Tackling Homophobia: Safe Space For The LGBT Community

Rapid changes in public opinion have brought the LGBT community into an uncomfortable spotlight.

Even as we celebrate the inclusion of gay youth in the Boy Scouts of America, we join with the LGBT community in mourning the rash of recent anti-gay hate crimes in New York City.

This newsletter features responses from across our community to these attacks.

Voices within the United Methodist Church draw connections between denominational policies against LGBT inclusion and a “culture of shaming and violence in both Church and wider society.”

Joseph Amodeo makes a similar argument as he condemns the “culture of silence and passive homophobia” in the Catholic Church. In response, Amodeo urges Cardinal Dolan to join Manhattan parishes in condemning the violence plaguing the streets of New York.

Reporting from SXSW, Becky Garrison examines the ways homophobia and cyberbullying pervade social networks.

She highlights the strategies and solutions offered by Everyone Is Gay, It Gets Better, and The Bully Project as they work to create safe space for LGBT youth in our online communities.

We rejoice that dramatic strides are being made toward LGBT inclusion, and we pray for the day that LGBT citizens in all reaches of the globe, from New York City to Uganda, can walk free of the shadows of violence and homophobia.

Check out The Latest to read all our latest articles, and contact us to add your voice to the conversation.