of curve in realizing the value of offering benefits to same-sex couples, and this article is another validation of that approach. It could ultimately be the business lobbysts that move the needle in state legislatures as they grow to understand this phenomenon.

Massachusetts has a dubious reputation for losing talented workers to less pricey markets. But a trend that runs counter to the talent drain has emerged in the form of the state's controversial same-sex marriage law, a powerful lure for same-sex couples who want to live in a place where they can get married, gain legal rights and have access to spousal health benefits. In fact, some observers see the influx of same-sex couples as a boon for the state's economy.

"Since the marriage law passed, we see a lot more (gay) professionals moving into the Boston area," said Henry Hoey, a board member of the Greater Boston Business Council, a chamber of commerce for gay professionals. The organization's membership has increased 5 percent to 1,100 members since last year. "The effects of this law are starting to take hold."

The article is balanced enough to include the obligatory quote from a right-wing naysayer, but this trend bears watching. It could really bubble up if a warm weather state legalizes same-sex marriage. The overall population of Massachusetts is rather stagnant, but it would be very interesting to see the impact of that change on the work force of a state already attracting new residents.

Weeknights are Busy at Believers Covenant

You don't have to wait until Sunday to come worship at Believers' Covenant Fellowship in the Tysons Corner area of Northern Virginia.

Wednesday night features Intercessory Prayer at 7:00 PM. This is not a time where we go through a list of pre-written prayers and recite them. Instead, it is often an intense and passionate time where our body gathers and prays for the needs of our ministry, our congregation, our friends and loved ones, our community, and our nation and the world.

One of the wonderful paradoxes with God is that when we come with an attitude of giving, of caring more about others' needs than our own, he blesses US very richly. This is not just passive prayer either; we are interceeding between those with needs and God asking and EXPECTING him to meet those needs. He has time and time again. If you don't want to see prayers answered, stay away from our church. If you do, however, we would love to have your participation.

Thursday night is our "Training for Reigning" study at 7:00 PM. Apostle Dale leads a group in topics designed to equip those serious about growing closer to God, activating the spiritual gifts He has given us, and being able to serve Him better.

This is not designed for beginners; we get into some fairly advanced topics. If you are looking to be challenged and to stretch out your faith muscles, this will be time well spent.

On both evenings, there is dinner served at 6:00 PM. If you are visiting for the first time either night and coming for dinner, we suggest you let us know by e-mail at bcfemail@aol.com or by calling 703-790-9199 to make sure we have enough food for you.

You can check our blog to see if there are any changes in the schedule. To get directions or find out more about our chruch, you can view our homepage.

Anglican Split Over Gays Reaches Into Canada

I've read a lot about the split of the Episcopal (Anglican) church in the United States over the ordination of gay bishops, but I didn't realize until I read this article (thanks to PageOneQ) that the same situation existed in Canada. The article talks about one church that is stepping out in faith to support equality.

An Anglican church has voted to begin offering same-sex blessings of gay marriages as soon as it's given permission to do so by its diocese.

Same-sex blessings have created a major schism within the Anglican Church, with at least 15 churches voting to separate from the Anglican Church of Canada over the issue.

Meanwhile, there's a moratorium on any new churches getting permission to perform same-sex blessings within the Diocese of New Westminster, which includes Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit in Whonnock voted on same-sex blessings on Sunday and only one member voted against the idea.

"We're very inclusive. We're a progressive [church] here in the valley, which tends to be more conservative, and so it's important that we stand up for our liberal voice," said Rev. David Findley-Price.

"People say [homosexuality] is a choice. Well, it's not a choice. It's just part of the natural order of creation. All we're saying is let's bless people who have come to love each other as part of the natural order of how the universe is created. We have to move away from flat Earth theology and become more enlightened."

Church members also passed a unanimous motion affirming support of Bishop Michael Ingham, who is considered a global leader in the campaign to give homosexuals full rights within the Anglican church.

"I think it's an important thing. Lots of press is being given to others about how they're breaking away. There are a number of Anglican parishes that are not wanting to break away. . . . We're moving forward with the inspiration and revelation of the Holy Spirit. We believe God speaks to us and is saying move forward, move on, here's the evidence and the truth," said Findley-Price.

"People who are homosexual and lesbian have gone through a tremendous amount of pain over the years because they've been very marginalized in our society," he said, adding teens he worked with often felt self-hatred and were suicidal due to societal attitudes about being gay.

"It was very, very painful. There was also rejection of their friends and family; they were very lonely and isolated," he said.

Findley-Price pointed out that only 15 of more than 2,000 Anglican churches in Canada have decided to separate over same-sex blessings.

Support for Obama From an Unlikely Source

Many of you are probably familiar with columnist Andrew Sullivan. I've linked to his work several times over the years, sometimes agreeing, other times not. He is a gay conservative writer, feeling strongly about both gay rights issues and more typical conservative matters like smaller government.

That's why I find it so interesting that he has declared Barack Obama "The Urgent, Clear Choice for Gay Voters."

In his column, Sullivan posts this excerpt from an article in The Politico:

An interesting moment came when he was asked a question about LGBT rights and delivered an answer that seemed to suit the questioner, listing the various attributes — race, gender, etc. — that shouldn't trigger discrimination, to successive cheers. When he came to saying that gays and lesbians deserve equality, though, the crowd fell silent.

So he took a different tack:

"Now I’m a Christian, and I praise Jesus every Sunday," he said, to a sudden wave of noisy applause and cheers.

"I hear people saying things that I don’t think are very Christian with respect to people who are gay and lesbian," he said, and the crowd seemed to come along with him this time.

Sullivan then followed up with his own comments:

To hear someone defend gay and lesbian dignity and equality from a Christian perspective and to do so in the context of a largely African-American crowd, is much, much more than any candidate for the presidency has ever done. It's a break through. If it were just words, it would be one thing. But he has now done this repeatedly in front of black crowds, when he didn't have to. And he has put his specific commitments in writing in an open letter.

It's time to be candid about this - because gay voters, in my judgment, could make the difference in Ohio and Texas and Vermont and Rhode Island. There are very large gay communities in Texas' cities, and Ohio has the sixth largest gay community in the country. A plea: Do not sleep-walk into that voting booth with vague good feelings about the Clintons. Walk into that booth with eyes open and see what gay people have in front of them.

Now you may have many reasons not to vote for Obama, and no gay voter should vote on one issue. But solely with respect to gay matters, there is simply no choice here. Obama's positions, candor, courage, generation and religious embrace of us are dispositive.

I haven't written much about the presidential campaign because, quite frankly, everyone and his dog seems to be covering it and there isn't a whole lot I can ad. I will cop to this however; I was wrong about Obama.

When I did live blogging during the LOGO debate last summer, I dismissed Obama as something of a lightweight who wasn't yet ready for prime time. That is clearly not the case, and he has earned my vote for president for bringing some hope of change, both to GLBT issues and the overall political direction of the United States.

I don't think Obama, or anyone else for that matter, could possibly live up to the expectations that his supporters have, but he can come short of that and still be the best thing that has happened to this nation in many years. I think that can happen. I believe that Hillary Clinton could be a competent president if she wouldn't fill the White House with ALL that baggage. I'm sure John McCain is praying that she gets the nomination because Hillary is probably the only candidate that can mobilize the right-wing vote enough to make a difference--against her.

I believe the GLBT community and the nation needs the next generation to assume the mantle of leadership. and Obama is the only viable representative of that group in the presidential race. He's got my vote, it appears he's got Andrew Sullivan's, and I feel he is worth your consideration of your vote also.

Desmond Tutu to be Honored by LGBT Rights Group

From PinkNews.com:

The former Archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu is to be honoured by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

The Anglican leader has been outspoken in his rejection of homophobia, often clashing with his more conservative African colleagues.

He will be appearing at IGLHRC's A Celebration of Courage event in San Francisco on April 8th to accept the OUTSPOKEN Award "in honour of the unprecedented impact of his leadership as a human rights advocate."

In November 2007 Archbishop Tutu told the BBC that if he believed that God was homophobic, he wouldn't be a Christian.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner said he was ashamed of his church because of its treatment of gays.

He said that Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual head of the Anglican communion, has not demonstrated the attributes of a "welcoming God" to homosexuals."

Our world is facing problems, poverty, HIV and AIDS, a devastating pandemic, and conflict," Tutu said."

God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another."

In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality."

He said that the Church acted in an "extraordinarily homophobic" way during the election of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire.

Asked if he still felt ashamed, he replied: "If we are going to not welcome or invite people because of sexual orientation, yes."

If God as they say is homophobic I wouldn't worship that God.""

It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual.

"You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race infected society."

In December he apologised to gay people all around the world for the way they have been treated by the Church.

Wonderful Recognition and Support

Pastor Brenda aren't involved in ministry for the fame and glory (good thing!), but it's always nice when someone else recognizes our efforts.

Rev. Robbie Ousley was kind enough to just that on his Unidiversal web site, naming us the recipient of his monthly Unidiversal Certificate of Recognition.

Like so many have, Jim & Brenda Johnson could enjoy the presence and blessings of God without resistance in a majority of churches. But these two kind and considerate ministers follow God's call on their lives to put themselves out there on the front line of faith in Christ for ALL people. This is one husband and wife team called to encouraging others, lifting up one another, and who are making the cause of Christ to great effect at home, in church, outside church doors, encouraging other ministries, are available to secular media, and are online throughout the world. What a great example of giving of themselves and following "The Father's Heart" by the example of Christ where they don't have to, but do.

We were deeply touched by the kind words of love and encouragement by Robbie and others posted on the award page. We joined a rather eclectic group, ranging from our own pastor Apostle Dale Jarrett and our church Believers Covenant Fellowship to Rev Jay Bakker, Peggy Campolo, and Lulu Roman (from Hee Haw fame).

I am reminded of the saying, "Don't work for recognition, but do work that is worthy of recognition." We're glad that folks like Rev. Robbie, Apostle Dale, and others who's opinion really means a lot to us feel we are doing just that.

Movement by Churches in Australia

A major part of repentance is saying your sorry. A large group of churches have done just that down under.

From the blog "A Life of Unlearning-A Journey to Find the Truth":

Like the crack in a fortress after an earthquake, every now and then a catalytic event opens the way for social transformation. One such event happened last week when Baptist, Churches of Christ, Pentecostal and Anglican ministers began signing a document that said: “We recognise that the churches we belong to and the church in general, has not been a place of welcome for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people. We are deeply sorry and ask the forgiveness of the GBLT community We long that the church would be a place of welcome for all people and commit ourselves to pursuing this goal.''.

This is a wonderful step. Anthony Venn-Brown writes much more about it here.

"The Appalling Silence of the Good"

That's a phrase the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used to describe the lack of support white ministers gave to the 1960's civil rights movement from the pulpit of their churches. In an op-ed piece in the Washington Blade, Robert Bernstein finds a similarity between that and the public silence of clergy today regarding GLBT rights.

.....precisely the same kinds of pressures — perceived danger to their jobs and pensions, aversion to confrontation, fear of congregational wrath — are today squelching what would otherwise amount to massive clerical support of gay equality and gay marriage.

Rt. Rev. Rusty Smith of D.C., a former Catholic priest, now a bishop of the Evangelical Anglican Church of America, says “mainstream denominations are full of ministers who know that gay inequality isn’t right but don’t speak their secrets out loud. The fear factor is just horrible among clergy.”

Harry Knox, who heads HRC’s Religion and Faith Program, denounces clerics who “have made an idol of their pension. They say, ‘I’ve got to take care of my family.’ I tell them, ‘Well, I’ve got to take care of my family, too, and what you’re saying to me is that yours matters more than mine.’”

Dennis Hahle is a retired Evangelical Lutheran minister now living in Littleton, North Carolina with his wife Jeannie. They have a gay son and say they know numerous colleagues similarly situated but only privately supportive. And their own local church’s atmosphere is so repressive that Jeannie says, “It feels as though we’re in the closet ourselves, because we can’t really share in our congregation the way we’d want to.”

Supporting GLBT equality doesn't do a lot of good unless you actually SUPPORT it. Preachers need to listen to their conscience and address the ongoing discrimination from their pulpit. If they don't take on the role of moral leadership, who will? We know there are plenty of loud voices on the other side shouting hate and bigotry from their pulpits, so it is especially critical that the message of love and justice also be heard.

Click here to read the rest of the article from the Washington Blade.

Out With Cancer

I received a note about this program recently and I'm happy to share it with my readers:

From the Out With Cancer website:

Out with Cancer is the worlds first program for Gay, Lesbian, BI and Trans men and women who are diagnosed with cancer. With Out with Cancer you can:
Create a circle of friends who share your diagnosis, or, simply, care about you
Write your own blog
Learn from or mentor others dealing with cancer
Post photos and profiles
Promote your own event or attend other members' events
Chat live in online support groups, clubs and one to one sessions
Make new friends...OutWithCancer is your place to connect -- how is up to you.

OutWithCancer is a Bi-phobia and Trans-phobia free zone. We're here about the cancer, and the connections we make. Not a member yet? Please click here to join Out with Cancer or push the button "Join now" below to apply! Membership is free. Questions? Please email: support@outwithcancer.com.

They also have a related blog:

The LGBT cancer project of the national nonprofit, Malecare, includes the OutWithCancer, and LGBT CANCER websites. Here, you will find patient and doctor written articles about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people diagnosed with cancer.

As the Oscar-winning documentary "Freeheld" and others have shown, a LGBT person with cancer often faces challenges beyond a heterosexual person, frequently with less support.

I encourage anyone who's life has been directly or indirectly impacted by this situation to check out this site and join the networking.

Sitting Down and Talking About It

A rare thing happend recently at Harvard University. A diverse group sat down and had a spirited but rational discussion on homophobia within the black community:

From Bay Windows newspaper:

It’s hard to imagine two topics more polarizing in America than race and sexuality, and when three Harvard University student groups convened a Feb. 20 forum on homophobia within the black community it was conceivable that the discussion could have erupted into a catastrophic argument. What happened was just the opposite. For two hours Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons, former mayor and current City Councilor Kenneth Reeves, and a diverse group of about 70 Harvard students and community members gathered in the common room of the Lowell House dormitory and engaged in a freewheeling discussion about homosexuality and the black community, a discussion frequently punctuated by laughter. The forum, co-sponsored by the Harvard College LGBT Political Coalition, the Harvard Black Men’s Forum, and the Association of Black Harvard Women, revealed a broad range of perspectives on how black LGBT people have been received within their families, the church, Harvard, Cambridge, and the broader community.

There were a wide range of experiences and incidents shared with the group, most of whom came away with a better understanding of the other side on issues impacting the black GLBT community.

Talking, listening, learning.....perhaps it's not a lost art after all.

Click here to read the entire article from Bay Windows.

Freeheld Wins Oscar for Best Short Documentary

From Gay City News:

"Freeheld: The Laurel Hester Story," Cynthia Wade's 38-minute film that chronicled the battle of a 25-year veteran of the Ocean County, New Jersey police, as she was dying of cancer, to transfer her earned pension to her lesbian partner, won the Oscar for Best Short Documentary in Hollywood on February 24.

Ocean County freeholders had the legal option to extend those benefits under New Jersey's 2004 domestic partner law, but did not do so until Lieutenant Hester waged her successful struggle on partner Stacie Andree's behalf against their initially adamant refusal.

Garden State Equality, the New Jersey LGBT civil rights lobby, celebrated the film's nomination (and victory) at the South Orange Performing Arts Center while the Oscar broadcast was being aired.

Garden State Equality worked with Hester on her effort, and the film documentary represents one of the most powerful examples in GSE's lobbying campaign to educate voters on why complete marriage equality is the only way in which same-sex couples can be assured of the rights and benefits that New Jersey's Supreme Court now requires.

In a striking irony, the Oscar was announced by a group of American service members via a satellite feed from Baghdad, a nearly unprecedented opportunity for the US military to speak out on behalf of LGBT equality.

PageOne Q has more on the film and the people and views behind it.

With less than six months to live as cancer spreads to her brain, Laurel battles the Ocean County Freeholders, her elected officials, to give to Stacie what heterosexual married couples receive automatically.

The film captures both the very public and urgent dispute with the Freeholders, as well as Laurel and Stacie’s intensely private struggle as they come to terms with losing one another.

“Freeheld shows the power that personal stories have to change hearts and minds and to move a community to action,” said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. “Though the film’s impetus was the discrimination gay and lesbian couples face, it is ultimately about the triumph of spirit and how a community came together to do the right thing.”

In an interview with GLAAD's Director of Entertainment Media Damon Romine, Cynthia Wade, a straight ally, spoke to how the film documents a non-traditional community of support for Laurel.

"[I]n the film, the most, sort of staunchest allies that really stood by Laurel's side were these straight, kind of dominating, macho cops that normally would not be considered gay allies," said Wade. "But because they saw one of their favorite police partners face discrimination, they realized it was wrong and said, 'No, we're going to stand up as a community and say this is wrong. It's about equality.' So one of the greatest things about this film is that we've really been able to bring in hybrid audiences from across the country so that everybody can talk about equal rights because it's everybody's responsibility."

Thanks to this film, Laural Hester's life will continue to touch that of others for a long time. Congratulations to everyone involved with this wonderful project.

Ridiculing Gay Men is not Christlike

Despite that painfully obvious truth, there are those who do so freely and enthusiastically. Fortunately, the chorus of people calling these hate mongers out is expanding beyond those directly victimized into mainstream media that is appalled by the injustice.

An example of that is an op/ed piece in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Personally, I have no problem with the effort to make church work better for men or challenging men to step up and do something with their lives.....I have a big problem with the guy emphasis when it relies on making gay men objects of derision and ridicule.

Such appears to be the case in remarks made by Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland. Hutcherson has gotten headlines for his efforts to pressure Microsoft on gay issues. He has a right to his views -- views he supports with texts from Scripture. Reasonable people can disagree over whether gay marriage is a good idea.

But Hutcherson goes beyond reasonable, at least to judge by the report of Seattle psychologist Valerie Tarico. Tarico, a former staffer at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, was raised in a fundamentalist church.

On a Sunday when Tarico was present, Hutcherson was preaching on gender roles. During his sermon, Hutcherson stated, "God hates soft men" and "God hates effeminate men."

Hutcherson went on to say, "If I was in a drugstore and some guy opened the door for me, I'd rip his arm off and beat him with the wet end."

"That was a joke," Hutcherson said Friday, when I asked him about the comment. But it's not really funny, is it?

Hutcherson, it should be noted, is not alone in such statements. In some churches a video called "The Gay Agenda" is popular. The tape shows gay people doing perverse things and then alleges this is what gay people are like, which is pretty much on par with showing Internet porn and saying this is what heterosexual people are like.

An evangelical Christian who sees the danger here is Tony Campolo, who recently spoke in Seattle. In the course of his talk Campolo told a story about "Roger," a gay teen from Campolo's high school years. In gym class and the showers boys would taunt Roger day after day, stinging him with their towels. One day in the shower, five guys backed Roger into a corner. After taunting him, all five urinated on Roger. That night, Roger went home and hanged himself. While Campolo was not among the abusers, he knew it was going on. Today, he holds himself responsible for standing silently by.

"I wonder," writes Campolo, "how many of us by words and deeds, even without being aware of it, have said things that created pain and suffering for others?"

Most of us would have to plead guilty to Campolo's question. I hope that clergy interested in supporting men will think twice about building up some by deriding others.

Some of the men I have the priviledge of sharing worship with every Sunday would fall under the banner of effeminate men, which means that Ken Hutcherson thinks God would hate them. If I wanted to show someone an example of what a godly man should be, however, I would without hesitation point to effeminate males in my church over someone demonstrating the ignorance and bigotry that Hutcherson flaunts.

Anyone who focuses on a man's appearance or the skills he has or doesn't have to determine how God would judge them doesn't understand manhood and is light years away from understanding God. Anyone who let's someone like Hutcherson spew his hatred without challenging them doesn't get it either. Tony Campolo learned from his tragic experience of staying silent, and it's not too late for others to reach the same conclusion. If we are truly seeking to be like Christ, we won't spew hate, and we won't stand silently by watching someone else do so.

Click here to read the rest of the Seattle P-I story. Thanks to PageOneQ for the link.

If You Want a Tax Exemption, Don't Discriminate

Tax breaks are not a right, they are a privilege. There are generally rules that need to be followed by thoese companies or organizations that receive them. The township of Ocean Grove has decided to enforce their rules and take away a tax abatement away from an organization that clearly voilated the terms of the program.

The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association will have to pay about $20,000 in rollback property taxes for the boardwalk pavilion, the township tax assessor has determined.

Assessor Bernard Haney said Friday that he calculated the pavilion's taxes to be about $6,500 a year for 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Rollback taxes are usually paid when a property comes off the state's tax abatement rolls. The rollback taxes are usually for a period of three previous tax years.

The pavilion had been part of the association's boardwalk and beachfront property that was part of a state Green Acres tax abatement program. The association has not paid property taxes on the property since the program was established.

But controversy last year over the association's refusal to allow two lesbian couples to have their civil union ceremonies in the pavilion led the state Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the Green Acres program, to re-evaluate the association's application this year.

DEP commissioner Lisa Jackson decided that because the pavilion was apparently not open to all on an equal basis — a requirement of the tax abatement program — she would not allow the pavilion to be included.

Good. Tax-supported discrimination should not be allowed to happen without consequences.

Click here to read more of the story in the Asbury Park Press. Thanks to PageOneQ for the link.

NFL Relents on Big-Screen Super Bowl Parties

This report from ESPN:

The NFL will allow church groups to show the Super Bowl on large-screen televisions, reversing a policy that drew criticism from elected officials.

In a letter to U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will no longer object to "live showings -- regardless of screen size -- of the Super Bowl" by religious organizations, The Washington Post reported.

An earlier story in The Post about church groups canceling Super Bowl parties over fear of legal action by the NFL led to protest by some lawmakers and conservative leaders.

At the center of the issue is an NFL policy which holds that organizations showing public viewings of its games on televisions larger than 55 inches violate the league's copyright. Sports bars are exempt from the policy, but last year, the NFL sent letters to two church groups, advising them of the rule, according to The Post.

In its letter to Hatch, the NFL said it would not object to big-screen viewings in churches as long as they are free and held on premises that the church uses on a "routine and customary" basis, according to the report.

Hatch said in a prepared statement that he was grateful that the NFL made the exception.
"Many families want to enjoy the Super Bowl in a group atmosphere -- but obviously aren't going to take their kids to a sports bar," he said, according to The Post.

Steve Holley, executive pastor of Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Va., which canceled its big-screen Super Bowl party this year over the policy, was also pleased by the change.

"[The NFL] decided to set aside profit for community spirit," Holley said, according to The Post. "I'm encouraged by that."

I'd like to think it was my impassioned 30-second interview on local television that turned the tide. Humor me and go along with that, okay?

Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage is Good Business

That's the opinion of Baltimore Sun business columnist Jay Hancock:

Societies that are tolerant, free and diverse tend to be richer and happier than societies that aren't. Maryland has shown this for decades.

Now is the time to extend the legacy by legalizing same-sex marriage. The move would beam welcome signals not just to gays and lesbians but to all members of the young "creative class" who represent the economic and social future. Not coincidentally, it's the right thing to do.

More and more research shows how inextricably linked tolerance and prosperity really are. No religion, race or sexual orientation has a monopoly on talent. States wanting to stay ahead must show that their doors are open to everybody.

Statistically, a large gay population is one of the best predictors of a strong economy, economic theorist Richard Florida noted in The Rise of the Creative Class.

"To some extent, homosexuality represents the last frontier of diversity in our society, and thus a place that welcomes the gay community welcomes all kinds of people," he wrote. "Openness to the gay community is a good indicator of the low entry barriers to human capital that are so important to spurring creativity and generating high-tech growth."

But as part of a larger policy of openness and benevolence, legalizing gay marriage makes sense for Maryland. We already boast the culture, tolerance, diversity and educational resources the creative class seeks. Allowing unions for two people who love each other - no matter what their gender - will cement the franchise.

And don't be surprised if they bring economic dividends.

What a wonderful common-sense approach! Click here to read more from this column.

Who Actually Has a Gender Identity Disorder?

Pauline Park, writing for Visible Vote 08, thinks it's not transgender people but rather society that is disordered.

I do not have a gender identity disorder. It is society that has a gender identity disorder. And I find it outrageous that transgendered people in the United States and elsewhere have to have themselves declared mentally ill in order to access health care or to get a job. What is commonly referred to as the problem of gender dysphoria is not to be found in the mind of a transgendered person but rather in the society that is too rigid to allow for those born male to identify as women or those born female to identify as men – or to allow those born male, female, or intersexed to identify as something other than men or women.

In fact, GID is most often used to subject gender-variant children and adolescents who ‘deviate’ from this rigidly defined norm to ‘reparative therapy’ that can and sometimes does include electroshock and long-term institutionalization. Such ‘ex-gay conversion therapy’ is in fact the recommended ‘treatment’ for gender identity disorder among gender-variant youth and is used by parents who seek psychiatric ‘help’ to ‘cure’ or ‘prevent’ homosexuality and/or transgender in their children.

As part of a progressive agenda for social change, we must commit to removing the GID diagnosis from the DSM as well as outlawing ‘reparative therapy’; doing so will help liberate thousands of gender-variant youth from the psychiatric abuse to which they are currently being subjected. We have to reject the notion that the body of a transgendered person is a diseased body or that the mind of a transgendered person is a diseased mind. We must reconceptualize pathologization as the problem and not the solution to our problems. We must find means by which transgendered people can access forms of medical intervention such as HRT and SRS without having to subject themselves to the degradation of being declared mentally ill simply by virtue of their gender identity.

Beyond holding on to tradition, just how important ARE clearly defined gender identies? Is there any rational reason to discriminate against people who don't fit into these fairly rigid molds society has cast in stone beyond the fact that those exceptions make some people uncomfortable?

I think someone putting their comfort ahead of another person's basic rights is the epitome of selfishness and, despite the fact that religious fundamentalists are some of those pushing the hardest to do just that, it is FAR, FAR away from the example Jesus set for us; to love our neighbor as ourself without exception.

Click here to read Pauline Park's entire essay.

"God Is Still With You"

Rev. David North was a successful pastor at a church in Washington DC when he was outed as a gay man. He was no longer welcome at that church , but he was still welcomed by God and also had other options in finding a new home to worship in, and that's the point he makes in this essay he contributed to the Washington Blade.

When a person joins a faith community, they do it for many reasons: to be with family and friends, to enjoy the particular flavor and style of music, preaching and worship and to find sanctuary. The Baptist church I grew up in was emotionally like a big extended family. We sang and shouted together, prayed and served together and experienced the love of God and love of family together.

However, when they “found out” what I was, I became a pariah. By their misinformed and misinterpreted biblical beliefs, I was judged to be an abomination. The familiar environment that had been my source of hope, joy, fellowship and inspiration suddenly became hostile and demeaning.

What do you do when your safe place isn’t safe anymore? What do you do when family and extended family judge, condemn and sentence you? The GLBT sisters and brothers in Greater Mt. Calvary Church are hurting. They have been betrayed on a visceral level. The pain from being ostracized is a lingering festering heartache that often takes years to overcome. I know. It took me about 10 years to reclaim wholeness in my ministry and spirituality.

MANY PEOPLE IN the GLBT community have given up on church, religion and spirituality altogether because of these kinds of horrific experiences. Fortunately, through the years, many GLBT people of faith have been reclaiming their faith.

That’s how and why MCC, Faith Temple, Inner Light, etc., and the whole affirming church movement came into being. We all understand that it’s hard to let go; it’s difficult to say goodbye; it’s tough to change. The abused seem to linger in futile hope that abuser will stop abusing. I say to all those GLBT brothers and sisters continuing to be in abusive churches, you have viable wholesome options, you have choices and alternatives to have fellowship and faith within safe and accepting contexts.

But whether you leave or stay, be true to yourself. God is still with you, just like God was and still is with me.

Click here to read the rest of Rev. North's essay.

BTW, he is once again behind the pulpit at the Holy Redeemer MCC in College Park, Maryland.

Clarifying the Biblical Perspective on Transgenders

As usual, Peterson Toscano gets it. His blog is one of my go-to sources when I want a deeper, non-fundamentalist perspective on important issues concerning the GLBT community. He provided just that in his most recent post, answering an article in Christianity Today. The piece, titled "The Trandgendered Moment," was not a right-wing hatchet job but still leaned, as one would expect with their editorial focus, toward the traditional view of transgender issues, trying to "love the sinner but hate the sin."

Peterson demonstrates a more informed and Christlike approach in his blog entry, titled "Transgender Bible Heroes and Sheroes."

Perhaps I read a different Bible, but once I put on some gender glasses and re-visited the scriptures with an eye to find those Bible folks who live outside of socially prescribed gender roles and presentations, I found a treasure trove of transgender Bible characters.

The article doesn't make a single reference to eunuchs, those gender others who play key roles in both the Hebrew and Christians scriptures. The whole story of Esther would fall apart if it were not for the surgically altered gender variant eunuchs. But beyond eunuchs, there are plenty of other individuals that good Biblical exegesis reveals as gender variant.

Ignorantly lots of folks think you need to have a surgery to be transgender. Nope, not true. Also, they fail to acknowledge that we do not always know who is trans among us or in the scriptures. Many of us live and work and worship alongside people who have transitioned, and we never know it. Some of these folks never had surgery. Today for female to male trans folks testosterone and chest binding works wonders.

Now if folks want to get a good education about the transgender experience in the scriptures, I encourage them to see my play

Click here to find out more about Peterson's play and also check out some more useful resources regarding trandgender issues.

"True Life: I Live Another Life on the Web"

I received an e-mail notice about this opportunity that I thought might be of interest to some of my readers, so here it is:

We are currently producing a documentary for MTV about people who live "other lives" online.

Do you sometimes feel as if you're living a double life? Are you pretending to be someone you're
not? Do you have one identity in your everyday life, but a different one when you're alone and
on-line? Does your virtual avatar make you feel confident behind your computer screen? Are
you famous online but feel like you're invisible in real life?

Do you have trouble approaching someone for a date in person, but when you're behind the
comfort of your computer, do the words just flow?   Would you be afraid to be yourself if you
were ever to come face-to-face with your online friends or companions? Do you get so caught
up in the person you pretend to be on the web that you maintain that persona in person?

If you appear to be between the ages of 16 and 28, and live another life on the web, email
your story to: brosen@leftright.tv

Please be sure to include your name, location, phone number and a photo, if possible.

Maryland Attorney General Says Lack of Same-Sex Marriage is "Discriminatory"

At the temperature begins to rise around the debate about same-sex marriage in the Maryland State Assembly, the state's Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler left no doubt where he stands on the issue.

From the Baltimore Sun:

Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler has become the most prominent official in Maryland to endorse gay marriage, telling state legislators Thursday that he believes the current ban on same-sex unions amounts to discrimination.

"It would be hard for me to have this job knowing there is something so wrong in our society," Gansler told the Senate panel considering a bill to legalize gay marriage. "I just think it's wrong to discriminate against any people because they think differently or because of their sexual orientation."

But Gansler also said that law makers in Annapolis might not have the "political courage" to legalize gay marriage this year and that the General Assembly will probably "settle" for civil unions, which would confer many of the rights afforded to married heterosexual couples.

Gansler also pointed out the folly of putting people's rights up to a popular vote:

When asked about putting the legalization of same-sex marriage to voters, Gansler said such a referendum would probably lose. But, he added, "it is the job of elected officials to do what they think is right." He referred to the 1967 Supreme Court decision declaring Virginia's law against interracial marriage unconstitutional. If that law had been put to voters in that state then, he said, they likely would have supported it.

Mr. Gansler gets it. While I think getting same-sex marriage passed this session is a stretch, I suspect civil unions has a real chance. If you can't get a touchdown, at least kick a field goal--it puts points on the board and gets you closer to a victory.

Click here to read the rest of the Sun's story.

Testimony From a Sponsor of the Maryland Marriage Equality Bill

Our exceptional state senator, Richard Madaleno, is a sponsor of a bill that is being consider by the Maryland State Assembly that would make same-sex marriage legal in the state. Testimony was heard by the Judicial Proceedings Committee regarding that bill today, and the senator was kind enough to forward a transcript of his testimony. I'm pleased to share it with you here.

I come before you today to ask that you give SB290 a favorable report, and in doing so, grant my family, and the families of thousands of our constituents, the rights and responsibilities of marriage. Until this bill is passed, Maryland will remain a state where some families are at risk of being torn apart not because they lack the strength of commitment, but because they are invisible in the eyes of the law.

This bill is simple. It reiterates that no religious denomination will ever be required to recognize, perform, or bless any marriage that is against its beliefs. At the same time, it provides full equality under the law for thousands of same-gender couples in our state- couples like Mark and me.

With marriage, we can live our lives secure in the knowledge that we have the same legal rights, responsibilities, obligations, and protections that you enjoy.

Without marriage, I am at the mercy of doctors, nurses, and security guards for my partner to gain access to me in a hospital.

Without marriage, all of our financial planning and savings could be wiped out by inheritance taxes if one of us suffers an untimely death.

Without marriage, we live in a state of legal limbo that exacts a significant emotional and financial toll on our family, our children, and ourselves.

Without marriage, instead of security, we have fear. A fear that is always there. The fear that at the moments we are most vulnerable, afraid, and alone, our state could step in and take everything away from us – just because we cannot have a civil marriage.

That even one family lives with this fear is bad enough. But it is not just one family – not just my family. Thousands and thousands of Maryland families live with this fear.

And when that fear is created by the laws of the state itself, that is untenable. And just as untenable would be for this General Assembly to turn its back and do nothing.

At the same time, as important as the legal rights and responsibilities associated with civil marriage are, they are only part of the story.

Many of you know Mark, my partner. “Partner.” We had a church wedding seven years ago, and in the eyes of our religion, our families, our friends, and in my heart, he is my spouse. But under Maryland ’s civil law, he is a legal stranger to me. He is just “my partner.” Even that term cheapens our relationship. It makes it sound like we are in a business. It is a badge of dishonor I must wear every day, whenever I introduce Mark to anyone or even talk about him to someone who does not know us, because my state refuses to grant us civil marriage. I would never ask any of you to relegate your wives or husbands to being only your partners.

Without full and equal civil marriage, Maryland makes sure that thousands of its families never forget that they are outsiders. That they are not quite equal.

Our state and our nation were founded on principles of fairness and equality. These principles are timeless; unfortunately, their application has not been. Yet every generation of Americans has held out their hand to some who had been left out of the promise of equality – held out their hand and brought them fully into our civil society, saying, “You are not the other. You are us.”

This year marks the 60^th anniversary of the first state court decision to overturn the laws banning interracial marriage. In its decision, the California Supreme Court wrote “human beings are bereft of worth and dignity by a doctrine that would make them as interchangeable as trains.” As a friend observed, when you are denied the freedom to marry the person precious and irreplaceable to you, it is not like you can just catch the next one.

Our country also has a long tradition of recognizing the difference between civil law and religious law. In that respect, I seek common cause with each member of the Committee. We all agree that each of our religions must remain free to define marriage as it so chooses. That has always been the case in Maryland , and this bill ensures that that will remain the case. None of us wants to live in a nation where the civil law dictates the tenets of our faith.

Just as importantly, we should not allow the teachings of a religion to dictate the civil law under which all of us must live. Some religions do not recognize divorce and subsequent remarriage. Some religions do not recognize a marriage unless it is performed in the name of Jesus. Others don’t recognize a marriage that is performed in the name of Jesus. Some clergy will not perform or recognize marriages between people of different faiths.

But our civil marriage law is rightly blind to our rich diversity of often-conflicting religious doctrines. Civil laws, unlike religious ones, apply to everyone, regardless of faith. That is why we do not allow the many different religious definitions of marriage to determine the definition of civil marriage.

With the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Act, Maryland can end an injustice against thousands of its citizens while respecting the critical independence of our religious institutions.

This bill represents the best ideals of Maryland , and that drive to live up to our ideals is the story of America .

New Baptist Covenant Moving Toward Acceptance of Gays

A group of Baptists (including some Southern Baptists), led by former president Jimmy Carter, has formed an organization call the New Baptist Covenant with the goal of moderating the harsh, right wing message so often associated with Baptists. While not openly embracing GLBT people at their first meeting, the topic of acceptance was discussed without a major fight breaking out.

Here is an excerpt from a letter published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution co-written by the director and council chair of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. I have learned that the most effective way to move toward unity and acceptance is to establish commonality, and these folks feel that progress was made toward that with the New Covenant.

Some Baptists have spent their energy attacking gays and keeping them outside of the church. In so doing, they have demonstrated that unity among Baptists is not their main goal. We, however, feel differently. Rather than focusing on exclusion, we are spending our energy on graceful engagement from within. And we are seeing very good results. At the New Baptist Covenant gathering, we witnessed abundant signs of hope.

During the three-day event, former President Carter noted that Baptists hold diverse opinions about gay people. Best-selling novelist John Grisham called for the church's inclusion of gay people. Rev. Tony Campolo wore a rainbow-colored stole. Hundreds of participants sported rainbow stickers to proudly reveal their support for gay people.

Carter announced that Baptists hold diverse opinions about gay people; yet the celebration proved that Baptists are not as divided as some may believe. Each and every Sunday, countless numbers of our gay and straight brothers and sisters stand side by side in celebration of our faith. Regardless of who we love, we are all seeking the same things: Christ's love, salvation, justice, peace and hospitality.

Click here to read the rest of the letter.

Minn. High School Supports Student Standing Up Against Prejudice

This is a wonderful example of someone not only standing up against hate but being supported by plenty of her peers and her school's administration. I believe this is an example that should be followed everywhere some bigot acts out their hatred in a public place.

From Edge Boston:

A freshman at a Minnesota high school had endured shoving, spitting, and name calling. When a hate message was scrawled across her locker, she decided enough was enough.

Leah Matz, a 15-year-old student at St. Peter High, got together with some of her peers and organized a lunchtime demonstration to say that hate speech, and hateful acts of anti-gay violence, would not be accepted.

The school’s administration backed Matz up, allowing the public to attend the demonstration, which took place Fri., Feb. 8.

Matz had come out as a lesbian in junior high. Since then, she had suffered anti-gay harassment, including verbal and physical abuse.

Finally, the Minn. newspaper Mankato Free Press reported, Matz saw that someone had written "Dykes Suck" across her locker, and that tipped the balance for the 15-year-old high school freshman.

Hearing that fellow students had suffered similar treatment, Matz and her peers organized the demonstration, which included theatre and testimonials, as well as massive support from students wearing slogan-bearing T-shirts that read, "Stop Hate. Just Love."

The Mankato Free Press article quoted St. Peter senior Annika Lammert as saying, "I think it’s important to step up and show support."

Added Lammert, "Discrimination shouldn’t happen to anyone."

Matz addressed a crowd of hundreds, including students, alumni, parents, and other members of the local community who gathered in the school’s auditorium, the Mankoto Free Press story reported.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

A former Christian Right-Winger comes to her senses!

Over the years, I have been involved in many political campaigns. I was raised in a Baptist home with a minister father, so I have been a conservative Republican for most of my life. While I have changed in some things, like same-sex marriage and other GLBT issues, I have stayed conservative on other issues. One of the views I’ve not changed on is smaller government.

This year’s election cycle is historic for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that we are engaged in a battle where one party is completely falling apart at the seams while the other party is so excited to have not one, but two really good viable candidates that they can’t see straight!

I am fascinated by this turn of events. I have to admit that I was really freaked out by something that happened within my own family yesterday and it put me on a course of self-examination when it comes to my political involvement. My mother called me last night and told me that she and my dad had driven down to Richmond, Virginia to see Mike Huckabee preach at a church there. I listened as she told me what the sermon was about and assured me that he wasn’t campaigning…he was just preaching. The conversation made me think about the state of politics and religion in our country.

I used to believe in what Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority stood for. I used to think that separation of church and state was something that liberals made up to try and stamp out religion from the public square. I now realize how foolish that way of thinking is.

There is a fine line between not allowing evil to take over government, like Germany did with Hitler, and becoming another Hitler! Some may think that statement too strong, but I don’t think so. Mike Huckabee scares the you-know-what out of me. This is a man who unashamedly called for the segregation of AIDS patients from society at large. He has also been linked to a religious group who advocated stoning homosexuals!

Not only has Huckabee made statements against homosexuals, but he said, "[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards," , referring to the need for a constitutional human life amendment and an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Huckabee often refers to the need to amend the constitution on these grounds, but he has never so specifically called for the Constitution to be brought within "God's standards". I’m obviously all for God’s standards being modeled for those who are lost and in need of Jesus, but to say that we should change the Constitution of the United States so that it reflects so-called "God’s standards" is to discount what Jesus himself did and said.

Jesus never wanted political power. In fact, He criticized the rulers of His day for being so concerned about religious practices being observed by the masses that they would rather someone go without being healed than be healed on a holy day. Jesus was a teacher, healer, prophet, and friend. He was, and is, God. However, nowhere in the Bible does it talk about how Jesus was elected to an office. Nowhere does it say He tried to overthrow the Roman government. In contrast, He told His disciples to render to Caeser what was Caeser’s and to God what was God’s. In that particular incident, He seemed to be talking specifically about money, but I think there was a larger principle at work. I think that Jesus taught us by example that we should know what is going on in our country and should fight injustice and tyranny at every turn. However, I also think that He taught us that the Kingdom of God is not of this world. God is not going to take over this country’s government and He doesn’t expect us to do that either.

The other thing that seems to escape Huckabee and those who want him to be our president is that our country is made up of just about every religion, race, creed, sexuality, culture and nuance you can imagine. How in the world do they expect to run a country on Christian principles when a lot of the country is anything but Christian? If you try to do that, then we become a dictatorship, not a democratic society.

All this craziness just seems to be a way to distract people from what’s really important…electing a president who will be sensible about spending and taxes. A president who will keep us as safe as possible without spending billions of dollars on a war that isn’t really ours to fight. A president who will work to provide affordable healthcare for every American. A president who will treat all committed relationships as equal in the eyes of the law. A president who will do whatever you, personally, think is important for our country to help us be a stable, strong, great country again.

I am hopeful that we will end up electing someone who will do at least half of these things! If we do, it will be a great day in America. A great day for ALL Americans.

Freedom to Marry Week Is Here

The organization Freedom to Marry is celebrating the 11th annual Freedom to Marry Week from February 10-16.

Gay and non-gay organizations have scheduled over 100 events in 21 states across the nation in honor of the 11th Annual Freedom to Marry Week (Feb. 10-16), seizing an opportunity to highlight how the denial of marriage harms families, while helping no one. The renewed conversations come as major court decisions, legislative progress, and ballot-measures all will be claiming space on the country's calendar this election-year.

“Freedom to Marry Week 2008 is one more chance to ask those around us to put themselves in same-sex couples’ shoes and ask, 'How would I feel if I couldn't marry the person I love?',” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People's Right to Marry. “With state high court decisions in marriage cases pending in Connecticut, California, and Iowa; legislatures from New Jersey to Washington, Maryland to Illinois, New York to California, dealing with the reality that civil unions don't work and the freedom to marry matters; and conversations among the reachable middle moving hearts every day, Freedom to Marry Week offers an opportunity to give people the information they need to rise to fairness.”

Freedom to Marry Week occurs every year, right around President Lincoln's Birthday and Valentine's Day, to give gay and non-gay people around the country an opportunity to gather to talk about our lives, our loves and our families, celebrate the victories from the year before and continue the fight for the freedom to marry.

For event listings and to learn more about Freedom to Marry Week, visit: http://www.freedomtomarry.org/get_involved/freedom_to_marry_week_2008.php

Beyond Ex-Gay Mid South Regional Gathering Coming Soon

Since the organization's inception, I've done what I can in my tiny corner of the blogosphere to support the work of Beyond Ex-Gay, a group co-founded by Peterson Toscano and Christine Bakke to help people put the pieces of their lives back together after the trauma of failed "ex-gay" experiences.

They held their first conference last summer (here's a short video of highlights), and the next one is coming up in Memphis, TN from February 22-24. It is titled "Deconstructing the Ex-Gay Myth, a weekend of action and art." In conjunction with the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center, the weekend will combine interesting workshops and speakers with art and film displays.

Much more detail can be found here.

If you are not familiar with the organization, this video will give you a taste of what they are about.

If this is an issue that has impacted your life, I strongly encourage you to be part of this event.

The National Black Justice Coalition Commemorates Black History Month

Since February has been designated Black History Month nationwide, the National Black Justice Coalition is running a series featuring a different leader in the black GLBT community every day.

You can check it out here.

The Latest Edition of the International Carnival of Pozitivities is Online

Dear Friends of the International Carnival of Pozitivities (ICP):

It is a tremendous pleasure to announce the publication of edition 2.8 of the ICP at Not Perfect at All. Dragonette is our first European-based host, working from The Netherlands I encourage you to bookmark this edition and visit it over time so that you can enjoy each of the contributions from the world of HIV/AIDS. I hope that you will also join me in thanking Dragonette for her work this month.

This 20th consecutive edition of the ICP features personal accounts, video, music, self-help information and the latest in news from the HIV/AIDS community. Among these posts, you will find news about HIV/AIDS from around the world, posts from long-term survivors, an Annie Lennox-supported HIV-prevention campaign, news and personal accounts from Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. I hope that you will spend some time reading and that you will leave comments for the contributors.

Next Edition

Please visit the ICP homepage to learn more about this project and how you can contribute. We are now accepting submissions for edition 2.9 to be hosted at Creampuff Revolution. This will be Roro’s second stint as host of the ICP, as she hosted our March edition of last year. Her writing style is beautiful, funny, clever and guaranteed to make your ICP experience a good one. Please consider contributing your original artwork, poetry, news, personal accounts, short stories, videos or music files for Roro to knit together into edition 2.9.

Stephen Colbert One-on-One with the HRC's Joe Solomonese

Stephen Colbert, host of the Colbert Report on Comedy Central, recently broadcast a two-part interview with Joe Solomonese, the director of the Human Rights Council. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Colbert gave Solomonese quite a grilling, which he took in stride. I found both parts very funny, but don't watch them if you don't enjoy good satire.

Both parts were posted on PageOneQ.

Part 1

Part 2

Enjoy!

Now Here's Something I Can Support In Congress

Bills will be introduced in both houses of Congress soon that are intended to exempt churches from the NFL's rules that prohibit showing the broadcast of the Super Bowl on large screens in large facilities.

From the Christian Post:

Under the legislation by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) of the Senate Judiciary Committee, religious organizations that want to show professional football games would be declared exempt, as reported by The Washington Post.

"The legislation simply provides churches with a limited yet justifiable exemption to allow them to bring their congregation together to watch the Super Bowl," said Specter on Monday. "In a time when our country is divided by war and anxious about a fluctuating economy, these types of events give people a reason to come together in the spirit of camaraderie."

The bill comes as several churches across the country canceled their annual Super Bowl fellowships this past Sunday in fear of lawsuits for copyright violations.

The National Football League has warned churches that showing the Super Bowl game on TV screens larger than 55 inches and in a space more than 2,000 square feet violates the league's copyright. Only sports bars and other businesses that televise sports regularly are allowed mass viewing of the games.

At least an NFL spokesman dropped any pretense that this was about anything other than greed:

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league has no objection to churches hosting Super Bowl parties as long as they abide by the rules. He also noted that thousands of mass showings at churches would significantly reduce network TV ratings, and thus cut the ad revenue.

Yeah, I'd hate to see those numbers drop from 97.6 million to, say, 96.6 million. That would devastate the NFL, wouldn't it?

Group for LGBT Palestinians Becomes Independent

Until I read this piece, I had no idea there was an LGBT group for Palestinians in Jerusalem, so I thought there was a chance you didn't know that either and might find it interesting.

From PinkNews:

A long-established group for gay, lesbian, trans and bisexual Palestinians in Jerusalem has decided to become independent.

Al-Qaws began life six years ago as a project of the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance (JOH).

In branching out on its own it becomes the first-ever official Palestinian gay organisation. In November Al-Qaws received nonprofit organisation status and was renamed Al-Qaws - for Sexual & Gender Diversity in the Palestinian Society.

"During the six years of its existence, Al-Qaws has undergone an all-embracing organisational process of development," said a spokesperson.

"What started as a local professional-oriented project has grown into a national community and grassroots organisation, with activist leadership.

"This major development has been made possible thanks to the leadership group's determined investment, the deep commitment of Al-Qaws activists and the autonomous space provided to Al-Qaws within the JOH, enabling Al-Qaws to address the needs of the Palestinian LGBTQ community."

Haneen Maikey, Al-Qaws director, said:

"This change is incredibly exciting. This new phase presents new opportunities with promises of growth through self-definition for Palestinian LGBTQs."

The JOH will continue to host Al-Qaws in its new community centre in downtown Jerusalem.

The two organisations said they are committed to exploring wider fields of cooperation in the future towards the advancement of common goals.

Noa Sattath, JOH executive director, said: "The Palestinian LGBTQ community is fortunate to have such strong and capable leaders.

"We look forward to working together with the leadership of Al-Qaws for a better future for all our community members."

Gay Grandparents Are Coming Out

As society becomes more accepting of GLBT people and each generation understands being gay as normal for some people, it has become easier for gay and lesbian grandparents who have spent many years in the closet to come out to their grandkids and everyone else.

A story from the Philadelphia Inquirer tells us about a few of them:

Back in the mid-1970s, Marian Mitchell was a single mother, a recent divorcee who emerged from the closet only on Saturday nights, heading down to Sneakers, a women's bar at Second and Market.

Once, Mitchell's daughter, then 9, asked, "Why don't you date boys?"

"Because Mommy likes girls," was the reply.

A generation later, Mitchell found herself fielding a new round of questions. "Mom-mom, what does LGBT mean?" her oldest granddaughter asked after seeing the acronym for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered on a sign in Mitchell's kitchen.

But Mitchell no longer keeps her identity cloaked. After her longtime partner died in 1997, Mitchell decided it was time to come out. To everyone - including her grandchildren.
Mitchell, 55, coordinates the calendar for Amazon Country, a women's-music show on WXPN. Each month, members of the Lesbian Group of Montgomery County fill her Juniata living room for Rocky Horror theme parties or competitive puzzle-making nights. Her grandkids - 19-year-old Kimberly, 15-year-old Kayla, and 10-year-old Chaly - almost always join the festivities.

"When I was closeted, it was like living a double life," Mitchell said. "I never imagined being able to live so openly. It's so much easier to just be me."

"Lesbian grandmother" or "gay grandpa" used to sound like a contradiction in terms. But now gay grandfolk are a quietly emerging demographic - men and women who married in the 1960s and '70s, had children, and came out later, sometimes only after their children were grown.

There's still no grandparent equivalent of the children's picture book Heather Has Two Mommies. But a recent novel, Grampa Jack, chronicles a gay grandfather's fight for custody of his 6-year-old grandson. And an online boutique sells kids' T-shirts emblazoned with the words "I love my. . .trailblazing. . .woman-loving. . .out and proud grandma."

"There is a growing number of gay grandparents who are looking for ways to explain to their grandchildren who they are and who they love," said Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Equality Council.

"It's so much easier to just be me." Boy, that says a mouthful, doesn't it? God bless these people who are showing that it's never too late to enjoy the fullness of how God made them.

Click here to read the rest of the Inquirer story,

NY Times Concurs with State Court Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage

I'm a bit late with this one, but it's too important to ignore. On Friday, a New York State appeals court ruled that the state must recognize same-sex marriages that are valid in other juristictions, including Canada. This would seem to be a huge step toward the state legalizing same-sex marriages performed inside its borders.

Here is an editorial from the New York Times that, like me (but with a tad more weight behind it) applauds this landmark, unanamous ruling:

In a decision at once common-sensical and profound, a New York State
appeals court ruled Friday that same-sex marriages validly performed in other
jurisdictions are entitled to recognition in New York. It was common sense
because it simply accorded same-sex marriages the same legal status as other
marriages. It was profound because of the way it could transform the lives of
gay people.

The plaintiff in the case, Patricia Martinez, a word-processing supervisor
at an upstate college, married her longtime partner, Lisa Ann Golden, in Canada
in 2004. When Ms. Martinez applied for health care benefits for her spouse, the
college denied the application on the grounds that New York did not recognize
the marriage.

The court, by a 5-0 vote, declared that the college was wrong. Employers in
the state must accord same-sex couples the same rights as other couples. To
reach that result, it simply applied New York’s “marriage recognition rule.”
Under this century-old common-law rule, marriages validly contracted out of
state must be accorded respect in New York, and parties to such unions treated
as spouses, regardless of whether the marriage would be allowed in New
York.

The rule applies unless the Legislature explicitly prohibits recognition or
recognition would be abhorrent to public policy. Unlike many states, New York
has not passed a law denying recognition to same-sex marriages performed
elsewhere. The court rightly decided that recognizing same-sex marriages would
not be “abhorrent.”

The ruling is particularly welcome because it follows a regrettable
decision two years ago by New York’s highest court. That decision said that
prohibiting same-sex marriages from being performed in New York does not violate
the State Constitution. Honoring same-sex marriages validly performed out of
state is a wholly separate legal issue, a point that New York’s attorney
general, Andrew Cuomo, usefully underscored in a friend-of-court
brief.

The new decision still leaves considerable work to be done. New York’s ban
on performing same-sex marriage remains in force. And there is a chance that the
marriage-recognition decision will now be appealed.

Still, the ruling marks important progress toward changing laws and
attitudes that deprive gay people of equal rights and deny the dignity of New
York’s many gay families. They should be able to live, marry and raise children
with the same respect and the same rights as anyone else.

More Episcopal Voices Supporting Gay Clergy

The issue of the place and rights of GLBT people in the Episcopal church continues to simmer and threaten to split the church away from its Anglican roots, but that is not stopping leadership from speaking out and supporting their GLBT breathren. The lastest example came in Chicago.

From the Chicago Tribune: (hat tip to the Washington Blade)

Chicago's new Episcopal bishop and the church's national leader sent a clear message Sunday about where they stand on gay clergy, a smoldering issue that threatens to tear apart the denomination.

Wrapping up a five-day tour in honor of Jeffrey Lee, the new Chicago bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori declared that the American church will not stand alone in its support of gay clergy during an international meeting in July in Lambeth, England.

"Many more [bishops] than you might expect are sympathetic," Jefferts Schori, the presiding Episcopal bishop, told parishioners at St. Nicholas Church in Elk Grove Village. "They are not, however, the loudest voices."

That last point is very important to keep in perspective. The volume of one's voice does not always correspond to their moral authority. I join these Episcopal leaders in believing that is the case in that denomination.

Click here to read the rest of the Chicago Tribune article.

Faith and Same-Sex Marriage

No, it's not an oxymoron. One of the state-wide advocacy groups, Love Makes a Family in Conneclticut, realizes that and is reaching out to solicit the support and help of those faith communities that do have the revelation of God's desire for ALL of his people to enjoy ALL of the blessings he designed for us, including marriage.

Here's a story about that from the Hartfort Courant.

Love Makes a Family, the state's marriage equality organization, has a new job opening for a religious-organizing project coordinator.

The position, funded by a grant from the Gill Foundation, a Colorado-based human rights organization, may come as a surprise to some. An organization some religious types deem satanic — pushing, as it is, for gay marriage — is actually reaching out to religious types itself.

In fact, the marriage equality movement has long had the support of members of a variety of faith groups. The group's list of supporting clergy gets longer every day, and about a year and a half ago, the list evolved into Connecticut Clergy for Marriage Equality.

Marriage equality is not an us-vs.-them situation, at least it shouldn't be among people of faith.

You can read the rest of the Courant's story here.