Posts Tagged ‘Social Justice’
”Bisexual Privilege?” No—Just the Opposite!
As we celebrated and acknowledged Bisexuality Visibility Day this week, I was struck by how much the conversation around bisexuality has changed. There is more and more happening, from postings (mine included) on #WhatBiLooksLike for Huffington Post, to dialogue on posts here at Believe Out Loud dealing with Bi issues. All this fuels a growing…
Read MoreMy Faith. My Mississippi.
I am Denise Donnell. I am an ordained elder in the Mississippi Conference in the United Methodist Church. I have been a member of the clergy for the last eight years of my life. I wish I could tell you that I have always been a friend of the LGBT community, but that is not…
Read MoreMaking The Invisible Visible In Faith Communities: A Valuable Resource For Us All
Imagine a congregant who is commited to a straight, traditional marriage, coming to you, the pastor, distressed by finding homoerotic websites on a spouse’s computer. Or what would you think, or do, if a teenager in the youth group where you are an advisor, comes out, one evening, as bisexual? The new study guide, “Bisexuality:…
Read MoreMillennials, The Church, And Global LGBT Social Consciousness
Last spring, I wrote about a young woman named Dannika Nash who quoted the Macklemore song “Same Love” in some frank advice to the institutional church on behalf of millennials. She warned that if the church forced her generation to choose between it and their support of LGBT rights, it was going to be disappointed in the outcome. Her message…
Read MoreWhere We Go Next
Two weeks ago, I was invited to the White House. I received an email asking me to be present for President Obama signing his executive order banning LGBT employment discrimination by federal contractors. It was an incredible honor to be present for a historical event like that. The whole event went by fast, but I…
Read MorePlanning My Pilgrimage To Laramie
Next month I’ll be taking a vacation to visit friends in Boulder, Colorado. I’m excited to be seeing the area, as I’ve only just changed planes in the airport before and never actually visited. But as I researched my trip, I couldn’t help but notice that Laramie, Wyoming, is just a two-hour drive north of…
Read MoreThe Freedom To Say “I Do”
I was delighted when I heard the news that the United Church of Christ (UCC) had brought a landmark lawsuit against the State of North Carolina to hopefully overturn Amendment One. According to multiple media sources, the UCC filed a lawsuit to challenge state marriage laws that restrict a pastor’s freedom to exercise their religious…
Read MoreA Confession Of A Bisexual Granted Straight Privilege
Eternal God, I confess I have sinned against you in thought, word and deed; By what I have done and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart. I have not loved my neighbor as my self. Holy Week invites us to engage intensely in examination of our…
Read MoreNYC Event: LGBT Stations Of The Cross
Last year, acclaimed artist Mary Button created an inspiring series of unique and thought-provoking paintings for Believe Out Loud. Mary Button’s Stations Of The Cross: The Struggle For LGBT Equality invites viewers to see Jesus’ suffering in light of the marginalization of LGBT people, depicted throughout the 20th and 21st century. Join Believe Out Loud in New York City on Sunday,…
Read MoreLenten Friendship: Reflecting On The Life Of Oscar Romero
As we journey through this reflective time of Lent, reflecting on love, sacrifice, transfiguration, pain, fear, and redemption, we also take the time to ponder our friendships, especially around death. March honors the legacy and witness of Archbishop Óscar Romero, a prophetic voice who called for change in church and society—a voice for peace in the midst…
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