John Paulk Renounces Ex-Gay Therapy; Evangelicals Respond

A man with long blonde hair smiling for the camera.

This week, former ex-gay spokesperson John Paulk issued a public apology for his involvment in ex-gay ministries, stating that reparative therapy does not change sexual orientation and apologizing for the pain caused by his advocacy. Below is a response from the Evangelical Network regarding Paulk’s change of heart. To admit that you have made a…

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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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“I’m Sorry”: God Adores You

God is love, santa fe, california.

Someone on twitter recently asked me how I defined courage. I sat in my room turning the question over and over in my mind, but then I responded with “Courage is being able to step onto the stormy waters, despite your fear, when Jesus calls.” I felt Jesus calling this past week and I was…

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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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Showing Another Side of Catholicism

A row of statues of the virgin mary.

Whenever the media uses the phrase “Catholic Church” when they reference statements made by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) or individual church leaders, Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director of DignityUSA, stands up to correct them. “The bishops try discredit Dignity by saying we’re not authorized not to use the word Catholic,” she states.…

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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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