Posts Tagged ‘Rule of Law’
Proposed North Carolina Law Is An Affront To Religious Liberty
On Monday the North Carolina Senate voted to override Governor McCrory’s veto of SB2, a bill that would authorize government officials across the state to refuse to perform marriages or even issue marriage licenses when they have a religious objection. As a pastor, I consider this bill an affront to both the dignity of all North Carolinians…
Read MoreIreland Agrees to Self-Declaration for Gender Recognition Bill
Yesterday (Wednesday 3rd June), the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, T.D. announced that, following the agreement of Cabinet, the application process under the Gender Recognition Bill will, for people aged 18 years or more, be based on the person’s self-declaration by way of a statutory declaration. The Bill will also no longer contain the controversial…
Read MoreI Was Fired From My Job Because I’m Gay
On March 18, I was fired for the first time in my life, and it had nothing to do with my job performance. I was fired because I’m gay. My girlfriend and I were called, one at a time, into the director’s office at Aloma Methodist Early Childhood Learning Center. We were questioned as to…
Read MoreA Holy Moment In A Political Calendar: Making Room For Multi Faith Services For Justice
“Dig deep,… carefully cast forth the loose matter and get down to the rock, the sure foundation, and there hearken to the Divine Voice which gives a clear and certain sound.” John Woolman (Quaker abolitionist), ca 1770. This past month I have found myself tumbling head first into the elaborate matrix known as “the liturgical committee”…
Read MoreHistoric Day For LGBT Elders? We’ll See!
Walking into the Eisenhower Office Building in the White House complex on February 10, I realized that I was crossing what has the potential to be a historic threshold for the LGBT community. I was entering a full day meeting with Obama administration officials around the issue of LGBT aging and, more specifically, affordable housing…
Read MoreFor Little Bay: When Discrimination Impacts Our Children
A year ago, when the Rowse-DeBoer marriage equality case was heard in a federal court in Detroit, I joined marriage equality supporters picketing in front of the courthouse. There I was lucky enough to meet Jami and Krista, a lovely same-sex couple who have since become parents and celebrities (but not in a good way).…
Read MoreA Road Map Beyond Black History Month
Black History Month (which kicked off on Feb. 1) became a national annual observance in 1926. The goal of the month is to honor and celebrate the achievements of African-Americans. If Dr. Carter Woodson, the Father of Black History, were alive today, he would be proud of the tenacity of the African American community. It…
Read MoreHow To Spread The Gospel After Marriage Equality
A year and a half ago, I was asked by a couple from Alabama to perform their wedding. These two women had been together for 26 years, but never foresaw the opportunity have their state recognize their marriage. They were Sacred Harp singers who were going to come to Minnesota for our September singing convention.…
Read MoreIt’s Time for Trans Lives to Truly Matter to Us All
Each November LGBT centers, local groups, and churches host events for Transgender Day of Remembrance. It’s a single evening, a few hours, dedicated to memorializing those who were violently murdered for being transgender. Nearly all of the victims of violence are women, of color, poor, and many likely engaged in sex work. In the United…
Read MoreMCC And Human Trafficking—Why?
Why are members of Metropolitan Community Churches joining the effort to stop human trafficking and slavery? First, we care about all human beings. When anyone is oppressed, we still have work to do. Second, being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer adds to being vulnerable to exploitation and to the possibility of losing our freedom…
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