Posts by Believe Out Loud
Out Under The Rainbow
Have you ever looked into a person’s face and felt truly needed? Sometimes, I look into the face of another person who definitely needs me in some way, but the need itself is unspoken, unfamiliar, uncomfortable—or out of tune with the time and place—and instead of addressing it, I move on to what’s next, feeling…
Read MoreHonoring LGBT Veterans
I’m always a little surprised by how many veterans there are within predominantly LGBT congregations. This past Sunday was no different at Dallas’ Cathedral of Hope, when veterans were invited to stand and be recognized for their service, and I would guess around 30 or more rose at each worship. A nice touch was that the…
Read MoreBishop Resigns From Her Pastorate After Revealing Her Same Sex Marriage
I must say that it is truly an experience to be “outed” when you are a community leader and religious figure. I always knew that at some point I would have to share with my congregation that I married the love of my life—and that she is a woman—but I wanted to wait until the…
Read MoreENDA Passes U.S. Senate
wWe are thrilled that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed today in the U.S. Senate. After decades of advocacy, this is the first time ENDA has been approved in the Senate. Though a version of ENDA was passed through the House of Representatives in 2007, it did not offer protections based on gender identity. The…
Read MoreHow To Protect LGBT Employees In Catholic Institutions
In this past year, at least one dozen people were fired from Catholic institutions because of LGBT issues. Some were fired because they legally married a same-gender partner. Others were fired because of their support for such marriages or because of their gender identity. In 2012, five people were fired for these reasons, so we…
Read MoreWondrous Confusion: How My Gender Shimmers In The Fluidity Of Being Bi
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). It’s easy for me to sympathize with people who express confusion when I share with them that I am bisexual. My sexual orientation confused me for decades and continues to do so occasionally, even now. Like many, I thought the question I was answering for myself was,…
Read MoreAll Saints Day: Why We Need LGBT Saints
LGBT saints are important because people are searching for alternative ways to lead loving lives. Churches have tried to control people by burying queer history. The LGBT saints show us not only their place in history, but also our place—because we are all saints who are meant to embody love. We can tap into the…
Read MoreChanging Hearts: A Plea For Christian Dialogue
When I was in college, a friend asked how I as a Christian viewed her as a lesbian. I told her that I didn’t think of her any differently than I did of other non-Christians because I believed any life not based on the Lord Jesus Christ was sinful and destructive. Oof! At least I…
Read MoreFull Of Grace & Truth
I was a junior in high school, it was a week after Christmas, and it was bitterly cold. On St. Stephen’s Day a blizzard of Biblical proportions blanketed Massachusetts in a chrysalis of snow. Peripatetic winds had buffeted those icy banks, sculpting them into miniature topographical masterpieces, complete with condensed peaks and vales. I worked…
Read MoreA Letter To My Methodist Daughter
These are the words I spoke to my sleeping daughter upon returning home from Birmingham, Alabama, this weekend after witnessing the marriage of Joe Openshaw and Bobby Prince, performed by Bishop Melvin Talbert. Dearest child of mine, I wish you could have been there yesterday, as I sat in a church and witnessed history in the making.…
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