Religion & Gays...Better, Not Perfect

One can no longer assume that Religion is the enemy of same-gender loving and gender non-conforming people. The Quakers and the Unitarian Universalists and the Swedenborgians, the UCC (United Church of Christ...though I have encountered parishes that didn't share their denomination's inclusive rhetoric), Rev Dr Carter Heward and Bishop John Spong and Bishop Barbara Harris and Bishop Gene Robinson (and finally the Episcopal Church overall, more or less), Centers for Spiritual Living, various "Old Catholic" (not Roman) communities, many Buddhist groups, Reform Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, and finally Conservative Judaism, Alliance of Baptists, Disciples of Christ, and now ELCA Lutherans and PCUSA Presbyterians, and since day 1 MCC (Metropolitan Community Churches) have all stepped up to be friends, allies, and advocates of LBGT people. What great progress! But marriage equality isn't universal yet, and even where it is legal, there are other efforts to enshrine discrimination against LBGT folk (married or not). And fundamentalist rhetoric is as hateful and soul-destroying as ever. So please don't allow homophobia to convince you that there isn't more work to do, that lives don't still hang in the balance, that Justice has finally had Her way. Moderate to Liberal religious folk are more welcoming and more vocal about it, but that isn't a cue for any of us to retreat into the comfort of closets. The world still needs our voice, our witness, our work.