Teenage Crush: Remembering Rod McKuen
Rod McKuen’s recent passing revives memories of teenage angst — and first love.
Christopher Harrity
www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/people/2015/01/30/teenage-crush-remembering-rod-mckuen
Tennessee Evangelical Church Welcomes the LGBT Community
Tennessee Evangelical Church Welcomes the LGBT Community
In a world full of prejudice and bigotry, it is refreshing to discuss a story of triumph and respect for equality.
In the affluent community of Franklin, Tennessee, tucked amongst the grand houses and high-end shopping centers of this conservative Bible-believing community is an oasis for the LGTB community.
From the outside, the building looks like any other church, but on the inside of GracePointe Church, there is something wonderfully unique happening. The 1500 members of this evangelical, inter-denominational church worship with a contemporary flavor. They have Bible studies, youth programs, and do mission work. Sitting in the pew between the gray-haired saints and the fidgety four year old children are openly gay men and lesbian couples, all worshiping together.
Pastor Stan Mitchell, who comes from a fundamental Christian background, founded Gracepointe Church in 2003. He wasn’t looking to assemble a group of people, who believed the same way he did, but rather to worship and grow along side good, sincere people who genuinely wanted to follow Christ and retrain themselves in their beliefs. Instead of accepting the traditional ideas of sins, scripture, and homosexuality and the church, Mitchell wanted to explore new ideas through scripture, science and personal experience.
About two and half years ago, Pastor Mitchell began a conversation with his conversation about LGBT issues. At the time, he was labeling the church as a place of no judgment. Soon the church was allowing gay membership and volunteer opportunities. Predictably, many of the more conservative members left the church. Yet, the progression towards a more open church carried-on and was gradual, progressive, and steady.
January 11, 2015 started off like a typical Sunday with sincere worship and authentic fellowship. Pastor Mitchell delivered a sermon titled, “Living Between Immanuel & Epiphany” with his normal charisma and thoughtfulness. But not many predicted how he would end his teachings. He spend the last twenty-five minutes warmly inviting members of the LGBT community into his church family. He respectfully set a high moral standard of conduct for this group, and his entire congregation, heterosexual and gay alike. He invited everyone in his congregation into positions of leadership, including the Diaconate & Eldership, and opened-up employment by the church, water baptism, marriage, and baby dedication to his members, regardless of their sexual orientation. Yes, you read that correctly. Not only will Mitchell allow gay marriage, but he will personally perform the ceremony.
The church family rose to their feet. But unlike the mass exodus and raised eyebrows that might be expected from a congregation in the heart of the Bible belt, the church family didn’t turn to walk out the door, but rather, they put their hands together in a standing ovation. There were hugs, words of affirmation and tears of joy as sexual labels faded away and members were no longer identified by their sexuality. The house was no longer divided by “us and them” but was united as “we.”
I had the opportunity to talk with Pastor Mitchell on the phone recently, and while he was not looking for a microphone or platform, he’s happy that the decision to include all of God’s people into his church family is being received so positively. This intelligent and sincere man systematically and passionately retold their journey and shared his conclusions, “Homo-, hetero- and bi- are unnecessary adjectives.” Mitchell said. “Full inclusion means treating all our members with the same rights.”
Over the past 2000 years, the Christian church has had to face many moral and scriptural dilemmas including race equality, slavery, women in ministry, and the handling of divorce within church memberships. The church has had to morph and change, reinterpret and have open discussions in order to address these issues and to come to conclusions that are not only morally acceptable, but scriptural. Mitchell believes that homosexual rights are no different than any of these other issues and feels comfortable in his decision, even though some of his peers don’t.
Many of today’s churches ignore their mission and even the Great Commission, not wanting to offend their peers. They adhere to what Mitchell refers to as “2000 years of traditions” and interpretation of scripture. But GracePointe is proving that they are willing to face criticism and judgement from the community to fulfill their mission and to reconsider other interpretations of scripture. As stated on their website, the church “exists to provide a safe place to better understand and experience God’s love and full acceptance of us, as we are, and His commitment to the process of making us whole in Christ.”
The decisions of this pastor and the acceptance from the church family is one step forward in the journey towards unifying the church and creating a loving environment for all who wish to worship God.
UN General Assembly President Takes Swipe at Gay Activists Upon Return to Uganda
UN General Assembly President Takes Swipe at Gay Activists Upon Return to Uganda
Sam Kutesa, the President of the United Nations General Assembly whose election was protested internationally by LGBT rights groups because of his hand in Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality law and comments referring to gay people as “disgusting”, returned to his home country this week and immediately engaged in some braggadocio with regard to that controversy, Uganda’s Daily Monitor reports:
Mr Kutesa, who is in the country on an official visit since his election last June as president of UNGA, said he has not been mistreated nor has Uganda been depicted in bad light over the Anti-Homosexuality Law, which was struck down by the Constitutional Court.
“It is not a problem. I had been nominated by my country Uganda and the African continent had endorsed me,” Mr Kutesa said.
To drive the point home that the pro-gay could not succeed in blocking his candidature, Mr Kutesa used an adage: “No matter how much noise the frogs make, they cannot stop a cow from drinking water.”
Commenters on the Monitor aren’t too pleased with Kutesa’s behavior.
Writes one:
“When will NRM ministers learn to show some magnanimity? Kutesa has better things to talk to the press about than dwelling on the past and noisy frogs and a cow drinking water for he is acutely aware that his government is milking the cow without feeding it.”
Andy Towle
10 of the Weirdest, Wildest Super Bowl Halftime Shows
10 of the Weirdest, Wildest Super Bowl Halftime Shows
Up With People! Carol Channing! Diana Ross on a helicopter! The Super Bowl halftime show is often a bizarre and kind of gay affair.
Neal Broverman
www.advocate.com/sports/2015/01/30/10-weirdest-wildest-super-bowl-halftime-shows
State Equality Index Spotlight: Massachusetts
State Equality Index Spotlight: Massachusetts
Massachusetts is one of 18 states in the country that has explicit state-level workplace protections for all LGBT employees. It is also one of 36 states with marriage equality.
HRC.org
Virginia House Subcommittee Kills Anti-gay 'License to Discriminate' Bill
Virginia House Subcommittee Kills Anti-gay 'License to Discriminate' Bill
A bill that would have allowed religious-based discrimination against gays failed to pass a Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee Thursday, the Washington Blade reports:
House Bill 1414, which state Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William County) introduced last month, specifically cited “same-sex ‘marriage’ or homosexual behavior.”
“Equality Virginia applauds the subcommittee for voting against this discriminatory and destructive bill,” said James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia, a statewide LGBT advocacy group. “This bill would have hurt too many people, damaged our business climate, and highlighted Virginia as a hostile and unwelcoming place to live and work. The majority of Virginians agree that discrimination against LGBT people is wrong, and thankfully today’s vote reflects that opinion.”
Marshall (pictured) is the same anti-gay wingnut who last year sought to impeach Virginia’s attorney general Mark Herring for refusing to defend the state’s same-sex marriage ban in court. He has also spoken at length about his belief that “sodomy is not a civil right.”
Kyler Geoffroy
Hospitais vão registrar violência contra população LGBT
Hospitais vão registrar violência contra população LGBT
NBR NOTÍCIAS – 29.01.15: Nesta quinta-feira (29), Dia da Visibilidade Trans, uma comissão interministerial foi instituída para enfrentar a violência conta lésbicas, gays, bissexuais, travestis…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbNTBvO10EA&feature=youtube_gdata
Pennsylvania Trans Woman's Lawsuit Tests Exclusions in Americans With Disabilities Act
Pennsylvania Trans Woman's Lawsuit Tests Exclusions in Americans With Disabilities Act
Continuing her years-long battle, Kate Lynn Blatt has now argued that not having her gender identity accommodated at work violated her rights under federal disability laws.
Mitch Kellaway
Why Orlando is the theme park capital of the world – in 8 twists, turns and drops
Why Orlando is the theme park capital of the world – in 8 twists, turns and drops
Universal Studios Florida, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and beyond: welcome to adrenaline junkies’ paradise
jamiet
being their silent voice
