Posts by Believe Out Loud
The Stigma Of Black Suicide Is Killing Us
When the first news reports of Robin Williams’ death hit the media, few questioned the report that the country’s most beloved comedian had committed suicide. This reaction stands in stark contrast to the reaction to the 2012 news of the death of “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius. Cornelius was found dead in his home after…
Read MoreI Was Kicked Out Of My Church For Being Gay—And God Still Loves Me
I was baptized a few weeks before my 19th birthday because of the Book of Romans and its assurance that once you come to Christ, your mind is renewed and you are set free from the bondage of sin. After my baptism, I walked around with my Bible. I told my whole family and strangers…
Read MoreResearching The Status of Transgender People With The Williams Institute
For those faith-based leaders looking to create spaces that are welcoming to transgender individuals and their families, the Williams Institute can provide a wealth of resources. Jody Herman, Ph.D., and Peter J. Cooper, public policy fellow, and manager of transgender research at the Williams Institute provided research on gendered bathrooms that point to the problems…
Read MoreDear Pope Francis, Help Save My Vocation
Dear Pope Francis, In your time as Pope, your commitment to poverty has awakened the world to the evils of globalization, capitalism, and materialism. Many now understand poverty to be a structural sin and social evil. Through your public statements, you have sparked the interest of Catholics and non-Catholics, believers and atheists. The world looks…
Read MoreGod Is Gender Non-Conforming
I grew up learning about a God who was a “He.” Sporting a white beard and positively owning that throne in the sky, this was a God who threw lightning bolts when you strayed from the path of righteousness. When I got to college, I took a necessary break from believing in God. Even before…
Read MoreBeing Gay In A Post-Matthew Shepard Wyoming
We as human beings are constantly seeking our life story while sometimes comparing ours to others. This is my story. I speak on my own behalf, not for all the LGBT people in my state. I live in the big open space called Wyoming, from the small town of Lander. The youngest and only girl…
Read MoreThinking The Unimaginable: Black Same-Gender-Loving Men And Marriage
In the past few weeks and months, it seems as though the campaign for marriage equality in America has hit its stride. Week after week, news has broken that court system after court system has declared same-sex marriage bans in Colorado, Virginia, Utah, and many more states unconstitutional. Day in and day out, I have seen…
Read MoreMaking The Invisible Visible In Faith Communities: A Valuable Resource For Us All
Imagine a congregant who is commited to a straight, traditional marriage, coming to you, the pastor, distressed by finding homoerotic websites on a spouse’s computer. Or what would you think, or do, if a teenager in the youth group where you are an advisor, comes out, one evening, as bisexual? The new study guide, “Bisexuality:…
Read MoreSin vs. Shame—How I Learned To Let Myself Be Loved
As a kid, I was a big reader. My favorite books centered around characters who would take off to live alone in the wild, sometimes with a furry friend for company. Often these characters felt that they were different from everyone else—like they didn’t belong. Many kids grow up feeling this way, and this sense…
Read MoreLGBT Organizations Stand With Michael Brown’s Family
In a show of solidarity, LGBT organizations across the country are standing with the family of Michael Brown, the African-American teenager who was fatally shot by police in Ferguson, Missouri. As GLAAD reports, “Brown was unarmed, and witnesses say his hands were in the air when he was shot multiple times.” Tuesday’s letter states that we…
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