Search Results for: masculinity

Black man playing with a magnifying glass

Hyper-Muscular Christianity

In Seattle, self-described “charismatic Calvinist” Mark Driscoll preaches that “Jesus is a pride fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand, and the willingness to make someone bleed. That is a guy I can worship…I cannot worship a guy I can

Man speaking into microphone

Who’s Responsible for What They Say?

When 59-year-old Jim Adkisson stormed into the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church on July 27 as an angry unemployed engineer, fatally shooting two adults, most of us were shocked. When 51-year-old Timothy Dale Johnson, fearing he’d been canned by Target, barged into the Arkansas Democratic Headquarters

People Wearing Multicolored Socks

Stumbling Blocks to Gay Liberation

Ignorance – Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines ignorance as a lack of knowledge, education, or awareness. I agree with the definition, but it sounds benign. Ignorance is anything but! As we all know, it’s the root of horrendous injustices. It makes pastors, imams and rabbis deny us

Hands doing an explaining gesture

We All Have Histories

We have accepted the dominant line if we believe that only when Barack Obama talks is race an issue or that only when Hillary Clinton speaks is gender involved. We’re not supposed to ask how whiteness is behind what Clinton or John McCain say or

Dove flying in Lisbon, Portugal

Where’s Momma?!

As I begin this essay, on the evening of Mother’s Day, I have a very pertinent question: “Is Momma in the house?” The American Right is now in the process of imploding upon itself. How can we know, for certain, that it is about to

Girl in fairy dress in a field

How To Wreck a Relationship: Be a Lady

The ideals our culture installs in little girls to make them into “real women” hurt close relationships. The goal is to make women the warrior support personnel needed to maintain masculine-based warrior culture. The pattern of masculinity that destroys deep relationships requires the pattern of

Man talking in crowd of people

The Black Insult

Sissy. Punk. Faggot. Queer. Gay. All of these are names used to describe black same gender loving men. They are names by which we are defined. Now come on, tell the truth – if you REALLY want to hurt someone’s feelings, or insult them, degrade

Dove flying in Lisbon, Portugal

A Letter to Louise, Part 2

Read the rest of the series In the summer of 1998 fundamentalist Christian organizations, fearful of the consideration by some states of recognizing same-gender marriage, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on ads in major newspapers telling the nation that gays and lesbians are “sick”

Dove flying in Lisbon, Portugal

Dear Pastors

Dear Pastors, We are writing you this letter in hopes that you will understand our thoughts on same-sex marriages and gay rights. In no way are we going to haunt you because of your opinion. We pray that this note will open you eyes to