That seems to me like an absurdly easy question to answer--of course not. A majority of voters in Arkansas, however, disagreed and made it illegal for any couple "cohatitating outside of a valid marriage" to adopt a child. What exactly DOES constitute a valid marriage in Arkansas, anyway? Insert joke here.
Anyway, I'm not the only one who is troubled by that. From the Chicago Tribune (via PageOneQ):
We don't have enough quality homes as it is, and now we're going to place more restrictions?" asked Susan Hoffpauir, president of the Arkansas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. "A lot of us are still shell-shocked by this."
While the Nov. 4 vote to ban gay marriage in California grabbed the headlines, it is same-sex parenting that is heating up as the next skirmish in the nation's culture wars. Last week, a Florida judge struck down that state's decades-old law preventing gays and lesbians from adopting.
In Arkansas, some 3,700 children are in state custody, taken from their homes because of abuse and neglect. Of those, 960 kids (average age: 8.5 years) are available for adoption, said Julie Munsell of the state Department of Human Services. Of the 1,100 foster homes, one-third are headed by single people.
But finding potential homes for foster children is a continual challenge across the country—especially for children who are older and have special needs. Some 129,000 U.S. children are in foster care, and the only criteria should be who can best provide a loving, permanent home, according to Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.
In a recent report, the non-partisan group concluded that a national ban on gay adoptions could add $87 million to $130 million to foster care expenditures annually because these children would then be living in other types of institutional care, such as group homes.
"On its face, this [Arkansas] law is just crazy," Pertman said. "I fear what will happen if other states see this as a model.
It is sad to see people put their personal bigotry ahead of what is in the best interest of an innocent child. Is being the ward of a state really better than having two mommies or two daddies?
it's hard for me to see how Jesus would really want kids kept away from homes where two parents are ready and willing to love them.
Click here to read the rest of the Chicago Tribune article.
December 07, 2008
December 06, 2008
Moving Toward LGBT Equality in the African-American Community
H. Alexander Robinson, the CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, wrote an essay for The Advocate where he shared his concerns about how the African-American community's role in the passing of California's Proposition 8 was perceived and how to bring more of them toward the acceptance of equality for LGBT people. Here is an excerpt:
As we go forward, we need to be mindful that our foes will continue to attempt to use President-elect Obama, the black church, and campaigns of deception and fear to foster their own agenda in manipulative and devious ways. President-elect Obama’s opposition to same-sex marriage is grounded in his view of marriage as a religious institution. We must be steadfast in not allowing public officials to use religion to determine their positions on matters of justice. We know as a community all too well that this reasoning can be harmful to blacks as well as LGBT people.
It is incumbent on every one of us to dedicate resources to educate our brothers and sisters on same-gender loving marriages and LGBT issues. As a community, blacks have always looked to the church as our beacon of hope and a source of political leadership. Black churches must recognize that they are going against their own teachings of tolerance and acceptance by preaching from the pulpit against same-sex marriage. These are cultural impediments that will only be overcome by real conversations about the status of LGBT people. We also recognize that we have affirming ministers and religious institutions, and we need to empower them and have their words highlighted and recognized in the mainstream and LGBT media.
I think Mr. Robinson makes a critically important point here. I strongly believe, both within and beyond the African-American community, the goal must not be to defeat or circumvent religious organizaitons. Instead, there needs to be a grass roots effort to reach out and educate the members, humanizing these issues by putting people in front of them to share their stories, showing the pain of exclusion and discrimination and that they are not abominations or deviants, they are people's neighbors, co-workers, brothers, sisters, and parents.
People might hear fire and brimstone condemnation from the pulpit but those who are willing to see and think for themselves, if they have a different reality to consider, will often draw a different conclusion. It is those people, I believe, that can pull churches, and eventually entirely denominations, out of the 1950's and into the equality of the 21st century.
Click here to read the rest of The Advocate article.
As we go forward, we need to be mindful that our foes will continue to attempt to use President-elect Obama, the black church, and campaigns of deception and fear to foster their own agenda in manipulative and devious ways. President-elect Obama’s opposition to same-sex marriage is grounded in his view of marriage as a religious institution. We must be steadfast in not allowing public officials to use religion to determine their positions on matters of justice. We know as a community all too well that this reasoning can be harmful to blacks as well as LGBT people.
It is incumbent on every one of us to dedicate resources to educate our brothers and sisters on same-gender loving marriages and LGBT issues. As a community, blacks have always looked to the church as our beacon of hope and a source of political leadership. Black churches must recognize that they are going against their own teachings of tolerance and acceptance by preaching from the pulpit against same-sex marriage. These are cultural impediments that will only be overcome by real conversations about the status of LGBT people. We also recognize that we have affirming ministers and religious institutions, and we need to empower them and have their words highlighted and recognized in the mainstream and LGBT media.
I think Mr. Robinson makes a critically important point here. I strongly believe, both within and beyond the African-American community, the goal must not be to defeat or circumvent religious organizaitons. Instead, there needs to be a grass roots effort to reach out and educate the members, humanizing these issues by putting people in front of them to share their stories, showing the pain of exclusion and discrimination and that they are not abominations or deviants, they are people's neighbors, co-workers, brothers, sisters, and parents.
People might hear fire and brimstone condemnation from the pulpit but those who are willing to see and think for themselves, if they have a different reality to consider, will often draw a different conclusion. It is those people, I believe, that can pull churches, and eventually entirely denominations, out of the 1950's and into the equality of the 21st century.
Click here to read the rest of The Advocate article.
December 05, 2008
"The Church" Is Not Anti-Gay, Just Some of the Churches
One of the major points I emphasize here, something that can not be stated too often in my opinion, is that "The Church" is not anti-gay. Even among those who claim Christ as their personal savior, there are too many different groups of interpretation of His Word to really claim that "The Church" speaks with one voice on much of anything.
Believing that, it really angers me when someone claims to expouse the "Christian Worlview." There are worldviews (yes, multiple) that Christians believe, to be sure, but there is not one size that fits all.
On no issue is that more evident that homosexuality. One of the leading proponents of affirmation and equality is the United Church of Christ, and Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper recently contributed an essay about that to The Huffington Post. Here is an excerpt:
On Monday, July 04, 2005, in Atlanta, Georgia, the governing body of the United Church of Christ, direct descendant of the Mayflower Pilgrims, voted overwhelmingly to "affirm equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender," thereby becoming the first mainline denomination, and the largest Christian denomination in the world, to support same-sex marriage.
Endorsing gay marriage has surely lost some members and some churches; just as surely, it has attracted more members and churches, most notably the 5000 member Victory Church in Stone Mountain George, a largely African-American church which could no longer be at home among discriminating heterosexists. We are drinking, as Bishop Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire says, the last dregs of a bad cup of wine: heterosexism is over. Religious people will look back in ten years -- the way we now look back at slavery and the before civil rights era -- and say, "What took us so long?"
Gay marriage will come nationwide; it will be ordinary to our children. It will be more than just gay marriage: it will also free scriptural interpretation from meanness and the cementing of revelation.
I strongly agree with Rev. Dr. Schaper's view here. We are a path to see where there won't be "traditional marriage" and "gay marriage," there will just be marriage, and people will see how God can bless them all.
Click here to read the rest of the article from The Huffington Post.
Believing that, it really angers me when someone claims to expouse the "Christian Worlview." There are worldviews (yes, multiple) that Christians believe, to be sure, but there is not one size that fits all.
On no issue is that more evident that homosexuality. One of the leading proponents of affirmation and equality is the United Church of Christ, and Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper recently contributed an essay about that to The Huffington Post. Here is an excerpt:
On Monday, July 04, 2005, in Atlanta, Georgia, the governing body of the United Church of Christ, direct descendant of the Mayflower Pilgrims, voted overwhelmingly to "affirm equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender," thereby becoming the first mainline denomination, and the largest Christian denomination in the world, to support same-sex marriage.
Endorsing gay marriage has surely lost some members and some churches; just as surely, it has attracted more members and churches, most notably the 5000 member Victory Church in Stone Mountain George, a largely African-American church which could no longer be at home among discriminating heterosexists. We are drinking, as Bishop Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire says, the last dregs of a bad cup of wine: heterosexism is over. Religious people will look back in ten years -- the way we now look back at slavery and the before civil rights era -- and say, "What took us so long?"
Gay marriage will come nationwide; it will be ordinary to our children. It will be more than just gay marriage: it will also free scriptural interpretation from meanness and the cementing of revelation.
I strongly agree with Rev. Dr. Schaper's view here. We are a path to see where there won't be "traditional marriage" and "gay marriage," there will just be marriage, and people will see how God can bless them all.
Click here to read the rest of the article from The Huffington Post.
December 02, 2008
Let's Party Like It's 1899 at the Vatican
That's how this story comes across to me:
From the New York Times:
Gay rights groups and newspaper editorials on Tuesday condemned the Vatican for its decision to oppose a proposed U.N. resolution calling on governments worldwide to de-criminalize homosexuality.
The row erupted after the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations told a French Catholic news agency the Holy See would oppose the resolution, which France is due to propose later this month on behalf of the 27-member European Union.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore said the Vatican opposed the resolution because it would "add new categories of those protected from discrimination" and could lead to reverse discrimination against traditional heterosexual marriage.
"If adopted, they would create new and implacable discriminations," Migliore said. "For example, states which do not recognize same-sex unions as 'matrimony' will be pilloried and made an object of pressure," Migliore said.
A strongly worded editorial in Italy's mainstream La Stampa newspaper said the Vatican's reasoning was "grotesque."
Pointing out that homosexuality was still punishable by death in some Islamic countries, the editorial said what the Vatican really feared was a "chain reaction in favor of legally recognized homosexual unions in countries, like Italy, where there is currently no legislation."
The Religious Right commonly uses fear tactics like speculating about future (and often extreme) consequences of granting legal rights to GLBT people. It's a long, long way from not throwing someone in jail for being homosexual to allowing same-sex marriages, but the Catholic Church wants people to take that, dare I say, leap of faith.
Once one gets past the irony of a religion that has ordained so many closeted gay priests taking such an aggressive step of discrimination, it becomes clear that this will only result in the Catholic Church moving further toward irrelivancy.
This would be a shame because they do a lot of things to help people--as long as they are straight.
Click here to read the rest of the New York Times story.
From the New York Times:
Gay rights groups and newspaper editorials on Tuesday condemned the Vatican for its decision to oppose a proposed U.N. resolution calling on governments worldwide to de-criminalize homosexuality.
The row erupted after the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations told a French Catholic news agency the Holy See would oppose the resolution, which France is due to propose later this month on behalf of the 27-member European Union.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore said the Vatican opposed the resolution because it would "add new categories of those protected from discrimination" and could lead to reverse discrimination against traditional heterosexual marriage.
"If adopted, they would create new and implacable discriminations," Migliore said. "For example, states which do not recognize same-sex unions as 'matrimony' will be pilloried and made an object of pressure," Migliore said.
A strongly worded editorial in Italy's mainstream La Stampa newspaper said the Vatican's reasoning was "grotesque."
Pointing out that homosexuality was still punishable by death in some Islamic countries, the editorial said what the Vatican really feared was a "chain reaction in favor of legally recognized homosexual unions in countries, like Italy, where there is currently no legislation."
The Religious Right commonly uses fear tactics like speculating about future (and often extreme) consequences of granting legal rights to GLBT people. It's a long, long way from not throwing someone in jail for being homosexual to allowing same-sex marriages, but the Catholic Church wants people to take that, dare I say, leap of faith.
Once one gets past the irony of a religion that has ordained so many closeted gay priests taking such an aggressive step of discrimination, it becomes clear that this will only result in the Catholic Church moving further toward irrelivancy.
This would be a shame because they do a lot of things to help people--as long as they are straight.
Click here to read the rest of the New York Times story.
December 01, 2008
Much Accomplished, Much To Do
This article from CNN, written by the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, gives us an official view of where we stand today in the fight against AIDS. Here is an excerpt:
When we commemorated the first World AIDS Day on December 1, 1988, we had little to celebrate.
The number of reported AIDS cases in the United States was nearing 80,000 and rising rapidly. Untold thousands more in this country were living with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Globally, AIDS cases already had been reported from more than 135 countries. An AIDS tsunami clearly was looming, but we had few defenses at our disposal.
For those of us caring for people with AIDS, it was a dark time. We had just one anti-HIV medicine in our pharmacies, AZT, a drug that the virus rapidly defeated by mutating and developing resistance. Lacking other medicines to slow the relentless replication of HIV and its destruction of a person's immune system, we did our best to help our patients by managing to the extent possible their AIDS-related infections and complications. But the life span of most of the patients was measured in months.
Two decades later, much has changed. An unprecedented research effort has led to more than two dozen anti-HIV drugs, more than for all other viral diseases combined. Taken in proper combinations, these medications have dramatically improved the prognosis for people living with HIV by increasing their life span by at least a decade and providing the possibility of a normal life span with continued therapy.
Much has been accomplished in the fight against HIV/AIDS from scientific, medical and public health standpoints. However, now is no time to rest on our accomplishments or our laurels. The statistics of the HIV/AIDS pandemic tell us that much more needs to be done.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
When we commemorated the first World AIDS Day on December 1, 1988, we had little to celebrate.
The number of reported AIDS cases in the United States was nearing 80,000 and rising rapidly. Untold thousands more in this country were living with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Globally, AIDS cases already had been reported from more than 135 countries. An AIDS tsunami clearly was looming, but we had few defenses at our disposal.
For those of us caring for people with AIDS, it was a dark time. We had just one anti-HIV medicine in our pharmacies, AZT, a drug that the virus rapidly defeated by mutating and developing resistance. Lacking other medicines to slow the relentless replication of HIV and its destruction of a person's immune system, we did our best to help our patients by managing to the extent possible their AIDS-related infections and complications. But the life span of most of the patients was measured in months.
Two decades later, much has changed. An unprecedented research effort has led to more than two dozen anti-HIV drugs, more than for all other viral diseases combined. Taken in proper combinations, these medications have dramatically improved the prognosis for people living with HIV by increasing their life span by at least a decade and providing the possibility of a normal life span with continued therapy.
Much has been accomplished in the fight against HIV/AIDS from scientific, medical and public health standpoints. However, now is no time to rest on our accomplishments or our laurels. The statistics of the HIV/AIDS pandemic tell us that much more needs to be done.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
World AIDS Day 2008
"Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise."
That's the slogan for this year's World AIDS Day, which is today, December 1, 2008.
This is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, which originated on December 1, 1988. It took several years for the global community to understand that AIDS was not just a "gay disease" and actually was a serious threat to the general population. Sadly, AIDS continues to be an epidemic across the globe, especially in the African continent.
Here is the official website for the world AIDS campaign. It lists activites in every part of the world designed to promote awareness and spur people to action. We need to act as individuals but also hold our governments accountable for their committments to reaching out and fighting this terrible disease.
God takes no pleasure in people being sick. As Jesus reached out to the infirm during his ministry on Earth, it is up to those who are healthy and strong to help those who are sick and weak.
If you have a red ribbon, I suggest you wear it to work, the coffee shop, and anywhere you might run into someone who will notice it and ask why you are wearing it. Helping one person engage in this battle today is a positive step toward winning it once and for all.
That's the slogan for this year's World AIDS Day, which is today, December 1, 2008.
This is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, which originated on December 1, 1988. It took several years for the global community to understand that AIDS was not just a "gay disease" and actually was a serious threat to the general population. Sadly, AIDS continues to be an epidemic across the globe, especially in the African continent.
Here is the official website for the world AIDS campaign. It lists activites in every part of the world designed to promote awareness and spur people to action. We need to act as individuals but also hold our governments accountable for their committments to reaching out and fighting this terrible disease.
God takes no pleasure in people being sick. As Jesus reached out to the infirm during his ministry on Earth, it is up to those who are healthy and strong to help those who are sick and weak.
If you have a red ribbon, I suggest you wear it to work, the coffee shop, and anywhere you might run into someone who will notice it and ask why you are wearing it. Helping one person engage in this battle today is a positive step toward winning it once and for all.
November 30, 2008
A Boost for Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
One of the primary justifications used to promote the continuance of the U. S. military's innane policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (allowing homosexuals to serve in the military under the condition they do not reveal their sexual orientation) is the disruption that would cause among the troops.
Recently a large group of people who should know strongly refuted that rationalization.
From San Diego's "Gay & Lesbian Times":
More than 100 retired generals and admirals recommended Nov. 17 the military repeal its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy so gays and lesbians can serve openly, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press.
The move by the high-ranking veterans confronts the coming administration of President-elect Barack Obama with a difficult political and cultural problem that dogged former President Bill Clinton early in his Democratic administration.
“As is the case with Great Britain, Israel, and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion and sexuality,” the officers wrote.
Never having been at least slightly tempted to enlist in the military myself, I have never quite understood the passion of some in the GLBT community to obtain the right to put themselves in harm way, but at the same time I have a strong respect and appreciation for their desire to fight for their nation despite not having the same rights as most of the population.
In my opinion, that is a level of patriotism and service far beyond most if not all of those who cling to the current discriminatory policies.
I don't know that there is a higher calling than doing something simply because you believe it is the right thing to do.
Recently a large group of people who should know strongly refuted that rationalization.
From San Diego's "Gay & Lesbian Times":
More than 100 retired generals and admirals recommended Nov. 17 the military repeal its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy so gays and lesbians can serve openly, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press.
The move by the high-ranking veterans confronts the coming administration of President-elect Barack Obama with a difficult political and cultural problem that dogged former President Bill Clinton early in his Democratic administration.
“As is the case with Great Britain, Israel, and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion and sexuality,” the officers wrote.
Never having been at least slightly tempted to enlist in the military myself, I have never quite understood the passion of some in the GLBT community to obtain the right to put themselves in harm way, but at the same time I have a strong respect and appreciation for their desire to fight for their nation despite not having the same rights as most of the population.
In my opinion, that is a level of patriotism and service far beyond most if not all of those who cling to the current discriminatory policies.
I don't know that there is a higher calling than doing something simply because you believe it is the right thing to do.
November 29, 2008
A Good Outreach Story
Pastor Debbie George in Kenmore, WA posted this note on her Facebook page and game me permission to post it here. This is a story of her stepping out beyond her comfort zone to give the Lord an opportunity to use her among some people who desperately needed His light to shine through her.
God wants us to be at peace, but he wants us to move beyond the comfort of the familiar to share His love with the unfamiliar, sometimes in less than comfortable situations. Bless you Deb for answering that call and setting an example for the rest of us.
If you think your lacking.. Think again.. My Shelter Night
Posted by Pastor Debbie George
Several weeks ago I had answered a Craig’s list add to sing during a weekly Friday dinner that a youth shelter offers in Seattle, right by the U of W. The shelter is for the 18-25 range and is run out of the United Methodist Church for many years now.
The add said they welcomed on types of music including gospel, so I went ahead and answered the add, told them I was a worship pastor etc. They wrote me right back, excited for me to come and set my date at Friday November 28th.
The above information was about all I knew about the event. I figured that I would go and sing songs of encouragement and just let the Love of God flow out and over the youth. To be honest, I was nervous because this was so far outside my experience not in terms of seeing homeless people, I work in Seattle after all and our church has done many outreaches where we go to the streets. But this was my first time singing and somewhat performing rather then “leading” worship. I knew it would be different, but was still not quite prepared for what I saw and felt while there.
The night started with meeting a twenty something street girl named Lakita.
Lakita approached me the moment I got out of the car with my guitar and asked if I was singing etc. She proceeded to tell me how much she hated men, how she did not feel comfortable at the shelter because of the men and went out in very colorful language to tell me how she beats the crap out of anyone who crosses her... whew.. My first thought was along the lines of.. “Debbie your not in your comfortable little neighborhood suburb”
Translate too.. “Dorothy, you’re not in Kansas Anymore!”
But yet... Are these not the people that we as Christians want to touch with the love of God? I found that after my initial culture shock, I was thinking. Lord... How do I touch the Lakita’s of the world?
How do I get out of my comfort zone enough to earn their trust and bring some light to their hard life? I did not come up with the answers in the five minutes that it took to walk with her, but at least the question was asked and I know God Always answers.
Of course I knew Lakita would be hustling for cash, so after she walked us to the Alley, Yes I said Alley... She asked for coin, which I happened to have and gladly gave and wished her well.
The Alley... Well, picture a dark alley with lots of drug addicts and you have the picture. What we were not prepared to see was the needle exchange and the brillo exchange set up in the alleyway. So many young people lost to drugs.
I felt safe walking in, but then I was not alone going in either.
As soon as we got there and started setting up the person in charge asked me if I was a Christian, to which I replied yes. He said “cool” but… oh here comes the B word.
He was gently trying to tell me that not everyone might appreciate Christian music and if anyone gave me a bad time to come find him... Great!!!! Just when I thought I had all my nerves under control... I explained to him that I did not have or play any other type of music and that the songs I brought were ones of hope and that I was not going to preach to them or sing actual church worship songs so we should be ok hopefully.
Because it was an open feed, there were all types of people there and ages. The young ones seemed to be more the drug addicts and there were plenty of alcoholics there as well. Plenty of non-sober people and I saw a good portion of people that just did not have all their mental faculties. They were pleasant and wanted to talk. We sat on the stage for a good half hour before the music and just listened to one gal, show us her stuffed animal, talk to us about her job etc.. I really do not think she had a job, the mental faculties were not there but she went on and on and I just kept thinking. Oh God.. Their minds are gone, Help!!
The music started and the people were lined up out the door. My job was to really just provide background music. After the first song, I introduced myself and heeding what the person in charge had said, I just told them that I mess up a lot in life and I was going to sing songs for them about messing up and always being able to get back up no matter what.. They clapped and seemed to be ok with that vain of thinking.
It was just so different for me to not be in a “flow” musically. It was the LONGEST HOUR OF MY MUSICAL LIFE.. Honestly.. I kept looking to my left to ask Susan what time was it.. All that said.. I did see several people completely zoned into the music and hanging on the words. At one point as I was singing a song called “Hold Me” I looked to my left and saw a young lady waiting in line for her food and she had her head back, eyes closed and was absolutely soaking in the words. I could feel her soaking. I looked in front and there was an older man that was just staring at me, I kept wanting to avert my eyes until the Lord spoke and said HE is Listening, sing to him!. So I looked right at him on the final song and sang about how the Lord loves you no matter what you have done.
There were some funny moments as well. Someone said out loud “ Baby, I got a song for you” umm yet I bet you do. But I just shrugged him off and kept going..haha
I was invited back. Will I go back? Yes I will because I know that seeds were planted and I want to see them grow. In my flesh, I would like to just walk away and go back to my neighborhood Starbucks and hang out with friends, because that is where it is comfortable. But were not called to be comfortable are we? We may think we have things that we lack, but just the fact that you’re on a computer reading this report, says you have so much more than these people have. In this Thanksgiving week, think about all you really have, because I tell you there are hurting people all around us who truly have nothing.
God wants us to be at peace, but he wants us to move beyond the comfort of the familiar to share His love with the unfamiliar, sometimes in less than comfortable situations. Bless you Deb for answering that call and setting an example for the rest of us.
If you think your lacking.. Think again.. My Shelter Night
Posted by Pastor Debbie George
Several weeks ago I had answered a Craig’s list add to sing during a weekly Friday dinner that a youth shelter offers in Seattle, right by the U of W. The shelter is for the 18-25 range and is run out of the United Methodist Church for many years now.
The add said they welcomed on types of music including gospel, so I went ahead and answered the add, told them I was a worship pastor etc. They wrote me right back, excited for me to come and set my date at Friday November 28th.
The above information was about all I knew about the event. I figured that I would go and sing songs of encouragement and just let the Love of God flow out and over the youth. To be honest, I was nervous because this was so far outside my experience not in terms of seeing homeless people, I work in Seattle after all and our church has done many outreaches where we go to the streets. But this was my first time singing and somewhat performing rather then “leading” worship. I knew it would be different, but was still not quite prepared for what I saw and felt while there.
The night started with meeting a twenty something street girl named Lakita.
Lakita approached me the moment I got out of the car with my guitar and asked if I was singing etc. She proceeded to tell me how much she hated men, how she did not feel comfortable at the shelter because of the men and went out in very colorful language to tell me how she beats the crap out of anyone who crosses her... whew.. My first thought was along the lines of.. “Debbie your not in your comfortable little neighborhood suburb”
Translate too.. “Dorothy, you’re not in Kansas Anymore!”
But yet... Are these not the people that we as Christians want to touch with the love of God? I found that after my initial culture shock, I was thinking. Lord... How do I touch the Lakita’s of the world?
How do I get out of my comfort zone enough to earn their trust and bring some light to their hard life? I did not come up with the answers in the five minutes that it took to walk with her, but at least the question was asked and I know God Always answers.
Of course I knew Lakita would be hustling for cash, so after she walked us to the Alley, Yes I said Alley... She asked for coin, which I happened to have and gladly gave and wished her well.
The Alley... Well, picture a dark alley with lots of drug addicts and you have the picture. What we were not prepared to see was the needle exchange and the brillo exchange set up in the alleyway. So many young people lost to drugs.
I felt safe walking in, but then I was not alone going in either.
As soon as we got there and started setting up the person in charge asked me if I was a Christian, to which I replied yes. He said “cool” but… oh here comes the B word.
He was gently trying to tell me that not everyone might appreciate Christian music and if anyone gave me a bad time to come find him... Great!!!! Just when I thought I had all my nerves under control... I explained to him that I did not have or play any other type of music and that the songs I brought were ones of hope and that I was not going to preach to them or sing actual church worship songs so we should be ok hopefully.
Because it was an open feed, there were all types of people there and ages. The young ones seemed to be more the drug addicts and there were plenty of alcoholics there as well. Plenty of non-sober people and I saw a good portion of people that just did not have all their mental faculties. They were pleasant and wanted to talk. We sat on the stage for a good half hour before the music and just listened to one gal, show us her stuffed animal, talk to us about her job etc.. I really do not think she had a job, the mental faculties were not there but she went on and on and I just kept thinking. Oh God.. Their minds are gone, Help!!
The music started and the people were lined up out the door. My job was to really just provide background music. After the first song, I introduced myself and heeding what the person in charge had said, I just told them that I mess up a lot in life and I was going to sing songs for them about messing up and always being able to get back up no matter what.. They clapped and seemed to be ok with that vain of thinking.
It was just so different for me to not be in a “flow” musically. It was the LONGEST HOUR OF MY MUSICAL LIFE.. Honestly.. I kept looking to my left to ask Susan what time was it.. All that said.. I did see several people completely zoned into the music and hanging on the words. At one point as I was singing a song called “Hold Me” I looked to my left and saw a young lady waiting in line for her food and she had her head back, eyes closed and was absolutely soaking in the words. I could feel her soaking. I looked in front and there was an older man that was just staring at me, I kept wanting to avert my eyes until the Lord spoke and said HE is Listening, sing to him!. So I looked right at him on the final song and sang about how the Lord loves you no matter what you have done.
There were some funny moments as well. Someone said out loud “ Baby, I got a song for you” umm yet I bet you do. But I just shrugged him off and kept going..haha
I was invited back. Will I go back? Yes I will because I know that seeds were planted and I want to see them grow. In my flesh, I would like to just walk away and go back to my neighborhood Starbucks and hang out with friends, because that is where it is comfortable. But were not called to be comfortable are we? We may think we have things that we lack, but just the fact that you’re on a computer reading this report, says you have so much more than these people have. In this Thanksgiving week, think about all you really have, because I tell you there are hurting people all around us who truly have nothing.
November 28, 2008
A Few Who Give Back
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Bay Windows, New England's largest GLBT newspaper, ran a feature titled "Giving Thanks by Giving Back." They profiled four individuals who give of themselves to make the GLBT community better. They are:
Zac Brokenrope donates his time at the LGBT Aging Project’s Thursday luncheon called Café Emmanuel. Every Thursday, Brokenrope heads to Emmanuel Church on Newbury St. to set out food and chat with LGBT seniors. Brokenrope, a freshman at Boston University, just moved here from Nebraska, where there was not a strong gay community, so he wanted to connect with the community in Boston.
Rick Larkin volunteers at the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts (AAC) outreach program and was recently elected to the organization’s board. Having been diagnosed with HIV in 1986 Larkin said he volunteers because he has been lucky enough to access services that have helped him become a long-term survivor.
Jess Nieuwenhuizen has volunteered at Boston GLASS (Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services), a drop-in center for LGBT people between the ages of 13 and twenty-five. A grad student at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Nieuwenhuizen volunteered as an intern, helping develop the agency’s literary magazine, co-facilitating a weekly woman’s group, helping out with Shades of Color, a peer education and leadership development program and most importantly was a peer mentor for members of Boston Glass.
Steve Swanberg, known lovingly around the MassEquality office as "Info Steve," volunteers by answering all of the e-mails sent to the address "info@massequality."; In March 2004 -- the height of the marriage equality debate on Beacon Hill, when MassEquality as we now know it was just taking off -- Swanberg decided it was time to get involved. He realized that organizations even needed people just to answer their e-mails. At that point, MassEquality was being bombarded with people seeking information about the issue.
Although the article doesn't mention anything about the faith of these individuals, their actions do represent what Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:40b (NIV):
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Jesus came to earth as a servant, and we reach out to help others, we are moving toward a heart of Christ.
Click here to read the rest of the Bay Windows article.
Zac Brokenrope donates his time at the LGBT Aging Project’s Thursday luncheon called Café Emmanuel. Every Thursday, Brokenrope heads to Emmanuel Church on Newbury St. to set out food and chat with LGBT seniors. Brokenrope, a freshman at Boston University, just moved here from Nebraska, where there was not a strong gay community, so he wanted to connect with the community in Boston.
Rick Larkin volunteers at the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts (AAC) outreach program and was recently elected to the organization’s board. Having been diagnosed with HIV in 1986 Larkin said he volunteers because he has been lucky enough to access services that have helped him become a long-term survivor.
Jess Nieuwenhuizen has volunteered at Boston GLASS (Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services), a drop-in center for LGBT people between the ages of 13 and twenty-five. A grad student at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Nieuwenhuizen volunteered as an intern, helping develop the agency’s literary magazine, co-facilitating a weekly woman’s group, helping out with Shades of Color, a peer education and leadership development program and most importantly was a peer mentor for members of Boston Glass.
Steve Swanberg, known lovingly around the MassEquality office as "Info Steve," volunteers by answering all of the e-mails sent to the address "info@massequality."; In March 2004 -- the height of the marriage equality debate on Beacon Hill, when MassEquality as we now know it was just taking off -- Swanberg decided it was time to get involved. He realized that organizations even needed people just to answer their e-mails. At that point, MassEquality was being bombarded with people seeking information about the issue.
Although the article doesn't mention anything about the faith of these individuals, their actions do represent what Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:40b (NIV):
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Jesus came to earth as a servant, and we reach out to help others, we are moving toward a heart of Christ.
Click here to read the rest of the Bay Windows article.
November 25, 2008
Announcing A New Idea For Christmas Shopping!
Hi, all. I know I haven't blogged in a while, but this is one of the reasons... Erica and I have started a new business. I just finished the website at http://www.acrosticsfromtheheart.com/ and we're really excited about this new adventure.
Basically, an acrostic takes a person's name or a business name, etc. and makes new words out of each letter. Like this:
Jesus Loves You
I will sing for joy to the Lord
My heart is towards you
So, that's how it works. We make these individualized to the person or organization or title, like pastor. They are embellished and framed for presentation and we have had wonderful feedback on them. Erica made some for visiting pastors at our renewal weekend and we've had nothing but glowing things said about how wonderful it was to receive such a personal, uplifting gift.
Okay, now that you know what we do, check out the website! If you are looking for the perfect Christmas gift this year, you've found it. (In my humble opinion. Smile.)
God bless you all this holiday season.
Sharone
Basically, an acrostic takes a person's name or a business name, etc. and makes new words out of each letter. Like this:
Jesus Loves You
I will sing for joy to the Lord
My heart is towards you
So, that's how it works. We make these individualized to the person or organization or title, like pastor. They are embellished and framed for presentation and we have had wonderful feedback on them. Erica made some for visiting pastors at our renewal weekend and we've had nothing but glowing things said about how wonderful it was to receive such a personal, uplifting gift.
Okay, now that you know what we do, check out the website! If you are looking for the perfect Christmas gift this year, you've found it. (In my humble opinion. Smile.)
God bless you all this holiday season.
Sharone
November 23, 2008
Setting Priorities
As leaders of the LGBT community reevaluate their goals and activism processes in the wake of recent election defeats, an important part of that needs to be understanding where those goals stand in the general scheme of things, particularly with the new Congress and President coming in January.
I am happy to see that there is some understanding among this group that, while the issue of same-sex marriage is very important, there are other issue that impact LGBT people which also need attention, and additionally issues like the current financial crisis that trump all of them in the short term.
A recent article in USA Today quotes some of these leaders:
There will be some hard questions asked about where marriage ranks on the list of possibilities and priorities" gays should focus on, says Steve Ralls of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
Amy Balliett, whose website, jointheimpact.wetpaint.com, mobilized thousands Saturday to protest the reversal of gay marriage in California, plans more demonstrations, but she says the economy must come first. "Barack Obama can't put his initial focus" on gay marriage, says Balliett, who wed her partner in California last month. "That is just not fair to our nation."
I believe that last quote is very reasonable and demonstrates a very healthy, balanced perspective which is likely to be tested in the early months of the new Obama administration, as evidenced by this article in the Washington Times regarding the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell":
President-elect Barack Obama will not move for months, and perhaps not until 2010, to ask Congress to end the military's decades-old ban on open homosexuals in the ranks, two people who have advised the Obama transition team on this issue say.
Repealing the ban was an Obama campaign promise. However, Mr. Obama first wants to confer with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his new political appointees at the Pentagon to reach a consensus and then present legislation to Congress, the advisers said.
"I think 2009 is about foundation building and reaching consensus," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. The group supports military personnel targeted under the ban.
Mr. Sarvis told The Washington Times that he has held "informal discussions" with the Obama transition team on how the new president should proceed on the potentially explosive issue.
Lawrence Korb, an analyst at the Center for American Progress and an adviser to the Obama campaign, said the new administration should set up a Pentagon committee to make recommendations to Congress on a host of manpower issues, including the gay ban.
"If it's part of a larger package, it has a better chance of getting passed," he said.
I know it's easy for me, a straight man, to preach patience and perspective to the LGBT community since my rights are not impacted by these delays, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. It's not about instant gratification now, it's about getting things right and, unlike Proposition 8, making them last.
I am happy to see that there is some understanding among this group that, while the issue of same-sex marriage is very important, there are other issue that impact LGBT people which also need attention, and additionally issues like the current financial crisis that trump all of them in the short term.
A recent article in USA Today quotes some of these leaders:
There will be some hard questions asked about where marriage ranks on the list of possibilities and priorities" gays should focus on, says Steve Ralls of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
Amy Balliett, whose website, jointheimpact.wetpaint.com, mobilized thousands Saturday to protest the reversal of gay marriage in California, plans more demonstrations, but she says the economy must come first. "Barack Obama can't put his initial focus" on gay marriage, says Balliett, who wed her partner in California last month. "That is just not fair to our nation."
I believe that last quote is very reasonable and demonstrates a very healthy, balanced perspective which is likely to be tested in the early months of the new Obama administration, as evidenced by this article in the Washington Times regarding the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell":
President-elect Barack Obama will not move for months, and perhaps not until 2010, to ask Congress to end the military's decades-old ban on open homosexuals in the ranks, two people who have advised the Obama transition team on this issue say.
Repealing the ban was an Obama campaign promise. However, Mr. Obama first wants to confer with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his new political appointees at the Pentagon to reach a consensus and then present legislation to Congress, the advisers said.
"I think 2009 is about foundation building and reaching consensus," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. The group supports military personnel targeted under the ban.
Mr. Sarvis told The Washington Times that he has held "informal discussions" with the Obama transition team on how the new president should proceed on the potentially explosive issue.
Lawrence Korb, an analyst at the Center for American Progress and an adviser to the Obama campaign, said the new administration should set up a Pentagon committee to make recommendations to Congress on a host of manpower issues, including the gay ban.
"If it's part of a larger package, it has a better chance of getting passed," he said.
I know it's easy for me, a straight man, to preach patience and perspective to the LGBT community since my rights are not impacted by these delays, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. It's not about instant gratification now, it's about getting things right and, unlike Proposition 8, making them last.
November 22, 2008
Survivor Corps
I was contacted by a representative from an organization called "Survivor Corps" asking me if I could let me readers know about them. It is my pleasure to do so, especially since many of you are currently in survival mode after experiencing various types of trauma in your life.
Survivor Corps works with military personnel that has returned from combat duty. Here is an excerpt from their website:
Ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating a generation of veterans in the United States from all branches of the armed services and all 50 states who are struggling to overcome physical and psychosocial injuries. Most combat veterans convalescing in military hospitals across the country will survive physically, but getting on with their lives after returning home to their families and communities is proving a significant challenge for hundreds of thousands. Among the 1.6 million who have served since 2001, suicide is on the rise, as is unemployment and incidents of substance abuse and domestic violence.
The successful reintegration of returning service members is an issue that will have a long-lasting impact on American society, and may become the single defining struggle facing this new generation of veterans. Survivor Corps and its partners are determined to avoid the mistakes made when veterans returned from Vietnam, which resulted in tens of thousands of post-war suicides and over 200,000 men and women living on the streets.
To head off this tragic outcome, Survivor Corps will build peer support programs at the community level that will bring service members and veterans together for mutual support and encourage both individual responsibility and collective action to help others in need.
Survivor Corps is offering an alternative “treatment” that can be made readily available in all communities, regardless of proximity to traditional military or govern¬ment centers of support. Our approach is nimble enough to address the needs of individual survivors, while still broad enough to build a coalition of survivors and service providers working to effect long-term positive change.This new program will help the recovery and reintegration of hundreds of thousands of returning U.S. service members at a critical time for them and their country.
Regardless of how one feels about American policies regarding the deployment and engagement of our Armed Forces, the courage of those who volunteer to serve in the military deserve the right to return from combat and resume normal lives.
Click here to read more about Survivor Corps.
Survivor Corps works with military personnel that has returned from combat duty. Here is an excerpt from their website:
Ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating a generation of veterans in the United States from all branches of the armed services and all 50 states who are struggling to overcome physical and psychosocial injuries. Most combat veterans convalescing in military hospitals across the country will survive physically, but getting on with their lives after returning home to their families and communities is proving a significant challenge for hundreds of thousands. Among the 1.6 million who have served since 2001, suicide is on the rise, as is unemployment and incidents of substance abuse and domestic violence.
The successful reintegration of returning service members is an issue that will have a long-lasting impact on American society, and may become the single defining struggle facing this new generation of veterans. Survivor Corps and its partners are determined to avoid the mistakes made when veterans returned from Vietnam, which resulted in tens of thousands of post-war suicides and over 200,000 men and women living on the streets.
To head off this tragic outcome, Survivor Corps will build peer support programs at the community level that will bring service members and veterans together for mutual support and encourage both individual responsibility and collective action to help others in need.
Survivor Corps is offering an alternative “treatment” that can be made readily available in all communities, regardless of proximity to traditional military or govern¬ment centers of support. Our approach is nimble enough to address the needs of individual survivors, while still broad enough to build a coalition of survivors and service providers working to effect long-term positive change.This new program will help the recovery and reintegration of hundreds of thousands of returning U.S. service members at a critical time for them and their country.
Regardless of how one feels about American policies regarding the deployment and engagement of our Armed Forces, the courage of those who volunteer to serve in the military deserve the right to return from combat and resume normal lives.
Click here to read more about Survivor Corps.
November 19, 2008
Stonewall 2.0?
That's a phrase that has been only very recently birthed, refering to the passing of Prop 8 in California as a catalyst for a new phase in LGBT activism, similar to how the Stonewall riot in 1969 birthed the initial phase. A post by Rex Wockner on his blog Wockner advances that thought and offers a substantial body of support for it. Here are some excerpts.
Was it really just six days ago that I wrote here: "I sense the power could be shifting, from the suit-and-tie professional activists with their offices, their access, their press releases and their catered receptions, to the grassroots."?
Was it really just six days ago that I was apparently the first person to utter the phrase "Stonewall 2.0"?
It was. But I am not alone now. Let's have a look at what influential people are saying six days later.
From Daily Kos:
What we're seeing now ... is brilliant. ... These nationwide protests are a watershed moment of sorts -- the moment when the gay community realized that it had the power to fight for change on its own, and didn't require any of its so-called, self-appointed 'leaders' to give them permission to engage.
From Wayne Besen:
The leaders of what is being billed as Stonewall 2.0 are not coming from large, established organizations. ... That this huge outpouring of organic outrage is not being channeled through official organizational channels has enormous implications. ... We are not the same movement we were prior to Nov. 4. ... Organizations that do not adjust to this new reality will wither and die. ... Anti-gay forces unleashed a ferocious storm with powerful winds of change that will only end with the sound of wedding bells."
We have now indeed entered Activism 4.0 or whatever the hell you want to call it. Our "leaders" let us down and you -- you, the average gay or lesbian citizen who just wants to have equal rights and maybe even get married -- you have seized power by using Facebook and your blogs, e-mail and Twitter, MySpace and text-messages to launch a new gay movement -- one that can get 25,000 gays and lesbians into the streets of sleepy San Diego on a Saturday morning, one that got 12,000 people into the streets of New York to protest something that happened in California.
From recently out comedian Wandy Sykes:
"When California passed Prop 8 ... I felt like I was being attacked, personally attacked, our community was attacked. I got married Oct. 25. You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation, I didn't feel like I had to, I was just living my life and, not necessarily in the closet, but I was just living my life. Everybody that knows me personally, they know I'm gay. And that's the way people should be able to live their lives. We shouldn't have to be standing out here demanding something that we automatically should have as citizens of this country. And I got pissed off. They pissed me off. I said, You know what, now I gotta get in your face. And that's what we all have to do now. They pissed off the wrong group of people. They have galvanized a community. We are so together now and we all want the same thing and we are not going to settle for less."
LGBT people should not have to settle for less of anything in this or any other society on this planet. This kind of outrage followed by sustained and passionate activism will be the single most important factor in making that a reality.
Click here to read the rest of the post on Wockner.
Was it really just six days ago that I wrote here: "I sense the power could be shifting, from the suit-and-tie professional activists with their offices, their access, their press releases and their catered receptions, to the grassroots."?
Was it really just six days ago that I was apparently the first person to utter the phrase "Stonewall 2.0"?
It was. But I am not alone now. Let's have a look at what influential people are saying six days later.
From Daily Kos:
What we're seeing now ... is brilliant. ... These nationwide protests are a watershed moment of sorts -- the moment when the gay community realized that it had the power to fight for change on its own, and didn't require any of its so-called, self-appointed 'leaders' to give them permission to engage.
From Wayne Besen:
The leaders of what is being billed as Stonewall 2.0 are not coming from large, established organizations. ... That this huge outpouring of organic outrage is not being channeled through official organizational channels has enormous implications. ... We are not the same movement we were prior to Nov. 4. ... Organizations that do not adjust to this new reality will wither and die. ... Anti-gay forces unleashed a ferocious storm with powerful winds of change that will only end with the sound of wedding bells."
We have now indeed entered Activism 4.0 or whatever the hell you want to call it. Our "leaders" let us down and you -- you, the average gay or lesbian citizen who just wants to have equal rights and maybe even get married -- you have seized power by using Facebook and your blogs, e-mail and Twitter, MySpace and text-messages to launch a new gay movement -- one that can get 25,000 gays and lesbians into the streets of sleepy San Diego on a Saturday morning, one that got 12,000 people into the streets of New York to protest something that happened in California.
From recently out comedian Wandy Sykes:
"When California passed Prop 8 ... I felt like I was being attacked, personally attacked, our community was attacked. I got married Oct. 25. You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation, I didn't feel like I had to, I was just living my life and, not necessarily in the closet, but I was just living my life. Everybody that knows me personally, they know I'm gay. And that's the way people should be able to live their lives. We shouldn't have to be standing out here demanding something that we automatically should have as citizens of this country. And I got pissed off. They pissed me off. I said, You know what, now I gotta get in your face. And that's what we all have to do now. They pissed off the wrong group of people. They have galvanized a community. We are so together now and we all want the same thing and we are not going to settle for less."
LGBT people should not have to settle for less of anything in this or any other society on this planet. This kind of outrage followed by sustained and passionate activism will be the single most important factor in making that a reality.
Click here to read the rest of the post on Wockner.
November 17, 2008
Psalms Of the Soul
A new feature we're bringing to Straight, Not Narrow is to share what LGBT churches and ministries are doing to reach out and make a positive impact in their communities.
One way to do that is with music, like Pastor Debbie George of Living Water Fellowship in Kenmore, WA (the Seattle area) has done.
Pastor Debbie, who just blessed our church by leading worship at our annual Fall Renewal, has a new website titled "Psalms Of the Soul" featuring her music. There are MP3's to sample and purchase.
Here is an excerpt of what Debbie says about her music:
I often will “sing my prayers” and some of my most profound moments happen when I just hang out with Jesus and my guitar in my den, and pour out whatever is on my heart and mind. I do not worry about how I sound, or if I phrased something right. I am just real and raw with Jesus. As I release my heart, my concerns, or whatever else is on my mind, I can hear Him singing back to me words of love.
I am always amazed at how strengthened I am after one of these times of worship and prayer. It is in this realm of worship and intimacy that my songs are birthed and flow out during corporate or small group worship.
This is the testimonial I contributed to her website:
We've had the pleasure of having Debbie play at our church and in our living room.In both settings, the Holy Spirit just flowed out of her. She is a passionate, anointed woman of God, and that is clearly the foundation of her music. The joy of the Lord is present when she pulls out her guitar and starts praising Him in song.
Debbie's songs are very passionate and folksy. I encourage you to check out the site and sample her music.
Psalms Of the Soul
One way to do that is with music, like Pastor Debbie George of Living Water Fellowship in Kenmore, WA (the Seattle area) has done.
Pastor Debbie, who just blessed our church by leading worship at our annual Fall Renewal, has a new website titled "Psalms Of the Soul" featuring her music. There are MP3's to sample and purchase.
Here is an excerpt of what Debbie says about her music:
I often will “sing my prayers” and some of my most profound moments happen when I just hang out with Jesus and my guitar in my den, and pour out whatever is on my heart and mind. I do not worry about how I sound, or if I phrased something right. I am just real and raw with Jesus. As I release my heart, my concerns, or whatever else is on my mind, I can hear Him singing back to me words of love.
I am always amazed at how strengthened I am after one of these times of worship and prayer. It is in this realm of worship and intimacy that my songs are birthed and flow out during corporate or small group worship.
This is the testimonial I contributed to her website:
We've had the pleasure of having Debbie play at our church and in our living room.In both settings, the Holy Spirit just flowed out of her. She is a passionate, anointed woman of God, and that is clearly the foundation of her music. The joy of the Lord is present when she pulls out her guitar and starts praising Him in song.
Debbie's songs are very passionate and folksy. I encourage you to check out the site and sample her music.
Psalms Of the Soul
November 15, 2008
"Shake It Off and Move Forward"
That's the advice offered in a post on Bilerico that reflects on the aftermath of Amendment 2's passage in Florida.
This isn't the time to sit quietly by and shrug our shoulders at another loss for the LGBT community in our state. We need our statewide leaders and organizations to step up and galvanize our community and our allies.
And these protests need to extend to the groups (like the Florida Republican Party, the Catholic League, the Baptist League, and many other groups) that gave money and support to Amendment 2. We need to hold politicians accountable- like Governor Crist and others- and make sure there are consequences for their support of hate and bigotry.
We also need to be having conversations like this- figuring out where we went wrong and how we overcome it. Not in closed door meetings with the same leaders that ran these campaigns, but with the entire community.
I also think we need to be proactive. We cannot wait for the religious right to take this to court and try to take away more of our rights. We need to be shaping the argument now.
One thing is clear- we cannot keep sitting idly by while more of our rights are taken away. We had our time to mourn this loss, but now it's time to shake it off and move forward.
We need to regroup, get tough, and keep fighting.
It angers me that, in this day and age, there is still a group of people in this country that have to fight for basic rights that the rest of the population can take for granted, but that is the current reality.
I strongly agree with the points that oppoents of equality need to be held accountable and feel political and PR pain of their choice. It is also critically important that LGBT people don't let themselves slip into a victim mentality. That certainly would not be unjustified, but it also would not be constructive.
Utlimately the victory will not be won until people's hearts and minds are changed to where they truly accept LGBT people as equal members of society. We've seen laws changed and then changed back--that's how you can control behavior to some extent. It's when attitudes change that there can be a lasting victory and end the constant struggle and threat of having something taken away.
We need to follow Jesus' example here. He didn't come to Earth to pass legislation, he came to change hearts and lives of people so individuals could build His kingdom. He didn't leave His work to lawmakers and we shouldn't either.
Click here to read the entire Bilerico post.
This isn't the time to sit quietly by and shrug our shoulders at another loss for the LGBT community in our state. We need our statewide leaders and organizations to step up and galvanize our community and our allies.
And these protests need to extend to the groups (like the Florida Republican Party, the Catholic League, the Baptist League, and many other groups) that gave money and support to Amendment 2. We need to hold politicians accountable- like Governor Crist and others- and make sure there are consequences for their support of hate and bigotry.
We also need to be having conversations like this- figuring out where we went wrong and how we overcome it. Not in closed door meetings with the same leaders that ran these campaigns, but with the entire community.
I also think we need to be proactive. We cannot wait for the religious right to take this to court and try to take away more of our rights. We need to be shaping the argument now.
One thing is clear- we cannot keep sitting idly by while more of our rights are taken away. We had our time to mourn this loss, but now it's time to shake it off and move forward.
We need to regroup, get tough, and keep fighting.
It angers me that, in this day and age, there is still a group of people in this country that have to fight for basic rights that the rest of the population can take for granted, but that is the current reality.
I strongly agree with the points that oppoents of equality need to be held accountable and feel political and PR pain of their choice. It is also critically important that LGBT people don't let themselves slip into a victim mentality. That certainly would not be unjustified, but it also would not be constructive.
Utlimately the victory will not be won until people's hearts and minds are changed to where they truly accept LGBT people as equal members of society. We've seen laws changed and then changed back--that's how you can control behavior to some extent. It's when attitudes change that there can be a lasting victory and end the constant struggle and threat of having something taken away.
We need to follow Jesus' example here. He didn't come to Earth to pass legislation, he came to change hearts and lives of people so individuals could build His kingdom. He didn't leave His work to lawmakers and we shouldn't either.
Click here to read the entire Bilerico post.
November 12, 2008
A Time To Reflect On Renewal
Our church is having what we term "renewal" this weekend. Basically, we’re looking for God to renew our passion for Him and to show us what He wants us to do going forward.
As I was thinking about renewal, I likened what we’re doing at our church to what the United States is doing right now. The U. S. has collectively felt for a long time that the country was going in the wrong direction. Now that President-Elect Obama has been voted into office, I think the mood of the country is changing. Whether you voted for him or not, you have to admit that we’re all breathing a sigh of relief that the country might actually be able to get a "renewal" in the months and years to come. Sure, there are those on the religious right that are crying foul and preparing for Armageddon, but for those of us who aren’t right-wingers, we hope for a better day.
My personal hope is that the economy will take a turn for the better. I hope that President Obama will steer our country into a place where we will start to treat each other with respect as people and not worry so much about whether we agree with each other all the time. I hope that all of us will be able to come together as Americans to save our country that is in crisis.
Whether President Obama will be able to facilitate all of the change that he has said he wants to see happen, I really believe that he will help us move in the right direction again and I’m excited about that prospect.
So, let’s look forward with anticipation to the Obama years and pray for him and his family and all of the leadership of our country that God will grant them wisdom and keep them safe and bring all of our troops home soon.
God Bless America!
As I was thinking about renewal, I likened what we’re doing at our church to what the United States is doing right now. The U. S. has collectively felt for a long time that the country was going in the wrong direction. Now that President-Elect Obama has been voted into office, I think the mood of the country is changing. Whether you voted for him or not, you have to admit that we’re all breathing a sigh of relief that the country might actually be able to get a "renewal" in the months and years to come. Sure, there are those on the religious right that are crying foul and preparing for Armageddon, but for those of us who aren’t right-wingers, we hope for a better day.
My personal hope is that the economy will take a turn for the better. I hope that President Obama will steer our country into a place where we will start to treat each other with respect as people and not worry so much about whether we agree with each other all the time. I hope that all of us will be able to come together as Americans to save our country that is in crisis.
Whether President Obama will be able to facilitate all of the change that he has said he wants to see happen, I really believe that he will help us move in the right direction again and I’m excited about that prospect.
So, let’s look forward with anticipation to the Obama years and pray for him and his family and all of the leadership of our country that God will grant them wisdom and keep them safe and bring all of our troops home soon.
God Bless America!
November 11, 2008
A Quick Look Back at What Was Once Heresy
Here are some definitions of the word "heresy" from Merriam-Webster's online dictionary:
1 a: adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma b: denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church c: an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma2 a: dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice b: an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards
Okay, I think you get the picture. Unfortunately, many, members of the LGBT community have had this word hurled or spewed at them when asked to be considered a member in good standing of "the church." People like me think "the church" is wrong by doing that. It wouldn't be the first time "the church" got something very, very important very, very wrong.
That is pointed out with a brief history lesson by Anthony Venn-Brown, one of the leading LGBT advocates in Australia. Here is a summary of the point from his website "The Great Heresy."
1. Once Heresy Now Truth--The world revolves around the sun
2. Once Heresy Now Truth--White and black are equal
3. Once Heresy Now Truth--Two people who love each other should marry no matter the color of their skin
4. Once Heresy Now Truth--Men and women are of equal value and worth
5. Once Heresy Now Truth--Same sex orientation, for a percentage of the population, is a normal expression of sexuality and occurs in all of creation.
Of course, #5 is a work in progress (heck, there are some folks that still don't get 2 through 4), but the point is that it took a while for the other positions of "the church" to change, but they eventually did.
So will the postiion on #5. It is happening even as a write this. Truth always wins out, but not without a fight.
There is much more to check out at "The Great Heresy." Thanks to Anthony for the heads up about his work.
1 a: adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma b: denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church c: an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma2 a: dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice b: an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards
Okay, I think you get the picture. Unfortunately, many, members of the LGBT community have had this word hurled or spewed at them when asked to be considered a member in good standing of "the church." People like me think "the church" is wrong by doing that. It wouldn't be the first time "the church" got something very, very important very, very wrong.
That is pointed out with a brief history lesson by Anthony Venn-Brown, one of the leading LGBT advocates in Australia. Here is a summary of the point from his website "The Great Heresy."
1. Once Heresy Now Truth--The world revolves around the sun
2. Once Heresy Now Truth--White and black are equal
3. Once Heresy Now Truth--Two people who love each other should marry no matter the color of their skin
4. Once Heresy Now Truth--Men and women are of equal value and worth
5. Once Heresy Now Truth--Same sex orientation, for a percentage of the population, is a normal expression of sexuality and occurs in all of creation.
Of course, #5 is a work in progress (heck, there are some folks that still don't get 2 through 4), but the point is that it took a while for the other positions of "the church" to change, but they eventually did.
So will the postiion on #5. It is happening even as a write this. Truth always wins out, but not without a fight.
There is much more to check out at "The Great Heresy." Thanks to Anthony for the heads up about his work.
November 10, 2008
"Vows Than Can't Be Voted Down'
An article in the Washington Post does an excellent job of putting last week's votes in California, Florida, and Arizona that made discrimination parts of those state's constitution in perspective.
While voters were (mistakenly, in my opinion) given the right to take away rights of same-sex couples to receive the legal benefit of marriage, they could not take the act of marriage itself away from them.
From Jennifer Donnelly in the Washington Post:
For months, it made me indignant to think that my neighbors, and the entire state of California, were going to vote on my marriage -- something so deeply personal and spiritual and uniquely mine and my wife's. I wondered: How could they? Why would they?
Then I realized that they wouldn't.
Because on Tuesday, California, you did not vote on whether or not I exist; I am here, and I live in your neighborhood. You did not vote on whether your children will learn about same-sex couples; they will, when they go to school with my child. You did not vote to prevent your children from growing up gay; they already are who they are. You voted on whether to give my family the same status that other families have. You voted on civil marriage rights, not rights having to do with religious marriage or spiritual marriage. No vote can pass judgment on my actual marriage.
I was deeply saddened when Californians approved a state constitutional amendment this week banning same-sex marriage. But I remain married to the love of my life. I jumped the broom with her six years ago.
This article speaks to the truth that marriage is more than a legal agreement--at it's very heart is a covenant relationship between two people in love.
And that, folks, is not up for anyone to vote on.
Click here to read the rest of Jennifer Donnely's article.
While voters were (mistakenly, in my opinion) given the right to take away rights of same-sex couples to receive the legal benefit of marriage, they could not take the act of marriage itself away from them.
From Jennifer Donnelly in the Washington Post:
For months, it made me indignant to think that my neighbors, and the entire state of California, were going to vote on my marriage -- something so deeply personal and spiritual and uniquely mine and my wife's. I wondered: How could they? Why would they?
Then I realized that they wouldn't.
Because on Tuesday, California, you did not vote on whether or not I exist; I am here, and I live in your neighborhood. You did not vote on whether your children will learn about same-sex couples; they will, when they go to school with my child. You did not vote to prevent your children from growing up gay; they already are who they are. You voted on whether to give my family the same status that other families have. You voted on civil marriage rights, not rights having to do with religious marriage or spiritual marriage. No vote can pass judgment on my actual marriage.
I was deeply saddened when Californians approved a state constitutional amendment this week banning same-sex marriage. But I remain married to the love of my life. I jumped the broom with her six years ago.
This article speaks to the truth that marriage is more than a legal agreement--at it's very heart is a covenant relationship between two people in love.
And that, folks, is not up for anyone to vote on.
Click here to read the rest of Jennifer Donnely's article.
November 09, 2008
It's About Education
To me, one of the most interesting and troubling issues during this recent election cycle was the issue of education. How can one be against education, you ask? Beats me, but there was a substantial faction of the electorate that held Barack Obama's education against him as proof of his "eletism" while celebrating the fact that Sarah Palin was a "hockey mom' without a great amount of depth on major issues.
It is also interesting to me that the mainstream media is often criticized for leaning to the left, but what does that say when people closest to the news and issues who should therefore be the most educated on the facts and implications of them largely skew progressive instead of conservative?
Knowledge is good. There, I said it.
Here are two excerpts from the Bible that point to the value of knowledge.
Isiah 53:11 (prophesy about the coming of Jesus): After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
One of the powers that Jesus received from God was knowledge. If he did not have understanding, how would he lead, how would he teach?
In Isiah 56:10, we see the other side: Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.
Isn't that interesting, a lack of knowledge and undestanding are responsible for people turning to their own way, seeking their own gain.
I believe this was the single most important factor in the adoption of more discrimination in Californina, Florida, and Arizona on election day. So does Wayne Besen in a column titled "Prop
8 and Race."
Uneducated people - black, white and Hispanic - often derive their power from physical strength. They perceive being gay as weak and antithetical to real manhood. By voicing support for gay rights, they lose status and often fear rivals may perceive them as gay. The easiest way to gain status is dissing faggots. I see this attitude all the time in Brooklyn - in the gym and on the basketball court, where I often play. (Not the best sample, I realize this)
Meanwhile, educated people of all races gain power by outsmarting opponents - not beating them up. This creates a safe space to support gay rights and not lose social status. (Unfortunately, the fact that the conservative black church is a central organizing point for politics makes even educated blacks less likely to vote for gay rights. But, this is secondary to education levels.)
It is understandable that black support for anti-gay efforts drives white gay people nuts. It is difficult to understand how people affected by bigotry can promote bigotry - as if they are selfish people who learned all the wrong lessons from the civil rights movement. But, remember, uneducated people - of all races - are not students of history. They react to the environment around them, which often rewards homophobia.
(Compounding this perception problem is that the vast majority of overt homophobia experienced by urban gays comes from black people. In places like New York City, you almost never hear a white person say “faggot”. But, we hear this from uneducated blacks too often. This makes the problem seem worse than it is. We often forget that we moved to places like New York to escape uneducated whites in rural areas that were just as openly homophobic. In other words - it is about education - not race.)
We can't allow ignorance to rule the day. Wayne has suggestions to help this along in his column. Click here to read the rest of it.
It is also interesting to me that the mainstream media is often criticized for leaning to the left, but what does that say when people closest to the news and issues who should therefore be the most educated on the facts and implications of them largely skew progressive instead of conservative?
Knowledge is good. There, I said it.
Here are two excerpts from the Bible that point to the value of knowledge.
Isiah 53:11 (prophesy about the coming of Jesus): After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
One of the powers that Jesus received from God was knowledge. If he did not have understanding, how would he lead, how would he teach?
In Isiah 56:10, we see the other side: Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.
Isn't that interesting, a lack of knowledge and undestanding are responsible for people turning to their own way, seeking their own gain.
I believe this was the single most important factor in the adoption of more discrimination in Californina, Florida, and Arizona on election day. So does Wayne Besen in a column titled "Prop
8 and Race."
Uneducated people - black, white and Hispanic - often derive their power from physical strength. They perceive being gay as weak and antithetical to real manhood. By voicing support for gay rights, they lose status and often fear rivals may perceive them as gay. The easiest way to gain status is dissing faggots. I see this attitude all the time in Brooklyn - in the gym and on the basketball court, where I often play. (Not the best sample, I realize this)
Meanwhile, educated people of all races gain power by outsmarting opponents - not beating them up. This creates a safe space to support gay rights and not lose social status. (Unfortunately, the fact that the conservative black church is a central organizing point for politics makes even educated blacks less likely to vote for gay rights. But, this is secondary to education levels.)
It is understandable that black support for anti-gay efforts drives white gay people nuts. It is difficult to understand how people affected by bigotry can promote bigotry - as if they are selfish people who learned all the wrong lessons from the civil rights movement. But, remember, uneducated people - of all races - are not students of history. They react to the environment around them, which often rewards homophobia.
(Compounding this perception problem is that the vast majority of overt homophobia experienced by urban gays comes from black people. In places like New York City, you almost never hear a white person say “faggot”. But, we hear this from uneducated blacks too often. This makes the problem seem worse than it is. We often forget that we moved to places like New York to escape uneducated whites in rural areas that were just as openly homophobic. In other words - it is about education - not race.)
We can't allow ignorance to rule the day. Wayne has suggestions to help this along in his column. Click here to read the rest of it.
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