Dear Bro, Have you ever thought about the things we know now only by our efforts to understand ourselves and our environment? For instance, when I think about what our mother could have shared with me about the process of becoming a young woman (and
Why the proximity of the two holidays should provoke reflection This July 4th, America for the 248th time celebrates its independence from British rule. But the proximity of Juneteenth, now a federal holiday since President Biden designated it as such in 2023, should force Americans
Since abolition, women have led the fight for rights we now take for granted When those rich white males turned the Declaration of Independence’s “All men are created equal” into the original U.S. Constitution, they took “men” quite literally. Their constitution made landed white men
As I watched the Atlanta Pride parade broadcast on TV last fall (we march in October thanks to a summer drought in 2007 that rendered the parade’s endpoint, Piedmont Park, a scorched wasteland), I was struck by a couple of things at once. For starters,
A conservative backlash against bisexual, transgender, and gay people is growing so strong that random street violence is surging in the U.S., the U.K., and elsewhere. Kids are learning hatred from parents and churches and then bullying and beating up LGBTQ+ classmates. Queer adults are
Here’s how to celebrate a healthy, bigot-free Pride By now everyone should know that June is celebrated as LGBTQ+ “Pride Month.” That’s well-established in cultures across the globe whether anyone else likes it or not. Anti-LGBTQ+ forces use the public celebration to their advantage —
Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, holds profound significance for our nation and should be honored and celebrated by everyone, including LGBTQ+ people — and in particular, by LGBTQ+ Christians. Here’s why. For starters, Juneteenth for me as a Christian is
Dear Bro, In the dictionary there are two distinct definitions of perspective. One deals with the way we can draw an object to make it look like it has dimensions — in other words, so the eye will perceive, say, an object in a picture
There’s still a difference between accepting and affirming Last month, United Methodist Church delegates voted to repeal the denomination’s long-held exclusionary stance toward its LGBTQ+ members in church doctrine, polity, and social standing. The news was received with mixed feelings — cheers and tears. “We
In life’s complex tapestry, where prejudice, -isms and misunderstanding can still cast long shadows, the LGBTQ+ community has navigated through storms of discrimination and rejection. And within that struggle lies an opportunity — a clarion call to embody the deepest teachings of love, compassion and