Posts Tagged ‘LGBT equality and inclusion’
Trans People Are More Than the Violence Done to Us
I’m not a big fan of Trans Day of Remembrance. It’s a hard day for me and many other trans people. Marking a day to “remember those we’ve lost” feels like a misnomer. Most of us never forget the violence and abuse that our community members have experienced—largely because it is happening, right now. How…
Read More4 Reasons NOT To Host A Transgender Day of Remembrance Service At Your Church
“Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day for stories to be told and scripts to be rewritten. It’s a chance to reach out and come together against the dehumanizing violence that haunts our communities. Love is a call as well as a response, but most of all love is an action.” –Angelica Ross As Transgender…
Read MoreHarmful Theology Will Not Define Us
Times are rough. Every five seconds, the news tells us something terrible that Trump and his administration has done. White Supremacists have a renewed, public boldness. Social media feeds are landmines of triggering comments about race, gender, sexuality, and many other issues that make up one’s humanity. On top of all of that, this thing…
Read MoreComing Out As A Pansexual Christian: Because They First Loved Me
Over the last few years, I’ve been deeply engaged in work and research that centers on cultivating space where people of all faiths, sexualities, and gender identities can seek to both know and be known. I’ve seen so many people experience spiritual, systemic, and interpersonal harm and sincerely believe that fostering inclusive, equitable communities can…
Read MoreDo Unto Others: A Blueprint For Religious Leaders On Global LGBTI Rights
On Friday, September 29th, the United States cast a vote against a UN Human Rights Council resolution to ban the death penalty against LGBTI people, effectively jeopardizing LGBTI people’s lives around the world to preserve the death penalty at all costs. Though the US joined Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates…
Read MoreResponse to Pope Francis’ Comments on Gender Difference
Pope Francis has once again entered the discussion of transgender issues with a statement that reveals the pontiff does not yet comprehend issues of gender identity. In a statement to the Pontifical Academy for Life’s general assembly, he said: The biologic and psychological manipulation of sexual difference, which biomedical technology allows one to see as…
Read MoreA Gospel Message For Queer People Of Faith
This article is for everyone who’s been kicked out. If you have lost your home, your loved ones, your faith community—this is for you. If standing in your truth is a sin, we’ve all made the fatal error. When waking up, living, breathing are de facto outside of your community’s moral bounds, and you are…
Read MoreHow Understanding Bisexuality Helps Us Understand God
When I worked as a youth leader, I had the pleasure of having a few of my youth come out to me. Having the chance to minister to them as a supportive, understanding adult was a blessing and a responsibility I did not take lightly. While it was certainly serious business, their coming out also…
Read MoreAffirming LGBTQ People In The Black Church
Much of the pain and suffering LGBTQ African Americans experience in theologically conservative churches happens in silence and secret. Some LGBTQ congregants do not even recognize the source of their pain, because sexuality, let alone non-heterosexuality, is not discussed or taught in many African American churches. Black LGBTQ people are often unaware that some of…
Read MoreHistoric LGBTQ+ Church Leaders to Celebrate 50 Years of Advocacy
The Rolling The Stone Away Conference in St. Louis, October 31 – November 2, 2017, will bring together LGBTQ+ Christian leaders in many organizations including Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Metropolitan Community Churches, and United Church of Christ communities to share stories and celebrate. For over 50 years, LGBTQ+ faith leaders have been breaking ground for full…
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