Posts by pwsbuilder
Queer Reflections On The 2015 White House Conference On Aging
As the iron gates to the White House grounds opened at 8:45 on Monday morning, July 13, the assembled group of delegates to the 2015 White House Conference on Aging began joyfully streaming toward the security stations, the preliminary steps in gaining access to the hallowed halls where aging issues and policies for the next…
Read MoreFeeling Heard: Meeting The LGBTQ Community In Cuba
“But when did you feel heard by the majority?” pleaded a Cuban and would-be LGBT activist, unknowingly socking me in the gut with a question for which my talking points would fall short in a room full of eager Cuban citizens, watchful Cuban government officials, and gay American singers visiting Havana. In the humid and unassuming mid-morning…
Read MoreHow Long Will The Church Refuse LGBT People?
There is a mighty move of God happening. It’s been going on for a while but it is growing in momentum! God is sending people to the very doors of God’s sanctuary all over this country. However, attachment to tradition may cause the church to miss a Golden Opportunity to show Christ’s love to those…
Read MoreThe Equality Act Is A Visionary Piece Of Legislation—And Way Overdue
Something extraordinary happened last Thursday to advance fairness and equality in the United States. Members of Congress introduced legislation to amend the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 to embrace a more robust vision of equality. The bill—aptly named the Equality Act—would amend existing law to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender…
Read MoreBecause I Am Their Pastor & They Are God’s Beloved Children
On August 1, 2015, I will be involuntarily removed from the work of my calling. I will have gone to sleep the night before as an ordained United Methodist minister of the gospel, only to awaken in the morning as a suspended pastor in The United Methodist Church. And then, for ninety days—more than twice…
Read MorePope Francis Urged To Meet With LGBT Catholics During Upcoming U.S. Visit
Today, The New York Times exclusively broke the news that GLAAD and DignityUSA, backed by nearly 30 groups and individuals, have asked Pope Francis to meet with LGBT Catholics and their families during his visit to the United States. A letter, signed by GLAAD’s President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis and DignityUSA‘s Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke and endorsed…
Read MoreI Will Not Be Bullied By My Church
“F**got!”- the big boys yelled across the school yard. You try to avoid eye contact, mindful that you’re about to burst into tears. You get home and run up to your room to hide your bruises and drown your broken heart with loud music. You shut out your parents, who might not call you names,…
Read MoreThis is REAL Christian Persecution: Augusta Church Hit With Anti-LGBT Hate Crime
Christian persecution in the United States is real. It’s just not what you think. Christian persecution isn’t about having to offer birth control to women. It’s not about having to serve wedding cakes to gay and lesbian couples. Christian persecution isn’t even having people call you out when you spout homophobic, sexist, or racist opinions,…
Read MorePutting Faith Into Action: HIV/AIDS Advocacy
People of faith often feel called upon to be of service. Volunteering for a social issue they feel passionate about is a popular way to put faith in action. As both a volunteer and volunteer manager myself I have learned a key to being of service is to bring skills, but also leave behind a…
Read MoreChanging The Conversation On Catholic Church Workers’ Rights
It seems as if every few months, and sometimes weeks, Bondings 2.0 covers the story of a Catholic church worker who lost a job in an LGBT-related dispute made public. There are more than fifty such cases since 2008, but there are signs of hope as ecclesial forces increasingly resist these firings. Augustinian Father Paul Morrissey…
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