Posts Tagged ‘Racial Justice’
Remembering the Lovings this Valentine’s Day
On this upcoming Valentine’s Day, I am reminded of no greater challenge to marriage equality than same-sex marriage that many LGBTQ activists are still struggling for in their states. However, the precedent for same-sex marriage was set by an African American woman named Mildred Loving (1942-2008) who I am honoring as one of my sheroes for Black History…
Read MoreComing Out! From The Closet To The White House
“…Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost For over 30 years of going to my workplace and being fearful that my sexual orientation would be found out; I never dreamed I would be standing in the Oval Office…
Read MoreHaving The Conversation—Even When You’re Not Sure How
As a minister of God, it’s important for me to be as inclusive as possible. That is why, when Many Voices asked me to be a part of their video campaign, I didn’t hesitate. My concept of Christianity is based on love, regardless of who you are. When LGBT people come to Mount Vernon Church in Clayton,…
Read MoreTo Heal the World We Must Heal Ourselves: Reflections on MLK Day
Martin Luther King’s actual birthday is January 15th, and I believe if MLK were alive today he would be well pleased with Ava DuVernay’s film “Selma.” Many people working for justice today stand on the shoulders of Martin Luther King Jr and what he achieved in Selma. But I believe King’s vision of justice is often gravely…
Read MoreMartin Luther King Jr. Day: Marriage Equality & Unfinished Business
It was a glorious day! It was the first day my marriage of 37 years to Paula was deemed legal in the state where we make our home—Florida! But in the middle of our marriage equality celebration—there was a lesson about race. More than a dozen couples stood in the early morning air on Tuesday…
Read MoreSaying “Yes” To Life
Etched in my memory on a daily basis these days are the Black men who have been killed over the last several months by people whose task it was to protect and serve them. As a black, queer trans-identified male, who is also aware of the violence too often inflicted upon queer and Trans bodies…
Read MoreFinding Home For The Holidays
The Christmas season is a difficult time of year for me. I am always bothered by our culture’s egregious forms of commercialism—and its either lack of or its anemic recognition of other forms for religious holidays like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, and the celebration of the winter solstice during this season. Over the years, as I…
Read MoreWhy Racial Justice Matters To Believe Out Loud
On November 24, a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the killing of Michael Brown. Believe Out Loud laments this decision and the continued devaluation of black lives in the United States of America. Unfortunately, our community’s response to two posts we shared about the verdict in Ferguson…
Read MoreAIDS Is Dead: The Recounting Of A Man Still Living With It
“I believe in living. I believe in birth. I believe in the sweat of love and in the fire of truth.” –Assata Shakur The flight attendant asks me if I would like anything else to drink. Her voice all but falls inaudible on my ears as I continue to march these words back and forth…
Read MoreA Thanksgiving Grounded In History
As I prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, I am reminded of the autumnal harvest time’s spiritual significance. As a time of connectedness, I pause to acknowledge what I have to be thankful for. But I also reflect on the holiday as a time of remembrance—historical and familial. Historically, I am reminded that for many Native…
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