Living in Texas as a transgender woman sometimes feels like walking through your own neighborhood with three heads. People stare. People whisper. People make decisions about who and what you are before you have said a single word — decisions…
Why homophobia is really about women
Alex and I are treated differently. That’s not a complaint, and it isn’t something either of us spends much time dwelling on, (I’m not sure he’s even noticed) but it’s simply true. We’re both gay men. We’re now married to…
Matthew Vines sets off a debate over what it means to be ‘queer’
One of the leading apologists for gay Christians has created a firestorm of controversy among Christians in the LGBTQ community with a column published in The New York Times June 30. Matthew Vines is the author of the op-ed headlined,…
Pride Month is about families — all of them
Recently, I saw a headline: 4 states offering Pride Month alternatives that celebrate family.” As if the celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month neither celebrates families nor requires an alternative celebration to better recognize families in different ways. The words we…
Conservatives press FCC to crack down on kids’ LGBTQ content
A handful of evangelical and conservative groups is pressing the Federal Communications Commission to change the way programs are rated so parents can protect their children from LGBTQ content. “For years, Hollywood producers have used kids’ content to push a…
Waco judge wins right to refuse same-sex weddings
A Texas court has awarded $640,000 to a Waco, Texas, judge who sued the state after it disciplined her for refusing to perform same-sex weddings because of her evangelical Christian faith. A district court awarded Judge Dianne Hensley $10,000 in…
Marginalized leaders already are leading
As Pride Month unfolds, the Southern Baptist Convention has once again made headlines by reaffirming its opposition to women serving as pastors. At nearly the same moment, recent Department of Defense actions affecting the recognition of several religious traditions raised…
From ‘feigele’ to free: What does it mean to be LGBTQ+ and Orthodox?
I can still hear my relative saying the derogatory phrase, used to refer to a gay man or boy, aiming his ugly remark at a young man at a bar mitzvah celebration.
Congregational responsibility to LGBTQ members during pastoral transitions
I was baptized on the final Sunday before my pastor left my church in 2016. As a queer person, I had found a church community willing to wrestle honestly with questions about LGBTQ inclusion. The congregation was engaged in discernment….
Gay couple in ministry launch ‘Inclusive Faith’ podcast
Their conversation began around the dinner table, a gay married couple in ministry pondering the mysteries of faith and life. Now their conversations have gone public in a podcast they hope will inspire United Methodists and other spiritual seekers to…
Why are we still calling ourselves ‘moderate’ Baptists?
A few weeks ago, I sat with a Baptist leader who described himself as a “moderate Baptist.” He meant it as a compliment, and most people in our circles would receive it that way. After all, “moderate” is one of…
MLB warns players about altering uniforms after Giants pitchers add Bible verses on Pride Night
Major League Baseball has warned players about writing on their uniforms after San Francisco starter Landen Roupp and two other pitchers added Bible verses to their Pride Night caps last week.