Owner: A CHRISTIAN VOICE FOR GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER RIGHTS URL:www.christianlgbtrights.org Join Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:25:44 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: This blog is designed to show how there is absolutely no inconsistency between being a Christian and being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. There are posts, articles, and many links that challenge the ignorant, erroneous, and often hateful rheto Site statistics:Click here
"REJECT INTOLERANCE CLOAKED IN FAITH" 2008-04-28 03:10:00 I've long been an admirer of Rev. Jim Lawson [Pictured], and I urge you to read this article that contains an interview with him. Here is part of what he has to say:``[For African-American Christians] to unite with white Christian fundamentalism like Pat Robertson is an absolute disgrace. For black people to pretend that kind of Christian fundamentalism, which justified slavery and justifies racism, is a colleague in anything is to be blind to the realities that we're facing. We who have suffered and do suffer should be the most sensitive to the suffering of others. We don't want this undeserved suffering put on us, and we should therefore, clearly, not participate in putting such suffering on others. We ought to know better.''``Much of Christianity in the United States has been more infl
GOD BLESS REV. JANE SPAHR 2008-04-30 07:25:00 I've long admired Rev. Jane Spahr [Pictured], and I'm delighted she was vindicated for performing what is considered by the Presbyterian Church as a blessing of same-sex unions but which, in reality, is a marriage before God and all who understand the desire of two people who love each other to the point where they are willing to make a lifetime commitment to each other."Presbyterian ministers are allowed to bless same-sex unions as long as the ceremonies don’t too closely mimic traditional weddings." [If that isn't a pathetic stance, I don't know what is!]"Church prosecutors said she broke church law, contained in the Presbyterian Church constitution, which defines marriage as 'a civil contract between a woman and a man.'"[For the full article, see here.]Rev. Spahr has long shown the co
REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT 2008-05-02 02:02:00 The following three videos are of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's [Pictured] vision of the dynamics of having a prophetic ministry that resonates within the Black Church every bit as much as it should resonate within all churches and denominations, and among all Christians who see as a core of the Gospel message of grace, faith, love, peace, reconciliation, and inclusiveness both "liberation" and "transformation" of one's very consciousness and very being as befit children of God who are Christians indeed.Although Rev. Wright is largely dealing with the history and dynamics of the Black Church, his speech also resonates with the oppressed everywhere, in every country. It certainly resonates with the oppression of LGBT people that is fomented, justified, and reinforced by most all of the institutio
ANOTHER OFFENSE AGAINST GOD AND HIS LGBT CHILDREN BY A "LIBERAL" DENOMINATION 2008-05-01 09:33:00 "Representatives of the United Methodist Church turned back attempts to liberalize its policy on homosexuality Wednesday. Almost 1,000 delegates to the church's General Conference rejected a committee proposal, leaving in place the position that the practice of homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching.""The General Conference, which meets every four years, is the only assembly that can set policy for the 7.9 million-member church. It includes delegates from all 50 states and 66 overseas regional jurisdictions."However, delegates did adopt a resolution by a 3-to-2 margin opposing homophobia and 'heterosexism.'"[For the full article, see here.]The last line is probably the most damning of this whole policy regarding LGBT people of the United Methodist Church. The opposition to
THE TRIAL OF KATE BURNS AND SHEILA SCHROEDER 2008-05-04 02:15:00 I just received the following email from Kate Burns who, with her partner, Sheila Schroeder, were arrested and are due to go on trial this coming Wednesday, May 6th. Please also watch the video of their non-violent stand for the same right to marry to which all heterosexuals who seek to make a lifetime commitment to each other are entitled. Please also watch the video by accessing the link provided at the end of her email that shows their civil rights activism and their arrest. God bless their Pastor who is solidly behind them and the right to same-sex marriage!(Denver, CO) – The trial for lesbian couple Kate Burns and Sheila Schroeder is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 6th at the Denver City and County Building located at 1437 Bannock Street, in Courtroom 117M. The two were arres
A STATEMENT FROM REV. ELDER KEN MARTIN OF MCC 2008-05-05 10:06:00 The following is an email sent out by Rev. Elder Ken Martin of the Metropolitan Community Churches. It is essential reading for all Christians, as it hammers home the point that to attend any church, regardless of how "Gay friendly" it is, that is affiliated with any denomination that in any way discriminates against LGBT people, gives undeserved credibility to that denomination.As you know, it's my firm belief that any Christian, Gay or Straight, who attends any church that in any way excludes any of God's children, is not only lending undeserved credibility to that church and its clergy person, but is involved in a situation that is toxic to one's spiritual life, and is committing a sin sufficient to be an extraordinary offense against God and against the Gospel of Christ!The following
BISHOP GENE ROBINSON 2008-05-06 09:07:00 This is an interesting article by Deb Price. It is about Bishop Gene Robinson of the Episcopal Church, a gay man who is continuing to seek to work from within the church to have LGBT people fully accepted in the Anglican Communion. He has just written a book entitled, "In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God," that deals with difficulties as an out gay man within the church.Bishop Robinson says: "The changes we've seen in our understanding of the Scripture over the 19 centuries since it was written have happened through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.... Things that seemed simply 'the way of the world'-- like slavery, polygamy and the lower status of women -- in retrospect seem like examples of humankind's flawed, limited and mistaken understanding of God's will. Our ability
GOOD NEWS IN NEW YORK 2008-05-07 09:07:00 There is good news in New York when the Court of Appeals affirmed that New York must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and abroad. This decision may well set the momentum for the acquisition of same-sex marriage rights in that state, as has already happened in Massachusetts, and promises to happen in California in the very near future once the California Supreme Court hands down its decision. I'm optimistic!"Today is a great day for fairness in New York State," the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Donna Lieberman, said in a statement sent via e-mail. "Now we need to work toward a New York where you don't have to cross state or county lines to get married."Amen!
AN "EVANGELICAL MANIFESTO" 2008-05-08 02:25:00 "Christians from both sides of the political spectrum, left as well as right, have made the mistake of politicizing faith," the [Evangelical] manifesto declares."'That way faith loses its independence, the church becomes "the regime at prayer," Christians become "useful idiots" for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology in its purest form,' it said."[For the full article, see here.]And it took this long to come to this conclusion? I'm jaded enough to feel that most of the signatories to this Evangelical Manifesto have come to the conclusion that there isn't sufficient money and mileage to be had by demonizing LGBT people, and are backing off and seeking to deal with issues that don't serve as lightening rods, as increasing numbers of people are perhaps
TWO APPROACHES TO RAISING A TRANSGENDER CHILD 2008-05-10 10:31:00 The following audio link was sent to me by my good friend, Don Charles. It details two "therapeutic" approaches to raising a transgender child. It must be very difficult for the average parent to deal with a seeming discordant expectation for one's child to have as a gender identity one that isn't in harmony with his anatomical characteristics. It seems to me that the focus of the "therapy" should be on the parents, and affirm and reinforce their acceptance of their child as he/she truly is; allow the child to be authentic and true to him/herself; empower the child (and, later on, the adult) to withstand what discrimination he/she will undoubtedly face in a society that sees human characteristics as inherent dualities. Two contrasting "therapeutic" modes of approach to this issue are high
ACTION ALERT FROM MCC 2008-05-09 19:12:00 I received the following Action Alert today from the Metropolitan Community Churches. Please email your letter to each of the people on the links provided. This is a very crucial matter!A C T I O N A L E R TUrgent * Time Value * Urgent * Time ValueSafety, Lives of LGBT Moldovans Under Immediate Threat; Action Needed Now!A C T I O N A L E R T | Your Help Urgently NeededThe safety and human rights of LGBT people in the Eastern European nation of Moldova are under threat right now.The government of Moldova is threatening to arrest Rev. Elder Diane Fisher and Eastern European LGBT activist Florin Buhuceanu if they hold worship services for the LGBT community this weekend.And they are refusing to provide police protection, despite numerous death threats made against Dia
A ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP IN ALICE IN WONDERLAND 2008-05-12 02:15:00 "Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros, chair of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Office on Bio-ethics, said on Sunday the Church had learned to accept homosexuality as part of reality.""'As far as the Church is concerned, sex can only be done within the context of marriage, and marriage, as we know, is between a man and a woman,' he said."Medroso said the prohibition on pre-marit Read more:ALICE
"FISH CAN'T FLY" 2008-05-14 02:15:00 I just finished watching the video, "Fish Can't Fly," that deals with various Gay Christians' experiences with "ex-gay" "ministries" and how scientifically and ethically bankrupt they are, and how dangerous they are to one's emotional and spiritual health. Various people, including Wayne Besen and Peterson Toscano poignantly detail their experiences with the "ex-gay" industry, and show how, after
INTERFAITH CELEBRATION OF THANKSGIVING 2008-05-13 16:39:00 For those of you in or near the Los Angeles, California area, this is an event you may well want to attend. As I've written before, I'm optimistic that the California Supreme Court decision will be a favorable one, and that same-sex marriage will soon become a reality in California.CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT MARRIAGE RULING PUBLIC EVENT AND PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED!You are invited to attend an In
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA 2008-05-15 13:46:00 To say this is wonderful news is a gross understatement!"(San Francisco, California) The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Prop 22, the voter approved initiative used to block same-sex marriage is unconstitutional."The court also said that California's domestic partnership law is not a good enough substitute for marriage."The 4-3 ruling. written by Chief Justice Ron George paves the way
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA 2008-05-17 02:15:00 This site lists answers to frequently asked questions regarding same-sex marriage in California.As more questions surface, they will be included with the relevant answers to those questions.
IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER 2008-05-16 11:46:00 Although I'm optimistic that this ballot initiative will not come to fruition, and that decent, reasonable people will see that we are not to put civil rights up to a majority vote, as if we had, we would still have Jim Crow laws and segregation as laws of the land, we must not rest until same-sex marriage rights becomes a reality in California and in the rest of the nation.The "activist judges" t
AN EXAMPLE OF A COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE ARTICLE 2008-05-18 10:33:00 If there were full and equal civil rights for LGBT people in California; if same-sex marriage was already a done deal in California; if the ballot initiative defining "marriage" as being restricted to heterosexuals was not ratified or had already been voted down, an article like this one wouldn't be inappropriate, although I do vehemently decry the pejorative labels in this article and elsewhere t
FIGHT AGAINST THIS SAVAGE LGBT OPPRESSION IN GAMBIA 2008-05-21 13:49:00 "Gambian President Yahya Jammeh says he will “cut off the head” of any homosexual caught in his country." [For the full article, see here.]Now, please read the following from the Times of India: Two married women, who allegedly shared a lesbian relationship, committed suicide by setting themselves ablaze after their families tried to separate them. The police recovered the charred bodies of t
THE NEED FOR CELEBRITY SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA 2008-05-20 09:32:00 "US actor George Takei is to wed his long-term partner after California lifted its ban on same-sex marriage.Takei, 71, best known for playing Mr Sulu in Star Trek, said he and Brad Altman were going through the "delicious dilemma" of where to marry."The actor and 54-year-old Mr Altman have been together for 21 years."[For the full article, see here.]The more celebrities take imminent advantage of
UFMCC UPDATE ON SAVAGERY AGAINST LGBT PEOPLE IN GAMBIA 2008-05-22 12:19:00 I just received the following email from the Metropolitan Community Churches regarding LGBT persecution in Gambia:IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED TOSTOP VIOLENCE AGAINST GAY GAMBIANS NOW!Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches Issues Urgent AppealCalls for Global Action to Save LGBT Gambians Now May 22, 2008 Today, as Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches, I call on people of faith and goodwil
"SURVEY SHATTERS STEREOTYPES OF SAME-SEX DUOS" 2008-05-22 08:21:00 This is an excellent article regarding the demographics of same-sex couples in California who are likely to get married. The findings surprised me.Also, this is a very nice article on California's Chief Supreme Court Justice, Ronald George," who wrote the majority opinion regarding same-sex marriage. Read more:SURVEY
MORE ON THE "EX-GAY" TRAVESTY 2008-05-24 10:28:00 Wayne Besen [Pictured] has written another excellent article about the travesty of the "ex-gay" industry, focusing on the psychologist Warren Throckmorton who has long helped facilitate it."A few years back, Warren Throckmorton, an erstwhile psychologist and full-time blogger from a tiny Christian school, filmed a noxious 'ex-gay' video, 'I Do Exist.' The documentary begins at New York's porn pal
UNVEILING THE STATUE OF HARVEY MILK 2008-05-23 17:46:00 "Hundreds of people filled the Rotunda at San Francisco City Hall Thursday night for the official unveiling of a bronze bust honoring the first openly gay man to hold a prominent elected office in the United States - more than 28 years after he was assassinated."The unveiling came on what would have been Milk’s 78th birthday."'We’re celebrating an icon tonight. We’re celebrating a pioneer. W
BLACK EMPOWERMENT AND FEAR OF THE GAY MAN 2008-05-25 02:06:00 This is an excellent article to which I was alerted by my good friend, Don Charles.Although this article concentrates on the homophobia that seems to run rampant at Morehouse College, we have no reason to doubt that homophobia is institutionalized within much, if not most, of the African American community, that is not to be outdone by the assorted community structures and institutions of higher e
SISTER PAULA INTERVIEWS REV. TROY PERRY 2008-05-27 02:10:00 The following is a two part interview conducted by Sister Paula on her program of Rev. Troy Perry, Founder and 37 year Moderator of the United Federation of the Metropolitan Community Churches. He began the MCC in 1968, a year before Stonewall. I'm proud to have Rev. Perry as my friend, and he is a prophet from God sent to all LGBT Christians and to all Christians telling us that God affirms ALL
A MUST READ FROM "CHRIST, THE GAY MARTYR" 2008-05-28 12:25:00 My good friend, Don Charles has just written a new post on his excellent blog, "Christ, The Gay Martyr". His two part post is entitled, "Is Uncle Tom A Gay Man?"Although his two part post concentrates on David Benkoff's article entitled, "Why California gays shouldn't celebrate state court ruling," is has much larger implications for the not infrequent counter-productive and counter-revolutionary
REMEMBERING REV. ELDER JERI ANN HARVEY 2008-05-29 08:55:00 REMEMBERING JERI ANNMCC OBITUARYThe Rev. Elder Jeri Ann HarveyMCC Leader and Pioneer1934 - 2008________________________________The Rev. Elder Jeri Ann Harvey REMARKS BYThe Rev. Nancy L. WilsonOffice of the ModeratorMetropolitan Community Churches May 28, 2008 There was never any mistaking that voice, or the Bible raised high above her head, or the joy, passion and energy of her preaching â€
FIELD POLL RESULTS REGARDING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA 2008-05-29 03:15:00 Entitled "Most Californians Support Gay Marriage", the results of: "A Field Poll released today finds a small majority of registered voters here believe same-sex couples should have the right to marry, the first time since polling on the issue began in the 1970s that more voters in the state have approved of gay marriage than disapproved. Some 51 percent of voters surveyed since the Supreme Court
A PETITION FOR NATIVE GLBT FUNDING JUSTICE 2008-05-29 02:15:00 Although I posted this comment from Anguksuar (Little Man) on my May 27th post, I feel it deserves to stand alone as a post as this is a crucial issue that requires dissemination. Please visit this site to sign the petition.A Campaign for Native GLBT Funding JusticeTarget:Organized GLBT PhilanthropySponsored by: Two Spirit Press RoomTwo recent national philanthropy reports have released informati
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