Journey Story
In this episode, we meet Bishop Tonyia M. Rawls and Reverend Debra J. Hopkins: two LGBT faith leaders based in Charlotte, NC. The long-time friends sit down to discuss the ways their faith shaped the acceptance of their sexuality and gender identity, and how that self-acceptance shaped their ministries. Created by: Ben Ohene, and Victoria…
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In part two of our interview with an LGBT interfaith couple, we explore the open and affirming religious institutions and community spaces where they can express their faith freely. Believe Out Loud accompanied them to an interfaith Iftar, which bridged the spiritual traditions of Islam and Christianity. This interview was recorded anonymously to protect the…
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Believe Out Loud sat down to interview an LGBT interfaith couple about how they met and how their religious upbringings influenced their ability to live authentically as LGBT persons of faith. This interview was recorded anonymously to protect the couple’s identity. Created by: Victoria Anderson and Ben Ohene Background Tracks: Archive.org – Encyclopedia Britannica “Pakistan”…
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We each have our own “nativity story.” Mine is that it was a difficult birth, a prolonged labor, my mother turned blue, my father told the doctor she needed oxygen, I was born feet first, my legs were crooked and doctors wanted to put braces on them, but my mother resisted, choosing another therapy: massaging…
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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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Casper UCC's Process Towards Believing Out Loud
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Arriving at World Youth Day has been an exciting experience but also one that is mixed with many other emotions from “OMG” to “eek” to “what are we getting into” to “wow this is really happening!” I then realize that the call to make disciples is not only one of evangelizing others but is also…
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My journey to self-acceptance as a brown queer God-loving woman has been a long one, with many hurdles and wrong turns. I was raised as a non-denominational Christian. My connection to my church and my God were strong. By the time I was a preteen, I was going to church at least two days a…
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As a girl, I never dreamt of marrying in the church, yet I will be doing just that in May. Growing up Southern Baptist in my hometown of Slidell, Louisiana, I received the message early on that gay people were not Christians, and did not love God or family. When my attraction to women became…
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On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear a case about whether religious beliefs give businesses that are open to the public a right to discriminate. The case is about David Mullins and Charlie Craig, who visited Masterpiece Cakeshop in 2012 to order a cake for their upcoming wedding reception. The bakery…
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