Posts by Believe Out Loud
The Gift Of Healing In Times Of Grief
Sirach 38:16-17 My child, let your tears fall for the dead, and as one in great pain begin the lament. Lay out the body with due ceremony, and do not neglect the burial. Let your weeping be bitter and your wailing fervent; make your mourning worthy of the departed, then be comforted for your grief.…
Read MoreA Queer Muslim Response To Orlando
A non-religious man with an Arabic name walks into a bar and slaughters 50 people. Under a system of white supremacy, all Muslims are implicated. As queer Muslims, we are demanded to be experts on the internal workings of a man whom we have never met, and on what it means for queerness, when all…
Read MoreSearching For A Transgender Theology
Recently one of my pastors wanted to do a series about bodies and how we live in them as Christians. As part of this she put out a call on Facebook: did we know any books by Queer theologians, particularly from voices in traditionally marginalized communities (trans, POC, female, and others)? As one of the…
Read MoreCatholics Welcome Pope Francis’ Call For Church Apology To Gay People, Others
Catholics have begun to welcome Pope Francis’ recommendation that the church apologize to LGBT people, women, and others whom it has harmed. The pope made his remarks during an in-flight press conference on the return flight from his apostolic visit to Armenia over the weekend. Jesuit Fr. James Martin, a noted author and commentator, called…
Read MoreI First Saw The Rainbow Flag In A Church
I first saw the rainbow flag of LGBTQ Pride in a church. It was 1985, back when same-sex marriage was so taboo that pollsters didn’t even ask about it. I had just come out of the closet as a lesbian and moved to San Francisco with my life partner. On our first Sunday in town,…
Read MoreWe’re Not Supposed To Be Here
Have you ever felt like you’re not where you’re supposed to be? I’m not talking about misreading directions and getting lost. I’m talking about being in a place, a dynamic, a behavior where your gut tells you, “I’m not supposed to be here.” Recent storms ravaged Houston. Christ United Church of Cypress was flooded; their…
Read MoreFaith Leaders Launch Bilingual, LGBTQI-Affirming Trauma Support Network
Launching in response to the devastating killings in Orlando, the “Will Listen With Love” Project is a national support network comprised of pastors, therapists, spiritual directors and community support providers who have volunteered their time to offer safe and affirming space for grieving members of the LGBTQIA community and their allies to be heard. Unlike…
Read MoreWe Haven’t Done The Work
As I sit at my computer writing this, I am still overwhelmed by shock and grief. Like most, I woke up Sunday morning to the news of Saturday night’s horrific shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Over the course of the day, I followed the updates with growing dread, as the death toll rose and…
Read MoreWith Integrity: Remembering LGBTQ People of Color This Sunday & Beyond
In the last few days, we’ve been trying (and failing) to adequately process the attack of Pulse Nightclub. 49 beautiful people were stolen from us, and more than 50 were wounded and still recovering. This moment reminds most of us who have known this intimately that to be queer, to be Brown and Black, to…
Read MoreLGBTQ Groups Call For Unity In The Wake Of Orlando Shooting
Read this statement in Spanish ~ Read this statement in French ~ Read this statement in Arabic We the undersigned organizations working on the front lines of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) movement share in the profound grief for those who were killed and many more who were wounded during Latin Night at the Pulse nightclub…
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