Spiritual Affirmation
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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What is a wall? Often, we hear these days, walls keep people out. Of course, they do much more than that. Walls provide a sense of in and out, of here and there, of us and them. By indicating the end of territory, they define space and enable those within their perimeters to understand themselves…
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MLP News Please pray for the friends and family of 14-year-old Kenneth James Weishuhn of Primghar, Iowa. Kenneth took his life on Saturday after being bullied for coming out as a gay teen a few months ago. Kenneth’s friends and family describe him as a happy young man, handsome and full of life. After coming…
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The holiday season is rough for many people in the LGBTQ community. Extra expectations, financial strains, and social isolation cause depression rates to rise. Many people have tensions with their loved ones over their sexuality and gender expression. When that’s coupled with the extra religious observances that take place in the holiday season, it can…
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This article is for everyone who’s been kicked out. If you have lost your home, your loved ones, your faith community—this is for you. If standing in your truth is a sin, we’ve all made the fatal error. When waking up, living, breathing are de facto outside of your community’s moral bounds, and you are…
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Depicted clockwise: Spirit of Maná, Spirit of Aloha, Poli’ahu, Pelé, Hina, NāMaka, Papahānoumoku It started with Pelé, the Hawai’ian Volcano Goddess who governs fire, lightning, volcanoes, and the flow of lava. When my little family set off on a big adventure in June 2015, I knew I’d research and paint her as a Holy Woman Icon.…
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I want my face back! Those were the first words out of my mouth last week in the dermatologist’s office. Soft. Smooth. Glowing. Clear. To be envied. These are the adjectives people once used to describe my face, not Scaly. Dry. Itchy. Inflamed. Puffy. I want my face back! While I educated the doctor about…
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When I first came out gay in 1999, many gay Christians and queer scholars were asking, “Who is gay/lesbian in the Bible?” Some pointed to Jonathan and David. Others to Ruth and Naomi. There were rumors of a gay Roman Centurion. I understood why people were on a quest to find gay Bible characters. After…
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Lilith has been a misunderstood, appropriated, and redeemed woman throughout the ages. Many feminists claim her as an empowering figure in Jewish mythology, with contemporary artists such as Sarah McLachlan, who created the all-women music tour, “Lilith Fair,” reclaiming her story. Some queer scholars have surmised that Lilith had a romantic relationship with Eve. Others…
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Tis the season! Those of us in ministry have spent this Advent rallying our minds, hearts, and spirits to find celebratory tones of hope. I fear that much like our march towards resurrection, without wanting to look at the harsh and ugly realities of state and religious violence that took Jesus to the cross, we…
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