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).
Grace and peace to you. It is time to declare, "I Do!" It is time to stand on the side of love. It is time to be on the right side of history.
Yes, this is about public support for marriage equality. This is about pastoral care for all persons, couples and families in our local congregations, not just some. This is about a witness for social justice by the Presbyterian Church (USA). As Dr. King said, this is about being a head light, not a tail light. You can choose today to provide spiritual leadership to what Bishop John S. Spong declares is the "great moral issue of our time."
After President Obama's public statement of support for marriage equality, Bishop Spong wrote a blog that included this: "The attitude of uninformed Christian people on this subject and the unwillingness of the Christian Church and most of its leaders to stand up for justice and against the oppression of gay people has been and remains the source of my deepest shame as a Christian. It was a political leader, we need to note, not the Pope nor an Archbishop nor a spiritual leader who took the proper stand on this great moral issue of our time."
We're grateful for and wholeheartedly support both kinds of marriage equality overtures that will be considered by the 220th General Assembly, June 30 to July 7, in Pittsburgh, PA. One seeks to amend W-4.9000 from marriage as a covenant between "a woman and a man" to a covenant between two people. The other asks the Assembly to issue an Authoritative Interpretation of W-4.9000 to ensure pastoral discretion with regard to same-sex marriages officiated by clergy and use of church space approved by a local session in states where same-sex marriage is legal.
You can show your support now for marriage equality at the 220th General Assembly with this online petition. Please go to the petition and say “I Do!” in any or all of the ways available there. You can sign as a pastor, elder, or church member with your name or anonymously. We hope you will prayerfully consider helping us demonstrate to the Presbyterian Church (USA) that we are ready to move forward in faith in service to the whole church.
Together we are building a Church that reflects God's heart.
with hope,
Executive Director & Field Organizer
PS -- Please do forward & share this petition with others in your church, presbytery, campus ministry or seminary community
After coming out as transgender, 5-year-old Tyler made his public debut at Sunday school at their Presbyterian church. Tyler and his family were greeted with loving support and the church invited a panel from a local transgender support group to educate the congregation about gender identity.
She first insisted she was a boy at the age of 2. "I am a boy" became a constant theme in struggles over clothing, bathing, swimming, eating, playing. Eventually, a psychologist diagnosed gender identity disorder. Now Tyler's parents allow him to live as a boy, and the 5-year-old is reveling in his new identity. (The Post is using the name his parents would have given him if he had been born a boy to protect the family's identity outside their community, where their situation already is widely known.) ...
Tyler made his public debut at Sunday school at their Presbyterian church.
The teenagers who help out in class laughed that it took Kathryn’s parents so long to figure out they had a Tyler.
The pastor there was so supportive of the family that she invited a panel from a transgender support group to come just before services one Sunday in January and explain what Tyler and his family were going through. The room was packed.
“We’re so happy to be here. They usually put us in the basement,” said Catherine Hyde, the leader of the group and the parent of a transgender teenager with a tough story.
At 4, Will told his mom: “Something went wrong in your belly. I was supposed to be a girl,” Hyde said.
She and her husband wheedled the Barbie dolls out of Will’s hands, told him over and over again that “You can’t wear tutus!” They put all their parental might into erasing his behavior.
In response, Will threatened suicide when he was 6. He hated the five years of relentless karate lessons they insisted on to toughen him up. Given the chance to decorate his own room, he came up with “the pinkest, pom-pomiest bedroom in Howard County,” Hyde said.
They went to therapists, who said Will was probably just gay. Hyde and her Marine husband could live with that.
“You can be as gay as you want, but if you go trans on me, it’s on your own money, your own time and out of my house,” she remembered telling her son, then 15. Hyde gives lots of speeches and presentations about her journey. Each time I’ve seen her speak, she still tears up a bit when she recounts what she told her child.
It was years before Hyde and her husband acknowledged their child’s agony. They finally asked Will if he wanted to take puberty blockers. He said yes. And eventually, a whole new child, now 18, emerged.
All those years of pain, therapy, suffering and strife, that is what Jean (Tyler's mom) wants to avoid.
She hoped the people at the church would understand. Between cookies and coffee after the presentation, many came over to hug her.
Watch Tyler's story:
transACTION
How is your congregation doing on welcoming transgender folk? One of the best resources available for opening your hearts and lives to transgender folk is transACTION (Leader | Participant)
Most transgender Christians are searching for the same things that other believers want: a connection to their God within a loving community where worship and working for equality and justice are the focus of the Christian experience.
Unfortunately, these searching transgender people are too often left without a place to call their “church home” because most congregations and religious institutions are not ready to welcome them as their Christian companions.
transACTION is designed to help churches and institutions address this issue of understanding and welcome by providing step-by-step training about the needs, apprehensions and fears of transgender people – as well as the wealth of gifts and graces they bring – while responding to the concerns of the church or religious institution.
The growing welcome for LGBT people in the Presbyterian Church (USA) grows out of a great cloud of witnesses throughout history in both the Church and in the world. Today we commemorate the legacy of Harvey Milk as his 82nd birthday approaches. Stuart Milk, nephew of Harvey Milk and Founder and President of the Harvey Milk Foundation, made the following statement about Harvey Milk Day:
Today my uncle would have been 82 years old, however, he gave us his life 32 years ago knowing that the first of any civil rights movement, who so clearly and loudly proclaim their right to equality, most often meets a violent and sudden end.
I am frequently asked if I am deeply saddened that my uncle Harvey did not get to see all those elected officials who would come to stand on his shoulders, or all the places where the light of equality burns brighter than the darkness of antiquated prejudice, and I have long replied that he did see those open and proud candidates running for office and winning, and he did see those cities and states and nations that would etch equality into both their laws and their societal values, for he could not have given his life without seeing and visualizing that dream, for he would leave us with a compass of hope, hope born of bullets, not smashing into his brain, but smashing our masks and our fear of authenticity.
82 years ago Harvey came into this world with all the promise and potential that my grandparents Minnie and Bill could have imagined, and he also came into a world that soon would be rocked by a global war driven at its very core by fear, division, and separation. My uncle was profoundly affected by the capacity of communities and nations to turn on each other when the narrative of lies and the myths of prejudice were fed around the globe during WWII. He also was able to see at a young age, visible through his college writing, that we could learn through collaboration, understanding and inclusiveness that we are not weakened by our differences, in fact, that our potential is only reached when the full diversity of all those that make up our communities is celebrated. And today it is this very celebration of our diversity that Harvey had dreamed, the celebration of all of us, not in-spite of our difference, but because of our differences.
Today is the celebration not of a people or community or nation being better than another, but a celebration of the knowledge that we are so much less when we do not embrace, without qualification, all members of our unique and varied humanity. My uncle’s legacy has many monuments, all those openly LGBT elected officials, all those who live an authentic and open life, all those strong allies like our President in the United States that fight to keep us embraced, the hope givers who help to full fill our potential of equality.
President Obama said it best, “Harvey gave us hope, All of us, Hope unashamed, Hope unafraid” My uncle was very much with us in spirit as we watched the President and then Speaker Pelosi sign the Matthew Shepard Act and then the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. And we were all standing on his shoulders just last week when the President, true to his word in staying on the side of justice, basic dignity and human rights as he endorsed Marriage Equality, becoming the first sitting US President to make that courageous move.
These are the tangible monuments to Harvey’s legacy that have the impact to effect change, real societal change. Today we are here are voicing the hope of a global community set on the path of inclusion – there is no more fitting tribute to my uncles dream, a dream that remains alive in each of us. Today is a day of recognition and appreciation of our own authenticity and that of others, a day to collaborate and reach out to those who still struggle with either self-acceptance or societal acceptance.
Harvey Milk day is a reminder to put hate and separation in their place, a place of learning of wrongs that have been righted and reminders not to repeat them, a day to create the dream and vision of what is possible, even in the all too many places around the world where it is still so hard to visualize that dream, as it was when my uncle spoke out over 38 years ago in the US.
I and the Milk family and Harvey Milk Foundation thank all of you who are working collaboratively today, in dreaming what my uncle dreamed, for seeing, visualizing and making great efforts to co-create our collective full potential. We are are thankful in the celebration of my uncles legacy of hope, hope that tomorrow will be more inclusive then today and that inclusivity is without exception and without qualification. As my uncle said, we gotta give ‘em hope!
Listen to Harvey Milk talk about the importance of hope...
Harvey Milk was awarded the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, from President Obama. His nephew Stuart Milk accepted the award.
We commend Rev. Tricia Dillon Thomas' call to breaking the silence and speaking the truth of God's creation of all persons. Rev. Thomas serves as pastor to youth and families at Peace Presbyterian Church, Lakewood Ranch, Florida. She echoes Rev. Otis Moss lll's powerful statement supporting President Obama's public statement of support for marriage equality when he reminded the congregation he serves of the fact that we all have "the fingerprint of the Divine" upon our souls as children of God. Thomas describes the tragic outcome of anti-gay statements that were expressed at a presbytery meeting contributing to the suicide of a father who had recently come out as gay. Thomas is absolutely correct. What the Church teaches, what we say about others, how we interpret Scripture and how we treat each other can be either life-giving or life-taking.
We're all children of God. We're all created in the image of God. God's grace, love and salvation are for all of God's children, not just some. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for all persons. It is the hope and prayer of More Light Presbyterians that we live, teach and share this truth.
After President Obama announced his support of same-sex marriage last week, the prevalent message the media sent from our churches to the LGBT, and especially to our young people, is that their lives are worthless, that the stain of their "sin" is so worse than the rest of ours, that they are unforgivable.
Why, Dear God, has your overwhelming message of love, of justice, of solidarity with the oppressed been pushed aside to highlight the voice of our own righteousness, a voice that screams violence and encourages violence against your children, children you breathed your breath into and created in your image?
Because the voice of hate is more sensational than the voice of love, the message our young people are hearing from the church is that being gay is worse than being a murderer, being gay is worse than not taking care of the poor, widowed and orphan, being gay is a sin that makes you unredeemable.
What our young LGBT people are hearing is they deserve every single beating, hate crime, and insult directed their way. What they hear from our churches is they are unlovable wretched creatures who are better off dead.
My faithful friends, who value the life of every single creature God has created, our voice needs to rise louder and clearer.
To the young queer community: We shouldn't have to tell you life gets better, but please don't give up hope. Get those voices of hate out of your head. You are no mistake. You are no abomination. There are people, churches, synagogues and clergy from all different kinds of faiths who want to support you, walk beside you, and would even give up our lives for you.
And we want you to know our God loves you at least as much as the person who loves you the most. When our God created you, God breathed life into you and called you good. You are a beloved, uniquely and wonderfully made. May you know this and may you live into this -- the true definition as a child of God. Hallelujah, Amen.
When Zach Wahls challenged the proposed 2011 constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Iowa, he told the Iowa House Judiciary Committee, “the sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character.” His speech was posted on YouTube and over two million people have watched it.
Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell is a retired United Methodist minister, a veteran of the Black Civil Rights Movement, a founding member of Black Methodists for Church Renewal and an outspoken advocate for the civil rights of LGBT people. In an article written for International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHO), Rev. Caldwell made a powerful call of conscience to defend the lives of LGBT people worldwide.
Two weeks ago the United Methodist General Conference reaffirmed 40 years of anti-gay prejudice, voting to continue to bar lesbian and gay people from ministry and marriage while faithful gay United Methodists had to endure speeches accusing them of bestiality, calling them drug dealers, and worse. In April, a North Carolina minister used his pulpit to urge parents to beat their young children if they showed any signs they might be gay. In March, the Kansas House approved a bill allowing people to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people based on their religious beliefs. And last year, Christians in Michigan fought to include an exemption from Michigan’s anti-bullying law for people with “a sincerely held religious belief.” In their view, it is OK to torment kids as long as you believe God wants you to.
Christians, I am very sad to say, are at the forefront of oppressing LGBT people all over the country.
But scapegoating LGBT people in the U.S. is not enough for some Christians. They have begun an export business – peddling homophobia and suggestions on how to further criminalize gay people to legislatures all over the world, from Russia to Africa. “Homophobia is being imported to the [African] continent by neocolonialists with an agenda to spread U.S. culture wars worldwide,” Rev. Dr. Kapya Kaoma recently wrote in an analysis in the American Prospect.
If you’re a Christian reading this, by now you should feel very uncomfortable. How can it be that followers of Jesus Christ – who championed the outcast of his day and castigated religious leaders for not welcoming “the least of these” – are leading the efforts to suppress the rights of minorities? And how can we let this go on in the name of our religion?...
As Christians who understand that homophobia, and not homosexuality, is a sin, we must respond to the rising intolerance carried out in our name in our own country and the violence and repression in Uganda and elsewhere. If we do not, then we will have blood on our hands as well – the blood of those beaten and killed for their sexuality or gender identity and the blood of children bullied to the point of suicide. Our silence is complicity – we must speak out.
Today is International Day Against Homophobia, so I would like to suggest that we honor this day by each making a commitment to redouble our efforts to end religious bigotry against LGBT people. I ask you to begin by reposting this article and identifying yourself as a CHRISTIAN AGAINST CHRISTIAN HOMOPHOBIA in your Facebook status and elsewhere. Then ask your Christian friends to share that message and do the same.
African American and Latino clergy are speaking out in strong support of same-gender loving persons and families. They are speaking out in support of marriage equality along with President Obama's historic declaration of support for same-sex marriage.
We're grateful for these faith leaders, for their ministries and for their support of all families. The reality of their lives and their advocacy for same-gender loving families is an antidote to the anti-gay right wing organizations who strive to sow seeds of division between communities of color and the LGBT community such as the National Organization of Marriage.
Rev. Roland Stringfellow: "In this day and age of rolling back the rights of gay and lesbian citizens in our nation, it is encouraging to have our President to make a bold statement in an election year in favor of gay marriage. We who are people faith recognize that President Obama's decision is very much in line with our conviction for the just treatment of individuals and families in our society. As people of color, we are especially proud for our nation's first African-American president was the one to speak out on this form of discrimination. President Obama's statement continues to dismantle the stereotype that African-Americans are more homophobic than any other people group, as was the message following the Proposition 8 vote here in California. We will continue to stand up and speak out for the equality of all citizens who are marginalized by unjust laws in our country, just as our nation's leader has done."
Rev. Roland Stringfellow is the Director of Ministerial Outreach of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Sexuality at the Pacific School of Religion.
Bishop Yvette Flunder: "As an African American clergy woman, blessed with a 28 year same-sex relationship, I and my family applaud President Obama's courage and support of our right to marriage equality. All of my civil and inalienable rights are important. I cannot separate my rights as an African American from my rights as a woman or as a Same Gender Loving woman. An attack against any of these realities is an attack against my personhood. The President's decision to stand with my family brings freedom to his and all families. This is a fresh wind in a toxic political environment. None of us are free until all of us are free."
Bishop Yvette Flunder is founder and senior pastor of City of Refuge United Church of Christ in San Francisco, California
Dr. Miguel de la Torre: "We who are Latino/as know a thing or two about marginalization. We understand the pain of being disenfranchised simply because of our identity. For Hispanics to engage in the oppression of other groups due to their identity makes us no better than those who continuously and historically marginalize us. Hence as a heterosexual minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I commend the President in taking a first step toward marriage equality. I say first step because faith without works is dead. Now the President, along with the rest of us, must begin the difficult work of making marriage equality a reality. Proclaiming a faith in marriage equality is meaningless unless we work towards its implementation. None of us can truly taste liberation as long as some of us are excluded in participating in all rights society has to offer."
Dr. Miguel de la Torre is Professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado.
Rev. Candy Holmes: "As an African American woman, who is clergy, lesbian, and married to a woman who is the love of my life, I am deeply moved by President Obama's declaration of support for same-sex marriage. The humanity and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are too often dismissed because of who we are and who we love. President Obama's statement calls our nation to stand up against this kind of discrimination and shows clearly that equality and fairness are the rights of every American. His courage to speak out for marriage equality and his resolve to be true to his personal convictions inspire hope in me and many. Though I know there is much work yet to do to bring about the reality of full equality, I am encouraged and can see freedom dawning on the horizon."
Rev. Candy Holmes is an African American Marylander who is lesbian. She is a reverend with the Metropolitan Community Church.
Rev. Elder Darlene Garner: It is a good day to be an American. The announcement of President Obama's support for marriage equality has rekindled my hope for a better future for myself, my family, and for all Americans. The history of this country is rooted in discrimination and injustice. Yet the Obama White House has courageously reminded us again that our past need not determine our future. The President has stood up for freedom, moving all of us one huge step closer to the day when all Americans -- including those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender -- will be free to live the American Dream of liberty and justice for all.
Rev. Elder Darlene Garner is a pastor in the Metropolitan Community Churches and is a part of Senior Leadership and Director of Emerging Ministries.
Thursday, May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHO). IDAHO is inspired by the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights that declares that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
May 17 was chosen as the day of this event because homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 17, 1990. This action was taken by the American Psychiatric Association in our country in 1973.
This year IDAHO is focused on making schools safer to improve everybody's chance to gain a high quality education. In December 2011, UNESCO, other UN agencies, representatives of education ministries, NGOs, and other stakeholders issued a "call upon all governments to live up to their responsibility to provide universal access to a high quality education by eliminating the barriers created by homophobia and transphobia, including the unacceptable and devastating prevalence of anti-LGBTI bias and violence in elementary, secondary and tertiary levels."
This year IDAHO includes an IDAHO Lesson Teacher's Brief (pdf). We would like to encourage all Presbyterians to email this teacher's brief to administration and teachers in your school district.
Watch the IDAHO 2012 Video:
The International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, or IDAHO, recognizes that many of the world's citizens are not able to enjoy the privilege of living in an egalitarian society. In over 70 countries being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, or loving a member of the same sex is against the law and in seven countries the penalty is imprisonment or death.
We are more aware of such threats and the lack of safety for LGBT people because of the anti-gay, "kill the gays" bill proposed in Uganda again this year. As people of faith, Christians and Presbyterians, we should also be aware that homophobia and heterosexism was imported, taught and imposed upon indigenous cultures by fundamentalist Christians. We bear responsibility for the threat upon our LGBT sisters and brothers worldwide because of this legacy. Therefore, all of us can do something about this by participating in the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia and by supporting pro-LGBT educational and advocacy initiatives in our country and around the world.
While this annual campaign began as the International Day Against Homophobia, many have expanded this to include transgender persons and their families. So, this is being named the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia in a growing number of countries.
To learn more about IDAHO, or the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, please do check out these resources:
More Light Presbyterians is proud to be a supportive organization of the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia. Since 1974, we have been working to end discrimination against LGBT people and their families in both church and society. We are keenly aware that there are Presbyterian congregations, national churches and seminaries in over 100 countries. Therefore, while our work focuses primarily upon the achievement of spiritual, ordination and marriage equality with the Presbyterian Church (USA), we also earnestly advocate for the end to discrimination against LGBT persons around the world.
On this day, May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, we want to remind our Church and the world that all persons are children of God, created in the image of God and unconditionally loved by God. We are working to remove barriers to all persons knowing they are children of God and to become one human family.
More Light Presbyterians is grateful for the Presbytery of the Redwoods' decision this afternoon to oppose the imposition of a rebuke to Rev. Janie Spahr set forth in the GAPJC decision dated August 27, 2010.
Same-sex love, marriage and family were not recognized or affirmed in the GAPJC decision in the Spahr case. Love is a gift from God. God blesses us with companions and families irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity or other human differences.
We were sad when the highest judicial court in our Church failed to stand on the side of love. We are grateful for the Presbytery of the Redwoods standing on the side of the love of God in Christ Jesus for all persons including LGBT persons and their families.
The motion came from Rev. Janie Spahr's co-counsel and Redwoods Presbytery member Rev. Scott Clark. It was passed by 74 yes, 18 opposed.
THAT the Presbytery oppose imposition of the rebuke as set forth in the decision of the Presbytery Permanent Judicial Commission, dated August 27, 2010 (which was stayed by its terms until the present day), by declaring and resolving as follows:
WHEREAS, our primary ordination vow as Ruling and Teaching Elders is to be obedient to Jesus Christ, the Word of God, as the Scriptures bear witness to him, (F-1.02; W-4.4003(a);
WHEREAS, the love of God in Jesus Christ is for all people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people;
WHEREAS, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the constitution require that full inclusion and pastoral care be extended to all members of the church;
WHEREAS, this Presbytery called the Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr to a ministry in outreach to – and in community among and with – lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people;
WHEREAS, the 38-year ministry of the Rev. Dr. Jane Adams Spahr has been faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to her calling;
WHEREAS, the decision of August 27, 2010, by its terms, acknowledges and apologizes (1) that the rules of the church “are against the Gospel,” and (2) that the decision and rebuke continue the grievous harm “that has been, and continues to be, done” by the church to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people “in the name of Jesus Christ”;
Be it RESOLVED that the Presbytery of the Redwoods opposes imposition of the rebuke set forth in the decision dated August 27, 2010, as inconsistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the faithful life of ministry lived out in this Presbytery.
When the GAPJC decision was made in August, Rev. Janie Spahr said, "This is a very sad day for our church. This ruling only perpetuates prejudice and the violence we have known only too well. When we as LGBT people and our marriages continue to be considered 'less than' or 'second class' the church wrongly promotes the myths and stereotypes so harmful to the entire community. The church has once again said no to its very own children and family members. We will continue to honor our relationships and marriages as we work and pray for the day when the church recognizes everyone’s full humanity. When the church keeps saying no, we keep listening to God’s 'Yes!' to us. God’s 'Yes!'"
President Obama's public support of marriage equality, particularly in the context of his faith, has sparked a nation conversation among faith leaders about same-sex marriage. The New York Times quotes Michael Coogan at Harvard Divinity School: "The faith divide resembles what the nation experienced in the debates over slavery."
The Rev. Jesse Jackson praised President Obama's decision to support marriage equality and also "compared the battle for such unions to the fight against slavery and anti-miscegenation laws intended to keep blacks and other ethnicities from mingling and marrying with whites."
One of the key debates after President Obama's announcement occured on the The Ed Show, an hour-long weeknight news commentary program on MSNBC. Ed Schultz, who hosts the show, discusses President Obama's stand in light of the black church and the civil rights movement. His guests included Bishop Harry Jackson and Obery M. Hendricks, author of The Universe Bends Towards Justice.
In a statement about President Obama's support for marriage equality, Rev. Jesse Jackson called on the President to do more to assure that LGBT couples and their children have the equal protection of the law at a Federal level.
"This is a bold step in the right direction for equal protection under the law for all citizens," Jackson told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday morning. But, he said, he wished the president had gone further, pushing for federal protection for all citizens instead of leaving the controversial issue of gay marriage up to the states to decide.
If other hard-won civil rights battles had been left up to the states, Jackson said, African Americans would have been on the losing end of those battles.
"If the states had to vote on slavery, we would have lost the vote," Jackson said. "If we had to vote on the right [for blacks] to vote, we would have lost that vote."
Sunday's New York Times also explored the national conversation among faith leaders.
The faith divide resembles what the nation experienced in the debates over slavery, said Michael Coogan, a lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew Bible at Harvard Divinity School and the author of “God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says.”
“The proslavery contingent quoted the Bible repeatedly, saying that God has all these commandments about slavery and nowhere in the Bible, including the New Testament, is it stated that there’s anything wrong with slavery,” Mr. Coogan said. “The abolitionists also quoted the Bible, but used the same sort of more general texts that supporters of same-sex relationships are using: love your neighbor, treat others as you would have them treat you, the golden rule.”
Mr. Obama invoked his own faith when he revealed on Wednesday — a day after North Carolina voters approved an amendment to ban same-sex marriages, partnerships and civil unions — that he supports same-sex marriage. He said that he and the first lady “are both practicing Christians,” and that “obviously” his position “may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others.”
“But, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the golden rule, you know? Treat others the way you would want to be treated.” ...
“The only thing that has changed in the church since the first century is who is considered ‘us,’ and who is considered ‘them,’ ” she said. “The essential issue is the same: We aren’t sure ‘they’ belong with God at all. When I was young, a pastor said, whenever you draw a line between us and them, bear in mind that Jesus is on the other side of that line.”
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.
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Grace and peace to you. It is time to declare, "I Do!" It is time to stand on the side of love. It is time to be on the right side of history.
After coming out as transgender, 5-year-old Tyler made his public debut at Sunday school at their Presbyterian church. Tyler and his family were greeted with loving support and the church invited a panel from a local transgender support group to educate the congregation about gender identity.
How is your congregation doing on welcoming transgender folk? One of the best resources available for opening your hearts and lives to transgender folk is transACTION (
We commend Rev. Tricia Dillon Thomas' call to breaking the silence and speaking the truth of God's creation of all persons. Rev. Thomas serves as pastor to youth and families at Peace Presbyterian Church, Lakewood Ranch, Florida. She echoes Rev. Otis Moss lll's powerful statement supporting President Obama's 
When Zach Wahls challenged the proposed 2011 constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Iowa, he told the Iowa House Judiciary Committee, “the sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character.” His speech was 
Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell is a retired United Methodist minister, a veteran of the Black Civil Rights Movement, a founding member of Black Methodists for Church Renewal and an outspoken advocate for the civil rights of LGBT people. In an article written for International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHO), Rev. Caldwell made a powerful call of conscience to defend the lives of LGBT people worldwide.
Rev. Roland Stringfellow: "In this day and age of rolling back the rights of gay and lesbian citizens in our nation, it is encouraging to have our President to make a bold statement in an election year in favor of gay marriage. We who are people faith recognize that President Obama's decision is very much in line with our conviction for the just treatment of individuals and families in our society. As people of color, we are especially proud for our nation's first African-American president was the one to speak out on this form of discrimination. President Obama's statement continues to dismantle the stereotype that African-Americans are more homophobic than any other people group, as was the message following the Proposition 8 vote here in California. We will continue to stand up and speak out for the equality of all citizens who are marginalized by unjust laws in our country, just as our nation's leader has done." 
Bishop Yvette Flunder: "As an African American clergy woman, blessed with a 28 year same-sex relationship, I and my family applaud President Obama's courage and support of our right to marriage equality. All of my civil and inalienable rights are important. I cannot separate my rights as an African American from my rights as a woman or as a Same Gender Loving woman. An attack against any of these realities is an attack against my personhood. The President's decision to stand with my family brings freedom to his and all families. This is a fresh wind in a toxic political environment. None of us are free until all of us are free."
Dr. Miguel de la Torre: "We who are Latino/as know a thing or two about marginalization. We understand the pain of being disenfranchised simply because of our identity. For Hispanics to engage in the oppression of other groups due to their identity makes us no better than those who continuously and historically marginalize us. Hence as a heterosexual minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I commend the President in taking a first step toward marriage equality. I say first step because faith without works is dead. Now the President, along with the rest of us, must begin the difficult work of making marriage equality a reality. Proclaiming a faith in marriage equality is meaningless unless we work towards its implementation. None of us can truly taste liberation as long as some of us are excluded in participating in all rights society has to offer."
Rev. Candy Holmes: "As an African American woman, who is clergy, lesbian, and married to a woman who is the love of my life, I am deeply moved by President Obama's declaration of support for same-sex marriage. The humanity and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are too often dismissed because of who we are and who we love. President Obama's statement calls our nation to stand up against this kind of discrimination and shows clearly that equality and fairness are the rights of every American. His courage to speak out for marriage equality and his resolve to be true to his personal convictions inspire hope in me and many. Though I know there is much work yet to do to bring about the reality of full equality, I am encouraged and can see freedom dawning on the horizon."
Rev. Elder Darlene Garner: It is a good day to be an American. The announcement of President Obama's support for marriage equality has rekindled my hope for a better future for myself, my family, and for all Americans. The history of this country is rooted in discrimination and injustice. Yet the Obama White House has courageously reminded us again that our past need not determine our future. The President has stood up for freedom, moving all of us one huge step closer to the day when all Americans -- including those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender -- will be free to live the American Dream of liberty and justice for all.
Thursday, May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHO). IDAHO is inspired by the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights that declares that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
More Light Presbyterians is grateful for the Presbytery of the Redwoods' decision this afternoon to oppose the imposition of a rebuke to Rev. Janie Spahr set forth in the 
President Obama's 
