Derek Webb had plans. A tour commemorating the 20th anniversary of one of his early albums was in the works. There were thoughts of a new release mid-year and a subsequent promotional tour to round out 2025. But then February…
These Olympic boxers are not transgender but their experience illustrates transphobia
Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting went to Paris to box. Instead, the Olympic fighters unwittingly became punching bags in a fresh round of controversy over transgender athletes in sports. The fact that neither athlete is transgender — or, in fact,…
‘Cowboy Carter’ is a lot to process, but so is being Black in America
With Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter well into its second week at the top of the Billboard charts, the internet is rife with as many hot takes and opinions as 4×4 pickups at a Jason Aldean show. Absorbing the litany of influences,…
QCF carves out a broader welcome within the LGBTQ Christian community
Nearly 500 people gathered in Albuquerque for the 20th annual Q Christian Fellowship conference Jan. 11-14. The QCF conference is an opportunity for LGBTQ Christians, parents and allies to gather for workshops, speakers, worship and connection. The theme of this…
At holidays, LGBTQ youth homelessness spikes
The holidays may be winding down, but for some LGBTQ youth, year-end celebrations mark the beginning of a very different season: experiencing homelessness. According to Marian Edmonds-Allen, executive director of Parity NYC, a faith-based organization focused on healing divisions between…
Today is Intersex Awareness Day
October 26 is Intersex Awareness Day. In a time where gender identity and expression are under social, legal and religious scrutiny, understanding the biological basis for sex differences never has been more urgent. “Intersex” is a general term used for…
At the Dove Awards, Section 103 marched to a different beat
As ticket holders began filing into Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena for the 54th annual GMA Dove Award ceremony last week in Nashville, a small crowd gathered by a clock tower near the entrance to the auditorium. They came from all…
Why will Semler and Flamy Grant attend the Dove Awards, where neither is accepted?
Although recording artists Flamy Grant and Semler both had No. 1 songs on the Christian music charts in 2023, neither artist was asked to participate in the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards, Contemporary Christian Music’s premier event recognizing achievement within…
Why the Haitian shoe seller can’t sell shoes
Last month, controversy around the true nature of former NFL football player Michael Oher’s relationship with his adoptive family, depicted in the 2009 movie The Blind Side, reignited a conversation around “white saviorism” — the tendency for privileged white Westerners…
Tennessee DA threatens Blount County Pride Festival if Flamy Grant performs
Organizers of Tennessee’s Blount Pride Festival have been warned by a district attorney they could be charged with “criminal conduct” if Christian artist Flamy Grant performs at the festival Saturday, Sept. 2, as planned. The singer’s appearance could violate Tennessee’s…
Drag is not what’s feared; it’s the people underneath the makeup whom we fear
From drag show bans to outcries over public schools and libraries hosting queens for reading programs and allegations of grooming, drag is in the conservative bullseye. Last month, drag queen Flamy Grant’s meteoric rise to the apex of the Christian…
What Sean Feucht meant for evil, Flamy Grant experienced as good
Sean Feucht, former worship leader at Bethel Church, founder of the pandemic-era Let Us Worship movement and unsuccessful Republican congressional candidate, didn’t intend to send a drag queen to the top of the Contemporary Christian Music charts. But when Feucht…