A Coming Out Guide for Parents of Queer Kids

A woman wearing a black dress.

“Every gay person must come out. As difficult as it is, you must tell your immediate family. You must tell your relatives. You must tell your friends, if indeed they are your friends.” -Harvey Milk Harvey Milk’s historic call to LGBTQ+ people in the 1970s to come out of the closet was predicated on the…

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Thank You For Believing With Us!

Four people celebrating with colorful confetti.

Thank you for donating, sharing our Give OUT Day page, and spreading the good news of our important work!! Because of you, we raised over $800 to grow our network of LGBTQIA Christians and allies boldly proclaiming that all people are worthy of God’s love! Most importantly, because of you, Believe Out Loud has grown…

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4 Ways To Be A Better Ally

A person raising their fist in front of a crowd.

The Trump administration has been in power for just over two months. Many people are fearful that the social advantages won in recent times will be rolled back. Recently, the administration took gender identity and sexual orientation off of the 2020 census. The cause for concern for many people in our country and the future…

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Internalized Resilience—Embracing Thrivingness

A cactus with white flowers in the desert.

I am not oppressed, I am not a victim—I thrive, I rise, I am. A few months ago, I participated at an organization’s Board of Directors meeting. It was an intense gathering where we were all challenged to stretch beyond our comfort zones and look at how each of us participates in anti-oppression work and in…

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How Do We “Love Those Who Persecute Us?”

A man wearing a red hat with the words make america great again.

As my boyfriend Chris and I were walking down the stairs to the subway train platform to head to Sunday morning service at Riverside Church, I spotted it. That unmistakable fire engine red, poorly designed, ill-fitting cap that has become an emblem for all things sexist, racist, xenophobic, and anti-Muslim. We were still a ways…

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Painting the Mother of Exiles

The statue of liberty holding a heart with the words mother of exile.

Last month, my column focused on the importance of intersectionality within the LGBTQ movement by highlighting the revolutionary work of Sojourner Truth, an escaped slave, abolitionist, and women’s rights activist. I’d like to continue to press the importance of intersectionality, particularly given our current political state. Of late, I’ve received a little criticism that some…

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Protest Altar Sets Up Inside Conservative Christian Conference

A group of people posing in front of a circle of butterflies.

Orlando, FL, February 27, 2017—Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) direct action group Soulforce is heading to the host hotel of a major conservative Christian communications conference, the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Proclaim 2017, and neither the hotel nor the event organizers happy about it. The NRB is a global leader in conservative…

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Black History Prayer for Those of Us In the Margins

A man with dreadlocks holding a candle.

For those whose families never healed Broken by water, whips, laws and cultural norms For those whose breasts unfed upon Mixed tears with milk at the memories of their babies sold. For those whose stripes were inflicted and celebrated By good Christians in white sheets For every boll gathered, every shoe cobbled or shined Every…

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For The Love Of Black Transwomen, Black LGBTQIA Folks Resist

A man holding a megaphone in front of a group of people.

What if the march towards Black liberation centered the lives of Black transwomen? What if the voice of our generation transcended gender? Not just in theory, either. What if they was actually this generation’s pronoun and when asked who their partner was they replied, “all of America.” What if I told you they is already…

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