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What a groundswell! Twelve states, our nation’s capital and several Native American tribes in the United States now have marriage equality. Minnesota was the most recent. Illinois, Nevada and New Mexico are taking steps to join the ranks. So why were two gay men surrounded and beaten in New York City a few days ago? Why did a New…
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Each Sunday, clad in a bright red robe, I step into the pulpit. Before I even utter a word, my body preaches on my behalf. My gendered, queer, dancing, disordered body proclaims the Word before I ever open my mouth. There are Sundays when a congregant might ask me, “Why do you always talk about…
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The week of the Supreme Court hearings on Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), I had the opportunity to engage with people from across the country—many who supported marriage equality for committed same-sex couples, and many who did not. Of those who did, the reasons were many: “Federalism!” “Equal protection!” “Freedom of…
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You sit straight up in your pew, white shirt pressed, artificially hiding all of your stains, amen’ing each time the pastor condemns me: “Homosexuals, unnatural, abomination.” You nod your head after each sentence, blindly stamping me a first class ticket into exile: “It’s a choice, you have to be celibate, I don’t agree with your lifestyle.” Your…
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“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”(Luke 24:32) The Road to Emmaus pericope has become one of my favorites in the biblical canon. The more I read it the more I consider the relational ministry of Jesus, and how relationships play a…
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As the old term says so aptly, “Silence=Death.” As a preacher and a pastor, I know this to be true. As a religious person, I know personally the silence that is incubated by religious communities and the destruction that it creates. I, for one, want to break that silence. That’s why I want to tell you about…
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Shanelle is currently working with the Unitatarian Universalist Association on the upcoming Mama’s Day celebrations. Send a custom e-card to the mama in your life, featuring inspiring messages and beautiful, originally-commissioned artwork by artists of color. Growing up, I didn’t always understand what love was. For me, it was both constant and obscure, almost always coming in the…
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Perhaps it is a bad idea to write about something that one feels needs to begin with a defense, but I’m going to do it anyway. Before I talk about why I think the idea of biblical inerrancy has limited the gift of scripture for us, I want to go on record as saying that…
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“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17) It was Tuesday, March 26th, 2013, the First Day of Passover and Holy Tuesday. The night before, I did not dream that soon I would be anywhere close. And yet, here I was, in the back row of the Highest Court in the United…
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That’s right, Cardinal Dolan and I shared a hug, but more on that later. Over the past few days, I have received both letters of support as well as letters suggesting that I pursue “ex-gay therapy” in response to Sunday’s events. Regardless, the positive responses have been overwhelming and have provided me with a deeper…
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