Hateful Administrations: We've seen them before, we'll survive them again

The text of my homily for the Nov. 6 Post-Election Prayer Service at Sunshine Cathedral:

Pastoral Response to the Election
Bishop Durrell Watkins, D.Min.
11-6-24

I am not a party loyalist, nor am I always enthusiastic about the leadership of my default party. But I am always troubled by people being demonized, whether they are immigrants or transgender persons or drag artists or women who want to own their own bodies.
And when vulnerable populations are targeted, I tend to speak up and stand up and sometimes even act out.

From pensioners to Queer families to transgender members of society to immigrants to climate scientists to civil rights activists – folk are afraid right now, for themselves and for their loved ones.
There is no reason to dismiss their fears. We can hope that the worst of what they fear will not happen, we can assure ourselves that we will stand together and support one another come what may, but anxiety today is to be expected.

But you know what? I’ve been afraid before. When our government wouldn’t say the word AIDS, and hesitated with funding research for it, and when I lived during a time of sodomy laws and my every act of intimacy was a crime…I was not infrequently scared. 

In high school, obviously gay but not out – not even really to myself, every day was miserable. The battle for marriage equality gave me plenty of agita. The last three elections weren’t good at all for my hypertension. 

But I was born in the era of civil rights struggle and I was a child during the sexual revolution and the peace movement and Stonewall and women’s liberation and I’ve been alive for the passing of and the dismantling of Roe v. Wade. 

This isn’t my first time to be faced with uncertain times and to hear almost hourly threatening rhetoric. But I’m still here, and so are you. I’m a product of Queer Nation and ACT UP. I’ve battled with family, church and state my whole life. I battled hatred and fear and discrimination in the midst of a viral holocaust.
So one thing I know about scary times is that we are equal to them. 

We feel fear, and we do what needs to be done anyway.
We feel fear, and help one another find a bit of bravery.
We feel fear and we let it fuel creativity and resilience and determination.
And we love one another through the scary times. 

No referendum, no court ruling, no abusive use of scripture, no family rejection, no negative ad campaign, no election of anyone to any office…nothing can diminish the power of our love and nothing can keep us from sharing it with one another. 

We have dealt with bullies our whole lives.
Sometimes we hid, sometimes we ran, sometimes we fought, sometimes we won, but we survived, and we will survive.
Greater is the love within us than the hatred that’s in the world. 

So, if you’re worried about your civil rights, your safety, the way other vulnerable populations might be treated, I can’t tell you that you don’t have good reason for that. But I can tell you that we’re in it together, and together, our voice is magnified, our courage is amplified, our resilience is fortifide, and our creativity is glorified. 

We’ll love each other through this and every challenge, as we always have. It’s one of many things we’re super good at. Today is sad, but the badassery of our love is intact. Amen.

PASTORAL RESPONSE TO “MASTERPIECE” SCOTUS DECISION

PASTORAL RESPONSE TO TODAY’S SCOTUS DECISION
(Re: Colorado Baker refusing to make same-gender loving wedding cake)

Dear Friends,

Same-gender loving and gender non-conforming people have been bullied on playgrounds, harassed in classrooms, physically attacked in parking lots, preached against in pulpits, abandoned by their families, mocked in entertainment, and had their rights to full citizenship debated, voted on, and fought over in courts. The ongoing demonization and dehumanization of LGBTQ people is demoralizing to us.

And so, today’s SCOTUS ruling in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a gay themed wedding cake for a same-sex couple is troubling to us, but it is too soon to let ourselves be overly discouraged.

The ruling, apparently, was specific to the one case and does not settle the debate about religion giving one the right to deny service to same-gender loving couples. That conversation will continue for a while and will probably be very hurtful at times to those of us who remain a topic of debate.

But here is what I know:

+ALL people have sacred value.

+Religion has too often been weaponized; however, many of us have discovered that a life of faith can offer hope, joy, compassion, courage, and peace and we are committed to offering a counter-narrative to weaponized religion.

+No court ruling at any time will determine (or limit) our dignity.

+We are each a child of God. No matter who uses God’s name in vain to deny that truth, we will always boldly proclaim that we ARE the beloved children of God.

+Sunshine Cathedral remains committed to celebrating, blessing, and affirming the Rainbow community. LGBTQIA+ have always been lifted up at Sunshine Cathedral as God’s miracles and not God mistakes, and that will continue no matter what.

Today’s SCOTUS decision may have been disappointing to many of us, but remember, it was a “narrow” ruling and hasn’t settled other issues. And, as Jesus said, the kin-dom (the non-kingdom, the anti-empire, the commonwealth, the beloved community) that we belong to is not limited to this world’s systems.

The kin-dom of God is an idea that Jesus held, preached, and died for...a vision of a world of justice, peace, generosity, hope, compassion, goodwill, and equality. We continue to hold the vision of the Kin-dom of God, and we will continue to work to make that vision a reality. “Thy kin-dom come!” Amen.

There is more work to do. We are the laborers to do it. And I affirm that God’s blessing is upon us today and always.

Yours in shared service,

Durrell Watkins, MA, MDiv, DMin

Senior Minister, Sunshine Cathedral

SunshineCathedral.org 

MLK Holiday Thoughts & Prayers

MLK Holiday Thoughts & Prayers

Jan. 15, 2018

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a prophet of justice, a minister of grace, an orator, a scholar, and a defender of human dignity. He stood up to the evils of segregation. He resisted an unjust war. He advocated for those who worked hard and were paid too little. He stirred the conscience of a nation. He challenged a government as boldly as the Prophet Amos. He comforted the hurting as compassionately as the Prophet Isaiah. He offered healthy ways of expressing righteous indignation in the manner of Jesus. And he envisioned a new, loving, fair world where evil was forever defeated as vividly as John did on Patmos. And, like the prophets and disciples before him, King gave his life for the divinely inspired vision he offered the world. 

Inspired by such a noble example of human charisma, courage, and conviction, let us speak truth today and seek healing where it is needed in our society and in our souls.

On this Martin Luther King Memorial Holiday it would be wrong to ignore or deny the rise of fear, hatred, and unrepentant bigotry that often dominate our public discourse.

We who seek to follow Jesus must surely be heartbroken when we hear of proposed "Muslim bans" or hear entire nations (whose populations are largely non-white) disparaged by people in our national leadership. We must be all the more disturbed when we hear such reprehensible speech defended by pugnacious preachers of pernicious piety.

We who have been instructed to love our neighbors as ourselves must surely feel sickened when our Transgender neighbors (and friends and family members) are demonized and dehumanized.

We who rejoice in the words of Jesus, "Come unto me all who labor and are heavy burdened and I will refresh you" must be overwhelmed with regret when we hear women time after time tell about their experiences of being threatened, mistreated, and assaulted. We must feel something close to outrage when their credible stories are dismissed and their assailants are rewarded with power and privilege.

We who pray weekly (if not daily), "Thy will be done" must surely wish for more to be done to help the inhabitants of St. Thomas and Puerto Rico who still struggle following the seasonal hurricanes.

And we who venerate the Prince of Peace must gasp in horror when threats of nuclear disaster become part of daily conversation.

So much healing is needed, and today is a good day to ask for God's grace and guidance. In the name of Martin, and in the name of Jesus whose way and witness inspired him, let us acknowledge the forces of oppression, pray for healing, and vow to resist injustice as Jesus the Christ did, as Martin the Apostle of Civil Rights did.

Let us pray:

Dear God,

     We acknowledge the sin of racism today. Lord have mercy.

     We admit that we have done too little to heal the wounds of xenophobia. Lord have mercy.

     We confess that we have not done enough to end poverty and to care for those who are poor. Lord have mercy.

     We acknowledge that we have not insisted strongly enough that women's sovereignty over their own bodies be respected. Lord have mercy.

     We admit that we have not done all that needs to be done to protect the rights of LGBTQ people. Lord have mercy.

     We confess that we must do more to defend the dignity of the aging. Lord have mercy.

     We acknowledge that we have not always been good stewards of the earth. Lord have mercy.

     We admit that we have rushed too often to war and have done too little to promote peaceful coexistence. Lord have mercy.

     We confess that love of money, power, privilege, or the comfort of the status quo has lulled us into acceptance of possible tyranny, especially when we thought we might not be the victims of it. Lord have mercy.

     God heal our brokenness.

     May love and hope unite us.

     May peace attend us.

     May we remember our divine inheritance and our sacred mission, and may we live more faithfully into our calling to live as if we were ONE (as in Truth, we are).

     Amen.

Yours in shared mission and ministry,

 

Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins

Senior Minister 

 "Let justice roll on like a river, 

righteousness like a never-failing stream!" 

Amos 5.25 

(NIV)

Heart Thoughts

Heart Thoughts:

The Anglican chamber of my heart values reason as much as tradition and sacred texts (yes, valuing all three, in tension and conversation with one another).

The Humanist chamber of my heart affirms human potential, goodness, and the need to respond to human need.

The Universalist chamber of my heart sees something sacred in every culture, tradition, and sincere endeavor to commune with the holy.

And the Mysticism chamber of my heart trusts that all life is connected and therefore our attitudes, habitual thoughts, and purpose filled words can influence how we experience life and can even influence many events.

In these days when reason, compassion, diversity, and hope are under constant attack, my heart with its many spiritual components struggles to maintain its highest ideals, to celebrate its most treasured truths, and to remain courageous enough to resist cruelty and injustice without sacrificing what it holds most dear.

#ConfirmedEpiscopalian #OrdainedProtestantMinister #OrdainedOldCatholicPriest #OrdainedNewThoughtMinister #SelfDeclaredSpiritualHumanist

We Must Not Be Silent

My dear friends,

 

By now you have undoubtedly heard about state legislatures once again dehumanizing and demonizing same-gender loving people and people who do not fit into false gender binary constructs. It is heartbreaking.

 

It was naïve to think that peddlers of bigotry would quietly accept the SCOTUS marriage equality ruling and it was myopic of LBGT organizations to not prepare us for such eventualities. Nevertheless, we cannot be silent as states continue to devalue their LGBTQQIA citizens.

 

To the councils and legislatures of municipalities and state halls of government, we must raise our voices with the prophet Amos to say, “Let justice roll on like many waters!”

 

To houses of worship and those who preach a pugnacious piety rather than a liberating gospel, we must raise our voices with a contributor to the Book of Isaiah to say, “Sacred space is to be a house of prayer for all people!”

 

To the holders and keepers of power and privilege who use every means at their disposal to enforce bigotry, division, and oppression, we must raise our voices with a legendary liberator to say, “Let my people go!”

 

To those who use religion, tradition, and sacred texts to demean and diminish the Queer children of God, we must raise our voices with an early church writer to say, “God is love and WHOEVER lives in love lives in God and God lives in them.”

 

Dozens of anti-LBGT laws and ordinances have been proposed in the last several months in multiple states and municipalities. These laws claim to protect religion (though people remain free to worship wherever and however they choose), privacy (while publicly demonizing LBGT people), and personal safety (portraying LBGT people as predatory, violent criminals lying in wait to harm innocent victims); but in truth, these laws are little more than attempts to legalize discrimination against people who have suffered throughout history for simply being different from the majority. These hateful laws do not advance liberty but deter it and people of conscience and character, courage and conviction must resist these attempts to oppress Queer people.

 

Of the many proposals to legalize and legitimate discrimination, North Carolina takes the lead in passing what is widely regarded as the most sweeping anti-LBGT legislation in the US. Justice workers are calling the new draconian law a “hostile takeover of civil rights.” Mississippi recently passed similar anti-LBGT legislation as did Georgia, but unlike North Carolina and Mississippi, Georgia’s governor vetoed the reprehensible bill.

 

We are currently in a climate where Muslims are routinely slandered, women are frequently insulted, immigrants regardless of documentation status are viewed with suspicion, transgender people are portrayed as a threat, and gays and lesbians are continually called “sinful” for their love and attractions. What is worse is that this despicable climate is encouraged by various political and religious leaders. It would be absolutely immoral for us to be silent in this growing climate of hatred.

 

Some political leaders, some religious leaders, some business leaders, and some community leaders are speaking out, and God bless them for it. It is now time that we all speak out. With our charitable giving, our spending, our speech, our votes, with every tool at the disposal of decent people, we must try to turn the tide of hatred and honor our national pledge that affirms “liberty and justice for ALL.”

 

I can promise you that the leadership of Sunshine Cathedral will not be silent while LBGT people and others are constantly vilified and attacked. We will with as much fervor as ever affirm the sacred value of ALL people, and we will declare boldly and consistently that religion used to promote discrimination is misused. We will not passively allow religion to be the weapon used to oppress LBGT people or anyone else. 

In the name of all prophets, preachers, and poets of Justice, we will not be silent. Your continued, faithful, prayerful support of Sunshine Cathedral will help our collective voices be heard. Our work is not yet done...

 

Your fellow laborer in the vineyard of justice,

 

 

 

Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins

Senior Minister

Sunshine Cathedral 

LBGT Spiritual Leader, John McNeill Dies

It is with great sadness that Sunshine Cathedral announces the departure of John J. McNeill from this experience of life to the next. Father John made his transition Tuesday night.

A Jesuit, a scholar, an activist, a prophet who proclaimed God's unconditional love for LBGT people, Rev Dr John McNeill touched countless lives and inspired many ministries. He was a blessing to this world for 90 years and he will be missed. We extend love to his faithful spouse Charlie and to all who counted Father John a friend or mentor.

A courageous and indefatigable laborer in God's vineyard, Father John challenged Catholic hierarchy and cultural homophobia while affirming the goodness of human bodies, relationships, and sexuality. He was a hero and his memory will bless all who hold it.

McNeill's books:

The Church & the Homosexual

Taking a Chance on God

Freedom, Glorious Freedom

Both Feet Planted Firmly in Midair 

Sex As God Intended 

Father John's Documentary:

Taking a Chance on God

Work included:

Serving in WWII (POW)

Earning a PhD from Catholic University of Louvain 

Serving as a psycho-therapist

Teaching at LeMoyne College, Fordham University, Woodstock Seminary, and Union Theological Seminary

Co-founding the NYC chapter of "Dignity" (an organization for LBGT Catholics)

Justice for ALL...

I am an unapologetic activist for gay and lesbian equality, AND, I also see the need for the Queer community to recognize and address class, race, and gender privilege within our community (and also beyond). To be justice workers and change agents, we must be mindful of and concerned about all oppressions.

Changing the World

I was born in 1966. Shortly thereafter, the LBGT movement in the U.S. was energized as never before and began to change the world.

In 1968, the Metropolitan Community Churches were born as a movement by and with a primary affirming outreach to same-gender loving people and their allies. Today, there are several Christian and Jewish denominations that affirm the sacred value of same-gender loving people, but in 1968 such an affirmation was rare.

In 1969 the Stonewall Riots occurred and the Gay and Lesbian community would never be silenced or completely hidden ever again.

In 1970 the Unitarian Universalist Association passed a gay rights resolution and the first Gay Pride parades were held in major US cities.

In 1972 the world’s first LBGT synagogue was founded, as was PFLAG.

In 1973 homosexuality stopped being considered a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association.

In 2000 Vermont became the first state in the U.S. to offer “civil unions”, a near-equivalent to marriage for same-gender loving people.

In 2003 Sodomy laws were struck down.

In 2004 Massachusetts became the first state to recognize same-sex marriages.

In 2011 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed.

In 2013 a key part of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” was defeated.

And in 2015 the U.S. became the 19^th country to have nationwide marriage equality. Marriage is now an equal right rather than a heterosexual privilege.

In my life so far, gays have gone from being considered “criminal” and “sick” to being mainstream (in the U.S.), recognized as part of the normal diversity of life, and deserving of equal protection and opportunity (even if we have not yet fully achieved equal treatment in every area and function of society).

            In addition to these hard won and well deserved gains for lesbian and gay folk, the falseness of gender binaries are being discussed openly today and we are learning that not only do we contribute to the world’s diversity, but our own community is more diverse than some ever imagined.

So much change in less than a half a century is staggering; it is little wonder that some people are frightened by the long and growing list of significant changes (a plethora of Right Wing blogs document the angst that many still have about our community). And while I have (some) compassion for those who find their impending loss of heteronormative privilege frightening, I dare not believe that we have achieved enough, that our work is done, that Queer youth no longer need positive role models, that adversaries of equality will accept the changes graciously, that more protections aren’t needed, or that LBGT people beyond our own borders don’t need allies and advocates. We have worked miracles in just a few decades, but we must not become complacent. Our achievements should remind us that we can (and must) collectively continue to change the world.

Originally written for the Florida Agenda for the bi-weekly column, "Dr. Durrell's Spiritual Prescriptions"

Resumes Matter in Politics

I hate to sound elitist (not enough to prevent myself from sounding elitist)...but resumes matter. The people of my homeland (AR) elected Asa Hutchinson (or failed to vote, which is even worse) knowing that he is a graduate of Bob Jones University (founded by someone who was not himself a college graduate for the sole purpose of making sure Conservative Christians wouldn't be "contaminated" by such scientific discoveries as evolution), a bastion of fundamentalism, misogyny, racism, and homophobia. If he has not publicly and repeatedly repudiated his undergraduate indoctrination, then one should assume that his biases are usually in favor of oppressive positions and policies. We must know WHO we are voting for, and, we must VOTE. Otherwise, the foolishness of Mike H and Asa H will be standard fare. Young people tend to be more progressive, but also more disenfranchised from the political process. We have to get our young liberal supporters to the voting booth!!! (even as the Far Right attempts to make voting less convenient)

I understand that in response to public outcry, he has sent the Religious Freedom bill back to the legislature for some clean up work (so, hooray for raising our voices), but it should come as no surprise that without such public protests the onerous bill would probably have been enacted without delay.

Meanwhile, there is more work to do. About half the country now has similar laws that have passed or are being proposed. Freedom of Religion is already guaranteed in this country. We don't need religious freedom laws which are usually nothing more than an attempt to legalize discrimination against marginalized groups of people. 

"Religious Freedom" Discrimation Bills are Oppressive, Plain and Simple

I'm glad there is such an outcry against Indiana's law allowing discrimination based on religion (discrimination is discrimination whether or not you blame it on a deity), and I hope that the other 18 states with similar laws will experience a similar backlash (including ARKANSAS). These laws are fueled by homophobia, but once in place, anyone could refuse service to anyone else for any reason as long as they claimed it was for religious purposes...Muslims, women, divorcees, people who work at women's clinics, Jews, Catholics, Atheists, smokers, drinkers, women who wear makeup, biracial families, Wiccans...no one is safe. All anyone would need to claim is "my religion says YOU are bad". Hatred of gays allowed these laws to pass, but it would be naive to believe they will be limited to gays (and even if they were, discrimination against one group is problematic enough). From women's suffrage to anti-Semitism to Jim Crow to sodomy laws...this battle has been fought over and over. When will this nation grow past the need to marginalize, control, belittle, or exclude groups of people (and how many times can we cling to such hatefulness in the name of a deity???). These laws make religion seem irrelevant (if not dangerous) and government seem ineffective (if not tyrannical). Write letters. Share Tweets. Vote in ALL elections (not just national). And limit spending in the places that are presenting bigotry as "religious freedom."

Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner...A Sad Time in the US

Do you hear that? It's the sound of Dr King, Rosa Parks, Bobby Kennedy, Mother Jones, James Baldwin, Bishop Pike, Howard Thurman, Bayard Rustin, Thurgood Marshall, and Medgar Evers all weeping as news reaches their spirit-dwelling that after all that they risked, suffered, and lost for the cause of equality and justice, there remains income inequality not seen since the Great Depression and those who feel their power and privilege being threatened have declared war on immigrants, people of color, and African American youth in particular (though the middle aged are not exempt). The Right Wing take over of the culture that began in force in the 80s has managed to reverse much of the gains that people in the 50s, 60s, and 70s lived and lost their lives to secure. The level of injustice this country is seeing cannot be sustained. Our country will, to use an old and often abused religious word, "repent" (have a deep change of heart) or it will join the long sad list of fallen empires. Hopefully China or India or whoever emerges as the next world leader will leave a nobler legacy. The American dream was a beautiful one, if only we had allowed it to become a full and lasting reality.

Ferguson Shows Us We Have Not Dealt Sufficiently With White Privilege

This country has a long history of shameful treatment of non-majority groups. And whenever an unarmed person of color is killed, memories of a painful past resurface and healing is delayed, as images of economic oppression, segregation, mobs protesting the arrival of African American children to previously non-integrated schools, demoralizing Jim Crow laws, dehumanizing caricatures in art and ads, and heartless, souless practice of lynching are brought to mind. Some of us have the privilege of not having to relive those painful memories, but our humanity demands that we remember and care and vow to be part of a future where racism as well as misogyny and homophobia no longer divide communities and ruin lives. We all have both privilege and peril, and of course race or gender or sexual orientation are not the only determining factors of one's life experience, AND it also true that in our country there are advantages upon which one can depend simply for being white and there are hazzards one must fear simply for being non-white and until we as a soceity own this unpleasant truth and work collectively to change it (without denying why there is a need for such change), the problems and injustices will only continue, and at times escalate.

The Need For Queer Activism Remains: We Have More Work to Do!

There is a myth floating around that LBGT people are mostly accepted, have been fully integrated into larger society, and the need for special efforts to affirm Queer folk is at an end.
FALSE.

Things are better, and they are better because our activism, outreach and education have been unrelenting. But there is so much more to do.

About half of all same-gender loving people live in the US live in states that offer marriage equality now. That progress has been faster than most of us ever imagined. But let us not forget that half of all same-gender loving Americans do NOT live in places where they can be married and that means there is more work to do.

Even though the best science and social science has told us that homosexuality is not in and of itself disordered (sex, regardless of the genders involved, can be healthy and joyous or abusive and harmful, but love and attraction are themselves good, or at very least morally neutral), many continue to teach that homosexuality is a sin or a sickness. Yes, these homophobes have chosen their ignorance; they have said that the best science and scholarship cannot persuade them that it is their bigotry that is a problem and not the genders that make up a relationship, but these homophobes are legion still. Many of them have pulpits and positions of political influence. Many of them have children whom they are teaching to hate gays, and who are teaching their gay children to hate themselves. That means we have more work to do.

Even today, well into the 21st century, not only do an alarming number of people believe in an after-life hell (a notion that is ridiculous but no less terrifying for those who have been threatened with it) but they believe that same-sex love and attraction could be what would cause souls to suffer never ending torment. They honestly believe, as foolish as it sounds, that Divine Love would reject human souls because of human bodies sharing affection if those bodies also shared a gender! That oppressive theology would be comical if it hadn't destroyed so many lives and families. We have more work to do.

Younger people are generally more tolerant and accepting than previous generations, and that is a good thing; but gay bashing has not completely disappeared and gay teens are still more likely than others to suffer abuse, rejection, and bullying. We have more work to do.

If today, this very day, 90% of all homophobia were to be stricken from the laws and the attitudes of the American population, the homophobia the West has exported to Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean would still be killing people and ruining lives. In our global community, we must care about our neighbors and we must realize that the whole world is our neighbor. We must also realize that a lot of the homohatred in the world came from American politicians and preachers. So, we must help our global neighbors who will continue to suffer from the hatred we exported. We have more work to do.

And FINALLY, Transgender/Gender Non-conforming people are getting more positive recognition and advocacy; but there remains a lot of ignorance around the reality of gender fluidity. We have more work to do.

I am so glad that in many ways things are better; but let us never be tempted to believe that they are good enough. Lives still hang in the balance and as long as that is true, we have more work to do!

Rev Dr Durrell Watkins

Senior Minister

Sunshine Cathedral

Arizona, Uganda...What a Mess (pastoral letter eblast sent Feb 26, 2014)

"Love and Truth will meet; Justice and Peace will kiss." Psalm 85

What a mess. Arizona has passed an anti-gay bill that would allow businesses to deny service to people they perceive to be gay as long as they claim they are doing so as an act of religious faith. I hope, as do justice-seekers everywhere, that the governor of that state will veto the legislation. Other states have tried to pass similar measures. One wonders how justice, equality, fairness, and non-discrimination can have a religious exemption! I recall Archbishop Desmond Tutu once saying, "If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn't worship that God." How I wish more religious leaders shared (and voiced) that sentiment! While we watch with equal parts hope and horror to what is happening in Arizona, we also watch with devastating despair (but also with outrageous optimism that the situation can be redeemed) the dehumanizing law in Uganda making homosexuality a crime. If as a matter of ontology one is gay or lesbian, that person can be arrested and incarcerated. To add to the suffering, a tabloid has published the names and photos of 200 people it has identified as being gay (and I know at least two of them). Gay and lesbian persons have been told they have no right to exist and they will be denied human dignity and compassion in their own land. It rends the heart.  A British newspaper recently reported that 2.5% of the world's gays and lesbians live in countries where they can be executed simply for being who they are, 40% live in countries where they are targeted (and can be in some way punished) for the "crime" of being lesbian or gay, and 44% of the planet's gay inhabitants (187 million people) live in countries where they are not criminalized per se, but where they are also not afforded equal protections under the law (and that includes the Queer folk who live in the United States where marriage equality is not yet nationwide). Almost 87% of the world's same-gender loving people live where they are not treated as if they are full citizens of their native lands, and almost 43% of the world's gay people live where they are not treated as if they are fully human. Colonization (of lands by imperial governments and of souls by missionaries from the same imperialist nations) has left a devastating legacy all over the world, and Victorian era homophobia is part of that shameful legacy. Religion at its best brings people together to explore spirituality and celebrate human potential; at its worst it is used as a weapon to dominate, control, and wound people. Religion was very much a partner in the atrocities of colonization. Again, I call on the wisdom of Desmond Tutu who has shared this story, "When the missionaries came to Africa, they had the bible and we had the land. They said, 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes and when we opened them, we had the bible and they had the land."  The seeds of intolerance were planted among people whose resources were robbed by colonizing forces; when the colonized nations regained their autonomy, many of them were left without their natural wealth and were burdened with values that were not indigenous to them. The harvest of those seeds too well sown is now painfully abundant. So, while we work for justice in Arizona and other areas of the U.S. still hostile to the LBGT community, we must also be mindful of the pain caused beyond our borders in places that are duplicating the prejudices that Europe and North America exported to them, prejudices which even now are stirred by American evangelists who teach "zero tolerance" for homosexuality but then want to appear shocked when laws are passed to imprison or kill gay people. Yes, we must speak out against the soul crushing actions recently taken in Uganda. Quoting Archbishop Tutu one final time, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."  But let us not be xenophobic or allow ourselves to feel in anyway superior as we express our concerns. What has happened in Arizona is happening in other parts of the world, perhaps "amped up" quite a bit, but we are all part of the human family and we all must share this one world, and in some very real ways, "our" society at various times has contributed to the injustices that we now see in other places; let's do hold that in our thoughts as we work and pray for healing in and among all nations.  It's complicated. It's a mess. But what matters most now is saving lives and reducing the burden of oppression. This is my prayer: May the Good in and around us, which is known by countless names, lead us in the ways of healing, peace, and justice. May religion ill used be redeemed; and may those who use religion as a weapon have a change of heart. As we think of those who live in fear or danger because religion has dehumanized and demonized them, let us pause in this moment to affirm their sacred value and to wish them safety and well-being. And may those of us who continue to march under the banner of religion never again use it as a tool of oppression. Amen.   With hope, always,   Rev Dr Durrell Watkins Senior Minister  Sunshine Cathedral  Less than an hour after this eblast went out, the governor of AZ vetoed that state's anti-gay bill. Let's now hope the veto isn't over-ridden and let's continue to focus our efforts on bringing hope and healing to Uganda.

Our Hearts Go Out to Same-gender Loving Ugandans (pastoral letter eblast from Feb 25, 2014)

"The weapons of our warfare are not physical but they are mighty to the pulling down of oppressive strongholds!" The Apostle Paul

"Seek justice; encourage the oppressed." Isaiah 1.17 Dear laborers in the vineyard of justice, Sadly, Uganda's President Museveni signed today the anti-gay bill that can result in draconian cruelty against same-gender loving Ugandans. The out of control homophobia/homohatred was actually fueled by US fundamentalist Christians. The dehumanizing rhetoric used to deny gays and lesbians both dignity and liberty is further fueled by the universally rejected quack science that fundamentalists often embrace. The US government gives millions of dollars in aid to Uganda. So, not only did American religious zealots and even some American politicians take the "zero tolerance" anti-gay message to Uganda, but American tax dollars help sustain the economy of a country that is violating the most basic civil rights of its homosexual citizens. This latest outrage against human dignity is, regrettably, not an isolated incident. Jamaican gays continue to live in fear for their lives. Nigeria remains an unsafe place for many gay people. Homophobia is now rampant in Russia. And even in the US, while 17 states offer marriage equality, other states continue their attempts to legislate discrimination against LBGT people. Of course, irresponsible anti-gay preaching has fueled much of this soul-killing hatred. So, Sunshine Cathedral will continue to share a progressive and inclusive message affirming the sacred value of all people. Our alternative message is needed now as much as it has ever been; in fact, lives may depend on it. Here are some things you can do to help energize our efforts to offer hope and healing to LBGT people and their allies all over the world: ~ Call (1.202.647.4000) or email (http://contact-us.state.gov/app/ask/) the US Secretary of State asking for diplomatic action in response to the anti-gay legislation in Uganda. ~ Continue your support of Sunshine Cathedral as we speak out against these atrocities. Sunshine Cathedral is part of the Metropolitan Community Churches movement which affirms social justice as a key element of the Gospel. ~ Contact the office of the Ugandan president (http://www.officeofthepresident.go.ug/index.php/contact-us) and respectfully (but clearly) ask him to take measures within the Ugandan legal system to reverse this great injustice. ~Pray daily for all the LBGT people everywhere who face rejection, vilification, incarceration, and even death simply for being who they are. We know that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"; therefore, it is right that we expression concern and compassion as LBGT people continue to be targeted all over the world. But never give up hope! We also know that "the moral arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice." Faithfully,   Rev Dr Durrell Watkins Senior Minister Sunshine Cathedral