Towards a Welcoming and Inclusive Church
IWR News
July 25, 2010
- 1) The (Confusing?) Power of the Devout Gay Christian
- 2) Pentagon surveyed troops 60 years ago about racial integration
- 3) Thousands march in Poland for gay rights ~ 8,000 come together to demand more tolerance in Roman Catholic nation
- 4) LGBT History Month in October
- 5) Church targets openly gay mayor
- 6) Semenya mentally 'stronger than before' - agent
- 7) Church blasts gay priests leading 'double life'
- 8) Metropolitan church marks 30 years
- 9) Poll finds Catholic-Evangelical Split Over Gay Marriage
- 10) Foundation Donates $400K for Episcopal Gay Liturgies
- 11) Links to more news from Welcoming Church Programs
1) DThe (Confusing?) Power of the Devout Gay Christian
John Shore, Facebook, April 29, 2009
This morning I got an email from Chris, a gay Christian. It was a broadcast email about happenings at his church. For whatever reason it brought to my mind, all at once, some of the great number of gay and lesbian Christians I have known.
2) Pentagon surveyed troops 60 years ago about racial integration
Washington, 365Gay.com, July 23, 2010
When the Department of Defense distributed 400,000 online surveys to enlisted troops to gauge their opinions on gays in the military, there was an uproar. Many argued that nobody would have surveyed soldiers about racially integrating the military 60 years ago.
3) Thousands march in Poland for gay rights ~ 8,000 come together to demand more tolerance in Roman Catholic nation
Warsaw, Poland, MSNBC, July 17, 2010
Thousands of gays and lesbians from around Europe marched through Poland's capital Saturday to demand equal rights and more tolerance in this heavily Roman Catholic nation.
4) History Month in October
LGBT Religious Archives Network, July, 2010
Your group or institution can begin planning now for LGBT History Month coming up in October. This is an ideal time to highlight the importance LGBT religious/spiritual history and to take steps to preserve your history. Here are possible projects to choose from:
5) Church targets openly gay mayor
Gainsville, Florida, Action News, July 13, 2010
A local church is targeting an openly gay mayor.
6) Semenya mentally 'stronger than before' - agent
Lappeenrenta, Finland, AFP, July 16, 2010
Caster Semenya makes her comeback on Thursday following an 11-month hiatus caused by the controversy over her gender, but her agent believes she will be "stronger than before". "I think that mentally she is even stronger now," Jukka Haerkoenen told AFP on Thursday in Lappeenrenta, where the South African was set to return to the track for the first time since being allowed to run again as a female.
7) Church blasts gay priests leading 'double life'
Rome, Boston Globe, July 23, 2010
The Catholic Church in Italy, still reeling from the clerical sex abuse scandal, lashed out Friday at gay priests who are leading a double life, urging them to come out of the closet and leave the priesthood.
8) Metropolitan church marks 30 years
Lubbock, Texas, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, June 20, 2010
Not many church members get to meet the founder of their denomination. But on Saturday evening members of Metropolitan Community Church celebrated the Lubbock branch's 30th anniversary with the Rev. Troy Perry, the man who started the Christian group 42 years ago. Led by Perry and the Rev. Renae Phillips, the church's pastor, members honored the occasion with a celebration Saturday night.
9) Poll finds Catholic-Evangelical Split Over Gay Marriage
Southern California Public Radio, July 23, 2010
A new survey mirrors a recent Field Poll that found a slight majority of Californians now support gay marriage. The poll also explores how major religious groups in California feel about same-sex marriage. . . . Churches played an influential role in the passage of Proposition 8 almost two years ago. But researcher Robert Jones said his polling indicated that religious people hardly form a monolith when it comes to gay marriage.
10) Poll: Prop. 8 Divides Religious Latino Community in Calif.
California, Christian Post, July 22, 2010
The Latino community in California is sharply divided along Catholic-Protestant lines when it comes to Proposition 8, a new poll finds. A majority of Latino Catholics, 57 percent, say they would vote to allow same-sex marriage in their state of California, according to the poll released Wednesday by the Public Religion Research Institute. In contrast, only 22 percent of Latino Protestants say they support allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. The Latino population makes up 36.6 percent of California's population, according to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
11) Links to more news from Welcoming Church Programs
- Associational - The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists
- Consensus - Affirm United/S'affirmer Ensemble
- Crossbeams - Open and Affirming Ministries of the Gay, Lesbian & Affirming Disciples (GLAD)
- FlashNet - Reconciling Ministeries Network
- LC/NA News and Events - Lutherans Concerned/North America
- More Light News - More Light Presbyterians
- Outspoken - Brethren-Mennonite Council for LGBT Concerns
- Room for All News and Events - Room for All
- Ripples - Open and Affirming Program of the United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns (ONA)
- WCNnewsletter - Welcoming Community Network
Additional News
News Selections offers news from around the world related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, and ally efforts to make the world more accepting and welcoming to everyone of every sexual orientation and every gender identity. It is gathered by Sara Boesser, author of Silent Lives: How High a Price ~ For Personal Reflections and Group Discussions about Sexual Orientation, published by Hamilton Books, an imprint of University Press of America, Inc. Silent Lives provides a valuable resource for individuals, study groups, civic groups, congregations, spiritual groups, and other groups discussing issues of sexuality. It is helpful for personal journaling and sharing with relatives and friends, and is also very useful as a college text, therapy supplement, or a catalyst for group discussions. www.SilentLives.com
