Posts by pwsbuilder
Let’s Make Church Better, Now
At a time where the Catholic Church is under much scrutiny due to scandal, abuses of power, and upholding teachings that fracture rather then unite, this short video of Father Donal Godfrey has rekindled my faith that all will be well within the tradition I was raised in. Many have asked me if Pope Francis’…
Read MoreIn Honor of Our Lost LGBTQ Children
Ryan Robertson died five years ago this week. In his honor, friends and I have chosen an orange icon on Facebook as it was Ryan’s favorite color. We also honor all the LGBTQ people who have died from rejection, bullying, and ill-fated “therapy”—marginalization, in all its forms. Ryan is one of many LGBTQ men and women who was pushed…
Read More10 Anti-LGBT Things You Can’t Do While Following Jesus
As I say in all of my “10 Things You Can’t Do While Following Jesus” articles, this is by no means meant to be a complete list, but it’s a decent place to start. Also, this is not to say that people are unable to do these things when they are following Jesus, as much…
Read MoreFinding My Way Home: My Journey As A Trans* Christian
My greatest problem with being a Trans* person was coming to terms with my faith. I grew up in the Southern Baptist church. My earliest memories were of my church. It was always the center point of my existence. I didn’t think I was being traumatized by my church while I was growing up. I…
Read MoreHow Employment Discrimination Affects My Life
One of the great joys in my life as executive director of Integrity USA, the national Episcopal LGBTQ organization, is being contacted by transgender and gay people looking for help in meeting their needs. I am always thrilled when I can connect people to new friends, educational materials, or welcoming faith communities. Unfortunately, there’s one…
Read MoreDamages: The Effects Of Spiritual Abuse
Trigger Warning: Discussion of suicide and self-harm There is so much blood on the hands of Christians. From the Crusades to the modern anti-gay laws of Uganda, we are drenched in a legacy of blood. Perhaps it is fitting. After all, Christianity was born out of blood spilled on the cross. I had heard all…
Read MoreThe Crosshairs Of Religion
The Supreme Court made a ruling at the end of June that will have repercussions for years, possibly for generations to come. The court decided that “closely held corporations” now have freedom of religion and can force women to go outside of the company-provided health insurance for birth control. Reproductive freedom is every woman’s issue,…
Read MoreLGBT Catholics Find Vatican Document On Family Synod Disappointing
Leaders of DignityUSA, the leading organization of LGBT Catholics and their allies and family members, called the “Instrumentum Laboris” released by the Vatican in advance of the Extraordinary Synod on the Family “extremely disappointing.” They said the document demonstrates a failure to understand the extent of the problems with official Church teaching on issues of…
Read MoreHow I Went From Rejecting My Gay Son To Loving Him Unconditionally
At the beginning of his second year of college, my son Nick told me he was gay, and that he didn‘t believe same-sex relationships were sinful. I am embarrassed and ashamed to say that I reacted horribly. I made him feel ashamed, unloved, and rejected. I said things a loving mother never should, and I…
Read MoreOne Size Does Not Fit All: Pastoral Care For LGBT Seniors
I’ve found myself a part of people’s lives in a profound way while providing spiritual care as a chaplain for the past three years. While working in hospice and hospital settings, I have been privileged to be invited into the most delicate and precarious of times. I’ve held the hand of the dying, I’ve comforted…
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