Uncategorized
The religious right is out of the closet. No, not THAT closet (although I’m sure that door could swing open and reveal some hidden friends). No, the religious right is out, loud and proud in an entirely different direction. They have no qualms declaring the (widely-disproved) success of reparative therapy. They have unbound enthusiasm for protecting…
Read More
Yesterday I received this email (which I use here by permission): Dear John, Hi. My name is [deleted]. I am nearly 48-years-old, and am married with two grown children. I am also a Methodist minister in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I have come to believe that I live in a black hole which is unknown…
Read More
I have a friend in Dayton, OH who just pulled off an act of delightfully bold LGBT activism. A long-time, anti-LGBT City Commissioner, now up for re-election, let his website domain name lapse. My friend – with an eye (and a plan) for stupid mistakes – took it over and is now reminding visitors to…
Read More“You are the church, I am the church, we are the church together! We who follow Jesus, all round the world, we are the church together.” The lyrics to this chorus say it all. With all of our stories, our congregations, our disagreements, our ministries and our global relationships—we are the church together. This week,…
Read More
As the nation prepares to celebrate the dedication of the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., this weekend, I am reminded that while much has changed since the March on Washington 48 years ago, much remains the same. What has changed includes the entry of sexism, heterosexism, and other forms of oppression…
Read More
At last month’s 102nd annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a historic workshop focused on overcoming homophobia within the black community. As an African American, heterosexual, male pastor of a traditionally black Baptist church in the inner city of Washington, D.C., I was glad to see this legendary organization…
Read More
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in …” Matthew 25:35 This past weekend, Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio celebrated twenty years of being a More Light Church — a congregation…
Read More
Everyday the first thing I do here at Believe Out Loud is look for LGBT religious related news. I look for stories to feature on our website or interesting people with whom we ally ourselves. This morning, I was on The Advocate website, and came across a story about one of my favorite comediennes: Lucille…
Read More
Sung’s top programmatic priority has been directing the Believe Out Loud campaign. He has invested thousands of hours these past three and a half years in the cause of justice and inclusion for the LGBT community. He will be missed, both here at Intersections and among our Believe Out Loud constituents. The good news is…
Read More
“Leave the church? To Who?” That’s what the Rev. Amy DeLong said when I asked her if she ever considered leaving the church. Her words were emphatic. “Leave the church? To who?” I knew then that Rev. Amy DeLong had an unparalleled amount of resilience…resilience that was in full display earlier this year when she…
Read More