Five Years After Obergefell

The white house is lit up in rainbow colors.

Photo credit: Rena Schild / Shutterstock.com Five years ago today, the White House was lit up in rainbows. On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Obergefell vs. Hodges, declaring with a 5-4 majority that same-sex marriage was the law of the land. Across the nation, Pride Month celebrations took…

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12-Year-Olds Can Speak Up Against Injustice Too!

A group of people holding signs on a street.

These days, it’s not every day that a 12-year old brings me to tears. To be honest, I couldn’t tell you that last time I talked to a 12-year old but I’m sure I would have probably chastised the kid for living in a new digital age and not being able to appreciate the wonders…

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Reconciling United Methodists of Texas Conference Offers Support for Bishop Karen Oliveto

A small white church in the middle of a wooded area.

Reconciling United Methodists of Texas Conference unreservedly supports Bishop Karen Oliveto of the Mountain Sky Area. We pray her episcopacy will be long and fruitful—resulting in many disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We give thanks for vocal disciples in the Western Jurisdiction nominating, electing, consecrating, and assigning Bishop Oliveto. We…

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Pope’s Damaging Message To Transgender Teens

Pope john paul ii waves to a crowd of people.

Pope Francis’ long-awaited apostolic exhortation—“Amoris Laetitia,” or “The Joy of Love”—was released earlier this month. The good news is that Pope Francis urges church leaders to be pastors rather than church bureaucrats. The request wasn’t surprising because Pope Francis immediately taking the reigns of the Catholic Church displayed a pastoral countenance to his papacy. Pope…

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Personal Transformations: Learning to Embrace “The Gay”

A monarch butterfly is hanging from a light fixture.

Nearly all of our best and most important transformations are prompted by personal connections, when what was once theoretical becomes achingly personal and powerful enough to blast through our preconceived, long-held beliefs. It’s why, with fewer and fewer gay people staying in the closet, more and more of us are being transformed by those personal connections,…

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A Little Taste of the Election 2012

A group of voting stickers on a white surface.

By: Sara Snyder, Believe Out Loud  Every minute, the polls are flooded with excited citizens ready to cast their ballot in this election. Here’s a slideshow of some of our internet and live action favorites from today. Don’t forget to Vote and stay up to date with the latest news on marriage equality in the…

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Why This Queer Baptist Wants Religious Freedom, Too

Empty church pews with a cross in the background.

Tomorrow is Religious Freedom Day, a day that celebrates the passage of Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Passed in 1786, this piece of legislation. As a queer Baptist, my faith is often trivialized by those who do not believe it is possible to be both queer and Christian.  I also know that my Baptist tradition…

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Discrimination Is Not Religious Freedom

A bathroom with two sinks and a sign that says gay straight only.

As recently as January of 2014, the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) filed a complaint against Fontbonne Academy, a religious college prep school in Milton, MA, when the school fired Matt Barrett—after offering him employment at the school as Food Services Director. Matt Barrett was fired after he stated on a form that…

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