Join a network of people seeking the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
We're grateful for the passionate and clear commitment of Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP to LGBT and marriage equality. The NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. In 2008, at age 35, he became the youngest person to serve as its chief executive. Jealous offered the opening keynote address at Creating Change last night. Creating Change is the National Conference on LGBT equality and this is the 24th annual conference produced by NGLTF. Among the packed ballroom of over 2000+ activists last night to hear Jealous speak was our Executive Director and Field Organizer, Michael Adee.
NAACP President Benjamin Jealous said Thursday the civil rights group supports legislation in Maryland to extend rights to transgender residents.
Jealous spoke at a national conference on rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, the 24th national conference on LGBT equality.
“This striving for inclusion is not new,” Jealous told a crowded convention room at the Baltimore Hilton.
Under Jealous, the Baltimore-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People launched an equality task force for the LGBT community.
Here is an excerpt of Benjamin Jealous' remarks at Creating Change 2012.
MLP is committed to marriage equality for persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities or other human differences. We are thankful that the Washington state Legislature now has enough votes to pass a marriage equality bill. Scores of same-sex marriage supporters told their stories at hearings on Monday and Senator Mary Haugen, citing very strong Christian beliefs, announced that she would support the measure.
"My partner and I always knew this day would come, but frankly we didn’t expect it in our lifetime," said Nathan Sobers, MLP Board Member and resident of Washington. "We are overjoyed that the place where we live, work and love has decided that separate but equal is not equal; that domestic partnerships are not enough, even when all of the rights are the same. Words matter and it is so gratifying that our Governor and state legislators understand that."
Washington now has enough votes to pass a marriage equality bill in the state Senate, following a state senator’s announcement of her support today after hours of public hearings regarding the measure.
Mary Margaret Haugen became the 25th member of the state senate, and the last vote needed to pass the bill, after scores of same-sex marriage supporters told their stories in the state capital for more than two hours.
The bill, first brought up by Washington governor Christine Gregoire, is expected to easily pass in the House but was one vote short of passage in the Senate until Haugen announced her support this afternoon.
Haugen, a Democrat, cited her "very strong Christian beliefs" as part of the reason she supports marriage equality.
"Only one being in this world is omniscient, and it's not me," she said in a statement. "Personally I have always said when I accepted the Lord, I became more tolerant of others. I stopped judging people and try to live by the Golden Rule. This is part of my decision. I do not believe it is my role to judge others, regardless of my personal beliefs."
Senator Mary Haugen issued a statement about her support for marriage equality in Washington.
“I have very strong Christian beliefs, and personally I have always said when I accepted the Lord, I became more tolerant of others. I stopped judging people and try to live by the Golden Rule. This is part of my decision. I do not believe it is my role to judge others, regardless of my personal beliefs. It’s not always easy to do that. For me personally, I have always believed in traditional marriage between a man and a woman. That is what I believe, to this day.
“But this issue isn’t about just what I believe. It’s about respecting others, including people who may believe differently than I. It’s about whether everyone has the same opportunities for love and companionship and family and security that I have enjoyed.
“For as long as I have been alive, living in my country has been about having the freedom to live according to our own personal and religious beliefs, and having people respect that freedom.
“Not everyone will agree with my position. I understand and respect that. I also trust that people will remember that we need to respect each other’s beliefs. All of us enjoy the benefits of being Americans, but none of us holds a monopoly on what it means to be an American. Ours is truly a big tent, and while the tent may grow and shrink according to the political winds of the day, it should never shrink when it comes to our rights as individuals.
“Do I respect people who feel differently? Do I not feel they should have the right to do as they want? My beliefs dictate who I am and how I live, but I don’t see where my believing marriage is between a man and a woman gives me the right to decide that for everyone else.
Welcoming Church Sunday is an annual tradition observed the last Sunday of January by a growing number of Christian denominations. It is a celebration of the gifts of LGBT persons in the life, ministry and witness of the Church. This year's observance is dedicated to the life, memory and legacy of David Kato.
David Kato was a prominent LGBT activist working for Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). Sadly, he was murdered in his home on January 26, 2011. David was murdered after he won a landmark lawsuit against the Rolling Stone tabloid in Uganda. With the "Kill the Gays" bill threatening, it had published David's picture with the caption "hang them." An Anglican Bishop and ally with the LGBT community in Uganda, Bishop Senyonjo's photo appeared with the same caption. Bishop Senyonjo faithfully continues his ministry with the LGBT community and his advocacy.
There are Presbyterians in over 100 nations around the world including Uganda. We invite your church, campus ministry or seminary community to observe Welcoming Church Sunday on January 29 and to remember the late David Kato with this following ritual and prayer.
Ritual:
Lighting of a candle to honor David’s life.
Prayer:
Leader: O God, we light this candle {today/this evening} in memory of our brother, David Kato.You know, O God, he was faithful to your vision of a world at peace with its own diversity.You know, too, the price he paid for that faithfulness. Help us, who are now charged with carrying on that vision, to have the courage of conviction and stamina and grace it takes to live each and every day in a way that brings a little more justice, a little more kindness, a little more acceptance to this earth and its peoples. Help us now, as we pray, to rededicate ourselves to that singular call. For the sake of LGBT children and adults everywhere,
Congregation: We promise to strive to act justly with every word we speak, every thought we think, and every deed we do.
Leader: For the sake of our oppressors and those who harm us,
Congregation: We promise to striveto love tenderly and set a Christ-like example for all to follow.
Leader: For all our sakes, and for the coming of peace to this earth.
Congregation: We promise to seek to walk humbly with you, O God, all the days of our lives.
Leader: May God bless us to be faithful to the longings of our hearts this day. In Jesus' name. Amen
The Law, Gender & Sexuality Research Project at the Makerere University School of Law in Uganda is putting together a book on the life, work and legacy of David Kato. The project was founded by Dr. Sylvia R. Tamale who recently published the pro-LGBT African Sexualities: A Readerwith Pambazuka Press.
Live Free or Die is the new film by Macky Alston and Sandra Itkoff about Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopalian bishop. This film was selected for the documentary competition at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. It premieres on Monday. Macky Alston, the film's director is Presbyterian and serves as the Senior Director of Auburn Media and Communications at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. Sandra Itkoff is the film's producer.
For Gene Robinson this story means more than the story of his life and ministry. He told the Star-Tribune: “If my story can help a young boy or girl in their teens believe they can have a wonderful and productive life and family, then it’s worth my putting up with a film crew following me around for two years in order to comfort and inspire them.
It’s been years since the incident, but Bishop Gene Robinson’s heart still races when he sees it on film.
Robinson, the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop, was preaching at a church in London when a man in the audience stood and began yelling at him. The heckler waved a motorcycle helmet in his hand as he ranted. Robinson silently wondered if he was hiding a gun or a bomb beneath it.
Ultimately, the man was escorted from the church, but the moment reminded everyone, including Robinson, of the risk he is taking in taking a stand.
It’s one of many moments — some suspenseful, some inspiring, some heartbreaking — captured in “Love Free or Die,” a documentary about Robinson and the rift within the church after his election as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. The film will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, and Robinson will be in Utah next week, talking about the movie and meeting with local clergy.
“As far as we’ve come in terms of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, we still have a long way to go, particularly in the central part of the country,” Robinson told The Salt Lake Tribune this week. “If my story can help a young boy or girl in their teens believe they can have a wonderful and productive life and family, then it’s worth my putting up with a film crew following me around for two years in order to comfort and inspire them.”
The film follows Robinson as the church grapples with how to handle LGBT issues. Robinson’s election brought to a head divisions between liberal and conservative members of both the Episcopal Church in the United States and the worldwide body of which it is a part, the Anglican Communion.
Filmmakers Director Macky Alston and Producer Sandra Itkoff describe the film in more detail at www.lovefreeordiemovie.com.
LOVE FREE OR DIE is about a man whose two defining passions are in direct conflict: his love for God and for his partner Mark. Gene Robinson is the first openly gay person to become a bishop in the historic traditions of Christendom. His consecration in 2003, to which he wore a bullet-proof vest, caused an international stir, and he has lived with death threats every day since.
LOVE FREE OR DIE follows Robinson from small-town churches in the New Hampshire North Country to Washington’s Lincoln Memorial to London’s Lambeth Palace, as he calls for all to stand for equality – inspiring bishops, priests and ordinary folk to come out from the shadows and change history.
We're grateful for conversations that lead our Church to ministry now to a hurting world and to the future. A group of 6 church leaders from diverse backgrounds and life experiences met recently with Moderator Cindy Bolbach and Vice-Moderator Landon Whisitt in Louisville. An open letter and a video expressing hope for the Presbyterian Church (USA) resulted from this meeting. We commend both the letter and the video to you. Please share this with your church, presbytery, campus ministry or seminary community.
The open letter includes a message to those gathering in Orlando who are considering leaving the PCUSA because of ordination equality and the New Form of Government.
From their letter:
We know that those contemplating the possibility of leaving are bathing the decision in prayer, and are genuinely seeking to discern God’s will in this.
However, we believe with all our hearts that perception is not reality, that the PC(USA) has not left its moorings, its commitment to proclaim the living Word of God – Jesus Christ – as revealed in the written word of God, holy Scripture. We do believe that the varying parties differ not over their belief in the Gospel but over how to apply its words of grace in particular ways.
Today, January 16th is the 26th anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We join all Americans and the world in celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We also remember and honor the partnership, leadership and legacy of Coretta Scott King as well.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday and a national day of service. In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act which encourages citizens to offer a day of service as volunteer in their local community on this day.
As More Light Presbyterians, we are indebted to the extraordinary civil rights work that Dr. and Mrs. King did that changed our nation and world. As Christians and Presbyterians we are called to lives of service. We are grateful for the service offered by churches in communities across our country.
On the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King, April 4, 2008, then Senator now President Barack Obama said: "Dr. King once said that the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. It bends towards justice, but here is the thing: it does not bend on its own. It bends because each of us in our own ways put our hand on that arc and we bend it in the direction of justice."
A remarkable bending of that arc of the moral universe in our lives and Church is the passage of Amendment 10-A last year that opens the way for qualified LGBT Presbyterians to serve in ministry. We give thanks to God for all who prayed and worked to end discrimination in our Church and to create equality for LGBT persons and their families.
Akilah Boldern-Monifa whose parents worked with Dr. King in Alabama shares what this day means to her. In her blog she says, "I am a 54-year-old lesbian of African descent who grew up in Huntsville, Ala. My parents strategized and marched with King. I learned about civil disobedience and protests from them when I was 4 years old.
We encourage all Presbyterians to reflect upon the life, teachings and example of Dr. King and the inspiration this can bring to the justice-work before us in the Church and world.
with hope and for justice, Michael
Michael J. Adee, M.Div., Ph.D., Executive Director & Field Organizer More Light Presbyterians www.mlp.org
Happy New Year. More Light Presbyterians will be at "Practice Spirit, Do Justice" during Creating Change, January 25 - 29, Baltimore, Maryland. We hope you'll plan now to join us at this pro-LGBT faith conference within Creating Change.
Practice Spirit, Do Justice is a movement building conference within Creating Change for leaders across faith traditions and for activists learning more about faith based organizing.
On the NGLTF blog, Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kupono Kwong and Task Force Faith Work Director Rev. Rebecca Voelkel write:
Do you grapple with being transgender and Jewish? Do you ever wonder what liberating Jesus has to do with community organizing? What about the intersection between sex, religion and politics? Practice Spirit Do Justice at Creating Change explores these connections which others may name as scintillating or taboo but that we understand as sacred...
In a pro-LGBTQ religious movement such as ours, we honor both the rich diversity of experience and wisdom, and the ways in which oppression is devastating in its specificity.
Creating Change is the National Conference on LGBT Equality offered by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Creating Change 2012 is the 24th one and it will be held at the Hilton Baltimore, January 25 - 29.
Creating Change is the annual organizing and skills-building event for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and their allies. More than 2,500 people are expected to attend and include members of the business community, elected officials, students, faith leaders and staff and volunteers of non-profit organizations. The five-day program features over 250 workshops and training sessions, four plenary sessions, and amazing networking opportunities.
Because God's love for all of God's children is unconditional, MLP has been working for 38 years to make the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the world a place of unconditional love for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. aNoteToMyKid.com is a new project that gives parents, family and friends the opportunity to express unconditional love for the LGBT people in their lives. It also gives LGBT people the opportunity to share unconditional love with their parents, family and friends.
aNoteToMyKid.com hopes that the unconditional love shared on the site will help instill the confidence needed for LGBTQ people to live positive and productive lives. We also hope the stories featured on aNoteToMyKid.com will offer a glimmer of hope for those in the LGBTQ community who feel that their parents, family, and friends may not accept them for who they are. The more than 60 notes and photo posts from all over the U.S. and as far away as the Czech Republic, Canada, England, and Scotland demonstrate how some family members initially found it difficult to accept their child's sexuality but in the end made the conscious decision to love their children unconditionally.
The Huffington Post shares 10 notes from aNoteToMyKid.com. Here is what Burnz Fernandez and Steve Price (pictured above) wrote to their daughter Olivia.
To my dearest Olivia,
At 18 months, I know you are not in the position to comprehend some of the complexities of life that surround you, but there will be a time when you will, and you will realize how special you are. Everyday, I look at you and wonder how my life would be without you in it, and that's when I realize how lucky I am -- we are -- to be your Dads.
Yes, you have two Dads! :0)
There will be a time in the future when someone will ask you where your Mommy is. Some people may even look at you weird and make fun of you because of this. I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with having two Dads -- or two Moms. Our family structure is a little different than others BUT what we have in common with other families is the LOVE we have for each other, and that, my princess, is something to be proud of!
I want you to know that you are a very special girl because you have the love of not only one Dad but two Dads, and really, how many little girls can say that!? I promise you that your life will be full of happiness, adventure, excitement, and you will experience a world where everything is possible... All you need to do is BELIEVE!
We -- your Dads -- never thought that we would be able to have a child of our own, because unfortunately, some people in our society do not think that two gay Dads are capable of raising a beautiful baby girl such as yourself. But we kept on believing and we kept our faith that someday, the goodness in mankind will prevail, and you will come into our lives and change it for good!
May 24th was, and will always be, a very special day for all of us, because that was the day that our dream came true and you came into our lives bringing nothing but happiness, love and hope -- hope that one day, our society will be free from judgment, prejudice, bigotry and hate -- and people will realize that indeed, all we need is LOVE (I know, I stole that line from a group that rhymes with "Beetles") but it is true!
You have your whole future ahead of you, and the world is yours to conquer, and your gay Dads will be behind you every step of the way. We have never loved anyone as much as we love you, please do not ever forget that!
XOXO,
Dada Steve & Daddy Burnz!
To write a note of unconditional love to the special people in your life, visit aNoteToMyKid.com.
Amelia, the blogger who wrote about her 6 year old son's crush on GLEE's Blaine received a torrent of response. She shares what she's learning in a recent blog. She says: "It got me thinking and after awhile I started to feel like I knew this big secret that shouldn't be a secret at all: Every gay adult used to be a gay kid. It's not as if all children start off as straight until some time later when someone flips the gay switch. We are who we are from the very moment we are born." She goes on to declare her concern about the hurtful and hateful messages expressed to adults and of course, heard by children.
We're committed to making sure that the message of God's love for all is loud and clear. We're committed to making sure that the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is shared with all persons, younger and older, LGBT and heterosexual. With Amelia, we want the message of love to prevail over hate and ignorance.
Within 24 hours it had been reposted and "liked" over 30,000 times on the blog's website...It also made some people uncomfortable. Of the criticisms, the most common is that my son is six years old and doesn't know anything about sex. While I fully acknowledge this may not be the end-all-and-be-all to my son's sexual orientation, I object to the idea that being gay is only about sexual acts. Our emotions and feelings, our attractions and compulsions, all contribute, not just our body parts. If my son had a crush on the star of iCarly, I doubt people would be saying he was too young to have those sexual feelings towards a girl. I think they would think it was an innocent schoolboy crush, which is exactly what it is.
Plus, for every comment I've read saying my son is too young, I have received multiple messages from adults saying "I knew when I was little, too."
It got me thinking and after awhile I started to feel like I knew this big secret that shouldn't be a secret at all: Every gay adult used to be a gay kid. It's not as if all children start off as straight until some time later when someone flips the gay switch. We are who we are from the very moment we are born.
Amelia is a wife, mother and blogger. She says, "I believe in EQUAL rights for all people. I write for the Huffington Post Gay Voices about raising my kids and our family and friends. My kids are often better teachers, and I am just trying to be a good student." One of her blogs has received 50,674 notes to date. In that blog she tells the story of her 6 year old son's crush on GLEE's Blaine. She and her husband conclude: "Our son is going to be who he is, and it is our job to love him. End of story." This is, of course, the job of every parent, every family and every church.
My oldest son is six years old and in love for the first time. He is in love with Blaine from Glee.
For those who don’t know Blaine is a boy…a gay boy, the boyfriend of one of the main characters, Kurt.
This isn’t a ‘he thinks Blaine is really cool’ kind of love. It is a mooning at a picture of Blaine’s face for a half hour followed by a wistful “He’s so pretty” kind of love.
He loves the episode where two boys kiss. My son will call people in from other parts of the house to make sure they don’t miss his ‘favorite part.’ He’s been known to rewind it and watch it over again…and force other to, as well, if he doesn’t think people have been paying enough attention.
This infatuation doesn’t bother me or his father. We live in a very hip-liberal neighborhood, many of our friends are gay, and idea of having a gay son isn’t something that bothers either of us. Our son is going to be who he is, and it is our job to love him. End of story.
He is also six. Six year olds get obsessed with all kinds of things. This might not mean anything at all. We always joke that he’s either gay, or we have the best blackmail material in the history of mankind when he’s a 16 year old straight boy. (Take that naked bath time pictures!)
Then the other day we were traveling across the state listening to the Warblers album (of course), and in the middle of Candles, my son pipes up from the back seat.
“Mommy, Kurt and Blaine are boyfriends.”
“Yes, they are,” I affirm.
“They don’t like kissing girls. They just kiss boys.”
“That’s true.”
“Mommy, they are just like me.”
“That’s great, baby. You know I love you no matter what?”
“I know…” I could hear him rolling his eyes at me.
When we got home I recapped this conversation to his Dad, and we stood simply looking into each other’s eyes for a moment. Then we smiled.
“So if at 16 he wants to make a big announcement at the dinner table, we can say ‘You told us when you were six. Pass the carrots’ and he’ll be disappointed we stole his big dramatic moment,” my husband says with a laugh and hugs me.
Only time will tell if my son is gay, but if he is I am glad he’s mine. I am glad he has been born into our family. A family full of people who will love and accept him. People who will never want him to change. With parents who will look forward to dancing at his wedding.
And I have to admit, Blaine would be a really cute son-in-law.
An Ordination Guide for the new G-2.0104 is available for download and use among Sessions and nominating committees; seminarians, candidates and inquirers; Committees on Ministry and Preparation; Executive Presbyters and Stated Clerks; and Seminaries.
The 220th General Assembly (2012)
The 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) meets in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from June 30 to July 7, 2012. MLP's 220th General Assembly website provides Overture tracking, statements, stories and live coverage from Pittsburgh.
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We're grateful for the passionate and clear commitment of Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP to LGBT and marriage equality. The NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. In 2008, at age 35, he became the youngest person to serve as its chief executive. Jealous offered the opening keynote address at Creating Change last night. Creating Change is the National Conference on LGBT equality and this is the 24th annual conference produced by NGLTF. Among the packed ballroom of over 2000+ activists last night to hear Jealous speak was our Executive Director and Field Organizer, Michael Adee.
MLP is committed to marriage equality for persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities or other human differences. We are thankful that the Washington state Legislature now has enough votes to pass a marriage equality bill. Scores of same-sex marriage supporters told their stories at hearings on Monday and Senator Mary Haugen, citing very strong Christian beliefs, announced that she would support the measure. 
Welcoming Church Sunday is an annual tradition observed the last Sunday of January by a growing number of Christian denominations. It is a celebration of the gifts of LGBT persons in the life, ministry and witness of the Church. This year's observance is dedicated to the life, memory and legacy of David Kato. 
Live Free or Die is the new film by Macky Alston and Sandra Itkoff about Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopalian bishop. This film was 
We're grateful for conversations that lead our Church to ministry now to a hurting world and to the future. A group of 6 church leaders from diverse backgrounds and life experiences met recently with Moderator Cindy Bolbach and Vice-Moderator Landon Whisitt in Louisville. An open letter and a video expressing hope for the Presbyterian Church (USA) resulted from this meeting. We commend both the letter and the video to you. Please share this with your church, presbytery, campus ministry or seminary community. 
Happy New Year. More Light Presbyterians will be at "Practice Spirit, Do Justice" during Creating Change, January 25 - 29, Baltimore, Maryland. We hope you'll plan now to join us at this pro-LGBT faith conference within Creating Change.
Because God's love for all of God's children is unconditional, MLP has been working for 38 years to make the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the world a place of unconditional love for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. aNoteToMyKid.com is a new project that gives parents, family and friends the opportunity to express unconditional love for the LGBT people in their lives. It also gives LGBT people the opportunity to share unconditional love with their parents, family and friends. 
Amelia, the blogger who wrote about her 6 year old son's crush on GLEE's Blaine received a torrent of response. She shares what she's learning in a recent blog. She says: "It got me thinking and after awhile I started to feel like I knew this big secret that shouldn't be a secret at all: Every gay adult used to be a gay kid. It's not as if all children start off as straight until some time later when someone flips the gay switch. We are who we are from the very moment we are born." She goes on to declare her concern about the hurtful and hateful messages expressed to adults and of course, heard by children. 
Amelia is a wife, mother and blogger. She says, "I believe in EQUAL rights for all people. I write for the Huffington Post Gay Voices about raising my kids and our family and friends. My kids are often better teachers, and I am just trying to be a good student." One of her blogs has received 50,674 notes to date. In that blog she tells the story of her 6 year old son's crush on GLEE's Blaine. She and her husband conclude: "Our son is going to be who he is, and it is our job to love him. End of story." This is, of course, the job of every parent, every family and every church.
