Silent No More: Denouncing “Christian” Voices Of Hate

A church with a steeple at night.

When I read that President Museveni had signed the hateful anti-LGBTQ law in Uganda, the first words that came to mind were from the opening song in “Les Misérables.” It’s called “Work Song.” Prisoners in a work camp are expressing their hope and their despair. One sings, “I’ve done no wrong, sweet Jesus hear my…

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Jordan Davis Verdict: United Methodist Coalition Speaks Out

A group of people holding signs.

Florida has witnessed yet another innocent, unarmed, young black man killed, and once again no one was held accountable. The very need to use descriptors like innocent and unarmed for a black man, when that is implicit if we were to say a young white man, outlines the racism that infects our communities. Jordan Russell Davis was the victim of…

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North Carolina’s Moral March: Standing Together For Social Justice

A man in a black shirt is smiling in front of bushes.

LAWmarr”Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are OLure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8) As a man of faith in the Unitarian Universalist tradition,…

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Sochi Olympics: Spiritual Art Supports Russia’s LGBT Rights Struggle

A man in a suit is being escorted by police.

Image Detail: “De Profundis” by Tony O’Connell Artists are using spiritual imagery to draw attention to LGBT rights in Russia as the Olympics begins in Sochi today. The holiness of the Russian struggle for LGBT equality is emphasized in two new artworks. These pieces are “De Profundis” by queer British artist Tony O’Connell and “Postcard to Putin”…

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Rev. Gil Caldwell Officiates His First Same-Sex Marriage

Two men in suits shaking hands at a ceremony.

As a Civil Rights Movement “foot soldier”, I have used these words of Martin Luther King, Jr. to guide my activism, not just for people of African descent, but for all justice struggles; “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I officiated my first same-sex marriage the Sunday of this year’s Martin Luther King weekend,…

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Holocaust Remembrance Day: We All Wear The Triangle

A painting of a woman and a man with a cross.

1945: Upon liberation of Nazi concentration camps by Allied forces, some interned for homosexuality are not freed, but required to serve out the full term of their sentences under Paragraph 175. Click here to see the full image. International Holocaust Remembrance Day honors the victims of the Nazi era, including the estimated 5,000 to 60,000…

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Awakening Christian LGBTQ Advocacy In Nashville

A rainbow flag hangs from the door of a church.

“So…do people from Kentucky wear shoes?” I sat there, slack-jawed, trying to comprehend the words that had just come out of her mouth. I had recently moved to Nashville for college, and this was a big change for a girl from rural Kentucky. My new classmate was obviously curious. “I mean, I know your own…

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“If I Could Straighten Out!”: That’s What He Told Me

Two men standing on top of a mountain at sunset.

My name is Johnie Guerra. I’m straight and happily married with four wonderful boys. I’m the grandson of two pastors and my parents did their best to raise me with a Bible-based upbringing. Recently, I’ve started attending a church with an inclusive ministry for LGBT people, volunteering at a youth group for LGBT kids, and…

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Celebrating Our Common Unities Through Love

A group of people in a church raising their hands in the air.

Personally, I am tired of religious irony. My own snarky, judgmental attitude about a Christian megachurch, no matter how much in check I was able to keep it at the moment, almost kept me from making a beautiful discovery about the depth and capacity of the human heart. When I walked into Overlake Christian Church,…

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Rediscovering My Home In The Catholic Church

The interior of a church decorated for christmas.

When I decided at the beginning of the year to finally return to the Catholic Church, I had no idea what a momentous year it would be—not only for myself but for all Catholics. I had been working for Believe Out Loud for a year and realized it was not only important for me to…

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