Marriage Equality Helps Some and Hurts No One

I admit, I chime in on Right Wing sites from time to time...not to change the minds of the Far Right (arguments, however well-reasoned, rarely change hearts and minds), but to show those (especially young people) who might be hurt by their hateful rhetoric that there are other, more liberating perspectives that they can explore.

Yesterday, on one such site, someone named "Lois" had this to say: "If they want to live their perverse lifestyle go ahead but why do they want us all to agree with it? After all one of the reasons for marriage is to propagate the human race and you cannot do that as a "gay".(they have high jacked that word as well) if they do not repent their deeds they will be judged by God, whether they believe it or not."

And my response was as follows: 
"Perverse lifestyle? That seems harsh and hateful (and impossible to verify...I couldn't possibly know what "lifestyle" or "perversions" were practiced by every gay or straight person...seems like a blanket judgment that just isn't necessary). 
RE: marriage/ children...Lots of people have children without marriage, and lots of people marry without having children. Reducing marriage to licensed procreation is an insult to love, affection, commitment, and shared joy (not to mention the many legal benefits that come with marriage).
If child bearing was a marital deal breaker, then post-menopausal women couldn't marry, women with hysterectomies couldn't marry, men and women who were for any reason "sterile" couldn't marry...procreation can happen with or without marriage and marriage doesn't guarantee procreation.
People marry because they love each other, they want to celebrate their commitment in a public way, and they want to live together with legal benefits thereafter. Meanwhile, because of adoption, surrogacy, and alternative insemination, having children is an option for same-gender loving couples (and many SGL couples do have children).
My husband and I lived together (spiritually married) for 16 years before we were able to have a public wedding ceremony, but having over 200 people at our wedding, 11 clergy bless our union, and friends and family from all over the country come together to celebrate our love, our commitment, our shared life was the most beautiful moment of my life. It was magical. It was sacred. Why wouldn't you want every couple in love to experience that blessing (if they wanted to do so)? It takes nothing away from anyone else's relationship, or even their religious prejudices. You're still married and you still don't think i should be...see, nothing has changed in your world. 
So, marriage is now an equal right rather than a heterosexual privilege; marriage equality benefits lesbians and gays, but it doesn't harm you in any way." - Durrell Watkins 

Musings of a Gay Man in His Late 40s

The 80s and 90s were a difficult time for gay men. We lost so many beautiful, talented people to AIDS. Other communities suffering from other diseases would have been offered compassion. We were largely offered blame, shame, vilification, and rejection. It was a lonely, scary, and exciting and oddly hopeful time (when hope, even unreasonable hope, is all you have, you cling to it fiercely).

Now, HIV is largely treatable if detected in time (and if one can afford the treatment) and we know how to prevent its spread and we continue to hope for a cure. More people of influence are "out" as same-gender loving (or as allies to same-gender loving people). Marriage equality is a reality in many places and is an open discussion everywhere. Somehow, we changed the world; and some of us were lucky enough to survive while doing it. Today, I remember those who lost their lives in the struggle. I honor them. And I give thanks for the progress we've made even as I remain aware that there is still so much to do.

Durrell Watkins

Tears of Joy

The state where Anita Bryant (I'll pause for appropriate booing and hissing)...
waged war on same-gender loving people decades ago is now a marriage equality state. "The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Or, more crudely but still powerfully stated in the words of "Brother Boy" (Sordid Lives)...CYSMPN?
Honestly, I've been teary all day. I've literally waited a lifetime for this day. New York became a marriage equality state after I left, as did Arkansas...Finally, I live in a state that (by judicial force, but whatever it takes) recognizes my full humanity. And, I can legally marry the person who has been my partner and spiritual spouse for all these years in my home state (and home church)...no need to cross any borders like a refugee (as was once our plan). I never realized how overwhelming the joy would be. Oh, and yes, the June wedding is being planned! But first, I get to share the joy of the couples who will be married this week. Whoops, here come the tears again.

Response to Dalai Lama's awkward acceptance of marriage equality

The Dalai Lama’s endorsement of consensual, adult relationships is encouraging.

However, he still seems to equate same-gender love and attraction with the act of sex itself (rather than recognizing sexual orientation as a matter of ontology), and he seems to accept that governments and religions have a right to promote oppressive ideologies that would continue to marginalize same-gender loving people.

He has made a step in the right direction and I applaud his attempt at openness; and in general I am a big fan of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, but I continue to stand in opposition to all homophobic theologies and I hope for the day when the majority of religious leaders will do the same.

Rev Dr Durrell Watkins

Senior Minister
Sunshine Cathedral

A Progressive Metropolitan Community Church

Find Sunshine Cathedral Mcc on Facebook & Twitter

http://southfloridagaynews.com/World/dalai-lama-says-no-problem-with-gay-marriage.html

Dalai Lama sort of OKs marriage equality...

The truth about marriage equality

Same-gender marriage has always existed. Two people loving each other, caring for each other, treasuring each other, building a life together is as old as humanity. Sometimes they were pressured into having other kinds of relationships as well, sometimes they were shunned or punished or killed for being different, but same-gender attraction and love and commitments are as old as time. What is new is that some denominations, a few religions, a handful of countries, some indigenous tribes, DC and 17 US states all recognize this truth and wish to afford equal benefits to loving couples whose relationships are equal in the site of Justice. More states, more churches, more countries will catch on...but they are not creating or allowing same-gender marriage; they are simply and finally acknowledging and blessing marital relationships that have been formed and anointed by Love Itself. 

Prayer for Today

~PRAYER FOR TODAY~

Today, let us be thankful that same-gender loving people no longer must serve in silence but can live and love openly while defending their country in the various branches of the military.

Today, let us honor all who have served and who currently serve in uniform.

Today, let us honor all military service men and women by hoping and praying for peace.

Today, let us be mindful of non-military service that is also meant to keep us safe and make our world better…the work of first responders, the work of diplomats, and the work of activists speaking out for women, minorities, same-gender loving people, children, immigrants, the poor, and all who have had to work harder to experience the good that they deserve.

Today, let us rejoice that some in positions of authority or influence use the resources available to them to promote “liberty and justice for all” – in particular let us be grateful for Zambia’s First Lady, Dr Christine Kasebs-Sata, who is an advocate for LBTG people in Africa.

Today, let us be grateful for the US Senate’s passing of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and let us hope that the US House of Representatives will do likewise.

Today, let us give thanks for the 15 US states that now offer marriage equality, that a 16^th state is very close, and that the District of Columbia, several counties and tribal communities, and an increasing number of nations recognize and celebrate equality as well.

Today, let us be reminded that there are still many places where one can be discriminated against, vilified, rejected, harmed, or even killed simply for being gay or lesbian, for being suspected of being gay or lesbian, or for being transgender or gender non-conforming; and let us recommit to working toward the elimination of homophobia and transphobia among us.

Today, let us remember that HIV has not yet been cured and let us wish and pray for a cure to soon be found.

And today, let us hold the people of the Philippines in our hearts as they continue to assess the damage and losses of Hurricane Haiyan.

There are many kinds of battles and many kinds of warriors…may all who have been willing to struggle to make our world safer, more just, and more compassionate be abundantly blessed.

God of our hearts, we offer these prayers in the name of all that is good and holy. Amen.

Biblical Arguments Against Marriage Equality Don’t Hold Up

Biblical Arguments Against Marriage Equality Don’t Hold Up
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins

Those who invoke the bible to defend their heternormative and homophobic views need to understand that the bible can be understood in more complex ways than would make them comfortable. There are biblical heroes who form non-traditional families of choice, there are couples who have covenantal relationships outside the cultural definition of marriage, and there are plenty of examples of people practicing polygamy (but none as enthusiastically as “wise” Solomon with his 700 wives, 300 concubines, and a legendary one night stand with the Queen of Sheba!). What constitutes a relationship, a family, or even a life-long covenant in the Jewish and Christian scriptures is not as cut and dry as the opponents of marriage equality would like to believe.

What people who use the bible as a weapon to protect their privilege and marginalize others need to know about the bible is that rather than being a memo dictated by God, it is a collection of writings by many authors spanning three continents and more than a thousand years. It is a very complex and diverse collection of writings.

Other things people who would bash others with the bible should know include:

1.      The bible is not the bible in the bible.

The biblical canon was closed centuries after the life of Jesus. The church existed for generations before there was a Christian bible. And even still, the bible one accepts differs slightly depending on if one is Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Mormon, or Jewish. Whether there is one testament or there are two or three and how many books are in those testaments depends on which tradition within Christianity one embraces.

2.      The bible is a human document.

Some believe the bible is divinely inspired, others do not, but either way the actual writing was done by humans, the reading is done by humans (and readers make meaning), and how the words are used are determined by humans. With or without the notion of a divine presence nudging people to record their thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and desires, the obvious fact remains that the work of biblical writing, reading, interpreting, and application is the work of human-beings, and humans don’t always agree.

3.      There are no original texts.

The original documents, that is, the first pieces of paper (or papyrus) upon which the biblical authors wrote no longer exist. The oldest scriptural documents extant today are hand written copies of hand written copies (which leaves quite a bit of room for human error).

4.      Biblical ethics and knowledge don’t always withstand the test of time.

Biblical writers accepted slavery, child abuse, war, and the secondary status of women without question. Biblical writers assumed the earth was flat, never knew of the Americas, and had never heard of the law of gravity. Aerodynamics, quantum physics, and depth psychology were unknown to the ancient writers. The biblical writers didn’t know about the egg cell or chromosomes, and therefore didn’t even understand procreation the way we do today. Their creativity and genius should not be ignored, and yet, what they did not know was a lot. We learn more as time goes by; we are not limited to what people knew millennia ago.

5.      The biblical texts were not written in any modern language.

The biblical texts were written in ancient languages (sometimes without any punctuation), so translation issues must always be considered. Our bible is a translation of copies of copies of copies of texts handwritten in ancient languages in ancient, pre-scientific cultures. It’s still fascinating and beautiful and useful, but not if used as a weapon to defend bigotry and discrimination.  

I can’t think of any legitimate reason to deny equality to any member of our society; but when people use religion to deny that equality, I become particularly angry. Religion at its best should help people experience hope and joy, and believe in their sacred value. Religion at its best should celebrate love (not condemn it). Religion at its best should help people experience liberation rather than perpetuating oppression. I can’t think of any reason to deny equality to any member of society, but religion provides the weakest excuse of all for denying equality.  

Marriage equality one day will be the law of the land. I am one of those hoping that such a day comes very soon; but even before that day, my wish is that those who oppose equality would no longer do so in the name of religion.

Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins is the Senior Minister of Sunshine Cathedral in Ft Lauderdale.

Sunshine Cathedral is a progressive and inclusive ministry affiliated with Metropolitan Community Churches and the International New Thought Alliance.
www.sunshinecathedral.org

A firm stand for marriage equality

the Democratic Party approved the following language in its 2012 platform: 
"We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law. We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples..."


Regardless of party affiliation, Americans can be proud that A party has taken this step toward full inclusion and non-discrimination. I am thankful for those who affirm my full humanity and the sacredness of my loving relationship.

Stop Gay Bashing for Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qCz-MO0PRg&list=UUi1vfps751gSRdDZIIzhkvw&index=1&feature=plcp

Stop Gay Bashing for Jesus

Take 11 minutes to watch this discussion and then share with your friends.

Who are people?

I could never and will never embrace a philosophy that says corporations and fertilized eggs are persons with rights but same-gender loving individuals are not.

Loving people don't condemn people for their love

Using the bible against people like a weapon isn't loving. It wasn't when people used the bible to keep women silent and it wasn't when people used the bible to defend and promote the evil practice of slavery.


Of course some people will be homophobic (or racist, or xenophobic, or other scared of or afraid of "the other"), and some will even try to convince themselves that their prejudices are God's prejudices. We are free to believe in any deity (or no deity) and to beleive whatever we will about our fellow human beings. But, regardless of our beliefs, all people have a right to live lives of dignity and all people should have equal rights.


Hate who you want to hate and even call it love, but don't keep other citizns marginalized. That's where the problem lies.


LesBiGay people are being told to deny who they are, to be ashamed of their very ontology, and to give up the people they love most in the world. You may not think that matters, but if it were you, regardless of how seriously you take the Golden Rule (which is also in the bible you know), would you want to have church and state (which should be separate) try to keep you and the love of your life apart? Of course not.


I don't care if you hate me; i don't even care if you fool yourself into believing that hating me is loving me, just don't try to keep me from having all the rights, privileges, and protections you take for granted. You don't have to bless my relationship, but neither should you try to keep me from having it and from it enjoying all the protections that yours does.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2012/08/tears-anger-fill-temple-beth-moshe-in-north-miami-as-conservative-pastor-meets-lgbt-activists.html#comment-form#storylink=cpy

Why MCC?

Why MCC?

I am the senior minister of a Metropolitan Community Church. My spiritual background is ecumenical and interreligious...confirmed an Episcopalian, ordained an MCC pastor and a Divine Science minister. I'm also a certified Reiki Master, a member of the International New Thought Alliance, and religious practice and expression over my life has included Buddhism (Zen and Nichiren), Unitarian Universalism, Catholicism, and more. I am a graduate of ecumenical seminaries. My professors in theology school were Protestant, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, and Buddhist. I am culturally and historically Christian and I minister in a movement that is firmly rooted in the Christian tradition but I value spiritual enlightenment and empowerment wherever it may be found and I in no way believe that any text or tradition, creed or congregation, doctrine or denomination has or could have a lock on truth. So why MCC?

From Quakers to UUs, from Unity to Religious Science, from Reform to Reconstructionist Judaism, and increasingly throughout the United Church of Christ, many Episcopal churches, and even within the ELCA and Presbyterian Church USA, there is more and more acceptance of LBGT people and even advocacy for LBGT rights. So why MCC?

There is a homophobic myth within MCC that says if we are bold in our affirmation of Queer people, not only as being acceptable but as having a special and gifted place within the human family, then those who do not identify as LBGT will not want to worship with us.

I disagree.

Progressive theology, vibrant and dynamic worship, inclusive community, and concern for justice for all people are highly attractive. There are people looking for exactly that. One need not be gay or lesbian or bisexual or gender variant to be excited that there is a new and different kind of church that values thinking and feeling and that is willing to challenge patriarchy, heterosexism, and homophobia as part of its core mission. That remains a compelling vision and in my experience there are many people, gay and not gay, who respond very favorably to it.

In MCC, we have no creed. There are documents that say we value the "principles" of the historic creeds, but those creeds are not quoted nor are the principles clearly defined. Recitation of creeds is not a part of most MCC worship services. We also have no "set in stone" worship format. Every MCC looks and feels a little different. In that way, MCC remains organic, alive, and relevant to local needs. MCC has not yet taken on the feel of "tradition" that keeps liturgy or theology from evolving. So, even after four decades, MCC remains something new.

And most importantly, the idea that there is no longer the need for religious advocacy of same-gender loving people and their allies is simply not true. THIRTY states in the U.S. have codified gay discrimination in their marriage laws. Gay teens are much more likely to wind up homeless than non-gay teens. The bullying of children who are merely suspected of being gay is epidemic in our schools. National food chain Chick-Fil-A has given large sums of money to oppose not only gay marriage but gay rights in general, and Baptist minister/former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee called for an outpouring of support for the fast food chain. Stories are told every day of lesbians and gays who are brutalized for being who they are, and beyond the US there are actually "Kill the Gays" bills which very well could pass.

Yes, there are non-MCC churches that will let us worship without being overly mean to us, and there are even some that will marry and ordain us without too much fuss, and that is great progress and I celebrate it with my friends in those churches that are taking risks and reaching out to be more inclusive. And yet, that others are doing more does not negate the special calling and purpose of MCC, a church that led the way in saying that not only is Gay OK but Gay is actually GOOD, part of the divine diversity of creation, a blessing to those whose reality it is.

MCC also was at the forefront of declaring that "God" is not a boy's name; and when the AIDS crisis hit, when other churches remained silent about it or even dared to use God's name in vain by declaring the disease a manifestation of divine wrath against gays, MCC was mighty in the midst of those who were living in pain and terror and grief to offer comfort and hope.

I know MCC has room for improvement. I still hear people say that if things don't work out for them in denomination A or B, then MCC is their fall back plan. We need to improve our image so that people want to do ministry in MCC first!

I still hear non-MCCers describe MCC as a fundamentalist church that differs from other such churches only in that we say it's OK to be gay. Our anti-intellectual, anti-academic past still haunts us and we need to become the leaders in theological scholarship, not just around deconstructing the so-called "clobber passages" used against same-gender loving people but for all areas of Christian life and faith.

And, in my view, we have spent the last decade or so trying to look like a top heavy, hierarchical denomination where too much authority rests in the hands of too few people at the denominational level. I think our congregations should be even more autonomous, that our denominational structure should be leaner, and that more money should stay in the local congregation and community to do ministry rather than to support a denominational structure.

But that's not a very long list of what needs to be improved, and those are only my opinions anyway. The truth is, MCC has always gotten more right than wrong and if we are willing, we can get even better still! And the truth remains that the message and ministry, the purpose and power of MCC is still needed, is still relevant, and can still change and even save lives. That's why I am in MCC.

Gay, Bi, or Straight...you are exactly what you ought to be and your sexuality and your respectful, mutual, adult relationships are good and have the potential to even be holy.

Your body is good.

And those who support discrimination and oppression in the name of religion are mistaken and an alternative to their oppressive theologies and ideologies must be consistently offered.

This is the message that MCC has always presented, and it is a message still needed today.

Gays & Lesbianas still need the message of MCC.
Bisexuals still need the message of MCC.

Transgender people still need the message of MCC.

Friends and families of Queer people still need the message of MCC.

People who are questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation still need the message of MCC.

There is more to do; specifically, there is more for MCC to do.

- If you are a member of a non-MCC...please keep working within your parish and denomination to promote justice, compassion, and inclusion.

- If you are a member of an MCC, please keep working to make your church as healthy, as inviting, as relevant, and as dynamic as possible.

- And if you are not a member of any church but are looking for a church home, please give Sunshine Cathedral MCC a try. We may be what you are looking for, and you may be exactly what we need to reach even more people with truly good news.

Finally, if you are a member or friend of Sunshine Cathedral, please support your church enthusiastically with time, talent, and treasure, with positive speech and affirmative prayer...we have much more work to do, and we need all hands on deck to do it and do it well.

See y'all in church!

Durrell

Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins

Senior Pastor

Sunshine Cathedral

5 Anti-Gay Marriage Arguments Challenged

http://www.gaysofla.com/articles/72-kweerspirit/252-five-ridiculous-anti-gay-marriage-arguments-challenged-.html

My most recent piece posted at GaySoFla.com.

"Five Ridiculous Anti-Gay Marriage Arguments Challenged"

We Will Not Let Homophobia Have the Last Word

Pastor Sean Harris a few weeks ago advised parents in his congregation to humiliate and physically abuse their gay and lesbian children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTiBv99MYDk

More recently, Pastor Charles Worley called the president a "baby killer and a homosexual lover" and said he would like to incarcerate lesbian and gay people until they all died out (not realizing that a significant percentage of every population in every culture in every time in history have been same-gender loving and even if you could kill every queer alive a new generation of LesBiGay people would still come along).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2839yEazcs

And disappointingly, iconic preacher Billy Graham publicly endorsed the North Carolina amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

30 states now have laws codifying anti-gay discrimination.

You see, I'm asked all the time two questions that I find very frustrating:
1. Is a church like ours really necessary now that more and more churches are "tolerant" of same-gender loving people, and
2. How can we justify our religious community since most of the hateful and violent rhetoric used against gay and lesbian people come from religious leaders?

The four examples above, in my mind, answer the questions.

I'm glad that some churches do not preach against same-gender loving people; that's progress.

I'm glad that some churches are having the discussion about being more inclusive and affirming of same-gender loving people; that's progress.

I'm glad that a few denominations will finally ordain "out" gay and lesbian people; that's progress.

And yet, the violent, hateful, demonizing, dehumanizing, shaming rhetoric heard from the preachers named above remains far too common, and there are still entire denominations, huge religious movements, that are fully committed to opposing equal rights for LBGT people.

So yes, there has been progress. But a place where LBGT people are not merely tolerated or quietly affirmed but enthusiastically celebrated is still needed, and that's OUR ministry!

And how can we justify being religious when so much hate, evil, and bigotry is being promoted in the name of religion? Because religion can be and should be a force for good. Religion can be and should be community building. Religion can and should affirm the sacred value of all people. And since so many people continue to misuse religion as a weapon, we remain committed to redeeming religion, showing that it can yet be used to build up rather than tear down, to heal rather than hurt, to promote justice rather than oppression.

Yes, we support various charities and benevolence activities. Yes, we offer comfort to people in times of crisis. Yes, we support the arts and humanities which uplift people in general. And yes, we offer fun and dynamic worship services that are unlike those of any other churches. And that's all important and we are proud of these amazing achievements.

But we also provide a very unique and special service to the world...we celebrate human diversity, we affirm the sacred value of all people, we tenaciously cling to the power of hope and joy, and we bring people together to lift them up, including and especially LBGT people and their allies. That remains a special and important calling, as relevant today as ever before.

Why do we do what we do? Go back to the beginning of this message and you will know. And then recommit to doing all you can to make Sunshine Cathedral as strong, as healthy, as far reaching, and as effective as we clearly need to be, as the world needs us to be.

God bless the Sunshine Cathedral; and God bless all who make the ministry of Sunshine Cathedral possible. Amen.

Blessings,

Rev. Durrell Watkins, D.Min.
Senior Minister
Sunshine Cathedral
www.sunshinecathedral.org

Good News Follows Bad

Yesterday, I reflected on the disappointment of the passage of North Carolina's Amendment 1 on Tuesday.

Of course, there are states and countries and the District of Columbia that now offer same-sex marriage and more states and munincipalities that offer civil unions or domestic partnerships. It's not enough, but it's progress and it's against that progress that religious fundamentalists and right wing political activists are launching their assaults.

In the Fall, more states will consider marriage equality, and hopefully some of them will choose justice over homophobia. We continue to work for, pray for, and demand "liberty and justice for all."

Toward that noble goal, an amazing thing happened yesterday: for the first time in our nation's history, a sitting US President affirmed support for marriage equality. President Obama said:

What I've come to realize is that for loving, same-sex couples, the denial of marriage

equality means that, in their eyes and the eyes of their children, they are still considered

less than full citizens...So I decided it was time to affirm my personal belief that same-sex

couples should be allowed to marry.

His statement wasn't an executive order or a bill presented to Congress, but it was the power of the "bully pulpit" in action and it was a moral victory for same-gender loving people. His statement may or may not influence the outcome of events in state elections, but it was nevertheless courageous and it should encourage LBGT people and their allies to believe that positive change is still possible.

This is not an endorsement of a political party or a political candidate, but is an expression of gratitude that our president has made progressive movement on the issue and it is an affirmation of hope that more leaders will make similar gestures in support of justice and equality.

Blessings,

Rev. Durrell Watkins, D.Min.

Southerner's Response to Amendment 1

"On Tuesday, North Carolina voters passed a constitutional amendment that defines marriage exclusively between a man and a woman, making North Carolina the 30th state to pass such a ban same-sex marriage." The Huffington Post

I am a Southerner. There, I said it.

I was born to native Arkansan parents in Southwest Arkansas where I spent the first 7 years of my life. I then moved across a county line into East Texas where I remained until I was 18. Then back over the county line to Southwest Arkansas and then deeper into Arkansas to the Ouachita Mountains for college. After college I moved to Dallas for a long stretch, then to Maryland for a year (right at the Mason Dixon line!), then to New Jersey and then New York, and finally to Florida where I live now; but my self-identity has always been pretty firmly "Arkansan" and most of my 45 years have been undeniably "Southern."

Now, what does any of that matter? Because I speak from lived experience when I say that the North Carolina electorate has recently continued the Southern legacy of fearing and hating the "Other."

Delicious food, good music, beautiful geography, and fine universities such as Duke, Vanderbilt, LSU, William & Mary, and Ole Miss are all part of what the South has given us. The South has also provided us with several presidents such as Bill Clinton, Andrew Jackson, James Polk, Jimmy Carter, James Madison, Andrew Johnson, Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, James Monroe, and George Washington (and that doesn't include those who came from Texas, Eisenhower and LBJ, or Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln). I'm a Southerner and proud of the good things the South has produced.

But there is another part of the Southern legacy, and that is fear and hatred of the "Other."

Of course not all people from "Dixie" are racist, sexist, homophobic, or intolerant of religious diversity; but sadly, many are and are very vocal about it. And against that backdrop, equality and justice suffered another defeat in the South yesterday.

Religion often provides the language and the platform for intolerance in the South. Slavery and Jim Crow were both accepted and promoted by "religious" people, and people continue to try to find their particular prejudice in ancient texts (the bible) and then use those texts as an excuse to not only cling to their hatreds but to act openly upon them. I say this not as a sociologist, political scientist, or historian but as a Southerner who heard the language, breathed the air, drank the water, and milled about in the community of intolerance. I know it not as an academic might, but as one who knows one's own heritage.

"Wait!" someone will call out to challenge me, "there is bigotry in the Northeast and in the West and all throughout the Midwest; the South doesn't hold a patent on prejudice." And that push back is fair enough, except I am speaking as a Southerner of a continuing Southern problem. I will let the natives of other areas speak to the social maladies of their regions. Yes, bigotry must be confronted all over; I'm starting with my "neck of the woods."

So, here I am a descendant of racists, misogynists, isolationists and fundamentalists. I am someone who experienced the heterosexism and homohatred of the rural South personally. I am a person who had to struggle against the prejudicial and anti-intellectual religious traditions of my family and geographic region to discover a more inclusive, compassionate, liberating, and justice seeking spirituality. And as such a person, I say that religiously accepted (and often promoted) intolerance of the "Other" is a long-standing problem in the South and we progressives from and in the South must continue to work for change.

Decency, justice, fairness, compassion, tolerance, and sanity all received a devastating blow yesterday. That same devastating blow has been delivered time and again in our history. James Adams said, "That the desires of the majority of the people are often for injustice and inhumanity against the minority, is demonstrated by every page of the history of the whole world." But I also hasten to add: bi-racial marriage was once illegal in many states...that is now behind us. "Sodomy" laws preventing consenting adults from sharing intimacy in the privacy of their own homes were once on the books of many states...that is now behind us. Women were once excluded from the voting booth, child labor was once permitted, there was a time when people could be denied employment or housing because they were Jewish, and people could once be denied service because of their skin color. These atrocities are all a shameful and painful part of our past, a past we now would never allow to be repeated. The "isms" have not all been healed, but we no longer allow them, for the most part, to be legislated or declared "righteous."

Same-gender loving people are the current demonized "Other" in a culture that has always seemed to need demonized "Others." But things do change. And so we keep waiting, and working, and speaking up and reaching out and hoping even when there seems little reason for hope. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). Being Southern is not an excuse for perpetuating oppression. We pledge allegiance...to the republic...ONE nation...INDIVISBLE, with liberty and justice for ALL. Remember? Until we live out the promise of our pledge, we cannot, we must not, and we will not give up.

Same-sex Marriage Continues to Gain Ground

To those who argue that marriage has always been betwen a man and a woman, let me respond:

Marriage has not always been between A man and A woman...different societies have had different norms. A man and a woman, a man and multiple women, a woman and multiple men (fewer, but they have existed), a man and a woman and a 2-spirited man (who would cross dress as a woman) who would be the husband's second wife (again, few, but it has existed), and there is even historical documentation of same-gender "friends" who have had their unions blessed by the church in the middle ages. Some cultures have allowed divorce and remarriage while others have not. Some have allowed young teens to marry (not appropriate for our day and time, but in the past it happened), and so on. Marriage has meant many things over many centuries across many cultures. Now, just b/c marriage has or has not looked a certain way in times past doesn't negate the need for us to what is just and fair NOW. And while many countries do not recognize gay marriage (yet), other countries do, some first nations do, and now some US states do. The trend will continue to move toward liberty and justice for ALL.

Maryland Looks at Gay Marriage

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/01/13/marriage-in-maryland-2/
"when Republicans are calling for civil unions you know the marriage train has left the station."
article from the Washington Blade

Biblolatry, Hatred, and Gay Marriage

Bible believers are free to vote their biblical values. Many who fund anti-gay marriage initiatives and who vote to keep same-gender loving persons as second class citizens often use the bible as their justification to do unto gays as they would never want anyone to do unto them.

I assume those who use the bible to justify their heterosexism have sold all their possessions and given all the proceeds to the poor (Mark 10.21).

I also assume all the women who voted against gay marriage because of their biblical faith never teach sunday school, sing in church choirs, pray in public, preach, or otherwise break silence in church (1 Corinthians 14.34).

I certainly hope NONE of the righteous voters are tatooed (Leviticus 19.28), and I would bet that every single one observes the Jewish Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday as is COMMANDED in the precious Ten Commandments (Exodus 20.8).

And, being the good biblical literalists they are, I'm sure they've worked out somehow which of the two contradictory creation narratives (Genesis 1.1 - 2.4 and Genesis 2.5 ff) they take at face value. I'm sure they believe slaves should obey their masters and men can have multiple wives and children can be beaten and that it is very difficult for the wealthy to "enter the kingdom of heaven)...bearing in mind that almost everyone in the US is wealthier than most everyone else on the planet.

As long as they are consistent with their biblical literalism and biblically excused fears and hatreds, I'm OK with it all...oh, wait...maybe hatred is hatred and no amount of proof-texting can make it less ugly than it is. OK, i'm back. Let's fix this mess and demand equality for everyone.