From Timothy Kinkaid at Box Turtle Bulletin:
Today the full New Jersey Senate voted on a bill to provide the same legal protections, responsibilities, and recognition to same-sex couples that it offers to opposite-sex couples. As expected, the full Senate voted against marriage equality 20 – 14. To pass, the bill needed 21 votes, seven more than it received.
(for the record, Sen. Teresa Ruiz nearly brought me to tears)
What this means in practical terms is that New Jersey will not have marriage equality for the four (or eight) years of Chris Christie’s governance. Or, I suppose, until two thirds of the senate is committed to marriage and can overturn a veto.
However, we finally have a tally of those who believe in equality under the law and those who believe that our lives, our relationships, and our citizenship are inferior to their own. I’ll bring you the roll call once I know it.
It is quite likely that support for the idea of marriage in New Jersey will continue to grow. At some point I think it likely that the no vote of some Senators today will cost them their career.
Let’s try and make that sooner rather than later.
Due to limited Internet access at this time, we won't have any more updates tonight. For further reaction, check out our "LGBT News" link under Resources or the Google News Feed, both on the right hand side of our site.
January 07, 2010
Encouraging Words 1/7/10-"A Call For a Nuanced View of Religious Leaders"
We believe this is an exceptional essay and offers a viewpoint we strongly agree with. From Timothy Kincaid at Box Turtle Bulletin:
Most of us are capable of seeing our coworkers, family, and neighbors as possessing varying degrees of rejection or support.
We know that Aunt Gladys will ask when you’re going to go to Vermont to marry your young man and we appreciate her. But we also know that Uncle Fred will keep his mouth shut but, if asked, will say, “well, any of your special friends are always welcome in my home, but I’m just old fashioned and think a marriage is between a man and a woman”. And Cousin Susan loves you and supports you but really wishes that you were straight because, “the gay life is so much more difficult”.
Somehow we are able to accept Uncle Fred and Cousin Susan and their limitations without denouncing them as vile people. But too often our community views religious leaders through a dichotomous lens; either the minister is a fully supportive political ally, or a hate-filled anti-gay bigot.
But truthfully, most are neither.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Most of us are capable of seeing our coworkers, family, and neighbors as possessing varying degrees of rejection or support.
We know that Aunt Gladys will ask when you’re going to go to Vermont to marry your young man and we appreciate her. But we also know that Uncle Fred will keep his mouth shut but, if asked, will say, “well, any of your special friends are always welcome in my home, but I’m just old fashioned and think a marriage is between a man and a woman”. And Cousin Susan loves you and supports you but really wishes that you were straight because, “the gay life is so much more difficult”.
Somehow we are able to accept Uncle Fred and Cousin Susan and their limitations without denouncing them as vile people. But too often our community views religious leaders through a dichotomous lens; either the minister is a fully supportive political ally, or a hate-filled anti-gay bigot.
But truthfully, most are neither.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
LGBT Helping Hands 1/7/10-AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ARCW is among the largest and most comprehensive AIDS service agencies in the country. We provide a vast array of health and social services to over 3,000 Wisconsin residents living with HIV disease. Through a wide variety of aggressive AIDS prevention programs, we make over 150,000 prevention contacts every year with people who are at risk for contracting HIV.
Health Care
The ARCW Medical Center is the largest provider of HIV health care in Wisconsin. Our medical, dental and mental health clinics are available to people with HIV disease regardless of their ability to pay. Clinic appointments are easily made by clicking on the links to the left.
Social Services
We also provide an array of important social support services which include residential housing, rent assistance, legal assistance, food services, alcohol and drug treatment, benefits advocacy and case management. To access these services, click on the links to the left.
AIDS Prevention
We offer a comprehensive continuum of AIDS prevention programs throughout Wisconsin. We are proud of our Lifepoint clean needle exchange program which operates in 11 Wisconsin cities. From abstinence support to HIV risk reduction counseling to HIV testing, we bring the most effective AIDS prevention strategies to gay men, injection drug users, women and youth at risk for HIV disease.
Click here to find out more.
Health Care
The ARCW Medical Center is the largest provider of HIV health care in Wisconsin. Our medical, dental and mental health clinics are available to people with HIV disease regardless of their ability to pay. Clinic appointments are easily made by clicking on the links to the left.
Social Services
We also provide an array of important social support services which include residential housing, rent assistance, legal assistance, food services, alcohol and drug treatment, benefits advocacy and case management. To access these services, click on the links to the left.
AIDS Prevention
We offer a comprehensive continuum of AIDS prevention programs throughout Wisconsin. We are proud of our Lifepoint clean needle exchange program which operates in 11 Wisconsin cities. From abstinence support to HIV risk reduction counseling to HIV testing, we bring the most effective AIDS prevention strategies to gay men, injection drug users, women and youth at risk for HIV disease.
Click here to find out more.
The "Gay Panic" Defense Won't Go Away
From Change.org:
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stab you to death, but I was freaked out about your sexual orientation.
Sounds ridiculous, but the venerable "gay panic" defense is being tossed about surrounding a murder in Indiana, where an Indiana University professor was killed last week. That professor, Don Belton, was stabbed in his own kitchen six times with a ten-inch military knife. The assailant, Michael Griffin, is a 25-year-old ex-marine and Bloomington, Indiana resident.
The details of the case are murky. Journals from Belton's own home indicate that the two had some sort of relationship, dating back a few weeks. Griffin also apparently told police that he stabbed Belton because the professor wouldn't apologize for an unwanted sexual advance on Christmas Day. But the extent to which these two knew each other, and how they knew each other, hasn't really been fully disclosed just yet.
But that's not stopping some from speculating that "gay panic" led to Belton's murder. Take Ryan Smith over at CBS News, who writes, "Though his defense strategy is not yet clear, others with similar cases have pursued a 'gay panic' defense, hoping to persuade juries that they were rendered temporarily insane by the perceived romantic or sexual advances of the victim."
In 2010, one might think "gay panic" is as much an oxymoron as "jumbo shrimp" or "fighting for peace." After all, let's call "gay panic" what it really is -- an act by someone so self-loathing or insecure that they annihilate a person because they can't come to terms with their own issues. As a friend of mine put it, yeah, that may be panic. But defensible? Hardly.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stab you to death, but I was freaked out about your sexual orientation.
Sounds ridiculous, but the venerable "gay panic" defense is being tossed about surrounding a murder in Indiana, where an Indiana University professor was killed last week. That professor, Don Belton, was stabbed in his own kitchen six times with a ten-inch military knife. The assailant, Michael Griffin, is a 25-year-old ex-marine and Bloomington, Indiana resident.
The details of the case are murky. Journals from Belton's own home indicate that the two had some sort of relationship, dating back a few weeks. Griffin also apparently told police that he stabbed Belton because the professor wouldn't apologize for an unwanted sexual advance on Christmas Day. But the extent to which these two knew each other, and how they knew each other, hasn't really been fully disclosed just yet.
But that's not stopping some from speculating that "gay panic" led to Belton's murder. Take Ryan Smith over at CBS News, who writes, "Though his defense strategy is not yet clear, others with similar cases have pursued a 'gay panic' defense, hoping to persuade juries that they were rendered temporarily insane by the perceived romantic or sexual advances of the victim."
In 2010, one might think "gay panic" is as much an oxymoron as "jumbo shrimp" or "fighting for peace." After all, let's call "gay panic" what it really is -- an act by someone so self-loathing or insecure that they annihilate a person because they can't come to terms with their own issues. As a friend of mine put it, yeah, that may be panic. But defensible? Hardly.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Daily Devotional 1/7/10 Dependence on God - A Witness of His Power
From: Love Worth Finding
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7
If you’re like most people, you don’t realize your dependency on God until you’re burned out from stress — either self-induced or caused by circumstances beyond your control.
Why is that? Paul says it’s because we are fragile, but he doesn’t stop there. He says that God made us this way so that His power may be known through us!
Maybe someone told you, “Oh, just tie a knot and hang on!” But sometimes God wants us to let go of the rope because it is keeping us tied down to our destructive habits. We are totally dependent on God so that the love of His Son may be made known to the world.
Get a piece of rope and tie a knot in it. Let it sit on your desk this week as a reminder that God is more than just a knot at the end of the rope; He is the Savior of the World!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7
If you’re like most people, you don’t realize your dependency on God until you’re burned out from stress — either self-induced or caused by circumstances beyond your control.
Why is that? Paul says it’s because we are fragile, but he doesn’t stop there. He says that God made us this way so that His power may be known through us!
Maybe someone told you, “Oh, just tie a knot and hang on!” But sometimes God wants us to let go of the rope because it is keeping us tied down to our destructive habits. We are totally dependent on God so that the love of His Son may be made known to the world.
Get a piece of rope and tie a knot in it. Let it sit on your desk this week as a reminder that God is more than just a knot at the end of the rope; He is the Savior of the World!
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January 06, 2010
Would a Supreme Court Ruling In Favor of Same-Sex Marriage Be a Bad Thing For LGBT People?
That's the interesting take from Gay Patriot, a gay conservitive blog (hat tip to CommonComrades on Twitter). We think they raise some interesting points, but we believe that ultimately the pros still strongly outweigh the cons.
...take heed to the results of a little 1973 Supreme Court decisions, Roe v. Wade. There, the court removed the issue of abortion from elected legislatures and overturned their bans on the practice. And as a result, for the past thirty-six years, abortion has become a divisive social issue.
And back then, some states were already moving to legalize the practice (just as some are moving today to recognize gay marriage). If federal courts mandate state recognition of gay marriage, gay marriage will become a political football like abortion, forever dividing us. Mr. Frum should recall that gay marriage first became a political football in the 1990s shortly after the Hawai’i Supreme Court ruled that its state “statute limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples is presumed to be unconstitutional“, remanding the case to lower courts to see if there were compelling “state interests” which justified the ban. Three years later, a trial court found that there were none.
The same year, Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Two years after that, Hawai’i voters amended their state’s constitution to limit marriage to opposite sex couples. A raft of state referenda with goals similar to the Aloha State initiative followed. In this century, the Goodridge decision in Massachusetts mandating that the Bay State legislature recognize same-sex marriages led to a similar flood of state initiatives limiting state recognized marriage to its traditional definition.
In short, court-mandated recognition of same-sex marriage only serves to further social divisions. To avoid such divisions, gay marriage advocates should first convince the people of the merits of expanding the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. That is why it is better to move this issue through legislatures. And given last month’s election returns, it would be better to move incrementally, first pushing civil unions for which there seems to be significant support (at least in the nation’s coastal regions).
Click here to read the rest of the post and join in what you can imagine is a very spirited discussion.
...take heed to the results of a little 1973 Supreme Court decisions, Roe v. Wade. There, the court removed the issue of abortion from elected legislatures and overturned their bans on the practice. And as a result, for the past thirty-six years, abortion has become a divisive social issue.
And back then, some states were already moving to legalize the practice (just as some are moving today to recognize gay marriage). If federal courts mandate state recognition of gay marriage, gay marriage will become a political football like abortion, forever dividing us. Mr. Frum should recall that gay marriage first became a political football in the 1990s shortly after the Hawai’i Supreme Court ruled that its state “statute limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples is presumed to be unconstitutional“, remanding the case to lower courts to see if there were compelling “state interests” which justified the ban. Three years later, a trial court found that there were none.
The same year, Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Two years after that, Hawai’i voters amended their state’s constitution to limit marriage to opposite sex couples. A raft of state referenda with goals similar to the Aloha State initiative followed. In this century, the Goodridge decision in Massachusetts mandating that the Bay State legislature recognize same-sex marriages led to a similar flood of state initiatives limiting state recognized marriage to its traditional definition.
In short, court-mandated recognition of same-sex marriage only serves to further social divisions. To avoid such divisions, gay marriage advocates should first convince the people of the merits of expanding the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. That is why it is better to move this issue through legislatures. And given last month’s election returns, it would be better to move incrementally, first pushing civil unions for which there seems to be significant support (at least in the nation’s coastal regions).
Click here to read the rest of the post and join in what you can imagine is a very spirited discussion.
Matthew 25 Resource 1/6/10: Helping Up Mission (Baltimore, MD)
Since 1885, Helping Up Mission has been coming to the aid of the poor and homeless in the City of Baltimore and surrounding region. During the last half of the twentieth century, the Mission narrowed its focus to serving the spiritual and physical needs of the poor and homeless men in the region.
Yet, to really support poor and homeless men in Baltimore, the Mission began a long-term residential Spiritual Recovery Program for men struggling with drug and alcohol addiction in the 1990’s. Today, the work of Helping Up Mission centers on a 12-month residential Spiritual Recovery Program in a 12 Step therapeutic community. The focus is on addressing the intellectual, physical, social and spiritual needs of every man we serve.
Click here to find out more.
Yet, to really support poor and homeless men in Baltimore, the Mission began a long-term residential Spiritual Recovery Program for men struggling with drug and alcohol addiction in the 1990’s. Today, the work of Helping Up Mission centers on a 12-month residential Spiritual Recovery Program in a 12 Step therapeutic community. The focus is on addressing the intellectual, physical, social and spiritual needs of every man we serve.
Click here to find out more.
How Will Marriage Equality Affect Presidential Politics in Iowa and New Hampshire?
Blogger Joe Mirabella finds it very interesting, as we also do, that the two states which are always the first focus of presidential campaigns also both have fully legal same-sex marriage. His post over at Pam's House Blend offers interesting insight how that fact might impact the 2012 presidential campaign, which will be upon us before we know it:
Iowa and New Hampshire politics are intimate. When I lived in Iowa I regularly met presidential candidates. They are extraordinarily available. One day I was walking down the street in Iowa City and I ran into Joe Biden having a conversation with a picnic table full of Iowans. They were grilling him on everything from foreign affairs to equal rights.
I ran into Al Gore at my favorite coffee shop shortly after the presidency was given to Bush by the Supreme Court. He was sporting a thick beard and and several extra pounds, but he was in Iowa so I had hope he was going to make a comeback.
I also met Bush Senior, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich, and John Kerry. I didn't meet these people because I was a powerful lobbyist or because I had a lot of money to donate, but because they were candidates and they desperately wanted me to like them because I was an Iowan.
Iowa and New Hampshire politics are intimate. When I lived in Iowa I regularly met presidential candidates. They are extraordinarily available. One day I was walking down the street in Iowa City and I ran into Joe Biden having a conversation with a picnic table full of Iowans. They were grilling him on everything from foreign affairs to equal rights.
I ran into Al Gore at my favorite coffee shop shortly after the presidency was given to Bush by the Supreme Court. He was sporting a thick beard and and several extra pounds, but he was in Iowa so I had hope he was going to make a comeback.
I also met Bush Senior, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich, and John Kerry. I didn't meet these people because I was a powerful lobbyist or because I had a lot of money to donate, but because they were candidates and they desperately wanted me to like them because I was an Iowan.
Daily Devotional 1/6/10 The Master Designer
From: Love Worth Finding
“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18
How did it happen? How did the Bible get written apart from divine inspiration?
Suppose we decided to build a monument to the 50 states in Washington and use native stone from each state. We would hammer out the stones from individual quarries in each state. Then, ship them, uncrate them, and fit the stones together. As the stones were assembled, we discovered that there was not one stone too many. Not one stone too few. When completed, we had a magnificently symmetrical monument. The only answer to this perfection is that there was a master architect who designed everything.
In the same way, you cannot explain the unity of the Bible apart from divine inspiration.
Praise God for His Master Design of the universe — of the stars, the planets, the skies, the seas...and you!
“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18
How did it happen? How did the Bible get written apart from divine inspiration?
Suppose we decided to build a monument to the 50 states in Washington and use native stone from each state. We would hammer out the stones from individual quarries in each state. Then, ship them, uncrate them, and fit the stones together. As the stones were assembled, we discovered that there was not one stone too many. Not one stone too few. When completed, we had a magnificently symmetrical monument. The only answer to this perfection is that there was a master architect who designed everything.
In the same way, you cannot explain the unity of the Bible apart from divine inspiration.
Praise God for His Master Design of the universe — of the stars, the planets, the skies, the seas...and you!
January 05, 2010
First Same-Sex Marriage in Latin America Performed in Argentina
From the BBC (hat tip to Twitter friend marriageequality):
Two Argentine men have become the first same-sex couple to marry legally in Latin America.
Alejandro Freyre, 39, and Jose Maria Di Bello, 41, tied the knot in a civil ceremony in the southern city of Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego province.
Gay marriage is illegal in Argentina. However, the Tierra del Fuego governor issued a special decree allowing the couple to wed there.
Roman Catholic leaders in the country expressed alarm at the move.
A judge in the capital, Buenos Aires, prevented the couple from marrying there earlier this month.
The men, who are both HIV-positive, had planned to get married on 1 December, World Aids day.
They eventually travelled to Tierra del Fuego, where they received the support of provincial governor Fabiana Rios.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Two Argentine men have become the first same-sex couple to marry legally in Latin America.
Alejandro Freyre, 39, and Jose Maria Di Bello, 41, tied the knot in a civil ceremony in the southern city of Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego province.
Gay marriage is illegal in Argentina. However, the Tierra del Fuego governor issued a special decree allowing the couple to wed there.
Roman Catholic leaders in the country expressed alarm at the move.
A judge in the capital, Buenos Aires, prevented the couple from marrying there earlier this month.
The men, who are both HIV-positive, had planned to get married on 1 December, World Aids day.
They eventually travelled to Tierra del Fuego, where they received the support of provincial governor Fabiana Rios.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Encouraging Words 1/5/10-"Secrets of a Closet Christian"
From the Chicago Sun-Times (hat tip to Twitter friend gcnjustin. Can you relate to this story?
It was Sunday morning in my scruffy Brooklyn neighborhood, and I was wearing a dress. Walking to the subway, I ran into a friend heading home from yoga class. She wore sweats.
"Where are you going so early all dressed up?" she asked, chuckling. "To church?"
We shared a laugh at the absurdity of a liberal New Yorker heading to worship.
The real joke? I totally was.
Inside the church, it's cool and quiet. I read the Collect of the day in the Book of Com- mon Prayer, which urges us: "While we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure." My recent layoff no longer seems like the end of the world. I take Communion and exchange the peace and listen to the sermon. As I'm walking back up the aisle, I feel reoriented and calmer, the indignities of the week shift into perspective.
These moments are not only sacred; they are secret. Outside, on the steps of the church, I think I see someone familiar coming down the sidewalk, and I bolt in the other direction.
Why am I so paranoid? I'm not cheating on my husband or committing crimes. Those are battles my cosmopolitan, progressive friends would understand. Many had to come out -- as gay, as alcoholics, as artists in places where art wasn't valued. To them, my situation is far more sinister: I am the bane of their youth, the boogeyman of their politics, the very thing they left their small towns to escape. I am a Christian.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
It was Sunday morning in my scruffy Brooklyn neighborhood, and I was wearing a dress. Walking to the subway, I ran into a friend heading home from yoga class. She wore sweats.
"Where are you going so early all dressed up?" she asked, chuckling. "To church?"
We shared a laugh at the absurdity of a liberal New Yorker heading to worship.
The real joke? I totally was.
Inside the church, it's cool and quiet. I read the Collect of the day in the Book of Com- mon Prayer, which urges us: "While we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure." My recent layoff no longer seems like the end of the world. I take Communion and exchange the peace and listen to the sermon. As I'm walking back up the aisle, I feel reoriented and calmer, the indignities of the week shift into perspective.
These moments are not only sacred; they are secret. Outside, on the steps of the church, I think I see someone familiar coming down the sidewalk, and I bolt in the other direction.
Why am I so paranoid? I'm not cheating on my husband or committing crimes. Those are battles my cosmopolitan, progressive friends would understand. Many had to come out -- as gay, as alcoholics, as artists in places where art wasn't valued. To them, my situation is far more sinister: I am the bane of their youth, the boogeyman of their politics, the very thing they left their small towns to escape. I am a Christian.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
LGBT Helping Hands 1/5/10-Gay Community Center of Richmond (VA)
The Gay Community Center of Richmond is a 47,000 square foot Community Center located in Richmond's Northside for the use of Central Virginia's LGBT community and supportive agencies and groups. We provide meeting space, classroom and event space at little or no cost to community groups and non-profit organizations. We are the home of the GCCR Gallery, which is the first gallery in Virginia dedicated to showcasing LGBT artists and those who portray our community in a positive light. Since GCCR began community center operations in 2008, more than forty community groups have held programs attracting thousands of participants.
We are located at 1407 Sherwood Avenue (off Hermitage Road behind the Diamond, or off Brook Road behind Children's Hospital).
The Gay Community Center of Richmond was founded in 1999 to provide support for the agencies and groups that serve Central Virginia's sexual and gender minority people, and to educate the public about the many issues facing our community. In 2004, GCCR purchased our facility and began renovations that culminated in April 2008 with the dedication of Virginia's first community center serving the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. GCCR is a leader in the effort to create a permanent and sustainable non-profit structure in Richmond dedicated to serving sexual and gender minority people and their allies. In March 2009, the GCCR Board of Directors received a strategic plan that calls for the creation of a permanent Program Committee to research and develop an expanded series of offerings, in association with other established community service agencies and groups.
GCCR is also an endowment for the community. Our facility was purchased and renovated and will be expanded through the generous support of hundreds of community activists, visionary corporate supporters and foundations that recognize the important role our community plays in Central Virginia’s life and culture.
The Gay Community Center of Richmond is the home for our community. Our safe and welcoming facility and the exciting programs we offer and host make Central Virginia a better place to live for all fair minded people. Join us. Come home.
Click here to find out more.
We are located at 1407 Sherwood Avenue (off Hermitage Road behind the Diamond, or off Brook Road behind Children's Hospital).
The Gay Community Center of Richmond was founded in 1999 to provide support for the agencies and groups that serve Central Virginia's sexual and gender minority people, and to educate the public about the many issues facing our community. In 2004, GCCR purchased our facility and began renovations that culminated in April 2008 with the dedication of Virginia's first community center serving the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. GCCR is a leader in the effort to create a permanent and sustainable non-profit structure in Richmond dedicated to serving sexual and gender minority people and their allies. In March 2009, the GCCR Board of Directors received a strategic plan that calls for the creation of a permanent Program Committee to research and develop an expanded series of offerings, in association with other established community service agencies and groups.
GCCR is also an endowment for the community. Our facility was purchased and renovated and will be expanded through the generous support of hundreds of community activists, visionary corporate supporters and foundations that recognize the important role our community plays in Central Virginia’s life and culture.
The Gay Community Center of Richmond is the home for our community. Our safe and welcoming facility and the exciting programs we offer and host make Central Virginia a better place to live for all fair minded people. Join us. Come home.
Click here to find out more.
Is James Dobson Ready To Fade Away Quietly? Doubtful.
We post this story here because Dr. James Dobson is one of the loudest voices that speaks out in sworn opposition to anything that might be affirming of LGBT people's very right to exist. He's been quiet for a while, but according to this story it doesn't look like he's ready to silence his anti-gay rhetoric anytime soon. From the Colorado Springs Gazette (hat tip to GetReligion):
James Dobson is already asking for donations for his new nonprofit, James Dobson on the Family, which he’s launching with son Ryan in March.
Please click here to read my Gazette story for background on Dobson’s new ministry.
On his Facebook page, Dobson estimates first-year operation costs to be $2 million. “Your participation will be greatly appreciated, especially during this time when startup costs will be very expensive,” he writes.
Dobson’s new ministry will have a similar agenda to that of Focus, which is to build up family values. The centerpiece of the ministry will be a daily radio show Dobson will co-host with 39-year-old Ryan.
Dobson’s departure from Focus only to start a similar ministry has some outside obervers speculating that Dobson was forced out of Focus and that a bitter Dobson decided to create a competing organization. Dobson, they say, may also feel that Focus’ kinder and gentler approach under CEO and president Jim Daly is not doing the trick, motivating Dobson to start a family nonprofit where fiery rhetoric is the norm.
Both Focus and Dobson deny these reasons.
Yeah, right. Click here to read the rest of the story, and stay tuned for more on Dobson's future.
James Dobson is already asking for donations for his new nonprofit, James Dobson on the Family, which he’s launching with son Ryan in March.
Please click here to read my Gazette story for background on Dobson’s new ministry.
On his Facebook page, Dobson estimates first-year operation costs to be $2 million. “Your participation will be greatly appreciated, especially during this time when startup costs will be very expensive,” he writes.
Dobson’s new ministry will have a similar agenda to that of Focus, which is to build up family values. The centerpiece of the ministry will be a daily radio show Dobson will co-host with 39-year-old Ryan.
Dobson’s departure from Focus only to start a similar ministry has some outside obervers speculating that Dobson was forced out of Focus and that a bitter Dobson decided to create a competing organization. Dobson, they say, may also feel that Focus’ kinder and gentler approach under CEO and president Jim Daly is not doing the trick, motivating Dobson to start a family nonprofit where fiery rhetoric is the norm.
Both Focus and Dobson deny these reasons.
Yeah, right. Click here to read the rest of the story, and stay tuned for more on Dobson's future.
Daily Devotional 1/5/10 Finding Your Contentment in Jesus
From: Love Worth Finding
“…and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ ” Hebrews 13:5
As you face the New Year, I want you to find your contentment in Jesus, your companionship in Jesus, and your confidence in Jesus. Then you’ll find your comfort and your courage in Jesus.
When you are contented in Jesus and He is closer to you than anyone on earth could possibly be, when you are confident that He will provide in the midst of trials and testing, then and only then will you know the courage that comes from His comforting presence.
Pray, “Lord, with all my heart, with all I am, I want to know you. I want our relationship to be close and my faith to grow. Cleanse me and make me new that I may be all that You want me to be this year.”
“…and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ ” Hebrews 13:5
As you face the New Year, I want you to find your contentment in Jesus, your companionship in Jesus, and your confidence in Jesus. Then you’ll find your comfort and your courage in Jesus.
When you are contented in Jesus and He is closer to you than anyone on earth could possibly be, when you are confident that He will provide in the midst of trials and testing, then and only then will you know the courage that comes from His comforting presence.
Pray, “Lord, with all my heart, with all I am, I want to know you. I want our relationship to be close and my faith to grow. Cleanse me and make me new that I may be all that You want me to be this year.”
January 04, 2010
The Danger of Anti-Gay Hate Being Demonstrated in Uganda
The New York Times reports on a key motivation for Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality bill under consideration; a conference led by three American evangelicals. Not surprisingly, those leaders are trying to avoid accountability for their actions. Here's an excerpt from the Times story:
Last March, three American evangelical Christians, whose teachings about “curing” homosexuals have been widely discredited in the United States, arrived here in Uganda’s capital to give a series of talks.
The theme of the event, according to Stephen Langa, its Ugandan organizer, was “the gay agenda — that whole hidden and dark agenda” — and the threat homosexuals posed to Bible-based values and the traditional African family.
For three days, according to participants and audio recordings, thousands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and national politicians, listened raptly to the Americans, who were presented as experts on homosexuality. The visitors discussed how to make gay people straight, how gay men often sodomized teenage boys and how “the gay movement is an evil institution” whose goal is “to defeat the marriage-based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity.”
Now the three Americans are finding themselves on the defensive, saying they had no intention of helping stoke the kind of anger that could lead to what came next: a bill to impose a death sentence for homosexual behavior.
One month after the conference, a previously unknown Ugandan politician, who boasts of having evangelical friends in the American government, introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, which threatens to hang homosexuals, and, as a result, has put Uganda on a collision course with Western nations.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Last March, three American evangelical Christians, whose teachings about “curing” homosexuals have been widely discredited in the United States, arrived here in Uganda’s capital to give a series of talks.
The theme of the event, according to Stephen Langa, its Ugandan organizer, was “the gay agenda — that whole hidden and dark agenda” — and the threat homosexuals posed to Bible-based values and the traditional African family.
For three days, according to participants and audio recordings, thousands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and national politicians, listened raptly to the Americans, who were presented as experts on homosexuality. The visitors discussed how to make gay people straight, how gay men often sodomized teenage boys and how “the gay movement is an evil institution” whose goal is “to defeat the marriage-based society and replace it with a culture of sexual promiscuity.”
Now the three Americans are finding themselves on the defensive, saying they had no intention of helping stoke the kind of anger that could lead to what came next: a bill to impose a death sentence for homosexual behavior.
One month after the conference, a previously unknown Ugandan politician, who boasts of having evangelical friends in the American government, introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, which threatens to hang homosexuals, and, as a result, has put Uganda on a collision course with Western nations.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Encouraging Words 1/4/10-BCF Praise Report
2010: Living in Covenant with God.....and one another!
What a great time we had yesterday in Father's House! It was so good to be back together again after a two week hiatus. Worship was wonderful and the Word of the Lord to us was a great exhortation and comfort to us all.
There were three key points that the Lord reminded us to remember daily as we go forward into 2010: Follow Peace, Follow the Word, Follow Jesus!
Colossians 3:15 says for us to "LET the peace (shalom) of Christ rule in our hearts..." the word in greek for 'rule' means to act as umpire, to direct, or to guide- and in this case, let God's peace be your umpire to direct or guide your decision making in the new year. If you don't have peace about a situation- then take the time to wait on the Lord, seek His heart and direction, ASK for wisdom to know what to do and to walk in God's perfect Will for your life.
Divine delays are not necessarily Divine No's; Just because something you're waiting on God for hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean that it is NOT going to happen- we must live in faith and exercise patience. Remember, the righteous will LIVE by faith- so Trust God and His Goodness towards you, and follow peace.
Second, follow the Word of God! "Thy WORD is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path!" Psalm 119; "Trust in the Lord with ALL of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In ALL of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:4,6; "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and give you HOPE and a future!" Jeremiah 29:11; "I would brethren that you prosper EVEN AS your soul is prospering." 3 John 2; "FEAR NOT, for I am with you!" Over and over again the Lord tells us to FEAR NOT and to TRUST Him in all of our ways. Obey His commands and you WILL prosper! Be obedient to God!
Be faithful, Be devoted to Him and His Church, Be a tither and giver!
Remember, you are sowing seeds TODAY for your tomorrows! What you give your time and attention to- you will become. If you give your time and attention to the things of the Kingdom, to His Word, to worship and fellowship with like-minded Believers- YOU WILL BECOME STRONG IN THE LORD- like them! But if you give your attention to anything else, or nothing at all- look out! That is what you are going to become yourself!
Third, follow Jesus- the Author and the Finisher of our faith! Jesus is doing a work in you and in US (His Bride) that as He polishes us up- we will reflect Him in all of His Love, Power and Glory!!! Colossians 3:12 tells us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; For us to bear with each other and forgive any and ALL grievances with each other even as God has forgiven US! And finally- it says for us to put on LOVE- which binds us all together in perfect unity! BE LIKE JESUS!
Follow Him by following His example of what it means to be a Son or Daughter of God!
In the year ahead, we must remember that God is a faithful and COVENANT KEEPING God! He is faithful even if we aren't! Be not afraid, or intimidated- you are not alone, and you are not spiritually impotent! God the Lord is on your side! Who can be against you? AND....if you will keep your covenant with His Church, you have a whole company of like-minded Believers to fellowship with, to comfort you, to help and support, to give in to, and to count on! We are COVENANT People, and we must endeavor to continue to be such- no matter what comes our way.
We want to remind you that we LOVE you and deeply care about your well being. We are praying for you and we remain your faithful, COVENANT partners, Brothers and Sisters in the Faith- and we will continue to be such for you til Jesus comes and takes us all Home! Please continue to pray for us to be fruitful in the work of the King- and to lead many souls to Christ in the days ahead. Have a great week and a most BLESSED New Year! It is going to be a GREAT year for us all, we just know it!
In Christ's love and Shalom,
Ap Dale
What a great time we had yesterday in Father's House! It was so good to be back together again after a two week hiatus. Worship was wonderful and the Word of the Lord to us was a great exhortation and comfort to us all.
There were three key points that the Lord reminded us to remember daily as we go forward into 2010: Follow Peace, Follow the Word, Follow Jesus!
Colossians 3:15 says for us to "LET the peace (shalom) of Christ rule in our hearts..." the word in greek for 'rule' means to act as umpire, to direct, or to guide- and in this case, let God's peace be your umpire to direct or guide your decision making in the new year. If you don't have peace about a situation- then take the time to wait on the Lord, seek His heart and direction, ASK for wisdom to know what to do and to walk in God's perfect Will for your life.
Divine delays are not necessarily Divine No's; Just because something you're waiting on God for hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean that it is NOT going to happen- we must live in faith and exercise patience. Remember, the righteous will LIVE by faith- so Trust God and His Goodness towards you, and follow peace.
Second, follow the Word of God! "Thy WORD is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path!" Psalm 119; "Trust in the Lord with ALL of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In ALL of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:4,6; "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and give you HOPE and a future!" Jeremiah 29:11; "I would brethren that you prosper EVEN AS your soul is prospering." 3 John 2; "FEAR NOT, for I am with you!" Over and over again the Lord tells us to FEAR NOT and to TRUST Him in all of our ways. Obey His commands and you WILL prosper! Be obedient to God!
Be faithful, Be devoted to Him and His Church, Be a tither and giver!
Remember, you are sowing seeds TODAY for your tomorrows! What you give your time and attention to- you will become. If you give your time and attention to the things of the Kingdom, to His Word, to worship and fellowship with like-minded Believers- YOU WILL BECOME STRONG IN THE LORD- like them! But if you give your attention to anything else, or nothing at all- look out! That is what you are going to become yourself!
Third, follow Jesus- the Author and the Finisher of our faith! Jesus is doing a work in you and in US (His Bride) that as He polishes us up- we will reflect Him in all of His Love, Power and Glory!!! Colossians 3:12 tells us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; For us to bear with each other and forgive any and ALL grievances with each other even as God has forgiven US! And finally- it says for us to put on LOVE- which binds us all together in perfect unity! BE LIKE JESUS!
Follow Him by following His example of what it means to be a Son or Daughter of God!
In the year ahead, we must remember that God is a faithful and COVENANT KEEPING God! He is faithful even if we aren't! Be not afraid, or intimidated- you are not alone, and you are not spiritually impotent! God the Lord is on your side! Who can be against you? AND....if you will keep your covenant with His Church, you have a whole company of like-minded Believers to fellowship with, to comfort you, to help and support, to give in to, and to count on! We are COVENANT People, and we must endeavor to continue to be such- no matter what comes our way.
We want to remind you that we LOVE you and deeply care about your well being. We are praying for you and we remain your faithful, COVENANT partners, Brothers and Sisters in the Faith- and we will continue to be such for you til Jesus comes and takes us all Home! Please continue to pray for us to be fruitful in the work of the King- and to lead many souls to Christ in the days ahead. Have a great week and a most BLESSED New Year! It is going to be a GREAT year for us all, we just know it!
In Christ's love and Shalom,
Ap Dale
Matthew 25 Resource 1/4/10-Foodshare (Bloomfield, CT)
Foodshare can exercise leadership role in creating this hunger-free community in three major ways:
Self-sufficiency (for those in need) -- To end hunger, we need to reduce the number of people in need by increasing people's self-sufficiency.
Engagement (of the larger community -- Creating a hunger-free community will be advanced by changing the conversation about hunger, building understanding of the reasons people are hungry and potential solutions, and motivating people to become personally involved in those solutions.
Food Assistance (through Foodshare's partner agencies) -- Foodshare should ensure that there is an efficient and effective safety net of services so that no one goes without food.
We will:
Operate as an effective charitable business and make sound business decisions.
Be good stewards of the human, food, monetary, and other resources entrusted to us.
Remember that caring, committed, and compassionate people are Foodshare’s most valuable assets.
Be honest and open in all relationships, communications, dealings, and transactions.
Ensure that a variety of voices are represented in our decision-making.
Remain mindful that ending hunger requires new and innovative solutions that go beyond giving people food.
Become active participants in truly ending hunger.
Continue to serve those whose situation does not allow them to feed themselves.
Click here to find out more.
Self-sufficiency (for those in need) -- To end hunger, we need to reduce the number of people in need by increasing people's self-sufficiency.
Engagement (of the larger community -- Creating a hunger-free community will be advanced by changing the conversation about hunger, building understanding of the reasons people are hungry and potential solutions, and motivating people to become personally involved in those solutions.
Food Assistance (through Foodshare's partner agencies) -- Foodshare should ensure that there is an efficient and effective safety net of services so that no one goes without food.
We will:
Operate as an effective charitable business and make sound business decisions.
Be good stewards of the human, food, monetary, and other resources entrusted to us.
Remember that caring, committed, and compassionate people are Foodshare’s most valuable assets.
Be honest and open in all relationships, communications, dealings, and transactions.
Ensure that a variety of voices are represented in our decision-making.
Remain mindful that ending hunger requires new and innovative solutions that go beyond giving people food.
Become active participants in truly ending hunger.
Continue to serve those whose situation does not allow them to feed themselves.
Click here to find out more.
What Impact Will Obama's Appointment of a Transgender Person Really Have?
That's the question that Dr. Jillian T. Weiss tackles at The Bilerico Project:
The announcement of President Obama's appointment of Amanda Simpson to the Department of Commerce on the last day of 2009 is a significant event for LGBT rights in the U.S. But what does it, in fact, mean? What, if any, results will it translate into? Or is it just a token of change, with emphasis on the token?
LGBT people, and particularly transgender and transsexual people, are subjected to a great deal of prejudice. A portal icon for Portal:Transgender, based on...This appointment won't change that. I'm not even sure we'll see much news in the mainstream media about it. Few other appointees have received much press, even the controversial ones.
But the announcement that a transgender person is worthy of a Presidential appointment will impact the cultural imaginary of the DC power elite. Ultimately, media and the public have limited relevance in the running of national affairs. Never forget the power elite that runs things. This appointment will impact them, and that is saying a lot.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
The announcement of President Obama's appointment of Amanda Simpson to the Department of Commerce on the last day of 2009 is a significant event for LGBT rights in the U.S. But what does it, in fact, mean? What, if any, results will it translate into? Or is it just a token of change, with emphasis on the token?
LGBT people, and particularly transgender and transsexual people, are subjected to a great deal of prejudice. A portal icon for Portal:Transgender, based on...This appointment won't change that. I'm not even sure we'll see much news in the mainstream media about it. Few other appointees have received much press, even the controversial ones.
But the announcement that a transgender person is worthy of a Presidential appointment will impact the cultural imaginary of the DC power elite. Ultimately, media and the public have limited relevance in the running of national affairs. Never forget the power elite that runs things. This appointment will impact them, and that is saying a lot.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
Daily Devotional 1/4/10 The Trial of Your Faith
From: Love Worth Finding
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:7
James 1:13 says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man."
Some people get confused between temptations and trials, and the difference between the two is this:
Trials are sent by God to cause us to stand.
Temptation to sin is sent by the devil to cause us to stumble.
One is meant for our maturity. The other is meant for our misery. James used this word interchangeably. While God does not cause both kinds, God allows both kinds, and He will use both to make us more like Jesus.
Are you in the furnace of affliction? Do you feel you're being tempted? Trust in God to see you through.
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:7
James 1:13 says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man."
Some people get confused between temptations and trials, and the difference between the two is this:
Trials are sent by God to cause us to stand.
Temptation to sin is sent by the devil to cause us to stumble.
One is meant for our maturity. The other is meant for our misery. James used this word interchangeably. While God does not cause both kinds, God allows both kinds, and He will use both to make us more like Jesus.
Are you in the furnace of affliction? Do you feel you're being tempted? Trust in God to see you through.
January 03, 2010
An Agenda of Working Together
We found this posted in Indiana Equality's site, a release from the Equality Federation citing working together across organization and state lines as an important part of their 2010 agenda. We have been strong proponents of less organizations and more cooperation, so we believe this is a very good approach:
Equality Federation board members from states across the country returned home from San Francisco yesterday after a two-day retreat intended to set the organization’s agenda for the next year. The Federation plays a critical role in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equal rights movement by delivering resources to the organizations and leaders who organize, educate, and lobby for LGBT people in the communities where they live.
This year, the Board committed itself to launching a multi-state dialogue about the role of our LGBT advocacy organizations in working on issues surrounding race, gender identity, and poverty. “I am very excited by the commitment of Equality Federation board members to a project working on racial, transgender and economic justice,” said Federation board member and Basic Rights Oregon executive director Jeana Frazzini. “We are already doing this kind of work at Basic Rights Oregon and I look forward to sharing what we have learned and engaging with other movement leaders committed to dismantling racism.”
“I am especially pleased by the Board’s desire to better understand the issues faced by transgender people, who overall experience some of the harshest discrimination in our communities,” said Gunner Scott, executive director of Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. “Transgender people face extremely high rates of poverty and transgender people of color are hit especially hard by discrimination.”
Over the next year, Equality Federation will take specific steps to address issues of racial, transgender, and economic justice by training its board, exploring partnerships and funding to support state justice training and projects, and actively working through committees and membership meetings to assess strategies through this justice framework.
Click here to read the rest of this release.
Equality Federation board members from states across the country returned home from San Francisco yesterday after a two-day retreat intended to set the organization’s agenda for the next year. The Federation plays a critical role in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equal rights movement by delivering resources to the organizations and leaders who organize, educate, and lobby for LGBT people in the communities where they live.
This year, the Board committed itself to launching a multi-state dialogue about the role of our LGBT advocacy organizations in working on issues surrounding race, gender identity, and poverty. “I am very excited by the commitment of Equality Federation board members to a project working on racial, transgender and economic justice,” said Federation board member and Basic Rights Oregon executive director Jeana Frazzini. “We are already doing this kind of work at Basic Rights Oregon and I look forward to sharing what we have learned and engaging with other movement leaders committed to dismantling racism.”
“I am especially pleased by the Board’s desire to better understand the issues faced by transgender people, who overall experience some of the harshest discrimination in our communities,” said Gunner Scott, executive director of Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. “Transgender people face extremely high rates of poverty and transgender people of color are hit especially hard by discrimination.”
Over the next year, Equality Federation will take specific steps to address issues of racial, transgender, and economic justice by training its board, exploring partnerships and funding to support state justice training and projects, and actively working through committees and membership meetings to assess strategies through this justice framework.
Click here to read the rest of this release.
LGBT Helping Hands 1/3/10-Pride Senior Services (Nashville, TN)
PRIDE Senior Services was founded out of need. Too many times LGBT Seniors and persons with disabilities resort to hiding their idenity from their providers out of fear, prejudice or discrimination. I recall reading an article about two partnered senior men residing in a nursing home. The two, who were negatively perceived as being gay, were caught having relations and were forced by apart due to staff discrimination. I remember thinking the prejudice against these men was wrong and wanting to make a positive change in the quality of care for LGBT seniors.
The need for LGBT Seniors has never been greater. We have more rights than at any other time in history, but as we age, we lose ties with the LGBT community and our rights are compromised by the existing senior care system.
Pride Senior Services was based on three founding principles; advocacy, service and support.
Click here to find out more.
The need for LGBT Seniors has never been greater. We have more rights than at any other time in history, but as we age, we lose ties with the LGBT community and our rights are compromised by the existing senior care system.
Pride Senior Services was based on three founding principles; advocacy, service and support.
Click here to find out more.
Welcome to Sunday Worship 1/3/10
If you don't have a welcoming church near you, or you just can't make yourself step into one, we're bringing worship to you. Here are links to some worship music and services from open and affirming ministries (all times eastern). I hope you are blessed and take time out of your busy schedule to enter into the Lord's day.
Don't forget to click on the tab on the upper right of this blog and leave your prayer requests in the comment section so we can petition the Lord for your needs.
If you know of a service we should add to our list, please send an e-mail and share it with us. Live Sunday Services (all times Eastern)VIDEOFL-Potters'>http://www.ustream.tv/channel/phif">FL-Potters House International Fellowship, Tampa, 11:00 AM VA-Believers Covenant Fellowship, Vienna, 11:00 AMAL-Covenant Community Church, Birmingham, 12:00 AMNC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-Salem, 12:00 PMFL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, Casselberry, 12:00 PMOK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, Tulsa, 1:00 PMCA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long Beach, 1:00 PMWA-Living Water Fellowship, Kenmore, 1:30 PMCanada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver 9:00 PM
AUDIOCanada'>http://www.christalive.ca/?page_id=26">Canada, Vancouver-Christ Alive Community Church, 10:15 PMFL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program) 4:30 PM
Video ArchiveAL-Covenant Community Church, BirminghamCA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long BeachFL-Church of the Holy SpiritSong, Ft. LauderdaleFL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, CasselberryFL-New'>http://www.blogofhope.com/?cat=6">FL-New Hope Christian Center, PensacolaFL-Potters House International Fellowship, TampaGA-Gentle Spirit Christian Church, AtlantaGA-New Covenant Church of AtlantaNC-Church'>http://www.renaissanceunity.org/live.htm">NC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-SalemOK-Expressions Community Fellowship, Oklahoma CityOK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, TulsaTX-The One Church, GarlandWA-Living Water Fellowship, KenmoreCanada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver
Audio ArchiveAZ-Community Church of Hope, PhoenixAK-Open Door Community Church, SherwoodCA-Christ Chapel of Long BeachCA-Christ Chapel of the Valley, North HollywoodFL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program)FL-Body of Christ Church of God, LargoFL-New Hope Christian Center, PensecolaGA-New Covenant Church of AtlantaKY-Covenant Community Church, LouisvilleMD-Kittamaqundi Community, ColumbiaNC-Revolution CharlotteOH-Emmanuel Fellowship Church, AkronOH-All Saints Community Church, CortlandTN-Covenant of the Cross, MadisonTX-New'>http://www.nhfcdallas.org/pages/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=9">TX-New Hope Fellowship Church, DallasTX-White Rock Community Church, DallasTX-Community Gospel Church, HoustonTX-Through Him Fellowship, HoustonUT-Glory'>http://glory2godonline.com/cms/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=68">UT-Glory to God Christian Church, OgdenSouth Africa-Deo Gloria Family Church
Can we pray for you? E-mail
Don't forget to click on the tab on the upper right of this blog and leave your prayer requests in the comment section so we can petition the Lord for your needs.
If you know of a service we should add to our list, please send an e-mail and share it with us. Live Sunday Services (all times Eastern)VIDEOFL-Potters'>http://www.ustream.tv/channel/phif">FL-Potters House International Fellowship, Tampa, 11:00 AM VA-Believers Covenant Fellowship, Vienna, 11:00 AMAL-Covenant Community Church, Birmingham, 12:00 AMNC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-Salem, 12:00 PMFL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, Casselberry, 12:00 PMOK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, Tulsa, 1:00 PMCA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long Beach, 1:00 PMWA-Living Water Fellowship, Kenmore, 1:30 PMCanada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver 9:00 PM
AUDIOCanada'>http://www.christalive.ca/?page_id=26">Canada, Vancouver-Christ Alive Community Church, 10:15 PMFL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program) 4:30 PM
Video ArchiveAL-Covenant Community Church, BirminghamCA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long BeachFL-Church of the Holy SpiritSong, Ft. LauderdaleFL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, CasselberryFL-New'>http://www.blogofhope.com/?cat=6">FL-New Hope Christian Center, PensacolaFL-Potters House International Fellowship, TampaGA-Gentle Spirit Christian Church, AtlantaGA-New Covenant Church of AtlantaNC-Church'>http://www.renaissanceunity.org/live.htm">NC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-SalemOK-Expressions Community Fellowship, Oklahoma CityOK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, TulsaTX-The One Church, GarlandWA-Living Water Fellowship, KenmoreCanada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver
Audio ArchiveAZ-Community Church of Hope, PhoenixAK-Open Door Community Church, SherwoodCA-Christ Chapel of Long BeachCA-Christ Chapel of the Valley, North HollywoodFL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program)FL-Body of Christ Church of God, LargoFL-New Hope Christian Center, PensecolaGA-New Covenant Church of AtlantaKY-Covenant Community Church, LouisvilleMD-Kittamaqundi Community, ColumbiaNC-Revolution CharlotteOH-Emmanuel Fellowship Church, AkronOH-All Saints Community Church, CortlandTN-Covenant of the Cross, MadisonTX-New'>http://www.nhfcdallas.org/pages/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=9">TX-New Hope Fellowship Church, DallasTX-White Rock Community Church, DallasTX-Community Gospel Church, HoustonTX-Through Him Fellowship, HoustonUT-Glory'>http://glory2godonline.com/cms/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=68">UT-Glory to God Christian Church, OgdenSouth Africa-Deo Gloria Family Church
Can we pray for you? E-mail
Interview with Houston Mayor-Elect Annise Parker
Houtson's gay news magazine, OutSmart, has an in-depth interview with Houston mayor-elect Annise Parker. Here's an excerpt:
“The biggest change in my life is that I’ve already been assigned a security detail,” Parker notes. “I now have an entourage of security people, and I’m not used to having people around me all the time, everywhere I go.
“This isn’t the regular security detail that each mayor has,” Parker says. “This is the Dignitary Protection Unit. Mine is very heavy right now because of the unprecedented level of media attention, which is worldwide and off the charts. I’ve been traveling all over the city of Houston for years, and during 12 years in office, there was never a place that I have gone that I haven’t felt safe and welcomed. But we are aware that there are nut-balls out there, so the security is high at this point, until we can see how things shake out.
“I haven’t driven my own car since Election Day morning. It’s going to make it harder to do those personal errands—picking up the dry cleaning or stopping into the grocery store. And I won’t be able to hang out at Southland Hardware!”
“Clearly I am ‘out,’” Parker notes. “I didn’t think anyone would be voting for me who didn’t know that I was out. For 12 years, that was part of what people knew about me, but not what people thought about me. Now we are back to a phase where everyone is focusing on the gay issue again.
“The biggest change in my life is that I’ve already been assigned a security detail,” Parker notes. “I now have an entourage of security people, and I’m not used to having people around me all the time, everywhere I go.
“This isn’t the regular security detail that each mayor has,” Parker says. “This is the Dignitary Protection Unit. Mine is very heavy right now because of the unprecedented level of media attention, which is worldwide and off the charts. I’ve been traveling all over the city of Houston for years, and during 12 years in office, there was never a place that I have gone that I haven’t felt safe and welcomed. But we are aware that there are nut-balls out there, so the security is high at this point, until we can see how things shake out.
“I haven’t driven my own car since Election Day morning. It’s going to make it harder to do those personal errands—picking up the dry cleaning or stopping into the grocery store. And I won’t be able to hang out at Southland Hardware!”
“Clearly I am ‘out,’” Parker notes. “I didn’t think anyone would be voting for me who didn’t know that I was out. For 12 years, that was part of what people knew about me, but not what people thought about me. Now we are back to a phase where everyone is focusing on the gay issue again.
January 02, 2010
Ten New Year's Resolutions To Help the LGBT Community
From San Diego's Gay & Lesbian Times:
he thing about New Year’s resolutions isn’t that they are hard to come up with, per se. Lose 10 pounds, go to the gym, quit smoking, etc. The tough thing about New Year’s resolutions is keeping them. Gym’s are at full capacity the beginning of January, and by early February or so, they are back at normal capacity. Cigarette sales in January are the lowest of any month of the year by a wide margin. But, by February, sales are brisk. Those 10 pounds? Well, chances are they will still be there when you’re making your list for 2011.
This year, we are offering up 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2010 to help our GLBT community. We don’t expect them to be easy to keep, but we do think they are important, and we here at the Gay & Lesbian Times will be doing our best to keep them.
1. Advocate. Continue to put pressure on our elected officials to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. As we continue to be engaged in the longest war in our nation’s history, it is vital that we have the top resources available to support that effort. Likewise, it is critical that the men and women who serve in the military be able to do so openly.
Click here to read the other nine resolutions.
he thing about New Year’s resolutions isn’t that they are hard to come up with, per se. Lose 10 pounds, go to the gym, quit smoking, etc. The tough thing about New Year’s resolutions is keeping them. Gym’s are at full capacity the beginning of January, and by early February or so, they are back at normal capacity. Cigarette sales in January are the lowest of any month of the year by a wide margin. But, by February, sales are brisk. Those 10 pounds? Well, chances are they will still be there when you’re making your list for 2011.
This year, we are offering up 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2010 to help our GLBT community. We don’t expect them to be easy to keep, but we do think they are important, and we here at the Gay & Lesbian Times will be doing our best to keep them.
1. Advocate. Continue to put pressure on our elected officials to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. As we continue to be engaged in the longest war in our nation’s history, it is vital that we have the top resources available to support that effort. Likewise, it is critical that the men and women who serve in the military be able to do so openly.
Click here to read the other nine resolutions.
Encouraging Words 1/2/10-"The forest and the trees of the trans community"
Here's a message of hope for trans people from The Bilerico Project:
The LGBTQ community is riddled with emotional wounds and animus. Our identity and validity is under constant attack, both by political enemies and personal relationships. Our family ties are often strained with the pain of living an open, honest life, despite all attempts by well-meaning strangers, family, and friends to shove us back into the closet. Our people often struggle to feel accepted in a world that, for the most part, does not guarantee security, happiness, or validity to our lives.
This usually goes without saying, but I think it's important to occasionally look at the trees that make up the forest of our landscape. This article isn't going to look at the gnarled, scarred trees needing political attention. We spend an inordinate amount of time looking at the pitfalls of our livelihoods, and while this is important to advancing the cause of equality, it's not exactly the most uplifting message we can possibly provide to the online world. adrian_profile.gifToday I want to stay squarely within the bounds of hope, affirmation, and the promise of a quality life for people looking at the option of transition; I know they are out there, possibly reading this article along with everything else this site has to offer, and I want to try something different.
It was recently pointed out to me in a comment that I had no ground to discuss LGB issues, and to a certain degree the commenter was correct. I can't begin to understand the complexities of a gay identity. However, to some degree I understand the complexities of transgender life, and I think it's high time someone stood up and talked with a shade of optimism on this website. So, for the duration of this post, let's forget about the tenets of cisgender privilege, lucky/unlucky transpeople, outside pressures, passing privilege, the solidarity/disarray of the LGBTQ acronym, and all that other bullcrap that usually floods the site. This post isn't about any of that.
We are here to talk about the experience.
We are here to talk about hope.
Click here to read the rest of this essay.
The LGBTQ community is riddled with emotional wounds and animus. Our identity and validity is under constant attack, both by political enemies and personal relationships. Our family ties are often strained with the pain of living an open, honest life, despite all attempts by well-meaning strangers, family, and friends to shove us back into the closet. Our people often struggle to feel accepted in a world that, for the most part, does not guarantee security, happiness, or validity to our lives.
This usually goes without saying, but I think it's important to occasionally look at the trees that make up the forest of our landscape. This article isn't going to look at the gnarled, scarred trees needing political attention. We spend an inordinate amount of time looking at the pitfalls of our livelihoods, and while this is important to advancing the cause of equality, it's not exactly the most uplifting message we can possibly provide to the online world. adrian_profile.gifToday I want to stay squarely within the bounds of hope, affirmation, and the promise of a quality life for people looking at the option of transition; I know they are out there, possibly reading this article along with everything else this site has to offer, and I want to try something different.
It was recently pointed out to me in a comment that I had no ground to discuss LGB issues, and to a certain degree the commenter was correct. I can't begin to understand the complexities of a gay identity. However, to some degree I understand the complexities of transgender life, and I think it's high time someone stood up and talked with a shade of optimism on this website. So, for the duration of this post, let's forget about the tenets of cisgender privilege, lucky/unlucky transpeople, outside pressures, passing privilege, the solidarity/disarray of the LGBTQ acronym, and all that other bullcrap that usually floods the site. This post isn't about any of that.
We are here to talk about the experience.
We are here to talk about hope.
Click here to read the rest of this essay.
SNN Recommends 1/2/10-"Facing Your Giants"
Amazon.com ratings: 53 out of 64 reviews gave it 5 out of 5 stars
SNN rating: 4.5 stars
Megaseller Lucado, with 40 million books in print, will draw more readers to his fold with this newest release, which focuses on the life of the Old Testament hero David. David crashed onto the scene in ancient Israel when he used a slingshot and one stone to fell the giant Goliath. He went on to become Israel's greatest king. Now Lucado has modern readers slaying their own giants using principles gleaned from David's life. For example, David focused on God, not giants; David's life was threatened by his nemesis King Saul, but David worshiped God; David stole the beautiful Bathsheba from her husband and then had him killed, but God forgave. Lucado goes beyond the storytelling to offer readers concrete actions to help slay their giants using the metaphor of the five stones David chose in his Goliath quest. The stones represent the past, prayer, priority, passion and persistence. Lucado's lively language ("Focus on giants—you stumble. Focus on God—your giants tumble.") and casual style appeal to the most reluctant readers, yet his spiritual depth will challenge and amaze. Added value comes with the study guide keyed to each chapter.
Click here to purchase the book and read customer reviews.
SNN rating: 4.5 stars
Megaseller Lucado, with 40 million books in print, will draw more readers to his fold with this newest release, which focuses on the life of the Old Testament hero David. David crashed onto the scene in ancient Israel when he used a slingshot and one stone to fell the giant Goliath. He went on to become Israel's greatest king. Now Lucado has modern readers slaying their own giants using principles gleaned from David's life. For example, David focused on God, not giants; David's life was threatened by his nemesis King Saul, but David worshiped God; David stole the beautiful Bathsheba from her husband and then had him killed, but God forgave. Lucado goes beyond the storytelling to offer readers concrete actions to help slay their giants using the metaphor of the five stones David chose in his Goliath quest. The stones represent the past, prayer, priority, passion and persistence. Lucado's lively language ("Focus on giants—you stumble. Focus on God—your giants tumble.") and casual style appeal to the most reluctant readers, yet his spiritual depth will challenge and amaze. Added value comes with the study guide keyed to each chapter.
Click here to purchase the book and read customer reviews.
New Hampshire Welcomes 2010 With Legal Same-Sex Marriages
From the Manchester (NH) Union Leader:
Jubilant gay couples have rung in the New Year in New Hampshire with wedding vows to celebrate the state's new law legalizing same-sex marriage.
At midnight, New Hampshire joined Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa in allowing gay marriage.
About 15 couples braved the cold to exchange vows outside the New Hampshire State House in Concord. Others planned private ceremonies around the state.
The law grants no new rights to gays but eliminates the separate status for civil unions.
Couples already in civil unions have three options to convert their statuses to marriages. They can have marriage ceremonies, file marriage paperwork with their town clerks to convert their statuses during 2010 or wait until the unions are automatically converted in 2011.
The Nashua (NH) Telegraph also has a story about a specific couple exchanging their vows yesterday. (hat tip to change.org),
Jubilant gay couples have rung in the New Year in New Hampshire with wedding vows to celebrate the state's new law legalizing same-sex marriage.
At midnight, New Hampshire joined Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa in allowing gay marriage.
About 15 couples braved the cold to exchange vows outside the New Hampshire State House in Concord. Others planned private ceremonies around the state.
The law grants no new rights to gays but eliminates the separate status for civil unions.
Couples already in civil unions have three options to convert their statuses to marriages. They can have marriage ceremonies, file marriage paperwork with their town clerks to convert their statuses during 2010 or wait until the unions are automatically converted in 2011.
The Nashua (NH) Telegraph also has a story about a specific couple exchanging their vows yesterday. (hat tip to change.org),
Daily Devotional 1/2/10 A "Know So" or a "Hope So" Salvation?
From: Love Worth Finding
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
If you think you're going to get to heaven by your good works, I guarantee you will always wonder if you've done enough. You will not have a "know-so" salvation. You will have a "hope-so" salvation. Rather than standing up straight in confidence like an exclamation point, you will be bent over and wondering like a question mark. That is, until you understand that it's all by grace.
Suppose everybody who wanted to be saved had to run around the block. Some can't run. What if you had to read a chapter in the Bible to be saved? Some can't read. But there is one thing that can make the promise sure, and that is grace.
Who can you share this Good News with today? Think of at least one person, and ask God to give you a bold love and a divine opportunity to do just that. We also invite you to read "You Can Be Sure" for more insights on the eternal security of the believer. Just visit us here.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
If you think you're going to get to heaven by your good works, I guarantee you will always wonder if you've done enough. You will not have a "know-so" salvation. You will have a "hope-so" salvation. Rather than standing up straight in confidence like an exclamation point, you will be bent over and wondering like a question mark. That is, until you understand that it's all by grace.
Suppose everybody who wanted to be saved had to run around the block. Some can't run. What if you had to read a chapter in the Bible to be saved? Some can't read. But there is one thing that can make the promise sure, and that is grace.
Who can you share this Good News with today? Think of at least one person, and ask God to give you a bold love and a divine opportunity to do just that. We also invite you to read "You Can Be Sure" for more insights on the eternal security of the believer. Just visit us here.
January 01, 2010
A Look At How Vermont Advanced the Cause of Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide
From the Bennington (VT) Banner:
The biggest news story of the decade in Vermont began before the decade did. And its impact was felt far beyond the Green Mountains.
On Dec. 20, 1999, the state Supreme Court -- responding to a challenge to Vermont's marriage laws -- ruled that same-sex couples should be entitled to the same "benefits and protections" afforded to married couples. Within months, Gov. Howard Dean signed a first-in-the-nation law making available "civil unions" to gay couples.
Political careers were cut short over some lawmakers' votes on the issue. "Take Back Vermont" signs went up on barn sides and fence posts, opposing the change. The Rutland Herald won a Pulitzer Prize -- the first ever awarded to a Vermont newspaper -- for editorials supporting civil unions.
Vermont's groundbreaking move also led to gay rights advances in other states.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
The biggest news story of the decade in Vermont began before the decade did. And its impact was felt far beyond the Green Mountains.
On Dec. 20, 1999, the state Supreme Court -- responding to a challenge to Vermont's marriage laws -- ruled that same-sex couples should be entitled to the same "benefits and protections" afforded to married couples. Within months, Gov. Howard Dean signed a first-in-the-nation law making available "civil unions" to gay couples.
Political careers were cut short over some lawmakers' votes on the issue. "Take Back Vermont" signs went up on barn sides and fence posts, opposing the change. The Rutland Herald won a Pulitzer Prize -- the first ever awarded to a Vermont newspaper -- for editorials supporting civil unions.
Vermont's groundbreaking move also led to gay rights advances in other states.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Encouraging Words 1/1/10-"The Father's Love Letter"
Start your new year off by hearing how much your Heavenly Father loves and values you.
SNN Recommends (Just for Fun) 1/1/10-I Can Has Cheezburger
What better way to start the New Year than spending some time with our friends the LOL Cats :)
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
Battling Both the AIDS Gap Among Blacks and Budget Cuts
It's a tough situation in Oakland and other major cities where economic problems have resulted in cuts to funding for many public service progams, including those designed for prevention and treatment of AIDS. Here's a report from the Bay Area Reporter:
With huge HIV/AIDS funding cuts and a continuing prevalence of the disease among African Americans, Oakland continues to battle HIV/AIDS as officials worry the disease could spread.
In 2007-08, the budget for education and prevention in Alameda County was $1.5 million. That included money from the state general fund.
Now, the general fund money is gone, leaving $661,000, which comes primarily from Ryan White Part B funds – federal money that's distributed by the state. That funding is only for education, prevention, counseling, and testing, according to Kabir Hypolite, director for Alameda County's Office of AIDS Administration.
The county's budget allocation from the state AIDS office for care and treatment services this year is $1,190,000, according to Hypolite.
He said the cost of providing care for someone with AIDS can be as much as 10 times as providing HIV care.
At the state policy level, "We are, in essence, gambling now with thousands of people's lives, and we may wind up paying a far, far greater price in the very near future if we don't restore these cuts," he said.
Click here to read the rest of the report.
With huge HIV/AIDS funding cuts and a continuing prevalence of the disease among African Americans, Oakland continues to battle HIV/AIDS as officials worry the disease could spread.
In 2007-08, the budget for education and prevention in Alameda County was $1.5 million. That included money from the state general fund.
Now, the general fund money is gone, leaving $661,000, which comes primarily from Ryan White Part B funds – federal money that's distributed by the state. That funding is only for education, prevention, counseling, and testing, according to Kabir Hypolite, director for Alameda County's Office of AIDS Administration.
The county's budget allocation from the state AIDS office for care and treatment services this year is $1,190,000, according to Hypolite.
He said the cost of providing care for someone with AIDS can be as much as 10 times as providing HIV care.
At the state policy level, "We are, in essence, gambling now with thousands of people's lives, and we may wind up paying a far, far greater price in the very near future if we don't restore these cuts," he said.
Click here to read the rest of the report.
Daily Devotional 1/1/10 A Vision for Your Life in the New Year
From: Love Worth Finding
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18
Helen Keller had vision even though she lost her sight at 19 months of age. A reporter asked Miss Keller, “Is there anything worse than being blind?” “Yes,” she said, “It is to have sight and no vision.”
Do you have a vision for your life at the threshold of a new year? On New Year's Day, I review the goals for my life. These are spiritual, relational, intellectual, physical, and financial goals. I pray over these and ask for God’s will to be done in each one. I hold them in an open hand and ask that God would give me wisdom as to the direction He wants for my life.
I don’t want to be a person without vision. I don't want you to be one either.
Begin to think about some goals you would like for your life. Pray and seek the Lord’s face as you ponder the future.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18
Helen Keller had vision even though she lost her sight at 19 months of age. A reporter asked Miss Keller, “Is there anything worse than being blind?” “Yes,” she said, “It is to have sight and no vision.”
Do you have a vision for your life at the threshold of a new year? On New Year's Day, I review the goals for my life. These are spiritual, relational, intellectual, physical, and financial goals. I pray over these and ask for God’s will to be done in each one. I hold them in an open hand and ask that God would give me wisdom as to the direction He wants for my life.
I don’t want to be a person without vision. I don't want you to be one either.
Begin to think about some goals you would like for your life. Pray and seek the Lord’s face as you ponder the future.
December 31, 2009
Evangelical "Ex-Gay" Breaks Law, Disappears With Child
Evangelicals who claim a desire to be like Jesus should pay a little more attention to the New Testament, since He did not break laws during his time on Earth. Violate customs and traditions, yes, but no law breaking. Why, then, do some evangelicals think it is okay for them to break a law or court ruling that they don't agree with? Here's another example from the New York Times:
The biological mother of a 7-year-old Virginia girl must transfer custody of the child to her former partner, a Vermont family court judge has ruled, adding that it seemed as though the mother had “disappeared” with the girl.
The judge ordered the mother, Lisa Miller of Winchester, Va., to turn over the child, Isabella, to her former partner, Janet Jenkins, at 1 p.m. Friday at the Virginia home of Ms. Jenkins’s parents.
The case of the two women fighting over their daughter has attracted national attention, with judges in Vermont and Virginia at odds about whether a child can have two mothers.
Ms. Miller and Ms. Jenkins were joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000. Isabella was born to Ms. Miller through artificial insemination in 2002. The couple broke up in 2003, and Ms. Miller moved to Virginia, renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian.
The biological mother of a 7-year-old Virginia girl must transfer custody of the child to her former partner, a Vermont family court judge has ruled, adding that it seemed as though the mother had “disappeared” with the girl.
The judge ordered the mother, Lisa Miller of Winchester, Va., to turn over the child, Isabella, to her former partner, Janet Jenkins, at 1 p.m. Friday at the Virginia home of Ms. Jenkins’s parents.
The case of the two women fighting over their daughter has attracted national attention, with judges in Vermont and Virginia at odds about whether a child can have two mothers.
Ms. Miller and Ms. Jenkins were joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000. Isabella was born to Ms. Miller through artificial insemination in 2002. The couple broke up in 2003, and Ms. Miller moved to Virginia, renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian.
Encouraging Words 12/31/09-Times Moves Forward, And So Should We
I (Jim) want to end the year with an encouraging word essay I contributed to the Unidiversal e-magazine that will be published online next week:
With a new year and a new decade upon us, it seems like a good time to acknowledge that God established time to move in one direction-forward. If you’re in a situation where it is moving backward, you’re either part of a sci-fi movie or in some situation that is way beyond my pay grade to explain, so I’ll stick with what I know.
What I know is this; dwelling on the past, even the bad parts, is very seductive, but it’s not what the Lord would have us do. After all, He didn’t send Jesus down here to recite all of our past sins. Jesus came to die so those sins could be forgiven and mankind could move forward into eternal life. Focusing on looking back can have consequences, as we see when Lot and his family were trying to escape from Sodom.
Genesis 19: 17, 26 (NIV) As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
While this story reminds us that we should always follow the direction of an angel, I believe it is also a metaphoric example on how destructive losing a forward focus and being enticed to look back can be in our lives.
With a new year and a new decade upon us, it seems like a good time to acknowledge that God established time to move in one direction-forward. If you’re in a situation where it is moving backward, you’re either part of a sci-fi movie or in some situation that is way beyond my pay grade to explain, so I’ll stick with what I know.
What I know is this; dwelling on the past, even the bad parts, is very seductive, but it’s not what the Lord would have us do. After all, He didn’t send Jesus down here to recite all of our past sins. Jesus came to die so those sins could be forgiven and mankind could move forward into eternal life. Focusing on looking back can have consequences, as we see when Lot and his family were trying to escape from Sodom.
Genesis 19: 17, 26 (NIV) As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
While this story reminds us that we should always follow the direction of an angel, I believe it is also a metaphoric example on how destructive losing a forward focus and being enticed to look back can be in our lives.
LGBT Helping Hands 12/31/09-Women's Transitional Care Services (Lawrence, KS)
WTCS recognizes the additional barriers lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) survivors face in finding support and resources. LGBT survivors often confront skepticism that partner abuse occurs in their relationships, not only within the queer community, but also within some domestic violence agencies. Because it is so hard for LGBT folks to find shelters that open their services to queer survivors, and because many domestic violence agencies are still struggling to challenge their own homophobia and heterosexism, WTCS is honored to offer support to LGBT survivors outside of our regular service area.
Some services WTCS offers to lesbian, bisexual, and trans women survivors:
* LGBT Community Resource Packets
* One-on-One Peer Counseling
* Weekly Community Support Group
* Community Education
* Safe Shelter
Click here to find out more.
Some services WTCS offers to lesbian, bisexual, and trans women survivors:
* LGBT Community Resource Packets
* One-on-One Peer Counseling
* Weekly Community Support Group
* Community Education
* Safe Shelter
Click here to find out more.
Daily Devotional 12/31/09 Anticipation if an Even Greater Day
From: Love Worth Finding
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3
It's after Christmas. The glow on the tree is just a little dimmer because the anticipation of the day is now past.
Ever feel that way about your walk with the Lord? Well, let me give you some good news, my friend. The best is yet to be!
That's right. Christmas Day is past, but Resurrection Day is coming soon, and I don't mean Easter. I mean the Second Coming of Our Lord is imminently on the horizon. He is coming again. And that's not just a nice thought; that's a rock-ribbed truth!
Jesus is coming again!
Write down John 14:3 on a little note, and as you say goodbye to family and friends, give them this note of encouragement.
John 14:3 - "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3
It's after Christmas. The glow on the tree is just a little dimmer because the anticipation of the day is now past.
Ever feel that way about your walk with the Lord? Well, let me give you some good news, my friend. The best is yet to be!
That's right. Christmas Day is past, but Resurrection Day is coming soon, and I don't mean Easter. I mean the Second Coming of Our Lord is imminently on the horizon. He is coming again. And that's not just a nice thought; that's a rock-ribbed truth!
Jesus is coming again!
Write down John 14:3 on a little note, and as you say goodbye to family and friends, give them this note of encouragement.
John 14:3 - "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
December 30, 2009
Interesting Trend: Same Sex Marriage No, Gay Politicians Yes
The New York Times (hat-tip to PageOneQ) has a look at an interesting trend in national politics, the success of openly gay & lesbian politicians even while same-sex marriage continues to fail at the polls:
When an openly gay woman won the mayor’s race here this month, it was the latest in a string of victories by gay candidates across the country, a trend that seems to contradict the bans on same-sex marriage that have been passed in most states in recent years. .
Take Texas, by many measures one of the most conservative states in the nation. In 2005, it enacted a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage; the voters passed the referendum by a ratio of three to one.
Yet in the last decade, an openly gay woman has twice won election as the sheriff in Dallas County, and another openly gay woman was elected district attorney in Travis County, which includes the city of Austin. Gay candidates have also won city council seats in Austin, Fort Worth and Houston.
Then, this month, Annise Parker, the city controller who is a lesbian, swept to a solid victory in the mayoral race in Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city.
There are currently at least 445 openly gay and lesbian people holding elected office in the United States, up from 257 eight years ago, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political group that supports gay candidates.
Some political scientists say the rise in openly gay candidates’ winning public office is a better barometer of societal attitudes than are the high-profile fights over same-sex marriage.
“Gay marriage ballot measures are not the best measure,” said Patrick J. Egan, a political scientist at New York University who studies issues surrounding gay politicians. “They happen to be about the one issue the public is most uncomfortable with. In a sense, they don’t give us a real good picture of the opinion trend over the last 30 years.”
Click here to read the rest of the story.
When an openly gay woman won the mayor’s race here this month, it was the latest in a string of victories by gay candidates across the country, a trend that seems to contradict the bans on same-sex marriage that have been passed in most states in recent years. .
Take Texas, by many measures one of the most conservative states in the nation. In 2005, it enacted a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage; the voters passed the referendum by a ratio of three to one.
Yet in the last decade, an openly gay woman has twice won election as the sheriff in Dallas County, and another openly gay woman was elected district attorney in Travis County, which includes the city of Austin. Gay candidates have also won city council seats in Austin, Fort Worth and Houston.
Then, this month, Annise Parker, the city controller who is a lesbian, swept to a solid victory in the mayoral race in Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city.
There are currently at least 445 openly gay and lesbian people holding elected office in the United States, up from 257 eight years ago, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political group that supports gay candidates.
Some political scientists say the rise in openly gay candidates’ winning public office is a better barometer of societal attitudes than are the high-profile fights over same-sex marriage.
“Gay marriage ballot measures are not the best measure,” said Patrick J. Egan, a political scientist at New York University who studies issues surrounding gay politicians. “They happen to be about the one issue the public is most uncomfortable with. In a sense, they don’t give us a real good picture of the opinion trend over the last 30 years.”
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Matthew 25 Resource 12/30/09-Boulder (CO) Shelter For the Homeless
Mission:
To provide safe shelter, food, support services, and an avenue to self-sufficiency for homeless adults in our community.
Purpose:
We believe that all people deserve the basic necessities of life, and the community in which we live is called to serve this purpose.
Core Values:
Treat all with dignity
Offer support and opportunity
Practice responsible stewardship
Achieve results through competence and creativity
Click here to find out more.
To provide safe shelter, food, support services, and an avenue to self-sufficiency for homeless adults in our community.
Purpose:
We believe that all people deserve the basic necessities of life, and the community in which we live is called to serve this purpose.
Core Values:
Treat all with dignity
Offer support and opportunity
Practice responsible stewardship
Achieve results through competence and creativity
Click here to find out more.
PFLAG's Holding Families Together Part 3 and 4 of 4
PFLAG's "Holding Families Together" part 3 of 4: Holding Families Together video series looks at social problems that result when parents reject their LGBT sons and daughters.
Daily Devotional 12/30/09 God's Plan and Purpose for Your Life
From: Love Worth Finding
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." -1 John 3:2
If Jesus is Lord of your life, then not only is your entire life ordered, but so is every single step within your life.
God has a plan for the plumber as well as the preacher, for the mechanic as well as the missionary. And if, for instance, God calls you to be a mechanic and you become a missionary, you are accepting second best!
To find God's will is the highest achievement in your life. Success is not spelled M-O-N-E-Y. Nor is it spelled F-A-M-E.
Success is the continuous realization of the will of God — what God desires for your life.
God does not make clones; He makes children! There is an ultimate purpose for your life as His child — to be like Jesus.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." -1 John 3:2
If Jesus is Lord of your life, then not only is your entire life ordered, but so is every single step within your life.
God has a plan for the plumber as well as the preacher, for the mechanic as well as the missionary. And if, for instance, God calls you to be a mechanic and you become a missionary, you are accepting second best!
To find God's will is the highest achievement in your life. Success is not spelled M-O-N-E-Y. Nor is it spelled F-A-M-E.
Success is the continuous realization of the will of God — what God desires for your life.
God does not make clones; He makes children! There is an ultimate purpose for your life as His child — to be like Jesus.
December 29, 2009
First Legally Recognized Same-Sex Marriage Performed in Latin America
From the Miami Herald:
An official in Argentina's southern Tierra del Fuego province says two Argentine men have wed there in Latin America's first gay marriage.
Provincial spokesman Eduardo Porter says the wedding between Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took place at the civil registry in Ushuaia.
Their marriage plans in Buenos Aires earlier this month were thwarted when city officials refused to marry them because of conflicting rulings.
An official representing the federal government's antidiscrimination agency attended the wedding. Claudio Morgado called Monday's marriage "historic."
Argentina's Constitution is silent on whether marriage must be between a man and a woman, effectively leaving the matter to state and city officials.
Click here to see photos from the ceremony, also from the Miami Herald.
An official in Argentina's southern Tierra del Fuego province says two Argentine men have wed there in Latin America's first gay marriage.
Provincial spokesman Eduardo Porter says the wedding between Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took place at the civil registry in Ushuaia.
Their marriage plans in Buenos Aires earlier this month were thwarted when city officials refused to marry them because of conflicting rulings.
An official representing the federal government's antidiscrimination agency attended the wedding. Claudio Morgado called Monday's marriage "historic."
Argentina's Constitution is silent on whether marriage must be between a man and a woman, effectively leaving the matter to state and city officials.
Click here to see photos from the ceremony, also from the Miami Herald.
Encouraging Words 12/29/09-A Secular Jew Encourages LGBT Outreach to Religious Organizations
From Emma Ruby-Sachs, blogger for 365gay.com. Even though Christmas has passed, the thought is still very relevant.
As a secular Jew, I watch Christmas from the outside. It’s a holiday where the family rumblings and big dinners come with a pleasant, and for many, watered-down host of religious traditions: midnight mass, carols, Church concerts and performances. But religion is particularly important this time of year. With all that thinking about baby Jesus, people also can’t help but consider G-d, their relationship to G-d and their relationship to their own religious traditions.
Funnily enough, this week a number of religious leaders have taken a moment to comment on gay issues. Former Ugandan Archbishop of York condemned the anti-gay bill in his home country. And a patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church confirmed that, despite their position that homosexuality is a sin, punishing homosexual behavior is not supported by the church.
I find these small small movements towards tolerance heartening. We, as an equality movment, are often pitted against religious institutions. But at Christmas time, I am reminded, again, of how central religious institutions are to life in North America and around the world.
So, this Christmas season I am making my own kind of resolution: We need to reach out more, engage more and talk more to the religious community. For those reading this post in between family events, take this time to talk to your own religious community about tolerance and respect for LGBT people. The news shows us, thing are changing, moving towards acceptance.
As a secular Jew, I watch Christmas from the outside. It’s a holiday where the family rumblings and big dinners come with a pleasant, and for many, watered-down host of religious traditions: midnight mass, carols, Church concerts and performances. But religion is particularly important this time of year. With all that thinking about baby Jesus, people also can’t help but consider G-d, their relationship to G-d and their relationship to their own religious traditions.
Funnily enough, this week a number of religious leaders have taken a moment to comment on gay issues. Former Ugandan Archbishop of York condemned the anti-gay bill in his home country. And a patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church confirmed that, despite their position that homosexuality is a sin, punishing homosexual behavior is not supported by the church.
I find these small small movements towards tolerance heartening. We, as an equality movment, are often pitted against religious institutions. But at Christmas time, I am reminded, again, of how central religious institutions are to life in North America and around the world.
So, this Christmas season I am making my own kind of resolution: We need to reach out more, engage more and talk more to the religious community. For those reading this post in between family events, take this time to talk to your own religious community about tolerance and respect for LGBT people. The news shows us, thing are changing, moving towards acceptance.
LGBT Helping Hands 12/29/09-Q Center (Portland, OR)
Q Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization with a mission to increase the visibility of and foster connection within metropolitan Portland’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning (LGBTQ) community. The center builds public awareness and support, and celebrates LGBTQ diversity through art, culture, and collaborative community programming.
There are dozens of events and groups that meet here, some focused on specific topics (like coming out or gender identity) and others aimed at fun social interactions (like sing-along piano cabarets or craft nights). Most of these options are free-of-charge and run by dedicated volunteers, keeping Q Center truly community-driven and accessible.
In addition to our programmatic offerings, our 5,000 sq/ft facility is also a safe and friendly place to spend an afternoon. With our monthly art exhibits, extensive library collection, Resource Wall, and free WiFi access, there’s always something to see and learn here at Q Center.
Click here to find out more.
There are dozens of events and groups that meet here, some focused on specific topics (like coming out or gender identity) and others aimed at fun social interactions (like sing-along piano cabarets or craft nights). Most of these options are free-of-charge and run by dedicated volunteers, keeping Q Center truly community-driven and accessible.
In addition to our programmatic offerings, our 5,000 sq/ft facility is also a safe and friendly place to spend an afternoon. With our monthly art exhibits, extensive library collection, Resource Wall, and free WiFi access, there’s always something to see and learn here at Q Center.
Click here to find out more.
PFLAG's Holding Families Together Part 2 of 4
PFLAG's "Holding Families Together" part 2 of 4: Holding Families Together video series looks at social problems that result when parents reject their LGBT sons and daughters.
Daily Devotional 12/29/09 Understanding Kingdom Authority
From: Love Worth Finding
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." - Luke 10:19
A police officer weighing 160 pounds may effectively stand before a tanker truck and, with an uplifted hand, say, "Stop, in the name of the law." The police officer certainly couldn't stop the truck with his physical force. He is appealing to an authority greater than himself — the law — to back him up.
Your authority over Satan is the same way. Your authority does not rest in your strength. You cannot overcome Satan with your power but rather with Kingdom Authority from God. And you have that as a child of the King. You have His authority to overcome every attack of Satan.
Sing of the power of the Lord. Sing or meditate on these verses of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." - Luke 10:19
A police officer weighing 160 pounds may effectively stand before a tanker truck and, with an uplifted hand, say, "Stop, in the name of the law." The police officer certainly couldn't stop the truck with his physical force. He is appealing to an authority greater than himself — the law — to back him up.
Your authority over Satan is the same way. Your authority does not rest in your strength. You cannot overcome Satan with your power but rather with Kingdom Authority from God. And you have that as a child of the King. You have His authority to overcome every attack of Satan.
Sing of the power of the Lord. Sing or meditate on these verses of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."
December 28, 2009
Do Gay Marriage Foes Deserve to be Heard?
Another way to turn this question around is to ask when does free speech cross the line and become offensive and hurtful? A group in Washington, DC believes ads on local buses against same-sex marriage cross that line. Columnist Colbert I. King respectfully disagrees in the Washington Post:
That Full Equality Now takes offense is understandable. But should the ads be taken down?
Fortunately, yet another group of citizens has weighed in on the issue.
The group includes Mitch Wood, president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance; Arthur B. Spitzer, legal director of the ACLU of the Nation's Capital; Jeffrey D. Richardson, president of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club; Aisha C. Mills, president of Campaign for All D.C. Families; and activist Richard J. Rosendall.
Unlike Full Equality Now DC, the group led by Wood and Spitzer has stepped forward to defend the freedom of expression of forces against gay marriage, even though those same forces have not done so for supporters of civil marriage equality.
In their letter to Catoe, the Wood-Spitzer alliance wrote: "As supporters of civil marriage equality, we also embrace the principle of free speech enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which makes our own advocacy possible. Indeed, the then-named Gay Activists Alliance thirty years ago won a court battle against WMATA for the right to place educational posters in Metrobuses with the message, 'Someone In Your Life Is Gay.' WMATA is a quasi-governmental body and is thus subject to the First Amendment. We, the undersigned, therefore urge you to reject the misguided censorship advocated by Full Equality Now DC."
Speaking not only for themselves but also for people like me, they said: "Free speech is not only for those whose beliefs we find acceptable. The proper response to offensive speech is more speech. Your proper response to Full Equality Now DC, therefore, is that those who object to ads by Stand For Marriage DC are free to place their own.
"Thank you for resisting pressures to favor or disfavor particular viewpoints, from whatever political direction they may come."
We believe this group does the LGBT community proud and sets a standard right-wing groups should strive to meet by puting their self-interest aside and being concerned about the greater good, in this case preserving freedom of speech.
Click here to read the rest of the op-ed.
That Full Equality Now takes offense is understandable. But should the ads be taken down?
Fortunately, yet another group of citizens has weighed in on the issue.
The group includes Mitch Wood, president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance; Arthur B. Spitzer, legal director of the ACLU of the Nation's Capital; Jeffrey D. Richardson, president of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club; Aisha C. Mills, president of Campaign for All D.C. Families; and activist Richard J. Rosendall.
Unlike Full Equality Now DC, the group led by Wood and Spitzer has stepped forward to defend the freedom of expression of forces against gay marriage, even though those same forces have not done so for supporters of civil marriage equality.
In their letter to Catoe, the Wood-Spitzer alliance wrote: "As supporters of civil marriage equality, we also embrace the principle of free speech enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which makes our own advocacy possible. Indeed, the then-named Gay Activists Alliance thirty years ago won a court battle against WMATA for the right to place educational posters in Metrobuses with the message, 'Someone In Your Life Is Gay.' WMATA is a quasi-governmental body and is thus subject to the First Amendment. We, the undersigned, therefore urge you to reject the misguided censorship advocated by Full Equality Now DC."
Speaking not only for themselves but also for people like me, they said: "Free speech is not only for those whose beliefs we find acceptable. The proper response to offensive speech is more speech. Your proper response to Full Equality Now DC, therefore, is that those who object to ads by Stand For Marriage DC are free to place their own.
"Thank you for resisting pressures to favor or disfavor particular viewpoints, from whatever political direction they may come."
We believe this group does the LGBT community proud and sets a standard right-wing groups should strive to meet by puting their self-interest aside and being concerned about the greater good, in this case preserving freedom of speech.
Click here to read the rest of the op-ed.
Encouraging Words 12/28/09-"I am Gay. I am Christian. I'm Not Hiding Anything"
That's a declaration made by Canadian singer Matthew David as reported by Canada's Xtra:
The 27-year-old singer, who came out to his family earlier this year after deciding to release an autobiographical album, admits he was afraid he’d lose everything if he revealed his sexuality to those closest to him.
“If this was 10 or 15 years ago, I would’ve thought that my only option would be to put a gun to my head or run away and never come back,” David says.
“My whole world was Christian,” he explains. “My family, my extended family — my school was a private Christian school. For anyone to discover that I was gay would have been devastating.”
Homosexuality isn’t often talked about in his church, he notes, but it “is alluded to as the ultimate, triple X–rated sin. If you do it once, you’d be lost forever.”
The 27-year-old singer, who came out to his family earlier this year after deciding to release an autobiographical album, admits he was afraid he’d lose everything if he revealed his sexuality to those closest to him.
“If this was 10 or 15 years ago, I would’ve thought that my only option would be to put a gun to my head or run away and never come back,” David says.
“My whole world was Christian,” he explains. “My family, my extended family — my school was a private Christian school. For anyone to discover that I was gay would have been devastating.”
Homosexuality isn’t often talked about in his church, he notes, but it “is alluded to as the ultimate, triple X–rated sin. If you do it once, you’d be lost forever.”
Matthew 25 Resource 12/28/09-United Way Community Food Bank (Bimingham, AL)
About the United Way Community Food Bank: grant of $100,000 from the Greater Birmingham Foundation made it possible for the Food Bank to open its doors on December 1, 1982. At that time, service was provided to Jefferson, Shelby and Walker counties. The planning was done by volunteers from the community and the Planning department of United Way of Central Alabama . Over the last 21 years, the number of counties served by the food bank has increased from 3 to 13 and the number of agencies distributing food in Central Alabama has increased from 30 to 190.
We receive food through America’s Second Harvest (a national food bank network with more than 200 food bank members) from government agencies, national donors, local donors and additional food is purchased with monies allocated in our budget.
The Food Bank operates as a central clearinghouse for collecting food that might otherwise be wasted. The Food Bank solicits and receives both new and commercially excess but fully edible food from many food industry sources such as manufacturers, distributors, warehouse and storage operations, grocery chains and individual donors. The Food Bank is also a member of America’s Second Harvest, a nationwide network of food banks, which solicits food in vast amounts and divides these goods among more than 200 food banks in the United States. This food is distributed to non-profit agencies and religious organizations that directly serve the needy through their own programs. These programs include shelters for the homeless, soup kitchens, residential facilities for the elderly and handicapped and shelters for abused women and children. Any charitable, non-profit agency meeting the criteria of the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 © (3) agency may apply to become an agency of the Food Bank. The agency must then agree to distribute the food to the public at no charge.
Click here to find out more.
We receive food through America’s Second Harvest (a national food bank network with more than 200 food bank members) from government agencies, national donors, local donors and additional food is purchased with monies allocated in our budget.
The Food Bank operates as a central clearinghouse for collecting food that might otherwise be wasted. The Food Bank solicits and receives both new and commercially excess but fully edible food from many food industry sources such as manufacturers, distributors, warehouse and storage operations, grocery chains and individual donors. The Food Bank is also a member of America’s Second Harvest, a nationwide network of food banks, which solicits food in vast amounts and divides these goods among more than 200 food banks in the United States. This food is distributed to non-profit agencies and religious organizations that directly serve the needy through their own programs. These programs include shelters for the homeless, soup kitchens, residential facilities for the elderly and handicapped and shelters for abused women and children. Any charitable, non-profit agency meeting the criteria of the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 © (3) agency may apply to become an agency of the Food Bank. The agency must then agree to distribute the food to the public at no charge.
Click here to find out more.
PFLAG's Holding Families Together Part 1 of 4
PFLAG's "Holding Families Together" part 1 of 4: Holding Families Together video series looks at social problems that result when parents reject their LGBT sons and daughters.
December 27, 2009
A Legal Married Gay Perspective on Legal Marriage
Father Tony at The Bilerico Project weighs in on the institution of marriage a year after he entered into it with his long-time partner and, while grateful, seems somewhat unmoved. We'll let you in on a secret--as a straight couple, we share many of the same feelings; we were in a committed covenant relationship well before we took our vows and signed the papers. Here's an excerpt from Father Tony's essay;
My marriage is a contract, a conveyance, a vehicle, a convenience and a protection. Its anniversary is not unlike getting that annual flu shot.
We have built our relationship in a homophobic and hostile culture with no guidance and no template. Before we married, we woke up every day to reinvent and renew an unwritten contract and an allegiance and a love for which there was no recipe and no safe harbor. Therefore, no city hall, no license and no ceremony could ever equal what we have created on our own and entirely of our own daily volition. Marriage does not dignify it or ratify it or solemnify it or sanctify it. If anything, it waters it down a bit or reduces it. Obviously, we married for the practicalities but there have been some surprising benefits that I'll be mentioning.
We got married to protect our assets and our rights and for the financial benefits. We are grateful for those conveyances, but really, they are only what we are owed as citizens of this country. Let's continue the struggle for our rights, but let's not overly glorify this rather odd and ill-fitting institution.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
My marriage is a contract, a conveyance, a vehicle, a convenience and a protection. Its anniversary is not unlike getting that annual flu shot.
We have built our relationship in a homophobic and hostile culture with no guidance and no template. Before we married, we woke up every day to reinvent and renew an unwritten contract and an allegiance and a love for which there was no recipe and no safe harbor. Therefore, no city hall, no license and no ceremony could ever equal what we have created on our own and entirely of our own daily volition. Marriage does not dignify it or ratify it or solemnify it or sanctify it. If anything, it waters it down a bit or reduces it. Obviously, we married for the practicalities but there have been some surprising benefits that I'll be mentioning.
We got married to protect our assets and our rights and for the financial benefits. We are grateful for those conveyances, but really, they are only what we are owed as citizens of this country. Let's continue the struggle for our rights, but let's not overly glorify this rather odd and ill-fitting institution.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
LGBT Helping Hands 12/27/09-SMYAL (Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League, Washington, DC)
The Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) is the only Washington, DC metro area service organization solely dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Founded in 1984, SMYAL is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.Our mission is to promote and support self-confident, healthy, productive lives for LGBTQ youth ages 13-21 as they journey from adolescence into adulthood.
To fulfill our mission, we concentrate our commitment and energy on five focus areas: (1) Life Skills & Leadership Development, (2) Counseling & Support, (3) Health & Wellness Education, (4) Safe Social Activities, and (5) Community Outreach and Education.
Click here to find out more.
To fulfill our mission, we concentrate our commitment and energy on five focus areas: (1) Life Skills & Leadership Development, (2) Counseling & Support, (3) Health & Wellness Education, (4) Safe Social Activities, and (5) Community Outreach and Education.
Click here to find out more.
Welcome to Sunday Worship 12/27/09
If you don't have a welcoming church near you, or you just can't make yourself step into one, we're bringing worship to you. Here are links to some worship music and services from open and affirming ministries (all times eastern). I hope you are blessed and take time out of your busy schedule to enter into the Lord's day.
Don't forget to click on the tab on the upper right of this blog and leave your prayer requests in the comment section so we can petition the Lord for your needs.
If you know of a service we should add to our list, please send an e-mail and share it with us. Live Sunday Services (all times Eastern)VIDEOFL-Potters'>http://www.ustream.tv/channel/phif">FL-Potters House International Fellowship, Tampa, 11:00 AM VA-Believers Covenant Fellowship, Vienna, 11:00 AMAL-Covenant Community Church, Birmingham, 12:00 AMNC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-Salem, 12:00 PMFL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, Casselberry, 12:00 PMOK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, Tulsa, 1:00 PMCA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long Beach, 1:00 PMWA-Living Water Fellowship, Kenmore, 1:30 PMCanada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver 9:00 PM
AUDIOCanada'>http://www.christalive.ca/?page_id=26">Canada, Vancouver-Christ Alive Community Church, 10:15 PMFL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program) 4:30 PM
Video ArchiveAL-Covenant Community Church, BirminghamCA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long BeachFL-Church of the Holy SpiritSong, Ft. LauderdaleFL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, CasselberryFL-New'>http://www.blogofhope.com/?cat=6">FL-New Hope Christian Center, PensacolaFL-Potters House International Fellowship, TampaGA-Gentle Spirit Christian Church, AtlantaGA-New Covenant Church of AtlantaNC-Church'>http://www.renaissanceunity.org/live.htm">NC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-SalemOK-Expressions Community Fellowship, Oklahoma CityOK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, TulsaTX-The One Church, GarlandWA-Living Water Fellowship, KenmoreCanada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver
Audio ArchiveAZ-Community Church of Hope, PhoenixAK-Open Door Community Church, SherwoodCA-Christ Chapel of Long BeachCA-Christ Chapel of the Valley, North HollywoodFL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program)FL-Body of Christ Church of God, LargoFL-New Hope Christian Center, PensecolaGA-New Covenant Church of AtlantaKY-Covenant Community Church, LouisvilleMD-Kittamaqundi Community, ColumbiaNC-Revolution CharlotteOH-Emmanuel Fellowship Church, AkronOH-All Saints Community Church, CortlandTN-Covenant of the Cross, MadisonTX-New'>http://www.nhfcdallas.org/pages/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=9">TX-New Hope Fellowship Church, DallasTX-White Rock Community Church, DallasTX-Community Gospel Church, HoustonTX-Through Him Fellowship, HoustonUT-Glory'>http://glory2godonline.com/cms/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=68">UT-Glory to God Christian Church, OgdenSouth Africa-Deo Gloria Family Church
Can we pray for you? E-mail
Don't forget to click on the tab on the upper right of this blog and leave your prayer requests in the comment section so we can petition the Lord for your needs.
If you know of a service we should add to our list, please send an e-mail and share it with us. Live Sunday Services (all times Eastern)VIDEOFL-Potters'>http://www.ustream.tv/channel/phif">FL-Potters House International Fellowship, Tampa, 11:00 AM VA-Believers Covenant Fellowship, Vienna, 11:00 AMAL-Covenant Community Church, Birmingham, 12:00 AMNC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-Salem, 12:00 PMFL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, Casselberry, 12:00 PMOK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, Tulsa, 1:00 PMCA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long Beach, 1:00 PMWA-Living Water Fellowship, Kenmore, 1:30 PMCanada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver 9:00 PM
AUDIOCanada'>http://www.christalive.ca/?page_id=26">Canada, Vancouver-Christ Alive Community Church, 10:15 PMFL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program) 4:30 PM
Video ArchiveAL-Covenant Community Church, BirminghamCA-Glory Tabernacle Christian Center, Long BeachFL-Church of the Holy SpiritSong, Ft. LauderdaleFL-Oasis Fellowship Ministries, CasselberryFL-New'>http://www.blogofhope.com/?cat=6">FL-New Hope Christian Center, PensacolaFL-Potters House International Fellowship, TampaGA-Gentle Spirit Christian Church, AtlantaGA-New Covenant Church of AtlantaNC-Church'>http://www.renaissanceunity.org/live.htm">NC-Church of the Holy Spirit Fellowship, Winston-SalemOK-Expressions Community Fellowship, Oklahoma CityOK-Diversity Christian Fellowship International, TulsaTX-The One Church, GarlandWA-Living Water Fellowship, KenmoreCanada-Rainbow Community Church, Vancouver
Audio ArchiveAZ-Community Church of Hope, PhoenixAK-Open Door Community Church, SherwoodCA-Christ Chapel of Long BeachCA-Christ Chapel of the Valley, North HollywoodFL-Beacon of Hope Ministries, Dunedin (Living the Good Life radio program)FL-Body of Christ Church of God, LargoFL-New Hope Christian Center, PensecolaGA-New Covenant Church of AtlantaKY-Covenant Community Church, LouisvilleMD-Kittamaqundi Community, ColumbiaNC-Revolution CharlotteOH-Emmanuel Fellowship Church, AkronOH-All Saints Community Church, CortlandTN-Covenant of the Cross, MadisonTX-New'>http://www.nhfcdallas.org/pages/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=9">TX-New Hope Fellowship Church, DallasTX-White Rock Community Church, DallasTX-Community Gospel Church, HoustonTX-Through Him Fellowship, HoustonUT-Glory'>http://glory2godonline.com/cms/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=68">UT-Glory to God Christian Church, OgdenSouth Africa-Deo Gloria Family Church
Can we pray for you? E-mail
Has the National Equality March Made a Difference?
According to this article from the Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco, CA), it's hard to tell, which is not exactly reassuring:
Two months after an estimated 100,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the National Equality March, activists calling for nationwide LGBT equality are working on their next steps.
But progress appears to have slowed considerably.
The National Equality March's only stated goal was equal protection for LGBT people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.
Cleve Jones, the longtime gay activist largely responsible for the march, had insisted the best way to achieve full equality would be to establish action teams in all 435 congressional districts across the country. But it's still not clear how many of those teams have been formed or what they are doing.
Last month, Jones told the Bay Area Reporter that he thought groups had formed in some 200 congressional districts.
"But that's kind of fuzzy," he said.
Equality Across America is the group that oversaw the march. But it has been hampered by disorganization and a turnover in leadership following the sudden resignations of co-chairs Kip Williams and Robin McGehee less than a month after the march.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Two months after an estimated 100,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the National Equality March, activists calling for nationwide LGBT equality are working on their next steps.
But progress appears to have slowed considerably.
The National Equality March's only stated goal was equal protection for LGBT people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.
Cleve Jones, the longtime gay activist largely responsible for the march, had insisted the best way to achieve full equality would be to establish action teams in all 435 congressional districts across the country. But it's still not clear how many of those teams have been formed or what they are doing.
Last month, Jones told the Bay Area Reporter that he thought groups had formed in some 200 congressional districts.
"But that's kind of fuzzy," he said.
Equality Across America is the group that oversaw the march. But it has been hampered by disorganization and a turnover in leadership following the sudden resignations of co-chairs Kip Williams and Robin McGehee less than a month after the march.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
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