New Baptist Covenant Moving Toward Acceptance of Gays

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

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

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

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

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

Click here to read the rest of the letter.

Minn. High School Supports Student Standing Up Against Prejudice

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

From Edge Boston:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here to read the rest of the story.

A former Christian Right-Winger comes to her senses!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom to Marry Week Is Here

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

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

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

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

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

Beyond Ex-Gay Mid South Regional Gathering Coming Soon

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

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

Much more detail can be found here.

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

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

The National Black Justice Coalition Commemorates Black History Month

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

You can check it out here.

The Latest Edition of the International Carnival of Pozitivities is Online

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

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

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

Next Edition

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

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

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

Both parts were posted on PageOneQ.

Part 1

Part 2

Enjoy!

Now Here's Something I Can Support In Congress

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

From the Christian Post:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Group for LGBT Palestinians Becomes Independent

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

From PinkNews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Haneen Maikey, Al-Qaws director, said:

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

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

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

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

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

Gay Grandparents Are Coming Out

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

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

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

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

"Because Mommy likes girls," was the reply.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here to read the rest of the Inquirer story,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More Episcopal Voices Supporting Gay Clergy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faith and Same-Sex Marriage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another First: A Black, Lesbian, Mayor

Here is a story of how, slowly but surely, at least in local jurisdictions, labels are meaning less and who a person is and what they stand for is meaning more. I find it particularly interesting this happened in the home of one of the world's great centers of higher learning, Harvard University and not some poor, depressed town.

From The Edge (Boston, MA)

As the presidential primaries continue to unfold, nightly newscasts are quick to remind viewers that a major historical precedent may be only months away: There’s never been a stronger chance that voters will elect either the first African-American president or the first female president.

But when it comes to equal opportunity politicking, Mayor E. Denise Simmons can claim one better.

When City Council elections gave Simmons the mayorship of Cambridge, Mass. on January 14, she became America’s first openly gay, female African-American mayor.

"This is what’s great about the City of Cambridge," says Mayor Simmons of the new chapter she has authored in the history books. She sits smiling in her City Hall office, a dignified space that emanates the same characteristic air as the New England City she calls her own: warmth and welcoming combined with aristocratic academia.

Her features are wide and open, her manners gracious and kind, and her eyes crackle with a certain sense of spirit; maybe it’s the focus of a maverick woman who has blazed her own trail, or the energetic ambition of a politician who has not only goals, but the will and willingness to realize them.

"It’s wonderful to be in a high-profile position, and to be in it as you are," says Simmons, emphasizing the last three words to underscore her comfort as an openly gay mayor.

I Speak Out Against the NFL on TV News

In an interesting set of circumstances, I wound up being interviewed by WUSA TV 9 in Washington, DC about the Super Bowl party my church, Believers Covenant Fellowship, is having on Sunday.

First came a story on the front page of today's Washington Post reporting about the National Football League is cracking down on the size of televisions used to watch the Super Bowl at large church gatherings. The league, the wealthiest sports league in the world, announced plans to strictly enforce it's copyright and limit the size of screens displaying a broadcast of the game to 55 inches.

This became a national story last year when the NFL sent a letter to a church in Indianapolis warning them not to follow through on their advertised plans to broadcast the game, featuring their hometown Colts, on a video screen exceeding the 55 inch limit.

Following up on this story, Channel 9NewsNow report Bruce Leshan did a Google search to find a local church still planning on having a Super Bowl party. He ran across the BCF website and the ad I placed on Craig's List advertising our event. Leshan contacted me and, with the blessing of Apostle Dale, I spoke with him on camera in front of the church.

The story appeared on Friday night's 5:00 PM newscast, and the transcript is here. We were thrilled that the signage of our church was very prominently displayed during the story, and that the video clip they use of my interview didn't make me sound stupid.

I had no idea when I woke up this morning that I would be on the 5:00 news, and that it would be a GOOD thing. Leshan did a wonderful job making me feel comfortable and asking good questions, and BCF got positive television exposure we could never have dreamt of paying for.

All because of a silly football game. Isn't God good!

Climate for Gays Improves in China

I find China a fascinating nation to watch these days, as the Communist government endeavors to assimilate more and more aspects of western culture while still trying to keep firm control of the political machine.

One way they are doing that is giving gay Chinese people more freedom, to a great extent just leaving them alone as long as they largely confine their activities to a thriving sub-culture.

Here's more on that from Time magazine:

There has never been a better time to be gay in China, but as Destination's somewhat schizophrenic combination of outer reserve and inner exuberance demonstrates, it still pays to be careful. Beijing's attitude has been described as a triple-no policy: no approval, no disapproval, no promotion. That sort of "Don't ask, don't tell" system is emblematic of the regime's delicate handling of many personal-liberties issues raised by the country's growing middle class. For their part, China's gays seem content to live within the government boundaries, albeit not without the occasional snipe at the authorities. Young gay men, for example, have co-opted a venerated communist term—tongzhi, or comrade—when referring to one another.

Historically, Chinese society was relaxed about homosexuality, which was tolerated so long as it didn't interfere with the Confucian duty to raise a family. Although an imperial decree banned homosexuality in 1740 (probably under the influence of Christian missionaries), it was the communists who first drove gays and lesbians underground. The communist government once viewed gays as disruptive to social order and harshly suppressed them, imprisoning and even executing suspected homosexuals. But as China's economy opened to the world, the authorities' stance softened. A law banning sodomy was dropped in 1997, and in 2001 homosexuality was removed from the country's official list of mental illnesses. "It gets freer every year," says Bernie, a fortysomething reveler at the club. "And every year more and more gays come out of the closet. In Beijing and the big cities, you can see couples walking around the shopping malls holding hands. In the smaller cities, I hear it's getting better all the time."

Baltimore Sun Supports Same-Sex Marriage in Maryland

From last Sunday's Baltimore Sun editorial section:

The Maryland General Assembly will soon consider legislation to remove the state's ban on same-sex marriage. We wholeheartedly support the effort.

Numerous are the rewards - to the individuals involved and society as a whole - that spring from this vital social institution. The broad range of benefits (and obligations) that come with marriage should not be denied certain people because of sexual preference.

But it would be foolish not to recognize that the proposal has little chance of passage this year. Too many lawmakers, particularly in the state Senate, actively oppose it.

Public opinion is also running strongly against it. A recent Sun poll found that only about one out of five Maryland voters supports same-sex marriage. Currently, only Massachusetts permits same-sex marriage, and a sizable number of states ban all legal recognition for same-sex relationships.

That's why we believe the time may be right for Maryland to authorize civil unions for same-sex couples. Admittedly, it is not the same thing as marriage. It would require creation of a separate legal structure - perhaps even an unwieldy one - that is unlikely to offer all the benefits of marriage.

It is for this reason that same-sex marriage advocates are often among the proposal's most ardent foes. They see it as an effort to thwart the case for genuine equality.

After all, civil union protections generally end at a state's borders. Nor would they have any impact on matters governed by the federal government - as often is the case with health insurance benefits, for instance. Marriage would be better.

But without a civil union law, the difficult task of trying to string together piecemeal rights denied same-sex couples issue by issue is all the more challenging.

Even more important, civil union should be seen as a bridge to the ultimate goal of ending discrimination by sexual orientation. As others have noted, civil rights are usually secured by incremental steps. And an overwhelming majority of Marylanders favor civil unions, according to the Sun poll.

None of this would be necessary if the Maryland Court of Appeals hadn't reversed a Baltimore Circuit Court judge and upheld the ban on same-sex marriage last September. But that decision is unlikely to be altered anytime soon.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has promised to support a civil union bill. If such a law would help offset, if only partially, the injustice done same-sex couples, it ought to be approved this session.

Although right-wingers will likely write this editorial from the state's largest newspaper off as another blast from the "liberal media," I thought it was balance and well stated. The Sun stood by principles yet was pragmatic to understand was could actually be achievable in this legislative session. The GLBT community does not need another token piece of legislation offered up pre-destined to fail. The state needs to move toward equality for all, and civil unions, while imperfect, would still be a step forward.

Pictures, We've Got Pictures

Back in October, my church, Believers Covenant Fellowship, had our first annual Fall Renewal event that pulled in folks from across the United States and Canada and was one of the most intense spiritual experiences I have had the opportunity to be part of.

Now I've got the pictures to prove it, thanks to Robbie and Don at Unidiversal.

Here's the whole group, sorted by category. There are over 400 photos from the three days of the event.

I want to post a few of my personal favorites directly here.

This may become one of my all-time favorite pictures. This is my beautiful wife Pastor Brenda resting her head on my shoulder as we both thank God for how he has blessed our lives together.

I gave prophetic words for the first time during this event, and I am here speaking a word to one of our newer members, Brenda Ferris. Apostle Dale is behind her wearing the red shirt.

Here is Pastor Brenda hugging Robbie Ousley from Unidiversal during prayer time immediately after the Sunday service. I'm in the background looking very pastoral as I stare off in the distance.

Apostle Dale and I enjoying a special moment together. I'm always afraid he'll crack a rib when he gets real excited like he was that weekend.

Pastors Sue and Debbie, who we had the pleasure of hosting during their visit from the Seattle area, joined Apostle Dale and myself in praying for our dear brother Ken, offering him encouragement

Apostle Dale's spouse, Deacon Garrey, is a gifted dance instructor and he used his gifts to twirl himself into a spiritual frenzy at times during the Renewal.

There are many, many more photos in the general link above. If you check them out, you can see what a diverse group was there, putting our differences aside and finding the common ground of worship the Lord.

More Evidence of Churches "Not Living Up to Their Calling"

From the Christian Post:

Criticism from people outside of Christianity toward the Church doesn't surprise many. But when negative viewpoints are being expressed by believers, it raises a red flag for churches across the country.

In the latest research report by Sam S. Rainer III, who heads Rainer Research, only 39 percent of people who dropped out of the church perceived their church as "caring." Meanwhile, 51 percent of them called their church "judgmental."

Among other unfavorable views from those who quit their church, 41 percent of them said their church was "insincere." Only 20 percent felt their church was "inspirational;" 30 percent said their church was "authentic;" and 36 percent said their church was "welcoming."

The survey was conducted on 18- to 22-year-olds and is featured in Rainer's upcoming book, Essential Church?.

"The churches that do not demonstrate these biblical qualities and rather become insincere and judgmental lose this generation," Rainer, a young Baptist pastor, commented. "They return to the culture that claims churches are not living up to their calling.

"And, for the most part, the culture is correct."

Part of the church's calling is to reach those on the outside and live out what they preach, but these students who are dropping out are hearing one thing in church and seeing another thing in the lives of these churchgoers, Rainer pointed out.

At Believers Covenant Fellowship, it is assumed that people walking through our doors have suffered some some of these effects in their church experience, and often dealt with even worse situations than are covered in this article.

How many souls must be lost before churches change their ways? How many people must die not knowing God before religion gives way to faith, judgment gives way to love, personal caring gives way to hellfire and brimstone from the pulpit?

Our church sees the urgency of moving past this and winning souls for Christ, reaching out and sharing with them how they can know the one true and loving God, not this angry characture taught as some many right-wing churches.

I hope your church is focused on teaching people how to live, not telling them why they are going to die.