LGBT Parents & Allies
Every human being reflects a part of God. God’s divinity is impressed upon our being, regardless of our race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or ability and that invests us all with value. If we are all created in God’s image, we should all be equally valued. That means we as a church need to affirm…
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Being visibly trans or gender non-conforming in the world means you have the privilege of dealing with a lot of people’s feelings about your presence more than you care to. Folks often want to tell you how they feel about your clothing choices, the way you are “successfully” or “unsuccessfully” portraying your gender and more…
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David Hayward (aka the Naked Pastor) recently published a new book: The Art of Coming Out: Cartoons for the LGBTQ Community. As an artist who is often featured on Believe Out Loud, we asked him a few questions about his cartoons and advocacy for LGBTQ equality. 1. Why did you write a book for the…
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In 2013, Rev. Frank Schaefer was found “guilty” by the United Methodist Church for officiating the wedding of his son, Tim, to his same-sex partner. Today’s news comes from the Judicial Council, the denomination’s highest court. I bring you great news: the Judicial Council has affirmed the reinstatement of Rev. Frank Schaefer to ordained ministry in The United…
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As an immigrant, a woman, and a person of color, I know what a public show of solidarity can mean in the face of adversity. Ashamedly, there have been times when I did not offer such solidarity to others. When I first became a Christian, I failed to be a public ally to LGBT people…
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On August 22, during a Divinity School orientation panel on diversity, Dean of the Divinity School Richard Hays asserted that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” in response to a question about resources for LGBT students. Hays reminded students that the United Methodist Church, the Divinity School’s affiliated denomination, does not ordain…
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“The things which are most important don’t always scream the loudest.” Bob Hawke Religious voices that use holy scripture to demean our neighbors will not continue to be the loudest voices in our city. Chattanooga will know that all persons of faith are not like that. I commit today to make my voice louder. This spring,…
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I am Denise Donnell. I am an ordained elder in the Mississippi Conference in the United Methodist Church. I have been a member of the clergy for the last eight years of my life. I wish I could tell you that I have always been a friend of the LGBT community, but that is not…
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My church, First Church Congregational in Rochester NH, has been “Open and Affirming” (a designation of the United Church of Christ) since 2002. The designation means that we make a specific commitment to welcome the LGBTQ community, to recognize the hurt that had been done to that community by the institutional church, and to work…
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The Golden Rule: a law that teaches when one is harmed we’re all harmed; when one is helped, we’re all healed. It is the base for several religions with versions of it existing in several sacred texts (see below). Recently, I have reflected on how the Golden Rule can help unite us, despite having differences.…
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