The Rest of the Story

An editorial by Ross Murray, Director of Religion, Faith & Values, at GLAAD, in the Huffington Post wonders how it is that the mass media seems to only find conservative (read: anti-gay) sources when reporting about religion and sexuality.  While entertainment programming now features a wealth of gay and lesbian characters that both affirm and defy stereotypes about who we are, when it comes to religion, the good news that many denominations have a welcoming movement is a well-kept secret during prime time.  The overwhelming message is that the church is no place an LGBT person would want to be, and we witness the effects in our interactions with the unchurched.

While it is hardly surprising that figures like the Pope, Pat Robertson and Cardinal Dolan's words carry weight.  They represent millions of followers, many of whom disagree with their stance on social issues but remain faithful for other reasons.  However, others like Tony Perkins, whose extreme anti-gay reviews have earned his Family Research Council a designation as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, are still called upon by MSNBC and other outlets for a "Christian perspective."

Where is the countering argument? Within our own church, there is no lack of reasoned, educated resources at the media's disposal, some of whose names -- like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Bishop Gene Robinson -- are household words.  Our Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts-Schori, who is also a doctor of oceanography, brings both scientific and theological credibility to the table in her stance on issues of biblical interpretation and human justice. We have groups like Claiming the Blessing and the Chicago Consultation which have published opinions on these issues many times.

Other mainline traditions have equally articulate representation, and their existence is not a secret.  The Institute for Welcoming Resources was born of the United Church of Christ in 2002 and is now a program of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.  It provides a wealth of educational materials, many of them free, to help churches understand and equip themselves for welcoming ministry.  The IWR partners with GLAAD and the LGBT-advocacy groups in fourteen Christian denominations in Believe Out Loud, an ecumenical campaign to promote LGBT inclusive churches.

The movement towards inclusion is happening in evangelical circles as well.  The Rev. Jay Bakker, son of Jim and Tammy Faye and pastor of the Revolution Church in Brooklyn, has spoken out in favor of LGBT inclusion.  The Gay Christian Network under the leadership of Justin Lee, has been providing support to thousands of people across a broad theological spectrum.

And impressive credentials are not always required to make a valid point.  Murray also points to a 19 y.o. student named Matthew Vine, whose careful study and unpacking of the traditional "clobber passages"  puts proof-texting to bed:

In short, there is really no excuse for the fact that a balanced argument is not presented when Christian leaders are speaking about human sexuality.  The story which is told to the public is incomplete, and does not reflect the good news being shared from many pulpits: that God loves everyone and there is a place for everyone at the table.  There are many wise voices ready to help the news media present a more realistic picture: all they need to do is ask.

NJ Lawsuit Begs Question: Who is a Man?

A Camden County transman's lawsuit against his former employer opens up a set of new legal and ethical questions: What is the ultimate definition of male vs. female, and who gets to decide?

El’Jai Devoureau, who was born biologically female but has identified as male his whole life and is legally so on official records, was fired from his job at a drug treatment center after he refused to answer his boss's questions about whether he has had gender-reassignment surgery. The job he was doing is restricted to men only because it involves witnessing men providing urine samples for drug tests.

A Lawsuit’s Unusual Question: Who Is a Man?
New York Times

Apple Yanks Exodus "Ex-Gay" App

Apple quietly removed an iPhone/iPad app created by "ex-gay" group Exodus International from its iTunes online store after over 150,000 people signed a petition complaining about it.

The creators of the petition are a Vermont think tank called Truth Wins Out, a name deliberately similar to "Love Won Out," the name of an ex-gay "ministry" created by Focus on the Family and later sold to Exodus International, creators of the now-removed app.

Truth Wins Out cites a document called "Just the Facts" crafted by the nation's leading mental health and educational bodies (including the American Psychological Association and the National Education Association) that condemns "ex-gay" therapy as misleading and generally harmful. It points out that Apple's policy is to reject racist or bigoted content, and questions a double standard. Among other complainants is Dr. Gary Remafedi, a professor of sexuality at the University of Minnesota, who told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on Wednesday that Exodus misquoted his research to make its case that homosexuality is an adolescent phase that can be arrested with therapy.

In a November blog post, TWO quotes an Exodus statement in which the group states it will target young people (beginning in middle school) with its message that sexual orientation is a choice which can be influenced through prayer. Given the rash of highly-publicized suicides of gay or gay-perceived youth who were victims of bullying last fall (which Exodus has tacitly acknowledged its programs "might" encourage), TWO seeks to educate the public about what goes on at these "ministries". In a series of videos within the same blog post, ex-clients report being placed in close contact with sex offenders and being asked intimate questions about their anatomy by counselors.

Patrick McAlvey was also an Exodus client at the age of 19. He visited Exodus’ Lansing affiliate Corduroy Stone where he was counseled by Mike Jones. During counseling, McAlvey was asked about the size of his member and made to engage in erotic cuddling. He spoke out about the experience in a Truth Wins Out video

Apple cited the same logic for removal as a previous incident involving an app called "The Manhattan Project" arguing against same-sex-marriage, which Apple stated would "offend a large segment of the public." That petition only required 7,000 signatures to get Apple to change its mind.

Transgender Man Installed as UCC Minister

The Denver Post reports on the installation of the Rev. Malcolm Himschoot as Pastor of the Parker United Church of Christ, a growing congregation in the Denver metro area. Comments were refreshingly tilted towards the positive at press time.

Church's transgender pastor grateful for life "beyond my wildest dreams"
Denver Post

USA Today Column: Anti-Gay Rhetoric Rings Hollow With Americans

A column by Tom Krattenmaker in USA Today portrays conservative Christians being backed into a corner as the American public's perspective on LGBT people is being reshaped by real-life experience.  Groups that continue to plug homosexuality as evil risk losing the loyalty of their members when this rhetoric contrasts with their experience with LGBT people in their own lives.

In addition, a series of books about scripture and sexuality are painting a very different picture than the black-and-white "reality" the Christian right has traditionally presented. 


On gay rights, keep fighting or adapt?

Teenager Comes Out to Entire School in MLK Day Speech

Originally scheduled to sing at a Martin Luther King Day event at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa, California, Kayla asked if she could speak to her student body instead. Here is her story.



25 years ago the idea of a high school student making a speech like this was about as inconceivable as Dr. King getting elected president in 1968. When we get frustrated at the seemingly glacial pace of progress, let's remember how far we've come.

"We ain't what we should be, we ain't what we gonna be, but -- Thank God -- at least we ain't what we was."

- UNKNOWN

If someone knows who that quote is attributed to, please comment!

A "Great Gay Awakening" in the Evangelical Movement

Today's Huffington Post article by Cathleen Falsani discusses the LGBT-welcoming ministry of Jay Bakker (son of Jim and Tammy Faye), and points out several others within the Evangelical movement who are having having a re-think of their understanding of the Bible's teaching (or lack thereof) of homosexuality as we understand it.

At the Believe Out Loud Power Summit in Orlando this past October, we met Justin Lee of the Gay Christian Network, an organization that empowers and supports LGBT Christians.  The group's annual conference in Denver last month drew hundreds of attendees.

Meanwhile, busily undoing our work of reconciliation in Schenectady a city councilman and a couple of preachers are raising a stink about some affirming billboards targeting gay African-Americans sponsored by local LGBT group In Our Own Voices, as reported in the Albany Times-Union.

A Tale of Two Heroes

Daniel Hernandez, the gay assistant of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who helped save her life, was hailed by President Obama as a hero. 35 years ago, the gay man who saved Gerald Ford from a similar attack had a very different experience. 

 The Lead offers some commentary on a Los Angeles Times editorial comparing the two stories and their aftermath.