Will & Grace as Good Medicine in the Time of Trump

If what W&G was meant to do was recapture a bygone moment, then it was not quite successful. If it was meant to help a generation reconnect with old icons, it came closer to the mark. But, if it was meant to provide a catharsis in a devastating, depressing, dystopian moment in American history, then it may prove to be the most important television offering of the Fall. 

When a group is hurting, feels powerless, and is routinely dehumanized, an age old coping mechanism is to fight back with fantasy, with camp, with humor, and with burlesque. If we can laugh at pain, we can endure it. If we can wink at hopelessness, we can resurrect hope. If we can imagine the Beast being defeated, we can transcend some of our fear of the Beast (the monster, the ghosts, the demons, the little green folk with ray guns, etc.). 

Transgender folk in military targeted? Mention Caitlin Jenner in charades.

DOJ suggests gay folk are not protected by civil rights laws? Jacks makes out with a Secret Service agent.

45 cozies up to the homophobic religious right? Grace leaves a Make America Gay Again hat in the Oval. 

The struggle will be long and arduous; a little laughter and self affirmation will help us endure it...and will also remind us what the struggle is for and why we cannot give up.

Comedy reboot = B minus.

Social Commentary = A minus.

Much needed healing catharsis = A PLUS.

Thank you Will & Grace (& Karen and Jack)!

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 

Q&A: Why Didn't Jesus Say Anything Against Homosexuality?

Q: Why didn’t Jesus say anything against homosexuality? Was it because the Hebrew Scriptures were so clear about it that he didn’t feel the need to say more; did he just assume everyone thought homosexuality was wrong and his silence was basically agreement?

A: Let’s consider what the scriptures available to Jesus had to say about homosexuality.

Many people assume the story of Sodom & Gomorrah condemns homosexuality, but it doesn’t.

The prophet Ezekiel stated the sin of Sodom was inhospitality and lack of compassion and lack of concern for the poor (the Sodom & Gomorrah story includes attempted gang rape and repeated incest; there is not a single mention of same-gender love or mutual attraction...in fact, the story concludes by showing that the Moabites and Ammonites were the product of incest...the story is an ethnic slur against enemies, not a prohibition against gays).

Some will say that the Adam and Eve story where the man is told to “cleave unto his wife and become one flesh” is a statement against same-sex marriage. But the creation myths are just that...origin myths, not dictates about marriage (in fact, the Hebrew word "woman" has too often been mistranslated as "wife" but there is no ritual marriage in the story).

That leaves only two verses in Leviticus from the Hebrew texts that could be considered "homophobic". Two verses....not two stories, not two chapters, just two sentences.

Since Jesus reinterpreted, ignored, or defied ancient texts that called for killing Canaanites (he healed the Canaanite woman's daughter) or keeping a strict Sabbath (saying the Sabbath was made for us, not us for the Sabbath), or killing those caught in adultery (he rescued a woman who was about to be stoned, noticing, no doubt, that her co-adulterer somehow had escaped punishment), there is no reason to believe that Jesus would have been one to enforce two obscure and isolated verses from one book of the Torah. So, from the evidence that I can gather, I believe Jesus didn't mention homosexuality because it wasn't an issue of concern for him.

Secondarily, we know from history that eunuchs were "functionally" homosexual (that is, as slaves, they were often used for male/male sex), and Jesus in Matthew's gospel advocates for eunuchs, and (in his Jesus like way) even broadened the definition of eunuch to include those who are born sexually different.

There is another story of Jesus healing a centurion’s "servant" and the Greek word used for servant was often used to refer to a sex-slave (and a sexual relationship would explain why a Roman nobleman would seek out a Jewish healer to help his "servant"...only romance would explain the desperation of seeking out a peasant magician to help save someone).

So, not only did Jesus never condemn homosexuality (and his scriptures only mention homosexuality negatively twice and he never referenced those writings), but there are times when he seems to have embraced same-gender loving people. That proves nothing about the rightness or wrongness of same-gender love and attraction, but it does suggest that condemning it in Jesus' name is myopic and ahistoric.

Another prayer for Marriage Equality

All-inclusive, unconditional, divine Love,

Eternal Mother, Father, and Friend,

Goddess of justice/Lord of liberty,

Source of peace, hope, and joy,

Omnipresent spirit of life,

Heartbeat of all people,

Field of all possibilities,

Song of the universe,

Pure consciousness,

Infinite compassion,

Inward light,

Over-soul,

All-in-all,

We pray today for marriage equality in the United States. It exists in many states, and in some nations, and now we dare to hope that it will be a reality throughout this country.

We pray that all loving, adult couples who wish to marry will have the opportunity to do so, that they may love and care for each other within legally recognized unions.

The US Supreme Court will hear a case and in the weeks or months that follow will make a decision that could make marriage be an equal right rather than a heterosexual privilege. And if they do so, that will be very good news for same-gender loving people all over the world.

It might inspire other countries to legalize marriage regardless of the gender identities of people in love.

It might give LBGT people hope and courage as they struggle for safety and equality in their various homelands.

And it will send a message to same-gender loving people of all ages throughout the US that the blessings and responsibilities, security and opportunities of marriage can be theirs, complete with every legal protection they deserve.

We stand at the threshold of a great, new day.

Let the sacred value of all people be affirmed.

Let the dignity of every person be recognized.

Let the goodness of mutual love be celebrated.

Let there be liberty and justice for ALL.

In the names of lovers and healers, justice workers and peacemakers,

in the names of those who have been vilified, marginalized, persecuted or oppressed simply because they were gay or lesbian,

in the names of all who have dared to speak out in favor of justice-love and equality,

in the names of all who have “come out”,

in the names of those who longed to “come out” but somehow could not,

in the names of those who refused to give up religion even when religion seemed to give up on them,

in the names of every loving couple who formed a spiritual marriage even though the state would not recognize it,

in the names of those who never gave up hope that marriage equality would come to pass and that love would prevail,

in the names of all helpers of humanity we pray.

Amen.

Prayers for Marriage Equality

Invocation by Durrell Watkins
One: Equality is on our minds today, Holy One. We are grateful for the victories we have won. We are hopeful for the future. We spend this hour in this holy place praying for marriage equality, praying for justice, praying for good news, in your many names. 
All: Amen.

Prayer for SCOTUS Marriage Equality Decision by Durrell Watkins
One: Goddess of Love, Lord of Life,
Mother of Possibilities, Father of Hope,
Spirit of Justice, Wind of Positive Change,
Fire of Courage, Wave of Right Relationship,
Ground of All Being,
We dare to embrace optimism today.
We choose to believe that Right Action is at hand.
We pray for the Supreme Court to protect the rights of all people, to uphold the ideal of liberty and justice for ALL.
We affirm that marriage equality is right and good, and it must and it will become the law of the land.
The time is right. Let Love prevail! In the name of all that is good and holy we pray. 
All: Amen.

Inter-religious Litany for Marriage Equality by Durrell Watkins 
(using Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist sources)
One: Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu…
All: Blessed are you, our sovereign God!
One: We know that love is divine.
All: And so we pray for love to prevail, for all genuine, mutual love to be recognized and protected.
One: Om gum ganapatayei namaha.
All: We revere That Which is Holy and we know It can remove all obstacles and grant us blessings.
One: Om mani padme hum.
All: May compassion and loving-kindness guide the leaders of our nation.
One: Nam myoho renge kyo.
All: We are devoted to the Law of Love.
One: Gate gate paragate, parasamgate bhodi svaha.
All: We will keep moving forward, all the way to enlightenment and joy.
One: All shall be well; all shall be well…
All: And all manner of things shall be well.
One: We pray for marriage equality.
All: We pray for liberty and justice for all.
One: Alleluia! Shanti. Shalom. Blessed be.
All: Amen.