Posts by pwsbuilder
Historic LGBTQ+ Church Leaders to Celebrate 50 Years of Advocacy
The Rolling The Stone Away Conference in St. Louis, October 31 – November 2, 2017, will bring together LGBTQ+ Christian leaders in many organizations including Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Metropolitan Community Churches, and United Church of Christ communities to share stories and celebrate. For over 50 years, LGBTQ+ faith leaders have been breaking ground for full…
Read MoreWhat I Learned When I Broke My Arm Without Health Insurance
As a child, I was desperate to have a cast. At some point in elementary school, my classmates started showing up with brightly colored arms and legs, casted to protect their quietly healing broken bones. I didn’t understand this miraculous process. All I saw was neon colored plaster to be signed, attention lavished on the…
Read MoreBanning Transgender People From Military Service Is Morally Wrong
I’m an Iraq War veteran who is a trans woman, and let me tell you: banning transgender people from military service is morally wrong. In 2003, I enlisted in the North Carolina National Guard at the age of eighteen. I knew I needed to pay for college, and I needed some money to live on.…
Read MoreReconciling United Methodists of Texas Conference Statement of Support for Bishop Karen Oliveto
Reconciling United Methodists of Texas Conference unreservedly supports Bishop Karen Oliveto of the Mountain Sky Area. We pray her episcopacy will be long and fruitful—resulting in many disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We give thanks for vocal disciples in the Western Jurisdiction nominating, electing, consecrating, and assigning Bishop Oliveto. We…
Read MoreIt’s Time to Canonize Fr. Mychal Judge: Seeking Personal Testimony
The time has come to begin the initial research to make Franciscan Fr. Mychal Judge, OFM, a canonized saint in the Catholic Church. We need people like you to spread the word about such a possibility so we can gather evidence about Fr. Judge’s life and ministry. On September 11, 2001, Fr. Judge, who was a chaplain…
Read MoreQueering the Creation Story: Painting Tiamat/Tehom
In Genesis 1 we read, “In beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” It is the creation narrative held dear, formative, and meaningful for countless Jews and Christians.…
Read MoreDignityUSA Moves Toward Radical Inclusion
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world. The fight for the dignity and inclusion of its LGBTQI parishioners is a fight for the church’s soul and moral integrity. DignityUSA since its inception has asserted that God loves the LGBTQI community equally. This year DignityUSA held its 23rd biennial national conference in…
Read MoreGrowing Up As An Asexual Christian
I grew up in a Methodist Church in a small town in North Carolina. When I reached my pre-teen years, I moved from the children’s programming to Methodist Youth Fellowship, or MYF. Most of the time, I felt comfortable with the lessons they were teaching. Except for the talks about sex and sexual purity. The…
Read MoreQueer, Trans, & Deacon: A Reflection on Being Commissioned
In her book The United Methodist Deacon, Rev. Dr. Margaret Ann Crain explains, “Because deacons are also ordained but usually do not do what elders do, we are challenged to think about ordination as identity rather than function.” This understanding of ordination as identity deeply characterizes much of where my awe, overflowing joy, and gratitude come…
Read MoreA Coming Out Guide for Parents of Queer Kids
“Every gay person must come out. As difficult as it is, you must tell your immediate family. You must tell your relatives. You must tell your friends, if indeed they are your friends.” -Harvey Milk Harvey Milk’s historic call to LGBTQ+ people in the 1970s to come out of the closet was predicated on the…
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