Posts Tagged ‘Family’
A Presence Stronger than Absence for Pride 2015
The post coming-out talk that I had with my mom related to my sexuality was hard. It had to do with her and dad going to therapy. They’d found a therapist who’d went to Smith College; they sought counsel from her. It sounded hopeful, at first. I opened my heart up at least wider than…
Read MoreThe Path To Fatherhood
As I stand in the shower, the water hits my face and I start to cry. I don’t know if it’s being in the enclosed space or the fact that I’m naked and free from the trappings of a “good, capable, and confident person.” Maybe it’s because the water can immediately wash the tears away.…
Read MoreDiscovering Abby & Becoming Myself
It was the day after Thanksgiving 2006. My entire extended family had gathered at my brother’s “cabin” on the banks of the South Fork of the Snake River for a traditional turkey dinner the day before. My mother and step-dad went home to Pocatello after dinner, but the rest of us stayed overnight, sleeping on…
Read MoreTwo Stains On Our Nation As Anti-LGBT Bills Pass In Michigan & North Carolina
As the country awaits a decision from the Supreme Court on marriage equality, anti-LGBT forces who want to use religion to allow discrimination have pushed bills through in Michigan and North Carolina. Both North Carolina’s marriage refusal bill SB 2 and Michigan’s adoption refusal House Bills 4188, 4189 and 4190 have gotten final approval and are about…
Read MoreAt The End Of The Day: A Journey Towards Affirmation
I’m sorry! I had no idea. How could you? You only answer questions. You never ask any. This bit of dialogue from the film At The End Of The Day gets to the heart of its message. At The End Of The Day a dramatic comedy about a conservative Christian professor who experiences a profound…
Read MoreGive OUT Day: LGBTQ People Are Precious, Miraculous & Celebrated
I am Julie Wood, the mother of a gay son, an LGBTQ ally, and a proud member of Believe Out Loud. The essence of my son was gentle, kind, supportive, funny, and wise. He was taught that to love God is to love all people. We told him that he was a beautiful creation of…
Read MoreWhat Will Life Be Like For My Interracial, Interfaith, Queer Family?
There’s a scene in the first season of the television show “The Fosters” in which Lena, one of the mothers in a lesbian relationship, helps Jude, her foster son, remove polish from his nails after some kids at school harass him over it. She sits with him and explains that there are times when she…
Read MoreWild Wise Woman
I believe transgender people are highly spiritual beings and for centuries have been systematically removed from our divinely ordered place in society. As a trans woman, I depend on spiritual expression to communicate to the world who I am, when my body often betrays me. Because of this betrayal, I have yet to feel completely…
Read MoreLGBTQ Faith Leaders Travel To Cuba To Meet Faith & Government Leaders
President Obama and Cuban leader, Raul Castro, made history in April of 2015 with a handshake. On April 28, leaders of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) will make history by traveling to Cuba at the invitation of leaders of the Baptist LGBTQ group, Abriendo Brechas de Colores, from the Federación de Iglesias Bastistas de Cuba. Leaders…
Read MoreThe Florida House Passed An Adoption Discrimination Bill That Could Have Denied Me My Perfect Family
My name is Anthony. I’m 16 and I live in Clearwater, Florida, with my moms and three siblings. I was adopted by my parents when I was 13 years old after having spent four years in foster care. I heard about the bill that the Florida legislature is now considering that would allow child placing…
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