Love for All

best rebuttal ever

One of my brain release indulgences is to watch some teenybopper gushy CW shows while I do some of the more menial tasks of my jobs. One of them is Privileged. I won't explain, you know it, you can guess, or it just doesn't matter. One of the 'privileged' girls was arguing with her catholic boyfriend (assistant chef) about his choice not to attend the gay chef's wedding. Catholic boy in arguing his case against homosexuality says something like, most of the country agrees with me. Rich girls rebuttal is, and most of the country thinks they can wear mini skirts with cowboy boots, but they're wrong.

I laughed out loud!! It was perfect. I'm stealing the line and you should too.

and...I'm pretty sure I've worn the closest thing to a mini skirt that I own with cowboy boots before (and not just for Halloween) I guess that was bad?

people change

For today's reading pleasure I send you to my little brother's blog. He's seeking out what is right and wrong in the world and I am so proud of him. For many of us the confrontation he speaks of is easy and liberal philosophy has been inherent for our whole life, for many reading this you disagree, for others (like my brother) you can remember a time when you'd have disagreed and done nothing but you've changed. I have hope for change and not just because Obama told me so, but because I've watched it in Alex. Because there is at least one kid in College Station, TX fighting the good fight.

Courage Campaign

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Sexism alive and kickin'

I try not to jump on the feminist soap box, ever, but it seems hard to avoid these days. I build houses for Habitat for Humanity (a truly wonderful organization). It is not uncommon to find a lot of women on the construction site and still a fair number of men taking tools out of their hands or making totally unacceptable comments. I don't understand how people don't realize that referring to sweeping the site as 'women's work' is not acceptable. I'm at an AmeriCorps Habitat for Humanity leadership conference this week. This topic came up today in a session regarding leading volunteers. Obviously, the problem of volunteers not listening or respecting women on the work site is not an isolated event. I was furious to witness the question dismissed with jokes and indirect answers today. I won't rehearse the idiocy of the 90 minute session here. I just want to implore anyone, glbtq young or old, to stand up for yourself. Stand up for what is right. Don't just ignore these acts when you see or hear them. If someone isn't going to stand up for themselves, step in. Don't dismiss your worth for the sake of avoiding an awkward moment. Stop making jokes and face the small comments head on before they expand into bigger problems like Cali's prop 8 (p.s. vote NO).
Okay, thanks for the indulgence, I now pass the box to someone else.

Love Poem

I don't live in California anymore, but this piece is beautiful and I whole-hearted and full-bodied support Vote No on Prop 8.

co-opted?

So what really gets me about this is the OneNewsNow news director's comments...

Christian Site's Ban on 'G' Word Sends Homosexual to Olympics
The American Family Association obviously didn't foresee the problems that might arise with its strict policy to always replace the word "gay" with "homosexual" on the Web site of its Christian news outlet, OneNewsNow. The group's automated system for changing the forbidden word wound up publishing a story about a world-class sprinter named "Tyson Homosexual" who qualified this week for the Beijing Olympics.
The problem: Tyson's real last name is Gay. Therefore, OneNewsNow's reliable software changed the Associated Press story about Tyson Gay's amazing Olympic qualifying trial to read this way:
Tyson Homosexual was a blur in blue, sprinting 100 meters faster than anyone ever has.
His time of 9.68 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials Sunday doesn't count as a world record, because it was run with the help of a too-strong tailwind. Here's what does matter: Homosexual qualified for his first Summer Games team and served notice he's certainly someone to watch in Beijing.
"It means a lot to me," the 25-year-old Homosexual said. "I'm glad my body could do it, because now I know I have it in me."
The article continues...
Fred Jackson, news director of OneNewsNow, tells the Sleuth his organization has now fixed the software glitch. "We took the filter out for that word," he said, without uttering the "G" word.
"We don't object to the word 'gay,'" Jackson explained, except "when it refers to people who practice a homosexual lifestyle." And the "G" word, he says, has "been co-opted by a particular group of people." (People who are g-a-y.)

an article

Bay Area churches opened door to same-sex vows

Matthai Kuruvila, Chronicle Religion Writer

Sunday, June 15, 2008

A Good Hot Day in California

State Supreme Court says same-sex couples have right to marry
In light of this news being all over town today and the celebration both across the bay and in our own hearts, I want with all my own heart to see the light at the end of this struggle. But what do we see? "Opponents Plot Their Strategy:Critics are confident that California voters will OK a constitutional amendment banning gays and lesbians from marrying." Though our mayor claims that what California does, the nation will follow, all I can do is hope and pray. Mostly I wonder about the infinite number of other issues that the government and tax dollars should be spent on then deciding whether or not people who love each other should be legally recognized as such. (That is not a statement to make light of the importance of equal rights for same-sex couples in any way, I do believe there are wrongs that must now be 'righted') I simply don't understand why the government (or the church for that matter) should have any say in who I am allowed to be in love with in the first place. As a dear friend would say, if we'd all just worry about taking care of ourselves and not so much about other's people's business we'd all be a lot better off. As the newscast I just watched reported, there are $21million of needed sidewalk repair in Oakland b/c people are tripping and falling but only $1million dollar budget to work on the problem. I will claim that it hurts a lot more to trip and fall on the concrete then to live, work and play next to a happily married same-sex couple.

Plenary Witness

The 2oo8 General Conference Proclamation

(click to video link)

We have heard Jesus say – to all persons without exception – “follow me.”

We are part of God’s living body in today’s world, but our United Methodist Church

refuses to accept what God has done,

refuses to keep covenant with its own words in the baptismal promise,
refuses to honor God’s call to professional ministry,
refuses to do no harm,
refuses to open its hearts, minds, and doors.
The unchurched notice. They notice the church
cruelly scapegoating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
on the altar of so-called unity The young notice. They notice the church,
refusing, threatening, removing, closeting
the lgbt people who faithfully serve the church. The world notices.We notice.God notices.
The United Methodist baptismal liturgy calls all of us to
accept the freedom and power God gives us
to resist evil, injustice, and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves.
It is our duty – our baptismal covenant – to stand against the sin of the church,
to stand for God’s freedom and power,
to affirm God’s entire body of Christ that is the church.
We are God's children,
here … now.
Today we boldly declare by standing here
that our church’s doors and our ministries will radically obey the Gospel
that we defy bigotry and ignorance,
that the anti-gay policies and practices of The United Methodist Church are wrong.
By human means we cannot stand
but by the grace of God we can.
By standing
we reject the idea that homosexuality is a sinBy standing
we affirm that sexuality is a good gift of GodBy standing
we affirm our intent to spread God’s love and graceBy standing
we bless and celebrate families, all families.
We do not stand alone.We stand in solidarity with all those
who are not here,
who are not in our congregations.We stand with those who’ve been forced out and who’ve never come in,
who already affirm one another as beloved children of God,
regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
We stand with holy boldness
to welcome LGBT laity and clergy into our churches and pulpits, NOW;
to keep baptismal promises for all, NOW;
to affirm calls to ministries for all people, NOW;
to bless covenant relationships in our churches by our clergy, NOW;
to assure membership for all, NOW;
to provide hospitality for all, NOW.
Join us. Stand now. Build our future with hope and trust in God.



Proclamation – Witness – General Conference 2008 – Ft. Worth, TX – Drafted by the Witness Team of Reconciling Ministries Network, Rev. David W. Meredith, Convener

Hope takes a hit

I don't have words to go with the news today. So I post this photo to represent that I wish this line of solidarity and silence didn't have to exist, but I'll stand in it until it is no longer necessary. For the tragic news: "United Methodists uphold sexuality stance" .

Knowing the Stranger in Our Midst

I'm involved in my school's weekly Chapel planning committee because I'm in a rotation of three to design Sacred Space. In our meeting this week about this morning's chapel this image was a topic of great conversation. Today's chapel service was titled, "Knowing the Stranger in Our Midst" as part of a sermon series titled, "Texts we wish were not in the Bible." Today's text was Genesis 19:1-11, the call of the men of the town into Lot's house for the two travelers to be sent out so they can 'get to know them' one of the 6 clobber texts for GLBTIQ. Though we were bringing into awareness Us vs. Them (othering) of a variety of types, racial, gender, sexuality, religious, etc, the use of this image was challenged and ultimately scrapped. To be replaced by a photo of flowers, several purple and one red. I'd love you hear your reaction to this image. If you find it unsettling, why?
The text from the NRSV:
The Depravity of Sodom
19The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2He said, ‘Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you can rise early and go on your way.’ They said, ‘No; we will spend the night in the square.’ 3But he urged them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; 5and they called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may know them.’ 6Lot went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him, 7and said, ‘I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.’ 9But they replied, ‘Stand back!’ And they said, ‘This fellow came here as an alien, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.’ Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near the door to break it down. 10But the men inside reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11And they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, so that they were unable to find the door. "

Reconciling

In High School I was apprehensive of the Reconciling movement. Not because I don't believe that homosexuals should be a part of the church, but exactly the opposite. I did not understand why a church whose essence is to love and cherish all God's people needed to explicitely say, oh and yeah, you to. I still feel this way, though, I am learning that there needs to be repair for the damage done by the church.

abundant life

So, I can't decide if it's just been a particularly engaging week since I began blogging or if my life is always spattered with these interesting moments but I'm more aware to them now that I hold a space for possible blog topics in the back of my mind. However, as I sit to write tonight, I find one noteworthy event holding the spotlight in my mind and heart.

Saturday afternoon, I attended the ordination of a dear friend, it was positively beautiful. Simply a room dancing with the spirit. I shed a tear not just because of the beauty, but because it was so right. Surrounded by a company of LGBTQ clergy, an openly gay man was fully ordained into the ministry of the church with his partner standing next to him. The communities gathered to love and support my friend gave true witness to diversity in ministry. The leather community which he is connected to had a leather stole, with PRIDE colors made in support. We sang, laughed, cried and partook of communion fully presided and served by clergy and laity across the . Saturday afternoon was the children of Jesus eating in remembrance, more vividly than my life may have ever seen before. Will our institutions ever love and treat with equality all of God's beautiful children?

This beautifu rite was the beginning of a wonderful and exhausting visit to LA. With Amerifriends, we went dancing in Venice, hiking in Santa Monica, slept on the cold beach (I've never been to an LA beach and been warm), went to Hollywood, ate sushi, saw a movie, discussed dating at a dive bar, strolled the Getty Villa, lounged, ate Indian, shopped and found a fun new band called What Made Milwaukee Famous..they're from Austin.