Posts by Believe Out Loud
On God’s Campus: Voices from the Queer Underground
Here’s my personal story: When I came out during my senior year of college, I was the student chaplain at a conservative Christian college in San Diego. Official university policy states: “We view all forms of sexual intimacy that occur outside the covenant of heterosexual marriage, even when consensual, as distortions of the holiness and…
Read More“Any Day Now” Hits Theaters
Any Day Now, a new film about the struggles of a gay couple to adopt, opened in select theaters on Friday, December 14. Winner of 10 Audience Awards at film festivals, Any Day Now is a powerful tale of love, acceptance and family. When a teenager with Down syndrome (Isaac Leyva) is abandoned by his…
Read MoreRev. Oliver G. White Expresses Support for Believe Out Loud
I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for the prayers, advocacy and mission of Believe Out Loud. Their ceaseless work led to a donation of $10,000 to support my congregation’s campaign to save our church. Believe Out Loud’s passionate and committed staff align themselves with just causes, and they have made a profound difference…
Read MoreMake Your Voice Heard in the UCC
Are you engaged? With the election cycle over and the season of wonder and hope underway, we’d like to announce an exciting new initiative that will assist in the discernment of the future of LGBTQ/SGL* ministry in the United Church of Christ. The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns and the UCC’s Office for Health and…
Read MoreUnited Methodists Creating Trans Friendly Spaces in the Greater Chicago area
Much of the media buzz after the United Methodist Church’s (UMC) quadrennial General Conference (May 2012) focused on the UMC vote of 39% to 61% against changing long-contested language in the church’s Book of Discipline that calls homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching.” In addition, they defeated a petition that would acknowledge that faithful United Methodists…
Read MoreLGBTQ Club Denied Charter at Point Loma Nazarene University
Last week, after months of effort, students at Point Loma Nazarene University in Sand Diego, CA were told by the Office of Student Development that, “administration will shut down any club centered around sexual orientation that makes it through the club chartering process.” In 2010, when Director of Spiritual Life, Todd Clayton, came out while in office, the conversation…
Read MoreNo Easy Road Ahead as Hate Crimes Rise
By: Sara Snyder, Believe Out Loud While recent progress has been made with the approval of same-sex marriage in four states, the backlash of crimes against members of the LGBTQ community has grown. Nearly one in five hate crimes that were reported in the US were directed at gays and lesbians, according to data on…
Read MoreCelebrating Transgender Equality
Last night, I attended the ninth anniversary celebration of the National Center for Transgender Equality. The organization gathers each year to celebrate the past year’s progress and honor those who are working to secure full equality for transgender people. The event was my first opportunity to meet fellow LGBTQ activists in Washington, D.C., and I…
Read MoreMexico Moves Toward Marriage Equality
The Supreme Court of Mexico ruled in favor of marriage equality on Wednesday. This decision overturns the southern state of Oaxaca’s ban on gay marriage and puts the country on track to legalize same-sex marriage before the United States. This is not the first time the Supreme Court of Mexico has ruled in favor of…
Read More5 Tips for Talking to Your Conservative Friends and Family
As the executive director of The Gay Christian Network (GCN), I’m often asked for advice on a situation we all face sooner or later—that uncomfortable conversation with a Christian friend or family member whose views on the LGBT community are, shall we say, less than charitable. (You know the type.) Maybe it’s your pastor, your…
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