Posts Tagged ‘Jesus’
Celebrating International Human Rights Day & The Jakarta Declaration
It was an idea whose time had come. For two decades, Rev. Dr. Stephen Suleeman, lecturer at Jakarta Theological Seminary, held fast to a dream for an LGBT-affirming faith conference in Indonesia. His dream was realized with the International Consultation on the Church and Homophobia, November 23 – 26 at Jakarta Theological Seminary. When Stephen…
Read MoreLove-Based Activism
If my purpose is to create change, to help bring about the end of legalized discrimination against LGBT people, my actions should be such that they are effective at bringing about that change. If I want to help people understand what it is like to be transgender, I need to present a message that more…
Read MoreWhen Some Lives Matter More Than Others
In the wake of criticisms aimed at President Obama’s handling of Ebola, a black and white photograph of Ronald Reagan started appearing all over my Facebook feed. Written across the photograph, in standard meme format, were these words: “President Reagan ignored AIDS until 20,849 Americans had already died. But tell me again how Obama’s immediate…
Read MoreIn The Wake Of Election Day
This week has been appropriately dreary. Tuesday night ended another election in our country. Today our emotionally jostled citizenry is sifting through the ashes of yard signs, campaign contribution receipts, and “I Voted” stickers. Maybe it’s because of the rise of social media that’s connected me with the unbridled commentary of hundreds of people of…
Read MoreNaked Pastor Publishes Cartoons For The LGBTQ Community
David Hayward (aka the Naked Pastor) recently published a new book: The Art of Coming Out: Cartoons for the LGBTQ Community. As an artist who is often featured on Believe Out Loud, we asked him a few questions about his cartoons and advocacy for LGBTQ equality. 1. Why did you write a book for the…
Read MoreLove Trumps Law
You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (James 2:8) Do you know why Jesus got on the nerves of the Pharisees, Sadducees and other religious people of his day? Do you know why those same religious people tended to repel the “sinners,”…
Read MoreGay Passion Of Christ Revealed In New Art Book
Image Detail: “Jesus Goes to His Execution” by Doug Blanchard My long journey with the queer Christ reached a milestone this month with the publication of my new book The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision. The book features paintings of Jesus as a gay man of today in a modern city by New York artist Douglas…
Read MoreHow This Baptist Believes Out Loud
Over the past year, I have had the privilege of spending time with leaders from the American Baptist Churches USA and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. It has been a deep blessing to grow and strengthen relationships with my sisters and brothers in Christ toward the day when all people who claim the Baptist way will…
Read MoreGod’s Children Include Our LGBT Sisters & Brothers
We were sitting in Arby’s when it happened—a song played through the speakers that deeply touched my mother. She dropped her fork, closed her eyes, and began to sway back and forth. I had never before seen her behave this way. I dropped my fork and stared. At some point, still rocking in meditation, my…
Read MoreAmidst Reformation: Our Chance To Change The Church
As an immigrant, a woman, and a person of color, I know what a public show of solidarity can mean in the face of adversity. Ashamedly, there have been times when I did not offer such solidarity to others. When I first became a Christian, I failed to be a public ally to LGBT people…
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