Posts by Believe Out Loud
Martyrdom, Mark Carson, And A Testament To Love
I just returned from a march in Manhattan’s West Village. It was a rally to end homophobic hate as well as to promote justice and peace. Our journey ended at 8th Street and 6th Avenue, the scene of a recent tragedy. For those who may not have heard, a young gay man, Mark Carson, was brutally shot…
Read MoreCreating Sacred Spaces For Trans & Gender Nonconforming People
Rev. Mykal Slack, recently featured on Believe Out Loud, is a trans-identified clergy person who describes himself as a “Bridge Builder, Worship Leader and Diversity Trainer.” I sat down with Rev. Slack for some tea in Boston where he serves as a Residency Manager in order to glean his insights on creating radically welcoming spaces for trans and…
Read MoreEvangelical Lutheran Church in America Elects First Openly Gay Bishop
In a historic move, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has elected its first-ever openly gay bishop. The Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin has been elected to a six-year term to the Southwest California Synod, which encompasses the greater Los Angeles area. GLAAD is working with Dr. Erwin and LGBT advocacy organizations within the Lutheran Church to…
Read MoreMy Queer Catholic Journey
The three hardest words for me to tell myself were: “I’m a lesbian.” I (along with the millions of other children around my age) was bombarded with the notion of a man and a woman, the prince and the princess. I didn’t even know what it meant to be gay until I was ten years…
Read MoreTackling Homophobia: Safe Space For The LGBT Community
Rapid changes in public opinion have brought the LGBT community into an uncomfortable spotlight. Even as we celebrate the inclusion of gay youth in the Boy Scouts of America, we join with the LGBT community in mourning the rash of recent anti-gay hate crimes in New York City. This newsletter features responses from across our community…
Read MoreViolence Should Be A Concern For The United Methodist Church
As discussions about marriage equality, inclusive Scouting, and LGBT ordination loom as annual (regional) conferences of The United Methodist Church begin to gather across the United States, the past week has shown the pervasive, violent nature of homophobia and heterosexism in the nation’s largest city. Anti-gay hate crimes are on the rise in New York…
Read MoreThe Catholic Church: A Culture of Silence and Passive Homophobia
Since the beginning of the year, more than two dozen anti-gay hate crimes have occurred in the City of New York. This number alone has rallied not only the gay community, but also elected officials, community organizers, and faith leaders throughout New York and across the country. In the wake of these heinous attacks that…
Read MoreCyberbullying Solutions At SXSW
At South by Southwest (SXSW) 2012, Kristin Russo and Dannielle Owens-Reid, founders of the advice website and youth outreach organization Everyone Is Gay, shared how their straightforward and humorous approach connects with LGBT teens and young adults. They returned in 2013 to present a panel titled “Ermahgerd: Cyberbullying” that addressed the overall problem of online…
Read MoreStanding On Holy Ground
On a sunny July day last summer, I sat cross-legged on a musty pillow in a retreat center in the Appalachian Mountains. I was at the Presbyterian Welcome Retreat for LGBTQ persons seeking ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA). We were asked to go around the room and introduce ourselves, including how we identified in…
Read MorePrepared For Change: There Have Always Been Gay Boy Scouts
The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.” This week, gay Boy Scouts are prepared for equality. At the same time, they are prepared for discrimination. They know that even if the policy changes to allow gay Boy Scouts, there will still be those who discriminate. There will be those who are frightened by change and…
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