Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Radical Christians blame gays for Hurricane Katrina

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According to an article on 365gay.com, the radical Christian group, "Repent America" has blamed gays and the annual Southern Decadence festical in New Orleans for the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. Southern Decadence is the largest annual gay festival held in the entire South. According to the article:
"Southern Decadence" has a history of filling the French Quarters section of the city with drunken homosexuals engaging in sex acts in the public streets and bars" Repent America director Michael Marcavage said in a statement Wednesday. "Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city." Marcavage said. "From ‘Girls Gone Wild’ to ‘Southern Decadence’, New Orleans was a city that had its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin. May it never be the same." "Let us pray for those ravaged by this disaster. However, we must not forget that the citizens of New Orleans tolerated and welcomed the wickedness in their city for so long," Marcavage said. "May this act of God cause us all to think about what we tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling before the throne of Almighty God," Marcavage concluded.
Hurricane Katrina has killed a known hundreds of people and the total death toll could be in the thousands, said New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. CNN has reported that the death toll in New Orleans alone could total almost 100,000 souls. ======= As a person who does believe in the awesome power of a supreme being more powerful than myself, I ask all people who believe the same, no matter your religion, to pray for those lost by Katrina and those who remain. Also, take the time to pray for the people involved with Repent America and other similar groups that they may come to love their neighbors as themselves and in so doing find God and His never-ending love.

Georgia high school bans all clubs in effort to silence gay-straight alliance

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According to an article on the Washington Blade, a Georgia high school has banned all clubs in an effort to keep a gay-straight alliance from meeting at the school. White County High School has banned all non-curricular clubs such as Key Club, Interact, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and PRIDE, the school's gay-straight alliance. The clubs will no longer be endorsed or sponsored by the school and must now meet off campus. PRIDE (Peers Rising In Diverse Education) was allowed to form last year but only after heated debate including a meeting of the school board where preachers railed against homosexuality. ===== This reminds me of the days of segregation. When the government wanted to integrate the schools, many of the schools and school systems inthe South just shut down all schools rather than allowing blacks to go to school with whites. See, that is what the South is good at: Denial and Ignorance. If you don't see it, if you don't hear it... then it isn't there. Sooner or later, however, the school will be forced to allow non-curricular clubs again. All of the students and the parents will become upset and the school probably won't be able to deal with the aftermath. It would ahve just been better for the school to go ahead and allow the gay-straight alliance to form and to meet. The firestorm would have blown over eventually.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Good Problems at Gay UNCG

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As many of you know, I am a member of the Executive Board of UNCG PRIDE!, UNCG's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning and Allied Student Association. It is with great joy that I get to share this news about UNCG PRIDE! After a summer's worth of planning with the Executive Board for this academic year, we had our first meeting last Thursday with such a large turnout we could not fit everyone into the same room. Seventy seven people signed in but of course this does not count the people who never sign in at events such as these. I would not be afraid to say that it is very possible that almost one hundred students were present at the first meeting. This is our problem, although it is a good problem. I, along with one other current Board member, were on the Executive Board last year as well. The experience which we have had with PRIDE! is one of working with a student organization which attracted, at most, thirty people to one meeting. Many of the things we did last year cannot be done this year, including many of our discussion based meetings. So our good problem is that because we have so many people the Executive Board is now going to have to make a concerted effort in trying to do events and activities which can include and involve all of those seventy-some people. Many people who went to school at UNCG two to three years ago and many students still at UNCG can probably remember when PRIDE! almost collapsed due to one of the Executive Board members wanting a change in the Constitution of PRIDE! Last year (the year following the fall out) was mainly a year in which to rebuild and regain the strength we had before all the turmoil. A former Board member who attended last week's meeting said PRIDE! had not seen such a large turnout in almost three years. Evidently, last year's "rebuidling" year is exactly what the group needed. It makes me so happy to see that PRIDE! is once again becoming the strong and large group that it has been in the past. From our humble beginnings as the Gay Student Union in 1974, we have done nothing but grow. UNCG is special in the fact that our school has had only one GLBTQQA student group in its entire history. Many universities find themselves having numerous groups, with numerous missions. More often that not, those numerous groups all fail and collapse. UNCG PRIDE! has been on this campus since 1974. We are one of the oldest GLBTQQA student groups in the nation and I would even go as far to say that we are the oldest in North Carolina. My hope is that we will continue to grow and solve this good "problem" of having so many people interested and involved. It will be a challenge, yes, but I am quite sure that we can do it. We've been here thirty-one years... I don't think we'll be giving up anytime soon! UNCG PRIDE! meets every Thursday at 7:30pm. Check pride.uncg.edu for meeting locations throughout the semester. This week's meeting (9/01) will be held in the Faculty Center on College Avenue.

State of the Campus Address Tonight - UNCG

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Student Body President Daphne Villanueva will deliver the State of the Campus Address at tonight's meeting of the Student Government Association; tonight's meeting is a session of the full Senate. The meeting will begin at 7:30pm in the Kirkland Room of the Elliot University Center.

Greensboro Candidates Forum to be held

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A Candidates forum for those running for the Greensboro City Council will be held on September 27, 2005, 6:15PM-8:30PM, at the Weatherspoon Art Gallery at UNCG. For more information, please email floyds@gcsnc.com.

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Vatican to issue new regulations banning gay priests

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According to an article on 365gay.com the Vatican is preparing to issue new regulations calling for the prohibition of allowing gays into the priesthood. For years, the celibacy vow all priests take was considered enough to allow gay persons to serve as priests since Church doctrine does not condemn homosexual "temptations," but only condemns homosexual acts. It is not clear whether the Holy Father will sign off on the new regulations, which was brought forth by the Congregation for Catholic Education and Seminaries, the Vatican body which oversees seminaries. ====== These new regulations are just one more attempt by the Church to try to blame gays for the abuse of children by the clergy. This is even more evident when you consider that the Holy Father will be sending investigators to the United States in order to gauge the clergy child abuse crisis and also to investigate how many gays are currently serving in the priesthood. If the new regulations are passed by the Holy Father, gays will no longer be able to enter into seminary and gays currently serving within the clergy may be defrocked. As the Church apologized to Galileo five hundred years after his death, the Church will certainly have to apologize to gays in the future. It is too bad that the Church does not realize that what it does is wrong until centuries after it has caused harm.

Presbyterian Task Force recommends change on gay clergy rule

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According to an article published by the Washingotn Post on Saturday, August 27, 2005, a task force of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has recommended that the church make a change in its rules on gay clergy. According to the article:
Unveiling its long-awaited report in Chicago, the 20-member Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity called for Presbyterians to "make every effort to prevent schism." Its recommendations, adopted unanimously, represent a concerted effort by a mainline Protestant denomination to come to terms with internal disagreements over homosexuality and to avoid the kind of acrimony that has divided Episcopalians since their consecration of an openly gay bishop.
The rule change, if adopted would lead to localized control over the ordination of gays into the clergy and would occur on a case-by-case basis.

Saturday, August 27, 2005

KKK to protest Gay & Gay-Friendly Methodists' conference in Western NC

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According to an article on 365gay.com, the Ku Klux Klan plans to protest the "Hearts on Fire" Conference of the Reconciling Ministries Network of the United Methodist Church. The conference is set to take place on Labor Day weekend at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. According to the article, which was originally published by the Associated Press:
Imperial Wizard J.J. Harper told the newspaper he expects 20 Klan protesters in plain clothes. State law bans the KKK from wearing masks in public.
Haywood County Sheriff Tom Alexander will plans to use members of his force, as well as members of other municipalities forces, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in providing security for the event. The conference is expected to draw about 500 attendees, and according to the the article:
Local newspapers have been filled with letters about the conference in recent days. On Sunday, Nesbitt Chapel United Methodist Church in nearby Buncombe County bought a half-page newspaper ad urging "Christian Brothers and Sisters in Christ" to join them in "standing against the pro-homosexual rally" planned for Labor Day weekend.
For more information about the Conference, please visit: www.rmnetwork.org/convo/

Thursday, August 25, 2005

National Gay Groups Oppose Roberts

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According to an article on 365gay.com, four of the nation's major LGBT rights organizations have jointly issued an official statement opposing Roberts' nomination to the Supreme Court. The Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, are urging the Senate not to confirm Roberts to the high court. In the statement, the groups claim that Roberts would be against equality for LGBT citizens, despite the pro bono work he did on behalf of gay rights activists, helping them to win in the case of Romers v. Evans. According to the article, the statements says:
"Since President Bush nominated John Roberts on July 19, disturbing evidence has emerged about the kind of justice that he would be," the joint statement said. "His writings as a lawyer, his rulings as a judge, and his statements as a policymaker all lead us to the unfortunate conclusion that Judge Roberts would not vote to protect our civil rights from those who are, at this moment, fighting so hard to take them away. Instead, his record indicates that Judge Roberts would vote to roll back the constitutional protections upon which our community — and all Americans — rely."
For more information, read the full article

First UNCG PRIDE! Meeting Tonight

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The first UNCG PRIDE! meeting of the 2005-2006 academic year will be held tonight, Thursday, August 25th, at 7:30pm, in the Claxton Room of the Elliot Univerisity Center. UNCG PRIDE! is UNCG's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning and Allied Student Association. For more information: http://pride.uncg.edu ========= In other events, the President of the Student Body of the University will deliver her "State of the Campus" Address on Tuesday, August 30th, at 7:30pm in the Kirkland Room of the Elliot University Center. The Student Government Association meets every Tuesday at 7:30pm. For more information: http://sga.uncg.edu

Drive-by Culture?

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This morning as I was standing outside of my dorm drinking my coffee and having a cigarette (yeah... its bad for me I know)... I saw something that just really, really disturbed me. One student was walking down the sidewalk, going to class I assumed. And a white Volvo pulled up. One student in the Volvo proceeded to roll down the car window, stick his hand outside, and make a hand symbol of a gun and then "fired" it at the student walking down the street. The Volvo stopped and the two students chatted for a while. I assumed they knew each other. I hope you can see what is so disturbing. One would expect someone to give a friendly wave or say "What's up?" but in this case, one student pretended to shoot another in a "drive-by"! What is this? This is crazy if you ask me. Is it "cool" now to pretend that you are shooting someone in a drive-by? If so, these students might need some serious help. Let's just hope that hand-symbol of a gun doesn't one day turn into a real gun.

Conservative Rev. Falwell backs some gay rights

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According to an article on the Washington Blade, the Reverend Jerry Falwell has "come out" in support of some rights for LGBT Americans. The Human Rights Campaign, or so it is reported, is formally thanking the Rev. Falwell for his comments. On an August 5th appearance on MSNBC's "The Situation with Tucker Carlson," the REv. Falwell said:
"I may not agree with the lifestyle, but that has nothing to do with the civil rights of that … part of our constituency."
The Rev. Falwell also said that equal access to housing and employment were in no way considered "special" rights, but instead were considered "basic" rights. The article also states:
"Civil rights for all Americans, black, white, red, yellow, the rich, poor, young, old, gay, straight, et cetera, is not a liberal or conservative value," Falwell went on to say. "It's an American value that I would think that we pretty much all agree on."
For more, see the full text of the article ======= So, it seems as though the Rev. Falwell either knows how to carefully play the political card game or he has become, in some way, more compassionate toward the LGBT population in America. Either way, I hope that his words will be a way for the conservative, anti-gay right to come just a little bit closer to allowing LGBT people to have the same basic rights as everyone else.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Lambda Legal calls for tough questioning of Roberts

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According to an article on 365gay.com, Lambda Legal, the largest LGBT legal services and watch group, has called for some tough questions to be handed down to Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. I really do think that people need to start backing off Roberts. I have posted on this topic in the past and I will say now what I said then: Roberts should be confirmed. People on both sides of the aisle need to calm down and give him a fair confirmation hearing. Both sides need to get rid of the rhetoric and all that is now needed is to make sure that Roberts will uphold the law. I have faith that he will.

Monday, August 22, 2005

California bans gay bashing in political campaigns

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According to an article on 365gay.com, the California Senate passed legislation banning gay bashing in political campaigns on Monday, August 22, 2005. The ban, however, is included in the voluntary "Code of Fair Campaign Practices" pledge. The ban on campaign gay bashing is the first of its kind in the nation. The legislation had already been approved by the Assembly and now awaits approval from the Governor of California. Gov. Schwarzenegger has twelve days in order to decide to sign the legislation. For more information read the full article

The Carolinian Bashes the International Socialists

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You have just got to check this article out, published in The Carolinian, the newspaper at UNCG. Finally, someone at this school has the guts to speak out against the evils of the Socialists. Click to read article

I'm Back!!!

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Finally, after two weeks almost of waiting on UNCG to get the internet fixed in my dorm, I have internet again. Expect for me to start posting as regularly as I was before here soon! MATT HILL, matt@matthillnc.com, 336.391.9528

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Extended Absence

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Due to the wonderful people at UNCG (not) I will not be able to post very often, if at all, until sometime next week. I moved into my dorm room yesterday and my entire dorm building is without internet until they can get it fixed next week. Sorry, MATT HILL, matt@matthillnc.com

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Dorm Move In

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I will be finishing my packing tonight and moving into my dorm room at UNCG tomorrow (Wednesday). The University is having some technical issues in regard to the network and internet access in my particular dorm, so I will most likely not be able to post again until Wednesday evening or Thursday. I hope to be back to my blog by Friday at the latest. Until my return... For all the latest in LGBT news check out: www.365gay.com The Washington Blade For all the latest in NC LGBT new: The Front Page CRN Interactive Peace, MATT HILL matt@matthillnc.com

Roberts, a true "compassionate conservative"

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Although I am keenly aware that this may really upset (that may be an understatement) some of my liberal friends, I'm going to say it anyway: Judge John G. Roberts Jr. should be quickly and fairly confirmed to become the next Justice on the United States Supreme Court. He is fair and he is a good judge. He applies the law to his decisions and makes those decisions based only upon the law. At the same time, however, he is not afraid to stand up for the ideals upon which America was founded. In a column in The Washington Post, one of the bastions of the "liberal media" (or so say some conservatives), columnist Richard Cohen states:
President Bush's nominee for the Supreme Court, on the basis of the available evidence and all we know about human behavior, is not -- and I emphasize not ! -- a bigot. Specifically, he seems to harbor no prejudice against gay men and lesbians, who are, as we all know, anathema to social conservatives, who are anti-gay and pro-Bush, in about equal measures. Roberts, amazingly and inexplicably, seems to be a man of tolerance.
I couldn't agree more. Roberts worked on a pro-bono case in Colorado for gay rights activists. His work helped to overturn one of Colorado's most anti-LGBT piece of legislation (see Washington Blade article). In the column, Cohen also states:
The spectacle of conservative groups and the White House rushing to assure their constituencies that Roberts is not -- really and truly -- a tolerant man is both repulsive and absurd. In the end, this tethering of conservatism to the lost cause of homophobia will earn the rebuke of history. In the meantime, though, it puts Roberts on the spot. He might assert that he has been cruelly mischaracterized and, for benefit of career, renounce the work he had once done. But more likely his pro bono work speaks for itself. Until he says otherwise, on gay rights, he's out of the closet.
AMEN! The liberals need to stop complaining and the Democrats need to stop working against Roberts. The Republicans need to tone down the rhetoric and Focus on the Family needs to just butt out. Confirm Judge Roberts... he is a true "compassionate conservative."

Barney Frank's PFLAG Mom Passes Away

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According to an article on 365gay.com, the mother of U.S. Representative Barney Frank, Elsie Frank, has passed away. The longtime PFLAG Mom was 92. Despite her age, Ms. Frank remained active with PFLAG and senior advocacy groups. According to the article:
In addition to Rep. Barney Frank she leaves behind Democratic strategist Ann Lewis, Doris Breay and David Frank, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. "She will be dearly missed by the PFLAG parents she inspired with her steadfast support and by GLBT people everywhere who saw in Elsie the true meaning of unconditional love," said Sam Thoron, PFLAG's President.
My thoughts are with Representative Frank as he mourns the loss of his mother.

International Gay News

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Some International Gay News from various sources on various topics. From the Washington Blade: Nigerian man faces death sentence for gay sex Activists threaten to sue Moscow mayor over Gay Pride ban Anglican leader calls for Church of England suspension over gays From 365gay.com: Anti-Gay SF Archbishop Heads To Vatican

Gay Anglican Priests Going Against Church Directive

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According to an article on 365gay.com, gay priests in the Church of England are going against Church orders requiring them to give an "assurance of celibacy" if they enter into the United Kingdom's new domestic-partner registry. The Church recently issued a directive allowing gay priests to enter into civil unions but requiring them to remain celibate and give an assurance to celibacy to their bishops. Many gay priests have already come out in opposition to the directive saying that they would "defy their bishops and refuse to give guarantees they would abstain from sex in their relationships." The Church directive also forbids the blessings of same-sex civil unions by priests. "Already some two dozen clergy have signed a petition denouncing the instruction and promise to offer formal blessings to couples who have entered into civil partnerships," the article says. But gay priests are not the only ones upset. Anti-gay, Conservative Anglicans around the world are also upset. According to the article, "Archbishop Peter Akinola, the most powerful Anglican leader outside of Britain, is calling for the Church of England to be suspended from the denomination over the issue of civil partnerships." ====== I can only hope and pray that Our Lord Jesus Christ will guide the Church through this most upsetting time and circumstance. May God grant us peace and reconciliation and keep the Church united and free from schism.
A Prayer for Reconciliation Gracious God, ruling the earth and its people not by terror but in love; we worship you. We confess that too often our words hurt others and our deeds our selfish; forgive us. In this time of uncertainty and fear, help us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Saluting a Gay Rights Pioneer: Franklin Kameny

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The Washington Post recently ran an article about Franklin Kameny, 80 years young, founder of the Mattachine Society of Washington, "the country's first "civil-liberties, social action organization dedicated to improving the status of the homosexual citizen through a vigorous program of action," according to a Mattachine brochure in his attic." If it were not for men like Kameny I would not even be free to write on my blog. I salute Franklin Kameny and the work he has done to help make the United States a better nation for all. To view the Washington Post article click: Thewashingtonpostsignsofprogress.pdf

Judicial Activism... I hate that term

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Although I do identify as a "conservative," I have a somewhat different opinon from my fellow "conservatives" when it comes to the term "judicial activism." Plain and simple... I hate that term and I hate that it has come to represent a part of the American legal, justice and governmental system which has been in place since the creation of our current form of government in 1789. Many conservatives throw the term "judicial activism" around when discussing marriage equality for LGBT persons. What many people don't seem to get is that the courts and the judges have every right to make a decision on the equality of other people. The judges in Massachussetts, for example, had every right to decide that it was unfair and inequitable for the state to deny marriage to LGBT persons. People brought a lawsuit and the judges decided based upon fairness and equality... they stuck to the ideals upon which our Glorious Republic was founded: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, along with Liberty and Justice for All. To me, "all" should truly mean ALL and if it doesn't, then maybe we should re-think what our American ideals should be. Judges have every right to keep a check on the legislative branch of our government.. that element of our government is in our Constitution and it is called "checks and balances." Many of my fellow conservatives, many of whom I disagree with when it comes to marriage equality, think that judges are "legislating from the bench" and they are scrambling to pass amendments state constitutions and to the federal constitution to limit marriage to one man and one woman. What they don't get is that if that amendment proves to be discriminatory and unfair under our system of laws and ideals, then the judges will still have the authority to strike it down. If I'm wrong on this matter... someone please tell me. While you are telling me I'm wrong, please explain to me why the courts don't have the right to strike down unfair and inequitable laws, even if they are amendments. So, back to my original thought: The term "judicial activism" is stupid and implies a very incorrect concept. Judges are not legislating from the bench... they are simply upholding our ideals. The anti-gay conservatives need to find a new scapegoat... why you always picking on us gay people?

Monday, August 08, 2005

It's time for gays to stand up, both parties are against us

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It is high time for LGBT people to stand up for their rights and demand that our representatives and political candidates either be known to fully support us or not. I say it is time for politicians to get off the fence and stop playing with the LGBT community. It is for this reason that I am helping to lead The 2008 March on Washington Piedmont/Triad Organizing Effort Take a look at a blogpost from AndrewSullivan.com about Senator Clinton. Even she does not fully support us:
Hillary Rodham Clinton has a reputation as a principled liberal - at least that's what her base and her enemies seem to think. In practice, of course, she has always been a Clinton - a waffler, prevaricator, straddler. So it's no surprise to hear her complete non-answer on the question of same-sex marriage. Here's a transcript of a June 18 interview with Senator Clinton on the Brian Lehrer WNYC show in New York City: Lehrer: The lead story in the New York Times today is about Canada's decision to fully legalize gay marriage. do you think the United States should do that? Clinton: Well, obviously in our system it is unlikely ever to be a national decision. It is a state-by-state decision because of the way our federal system operates, where states define what the conditions for marriage, or domestic partnership, or civil union might be, so I don't think that we will ever face it. In fact there is a law on the books, passed before I was in the congress, the Defense of Marriage Act, which goes so far as to say that even if one state does it, other states under our full faith and credit clause of the constitution don't have to recognize it. Lehrer: But is Canada setting a good example, on that you'd like to see spread through the states here? Clinton: Well, I have long advocated domestic partnership laws and civil unions, to me... Lehrer: That's different from marriage. Clinton: Well, marriage means something different. you know, marriage has a meaning that I... I think should be kept as it historically has been, but I see no reason whatsoever why people in committed relationships can't have, you know, many of the same rights and the same, you know, respect for their unions that they are seeking and I would like to see that be more accepted than it is. Lehrer: But not with the context of marriage. Clinton: Yeah, I, I think that is, you know... First of all, I think that it is unlikely, if not impossible, to be something nationally accepted in our country, but I also think that we can realize the same results for may committed couples by urging that states and localities adopt civil union and domestic partnership laws. So there you have it. The Senator from New York State is opposed to equal rights for gays and lesbians. And that's one thing both the right and left will be reluctant to broadcast.

Gay and Gay-friendly involvement for College Students & Youth

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As the 2005-2006 school year comes close to starting, here are some ideas for ways in which students can get involved in the local LGBTQA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, ally) community in the Triad: But don't think that this is all that you can do... there is plenty more! Just get out there and start searching and find something to do in which you can help make your community a better place.

Triad Scouting For All changes its mission & organizational set-up/strategy

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Triad Scouting For All, http://triads4a.us.tt, the "organization" I started in Spring 2004, is changing directions. Over the past year I have come to realize that while interest remains high in the general subject and topic of discrimination against gay and atheist youth and adults within the Boy Scouts of America, community interest in being a part of an organization to try to stop it has declined. I've also come to realize that the Boy Scouts of America will not change by the pushing and prodding of organizations belonging to the Inclusive Scouting movement. Although I support those organizations, ones which include the Coalitions for Inclusive Scouting (www.inclusivescouting.net) and Scouting For All (www.scoutingforall.org), I do not see any future in them. Their work has been important but not much else can be done. In my honest opinion, it is high time for both Scouting For All and the Coalitions for Inclusive Scouting to re-evaluate where they stand and what they are doing, just as I have done with Triad Scouting For All. Triad Scouting For All has now become "Triad Scouting For All ONLINE" and will serve as an online, internet-based education and awareness group. My hope is to continue to run the site in order to help educate the community and raise awareness. While it has become obvious that Triad Scouting For All would have never succeeded in being a full-fledged "organization," it is still important to keep the story of what has happened in the Triad and especially within the Old Hickory Council alive. Triad Scouting For All ONLINE will be able to do just that. It will keep the story alive and help to educate those who wish to be educated. The site will continue to run and be updated with important information about the happeningsregarding the Boy Scouts, especially that which applies to the Old Hickory Council. As Triad Scouting For All Online comes into being, the website will be changing with new features and information added. I want to thank all of the community members who have supported me through my experiences with the Boy Scouts of America. Although I cannot name them all... they do know who they are. I would have been able to do nothing without your help. I am content with what Triad Scouting For All accomplished in April 2004 and I am content with the awareness that I have been able to bring about in Winston-Salem and the Triad regarding discrimination within the Boy Scouts of America. It is my wish that I shall be able to continue to raise awareness through Triad Scouting For All ONLINE and through continue to tell my story as I move on to be involved in other organizations and movements. Again, I thank all who have supported me. I now ask that everyone remember that we must still support the Boy Scouts of America. Although the Boy Scouts of America has their discriminatory membership policies, let us not forget the great works they ahve doen for our nation in the past and the opportunities which millions of young boys and adults still get to participate in today. Hopefully, the day will come when even gay and atheist youth and adults will be able to participate in this wonderful organization. Triad Scouting For All ONLINE is available at http://triads4a.us.tt. I hope to be able to acquire a more mainstream, ".org" or ".net" address sometime in the future.

The Church & Homosexuality: Where We Stand

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Where some of the Christian Denominations now stand regarding homosexuality, gay clergy and marriage, according to an AP article published on Express Gay News.
ELCA:The top legislative body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is set to take key votes this week on ordaining gays and blessing same-sex unions. Conflicts over what the Bible says about homosexuality have been tearing at Protestant denominations for years. Here is a description of how the debate is playing out in major American churches: UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST: The liberal, 1.3 million-member denomination passed a resolution July 4 endorsing same-sex marriage, making it the largest Christian denomination to do so. The church has been ordaining gays for decades. EPISCOPAL CHURCH: This U.S. branch of Anglicanism sparked a crisis in the global Anglican Communion by confirming its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Controversy over Robinson has battered the 2.3 million-member American church for the past two years and Anglicans worldwide are struggling to find a way to stay together. AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES USA: Tensions over homosexuality are heating up in the 1.4 million-member denomination; its leader pleaded for unity at a churchwide meeting last month. The denomination bars ordination of partnered gays, but several congregations are ignoring the prohibition. Some conservatives are threatening to leave unless those churches are reined in. UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: The denomination of 8.2 million members last year upheld its ban on ordaining sexually active gays. Recently, two lesbian ministers who have partners were separately tried by the church on charges they violated that rule. One woman was acquitted; the other's case is before the highest church court. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.): A task force for the denomination of 2.4 million people is scheduled to finish a report this summer on how to overcome severe disagreements on gay relationships. The church currently bans sexually active gays from the clergy ranks.

Sunday, August 07, 2005

The Sanctity of Marriage??? Gimme a break.

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According to an article published by Q-Notes, the Carolinas LGBTQ newspaper, "traditional" marriage has dropped by 50%. You know, if marriage is so sacred, please answer these questions for me:
  • Why has marriage declined by fifty percent?
  • Why are straights choosing not to get married?
  • Why in the hell do you make marriage out to be like some sort of screwed up reality show game like the Bachelor, the Bachelorette and Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?
  • Why is the divorce rate so high?
  • Why are so many of the people claiming marriage to be "sacred" breaking their vows and cheating on their spouses?
  • Why do you tolerate those screwed up celebrity marriages that last anywhere from a few hours to just a couple of months or less?
The "sanctity" of "traditional" marriage? The "threat" to "traditional" marriage? I hate to burst your bubble... but it ain't us queers who are threatening your "sacred" and "traditional" marriage... its your own damn fault.

MCC of Winston-Salem has new place of worship

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According to an article published by Q-Notes, the Carolina LGBTQ newspaper, the Metropolitan Community Church of Winston-Salem has a new place of worship. The MCC of Winston-Salem will be worshiping at a property on Patsy Drive in Winston-Salem, starting August 7, 2005. For more information about the MCC of Winston-Salem, visit www.mccws.org The MCC of Winston-Salem has been the only MCC in the immediate Triad area since St. Mary's MCC in Greensboro closed a few years ago.

Lesbian & Gay Center in Charlotte names new Executive Director

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According to an article published by Carolina Rainbow News (CRN Interactive), the Lesbian and Gay Community Center ("The Center") of Charlotte, NC, has named a new Executive Director.
The Lesbian & Gay Community Center’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Laura Kane-Witkowski has been hired as the new executive director. In her new position she will provide direction and leadership toward the achievement of the organization’s values, mission, strategy and it’s annual goals and objectives. Before relocating recently to Charlotte with her partner, Jessica Kane who is with Bank of America, Kane-Witkowski directed at Affirmations Lesbian Gay Community Center in Detroit.
Great news for Charlotte. Now all we need is a LGBTQA center in the Triad!

Saturday, August 06, 2005

Joines to run unopposed for Winston-Salem Mayor

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According to an article published today in The Winston-Salem Journal, Mayor Allen Joines will run unopposed for his second term as Mayor of the City of Winston-Salem. No challenger had filed to run by the deadline. In his first term, Mayor Joines has guided the City of Winston-Salem through great gains and losses. I would bet to say, however, that the gains far outnumber the losses. From the revitalization of Downtown Winston-Salem to the general growth of our city, Winston-Salem is doing well. Mayor Joines is a member at Wake Forest Baptist Church, where he once served as a deacon. Mayor Joines is the third Winston-Salem mayor to be a member at the Church.

Friday, August 05, 2005

Harmful Budget Provision taken out of NC budget

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According to an article by the Raleigh News and Observer and posted on the website of the University of North Carolina Association of Student Governments (www.uncasg.org), a provision which would have been harmful to the UNC System has been taken out of the proposed North Carolina budget. The full text of the article is below: Leader: Tuition plan is a no-go 08.05.2005 But UNC board hears the dissent By JANE STANCILL, Staff Writer A controversial proposal to give UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University tuition-setting authority is dead, Senate leader Marc Basnight said Thursday. "It won't get done, but it will have a very positive effect at the end of the day," he said in a meeting with reporters and editors at The News & Observer. He acknowledged that there weren't "two votes" for the tuition plan in the House, where members voiced strong opposition this week. But he did say he expected the debate to prompt the UNC system governing board to take a renewed look at the needs of the two big campuses. The powerful Democrat from Dare County made his remarks before leaving to negotiate final budget issues Thursday afternoon with House Speaker Jim Black. The tuition issue was one stumbling block to a final agreement. Basnight, who has championed the needs of the state's two largest universities, said the UNC system's Board of Governors has gotten the message that those campuses should get some special treatment. "What we have done here has shaken this group," he said. The tuition plan arose in the Senate budget as a special provision. It would have given NCSU and UNC-CH campus trustees the authority to raise tuition, within limits, on their own without going through the systemwide governing board. A chorus of opposition grew as critics warned that it would be the beginning of the end of the state's respected 16-campus public university system. Former UNC presidents said the measure would mean a return to the days of fierce rivalry and political infighting among the state's campuses for state funds. Then last week, four former governors and lieutenant governors issued a statement denouncing the proposal, citing "grave concerns" about financial and governance implications. That, Basnight said, was a "crucial blow" to the plan. UNC Board of Governors Chairman Brad Wilson said the proposal's demise was good news for the university system and a recognition that the system structure "will continue to work and work like it should." But he said the board has taken notice of legislators' concerns. The debate has brought more attention to the issue, he said, and the board will look at what more it can do for all campuses -- but with a particular emphasis on NCSU and UNC-CH. "We're at work, and we're going to begin the conversation next Thursday and Friday," Wilson said, referring to the board's regularly scheduled meetings. As the fall goes on, Wilson said, there will be new ideas about how to help the research-oriented campuses, while staying true to the UNC system's historic commitment to affordability. The tuition debate erupted after the UNC system board denied a round of tuition requests from all campuses earlier this year. But Wilson stressed that the systemwide board had raised tuition on various campuses four out of the past five years. Basnight said the campuses need help to stop a slide in the college rankings and prevent star professors from being recruited away. He cited two medical professors from UNC-CH who had recently left for Stanford University. Different campuses have different needs, he stressed. "These aren't Wal-Marts where you go back to the headquarters and just manage them all alike and cut them all alike and make them look the same," he said. Critics of the tuition provision blasted what they said was improper influence by a political action committee, Citizens for Higher Education, which was formed three years ago by wealthy alumni and trustees from UNC-CH. The group recently started a Web site to solicit support for tuition autonomy and other proposals. The group gave $360,000 to political candidates in the last election cycle. And e-mail messages showed that UNC-CH administrators and trustees had communicated quietly with Basnight's office about the tuition provision during its drafting. But Basnight denied Thursday that the idea had come from UNC-CH boosters. "This is my issue," he said. "It's not theirs. It's mine. They didn't even know what it was. ... They adopted my idea because I told them about it." The political action committee has had little impact, Basnight said. Basnight predicted another provision pushed by UNC-CH supporters would pass. That measure would give in-state status to out-of-state scholarship recipients. That would save millions of dollars for athletic booster clubs and private scholarship foundations but would cost UNC campuses $32 million in lost revenue. It would also open the doors of UNC campuses to more students from outside North Carolina -- an idea that has met sharp public resistance in the past. Wilson said he hoped there would be no lasting damage in what has been a very public feud between system leaders and UNC-CH supporters. "This is just a very intense debate among members of a family who care deeply about an institution," Wilson said.

Copyrighting the Bible? Offering in Church?

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I was reviewing some of my old writings while posting some of them in the "Essays/Longer Writings" section of the side bar here on the blog and ran across a citation in one of my papers.
The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
I'm taking issue with this. Who has the right to copyright the Word of God? Evidently the National Council of Churches of Christ does. I'm sorry. there is just something wrong with the fact that a group of people can copyright the Holy Word of Our Lord Jesus Christ. There is something terribly wrong with that. I know that some will say that the Council jsut copyrighted the translation, but what, really, is the difference? If you copyright the words of the translation, aren't you also copyrighting the words of Our Lord? I hate to tell these people this, but the only person who has any right to "copyright" the Words of Christ is Christ Himself. Another component of the Church that I take issue with, while I'm thinking of it, is public offering during Church services. I grew up poor, in fact, being a college student now... I'm still poor. There are Sundays when I go to Church when I do not have the money to put into the offering plate when it comes around. Not only is it embarassing, it can also lead to some people thinking they are not as good as others, especially when they see another person put a twenty or fifty dollar bill in the plate. In my honest opinion, the offering plate should not be passed around in the middle of the Church Worship Service. I'm NOT saying take out the offering completely, because that is a part of the worship service. Here is my proposal: Put the offering plates at the door of the narthex or nave with someone there to make sure no one, God forbiding, steals the money. That way people are free to place money inthe plate or just walk by it. Then, when it is time to bring the offering to the Alter it can still be done. I'm still kind of worked up over the copyrighting of the Bible, though.

Defrocking of Epsicopal priest goes too far

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I discovered a blog post on the Gay Religion News Blog (http://religion.gaynewsblog.net). An Episcopal priest of the Eastern Diocese of the Episcopal Church in Michigan has been defrocked due to his opposition of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America's stance on homosexuality and the appointment of The Right Reverend V. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire. The Reverend Gene Geromel was removed for being "out of communion" with his Bishop. ======= I really do think that the removal of The Reverend G. Geromel goes too far. The Church is only making a bad situation worse. Now, everyone can probably guess right off that I am in full support of the concescration of The Right Reverend V.G. Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire. Everyone can also guess that I am also in support of the Church's movement toward full inclusion. I want to be a priest one day and full inclusion is the only way I will be able to achieve that. I also believe, however, that the Church must allow room for disagreement not only amongst its members, but also its clergy. If The Reverend G. Geromel had been Bishop of the Diocese, I might have supported his removal from that post, but not his defrockment. No priest should e defrocked just because of his view on homosexuality, unless that view is harmful to the spiritual welfare of the Church's gay and lesbian membership. To me, it seems as though The Reverend G. Geromel has only spoken his mind about Scripture and he has nto condemned any body or any group of persons. He should not have been removed from the Priesthood.

UNCG Jackson Library Constructs Online Civil Rights Database

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According to an article published August 3, 2005, on the website of the UNCG newspaper, The Carolinian, Jackson Library is beginning to construct an online database of Civil Rights Movement records and documents. The Jackson Library, located at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, received a $10,000 grant from the Greensboro Community Foundation to make "all the transcripts from interviews, information, pictures and documents available online for the public." According to the article, "The interviews were done between the 1970's and 1990's by the public library regarding the Woolworth sit in and those involved." The Civil Rights Movement caught fire after the 1960 sit-in of the Woolworth Store in downtown Greensboro. The students participating in the sit-in attended the second of Greensboro's two state schools: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, a historically African-American institution of higher education. A short time after the Greensboro sit-in, one also occured at the Woolworth Store in Downtown Winston-Salem. ===== One has to wonder, with the new interest in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, whether or not people in Greensboro and Winston-Salem will embrace equality for all, or just keep equality something that is reserved for only a select few. We mustn't forget about the inequalities of our own day: Those which effect the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender American citizenry.

From Scouting For All

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August 5, 2005 Scouting for All ACCEPTING APPLICANTS FOR SCOUTING FOR ALL – SOUTHERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR POSITION Scouting for All is announcing that Mark LaFontaine, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, will be resigning his position as the Southern Regional Director effective September 1, 2005. During his tenure, he has tirelessly advocated for the principles of Scouting For All’s mission of ending the openly discriminatory ban on gays, atheists and youth. “This position requires a lot of dedication and devotion and is highly regarded throughout the Southern Region of the United States. To say it is prestigious would be an understatement,” says LaFontaine. The Southern Region incorporates over 11 states and 2 territories. It requires some travel and a lot of communication with local, state and federal governmental and civic leaders. The Region has established many affiliates who are always eager to lend a helping hand in planning and promoting events. Mark has agreed to assist the next Regional Director so that the transition is as smooth as possible. Please feel free to contact him via e-mail at MarkL@CheckMInc.com or his office number at 954-564-9901. *If you are interested in the position please email Scott Cozza, President Scouting for All your resume, 3 references, and a statement as to why you want to volunteer for Scouting for All. Scott's email address is cozzahived@aol.com For a job description go to the http://www.scoutingforall.org/ web site and click the About Us menu then click Scouting for All volunteers positions. You'll see the job title. Just click it for the job description. Sincerely, Scott Cozza, President Scouting for All

Original Copy of Bill of Rights returned to NC

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According to an article published today in The Winston-Salem Journal, North Carolina's original copy of the United States Bill of Rights has been returned to the state after 140 years of being gone. The copy of the Bill of Rights, one of only 14 made by George Washington's clerks, was originally stolen from the State Capitol by a soldier under the command of General William T. Sherman on April 14, 1865. The Bill of Rights was then taken to Ohio and switched hands numerous times before the Federal Government set up a sting to get it back in early 2003. One thing which the article does not mention is the controversy surrounding Tennessee's request to share the document since the State of Tennessee was a part of North Carolina at the time when the copy of the Bill of Rights were made. ====== So, yeah, this has nothing to do with my general rants on religion or gay rights, but I am a history major and a very proud North Carolinian. I thought it was worth mentioning. Picture: Gov. Mike Easley (left) and U.S. Attorney Frank Whitney show off North Carolina's copy of the Bill of Rights, which President George Washington gave to the state in 1789. (AP photo)

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Two events: Equality NC & PFLAG Winston-Salem

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Equality NC, North Carolina's statewide LGBT rights advocacy and lobbying group, will hold a fundraising reception in Greensboro, NC, on Saturday, August 20, 2005. For more information: http://www.equalitync.org/events/events.shtml PFLAG Winston-Salem will hold its first annual Kaleidoscope Awards Banquet in Winston-Salem, NC, on Thursday, September 8, 2005, at the Saint Paul's Episcopal Church. The key-note speaker will be The Right Reverend Michael Curry, Bishop of North Carolina. For more information: http://www.pflagwinstonsalem.org/Banquet.htm

Gay Blood = Bad Blood ???

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According to an article on www.ssonet.com, a push has begun in AUstralia to get the Australian Red Cross to rescind its ban against donated blood from gays. Hip Hip Hooray!!! We need something like that in America. There is absolutely no reason for donated blood from gays to be banned. If the Australian and American Red Crosses are worried about HIV/AIDS then they are just stupid! The majority of HIV/AIDS transmissions occur in the heterosexual community, not the homosexual community. On top of that, ALL of the blood donated to the Red Cross is tested for HIV/AIDS and other viruses and potentially harmful germs and viruses anyway. Why is there still a ban against gays if the majority of HIV/AIDS transmissions occur in the heterosexual community and tests are taken on all of the blood: I have an answer for you... Homophobia, Heterosexism, Bigotry, Ignorance & Hate.

Liberals complain too much... Roberts should be confirmed.

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Personally, I see absolutely no reason why Roberts should not be confirmed for his nomination to the Supreme Court by President Bush. Roberts seems to be a very good guy for the job. He is fair, he is consistent and he has made judgments about the law according to the law. So far, I haven't even seen one shred of proof that would say Roberts is hiding some kind of "right wing" agenda. He just seems to be a fair and open-minded Conservative (in a good way), Republican, Catholic. There is nothing wrong with that; just like there is nothing wrong with me being a Consertive Anglican Democrat. If anything, Roberts may not even be "conservative;" he might just be a mainstream "moderate," which is what the Supreme Court needs. You know, not all Republicans have given into the religious right's bigoted agenda. As an article in the L.A. Times points out, Roberts even helped win a case involving gay rights...guess what...he fought for the rights of gays. Yup, that's right. So the liberals need to just shut up now and stop complaining. There is nothing to complain about.

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

High Ranking Boy Scout Official dismissed for being gay

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According to an article in "Mother Jones" magazine, Dennis St. Jean has become the highest ranking and longest serving Boy Scouts official or member kicked out of the Scouting Program for being gay. St. Jean was the General Manager of Sea Base in the Florida Keys but had served in various high ranking leadership positions in the Boy Scouts of America, including at its national headquarters in Irving, Texas. According to the article, on January 28, 2005 "a representative from Irving came to Florida and presented him with the "evidence": a copy of his bill from Lighthouse Court Gay Guesthouses, where he had vacationed months before. (St. Jean believes the bill was obtained by a disgruntled Sea Base employee who had somehow found out about the trip.) Days later, a registered letter from Irving stated that the BSA had "lost confidence" in St. Jean's ability to serve as an employee." ===== How long must the Boy Scouts of America sacrifice the well-needed support and expertise of its members, leaders and officials for its bigoted and unethical discriminatory membership policies? Since when did being gay make someone unable to tie Boy Scout knots, make a campfire, pitch a tent or do many of the other thousands of Scout-related skills? Since when did being gay make a person somehow less worthy to be a part of something bigger and greater than themselves? As the article points out, the Boy Scouts will be forced to change their policies as soon as their membership shows an even greater drop than it has so far.... and starts to hurt the organization's money purse.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Poll shows NC voters would back a gay union ban

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I just discovered this poll, published June 24, 2005 by the Raleigh News and Observer (click here to see article). The poll included 600 randomly selected persons in North Carolina. According to the article: "A survey this month of likely voters found that 56 percent favored prohibiting gay marriage through an amendment, 38 percent disagreed and the remaining 6 percent were not sure." ===== This is precisely why we should NOT allow the people to decide the fate of the minority by referendum! Just imagine if we had put slavery up to vote by the people, or maybe women's right to vote, or child labor... maybe prayer in the schools... what about putting the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and the demands it made up to a vote... what about segregation? If any one of those issues had been put up to a vote by the people... of course the minority would have been overruled. It is just ludicrous to allow the people to decide on an issue of equality, for the majority is often against the minority. The majority, many times, will also do their very best to keep the minority "in their rightful place" in society. I hate to say this, but its true... Sometime the majority is STUPID!! They were stupid during slavery, on the issue of the woman's vote, child labor and segregation. What makes them right about marriage and equal rights for gays? NOTHING.

NC Church leads the way: Breaks ties with UCC

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According to an article on 365gay.com, a Salisbury, North Carolina, church has severed itself with the United Church of Christ. According to the article: "On Sunday, members of Shiloh United Church of Christ voted 189-9 to sever ties with the denomination - ending 40 years of affiliation with the UCC. Shiloh was founded 134 years ago." Shiloh Church broke its ties over the issue of same-sex marriage. The UCC General Synod approved a resolution supporting marriage for same-sex couples in July. Over 80 percent of the 1000 delegated voted in favor of the resolution. ===== It comes as no surpirse to me that a rural church in North Carolina would want to seperate itself from a national body taking a positive and inclusive stance on the issue of marriage for same-sex couples and other gay and lesbian issues. North Carolina has long been a more conservative minded state, especially when it comes to religion. I hope the best for Shiloh Church in its journey of faith and service. I also hope that all member's of Christ's Church remember this one thing: We are all one body, for we share one bread and one cup.

Monday, August 01, 2005

Zach is out...posts vague blog post

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Zach Stark, the 16 year old Tennessee boy sent to an ex-gay camp, is out and has posted a vague blog entry. It is still not clear what effect the camp has had on him. One response to his blog post, however, states (very offensively) that the person making the blog post isn't Zach. No one really knows... the internet is such an anonymous place. Click here to read Zach's blog