This is absolutely hysterical. A video from the upcoming album of Donnie Davis and Evening Service from Love God's Way ministries. Pam has all the details as intrepid bloggers ferret out the genius behind this parody. Its been banned from MySpace, Google and YouTube. I was rolling in my pajamas laughing so hard I frightened my dog who was trying to enjoy the soft-Christian-pop strains.
I can't do all the fancy downloading and embedding of videos yet, so click on the image and it will take you to where you can view it all for yourselves. Here's a taste of the lyrics:
God hates a fag God hates fags God hates fags So if you're a fag, He hates you, too
Read the Bible and you'll be sure To enter heaven, there's no back door Righteous man, get on your knees There lies no virtue in sodomy
Lord you are my shield Sustain me through the fight A shelter from the urges And help me see the light
You filthy sinners should just let me be 'Cause Jesus my savior's the only man for me
Is it religion that fosters this willful ignorance and compulsion to deny basic civil rights to other oppressed minorities?
Why is the black church so complicit in taking up the cudgel of discrimination when so many organists, choir leaders and assistant pastors are obviously gay? What accounts for this shameful lack of honesty and tolerance?
Certainly, the non-religious corners of African-American life are proudly and defiantly homophobic. It's another pathology this community has to come to grips with sooner or later.
Artful as always, Tony Norman attempts to elevate the furor around Isaiah Washington to a level of discourse that's actually relevant to homosexuals, particularly African-American gay men and lesbians (and bisexuals and transgender individuals). Rather than validate the absurd call for Washington's "Grey's Anatomy" character to turn gay, Norman dismisses Washington's acting impact, characterizing his role in the larger dynamic as simply another reinforcement of a stereotype that straight black men are homophobes.
Let's face it, though he's a competent enough actor, he's no Andre Braugher, Hugh Laurie or Forest Whitaker. You don't think "brilliant thespian" when Washington's name comes up. You think grumpy guy with a stethoscope.
Not only did Washington offend homosexuals by slurring T.R. Knight, he embarrassed straight, black folks like myself who aren't eager to deal with the stereotype that all black men are homophobes.
Turning Washington's character gay simply perpetuates the notion that being gay is a punishment, a curse to be born, an anathema to all straight men who aren't in touch with their femine side. Its a stupid suggestion made by small minded people who don't understand that playing a gay man on television has nothing in common with being gay. All the artificial swish in the world won't penetrate his thick skull unless he genuinely opens his mind. And, frankly, I don't care if he does. I'm much more concerned about the thick-skulled Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria's Anglican Church in terms of impact on the lives of gay people.
Tony's finger pointing at the faith communities within the African-American community is well-done and much-needed. But, to be fair, here in Pittsburgh there is also much needed work to be done on the part of the mainstream (aka white) gay community reaching out to include gay minorities.
Shout out to all the Pittsburgh Episcopalians who have supported the Grand PooBah of Intolerance, Bishop Duncan and his desire to break away to form his own sect. We've covered his longstanding attachment to Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola.
Well you should be congratuled b/c your bigotry and anti-gay sentiment have built a direct bridge to the impending misery of gay individuals and families throughout Nigeria. Not only will they be prohibited from attending church to taint your sanctimonious little Christian family values, they will be prohibited from ... well, pretty much existing (365gay.com).
Legislation that would strip gays and lesbians of all civil rights has passed its final hurdle and is set for a vote in Nigeria's Parliament.
The bill started out as a ban on same-sex marriage and has been revised to make it a crime for more than two gay people to be in the same venue at the same time.
It prohibits LGBT social or civil rights groups from forming. It would be illegal to sell or rent property to same-sex couples, watch a gay film or video, visit an LGBT web site, or express same-sex love in a letter to one's partner.
The legislation goes so far as to make it a criminal offense to impart information of HIV/AIDS to gays or for non-gays to meet with any group of gays for any purpose.
The penalty would be five years in prison with hard labor.
Gay sex already is illegal in Nigeria with sentences up to 14 years behind bars. In the mostly Islamic north homosexuality can be punishable by death.
This is the slippery slope we tread around here in America. Those of you who believe second-class citizenship is good enough for homosexuals open the door to the kind of oppression listed above. I know some of you harbor in your hearts the notion that "gay sex" probably deserves punishment, but can you really say two gay people being in the same place at the same time should result in imprisonment?
This is a human rights travesty of immense proportions. And here in Pittsburgh, just find your nearest Episcopalian Duncan-loyalist and say "Thanks!"
James M. Edwards of Squirrel Hill is not happy with Carol Mullen of Edgewood. So very not happy that he took the time out of his busy schedule of sanctimonious self-congratulations to pen a little missive to the Post-Gazette. Edwards took umbrage with a letter Mullen had published on December 26 offering her insight into the tragic suicide of local Presbyterian pastor, Brent Dugan.
Mullen had the audacity to suggest that perhaps KDKA was not solely responsible for this tragedy and that perhaps Reverend Dugan's inner turmoil over his homosexuality could be traced to the Presbyterian Church's anti-gay stance.
The Presbytery's long history of supporting the Presbyterian Church (USA) ban on the ordination of sexually active gay people certainly could not have helped the Rev. Dugan as he struggled along on his faith journey. By forcing him to feel "less than" his heterosexual peers, it seems that the Pittsburgh Presbytery was very clear in the message of condemnation and exclusion.
Point well taken, I thought as I sipped my coffee and read her letter. KDKA made a colossally stupid decision to spin this tragic little story of Reverend Dugan's sexual turmoil as a ratings grabbing expose. But its shortsighted to ignore the reasons Reverend Dugan may have sought solace in an adult bookstore or an illicit relationship rather than feeling free to live an open, authentic life as a homosexual man and a pastor.
Edwards, apparently, is just the man for the task. He thinks Dugan had made his own bed by hooking up with an anti-gay church.
The church tenet is and always has been not to permit this -- the Rev. Dugan has to have known that, and was working within the sanction. What precipitated his suicide was KDKA -- that was the new pressure in his life and correlates directly with his suicide. The Presbytery was continuing what always has been.
Does he seriously think Dugan was just happily rolling along as a closeted homosexual? That the anti-gay hostility emanating from church leadership (and the pews) was not a "pressure" for Reverend Dugan? Can Edwards really be that simple-minded? Or just that hateful? Ah ....
To try to shift blame to the Presbytery is an act of malformed logic equal to that which tries to rationalize homosexual ordainment and homosexual marriage -- they are pure acts of politics to advance an agenda -- not welcome or helpful in a religious denomination.
Legislation has not brought Ms. Mullen the change she wants; court proceedings now haven't either. She descends to using a man and his family's personal tragedy to hurl an indictment in the wrong direction. Ms. Mullen: Please desist on Presbytery bashing.
Well, I guess the gloves are off, you sanctimonious prick. What's not welcome or helpful in a religious denomination is intolerance, ignorance and hate. Unfortunately, you seem to have the upper hand in some denominations, but there are puh-lenty of Christian communities where my people are welcomed and affirmed, even ordained.
If you don't want us in your church, fine. But you don't get to hang your sanctimonious wreath on Brent Dugan's grave and point fingers at KDKA.
But the really sad thing is that while Ms. Mullen tried to elevate one man's suffering and personal tragedy to call us all to accountability, Edwards continues to diminish Reverend Dugan's full personhood by denying the pressures of living a closeted life in the Presbyterian Church.
For the record, my church, Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church on the North Side, is openly and assertively GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) friendly. Until now, though, we have not been very public with our views. This is about to change.
This year, our 100th, we are completing our denomination's official GLBT welcoming process and will soon be certified as a Unitarian Universalist Association Welcoming Congregation.
The PG's Clarke Thomas wrote a beautiful piece about increasing tolerance of LGBTQ families within the holiday season.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men... -- Luke 2:14
Yes, but unfortunately, for many religious people that biblical highlight doesn't extend to an important segment of our fellow human beings -- gays and lesbians. Or their families. Unless, of course, they are willing to deny or to "convert" from their God-given sexual being.
Thomas describes in lovely detail the various manifestations of LGBTQ friendly faith communities, some exclusively gay and others part of mainstream communities. He also identifies one critical new reason for this outreach -- the increasing number of LGBTQ families with children.
I refer to a U.S. Census statistic that, as of 2000, 34 percent of lesbian couples and 22 percent of gay male couples are raising at least one child under 18 in their home, a significant increase over the 1990 census. Add in gay/straight couples who remain married for the sake of their children, and the figure looms even larger.
One need only take a short stroll through PrideFest to note that changing demographic. There are twice as many strollers as scantily clad sunworshippers.
The growing gay family phenomenon should prompt churches and church people in this season of goodwill compassionately to re-examine their attitudes toward the GLBT population. For maybe God's hand is at work here -- in the vein of another revered verse in Scripture:
God setteth the solitary in families. -- Psalm 68:6
Demonstrating once again that hate and intolerance have no room for compromise, a Floridian Presybterian minister is trying to re-start the case against her by gathering names to join him in filing charges -- again (Post-Gazette).
The Rev. James Yearsley, who filed the complaint against her last year, is gathering the signatures of ministers and elders in the Presbyterian Church (USA) who want to join him in pursuing the case. It would not be double jeopardy since she was never tried, he said.
"I'm still accumulating names. This means that the whole process starts over," said Mr. Yearsley, who has served churches in Pittsburgh Presbytery but now works in Florida.
Previous charges against the Reverend Janet Edwards, who conducted a marriage ceremony for a lesbian couple in June 2005, were dropped last month due to a procedural violation.
Yearsley had also considered filing charges against the Presbytery itself for "mishandling the matter." Does he imply they intentionally sidestepped the contextual issue? Imply perhaps while acknowledging there is no evidence. Imagine letting a little thing like evidentiary facts stand in the way of beating down the gay community!
Edwards has walked away from the process with a more subtle appreciation for the role of conflict resolution within the faith community:
"One thing I learned from the past 14 months is that the judicial process is not the best place in our church to work out our disagreement -- but it is one place where we do that," said Ms. Edwards, who is on the staff of the Community of Reconciliation in Oakland.
Here's PghLesbian previous coverage on Janet's story.
According to the AP, the Attorney General has ordered that the gay pride parade scheduled for Friday in Jerusalem go forward. This in spite of a week's worth of rioting among the Ultra Orthodox Jews who perceive homosexuality as a sin and the parade as a violation of the holy city of Jerusalem.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews have rioted in Jerusalem nearly every night over the past week, burning garbage cans, blocking roads and assaulting police officers in an attempt to get the authorities to call off the march, approved months ago by the Supreme Court.
At last year's march, an ultra-Orthodox man stabbed and wounded three participants.
So a gay pride parade violates the sanctity of Jerusalem, but rioting and assault do not? How is that even conceivable? We saw this same situation throughout Eastern European countries all summer -- Orthodox Christians and Catholics and Muslims united in beating down the homosexuals who dared to attend a parade. Apparently, as Time reports, hatred can unite enemies.
The AG has ordered parade organizers and police to work out a compromise route to minimize the likelihood of violence. Given this report, that's not very likely. When religious leaders are promising to hurl apples with razor blades at a parade ...
On Wednesday, November 15, 2006, Rev. Janet Edwards, PhD.will finally be put on trial by the Pittsburgh Presbytery for conducting a wedding between two women in June 2003. Many of you know Janet and were also at the wedding as all are involved in our VOICES FOR A NEW TOMORROW group. This is the culmination of 18 months of intrigue and silence, pain and elation, during which Janet faithfully kept to her message: Love and commitment is a gift of God.
You are invited to be present during the trial, and at its conclusion, celebrate God's Love and Commitment in worship and during lunch . The celebration will be in the style of the Cosmic Mass with visuals, sound, dancing, silence and ritual. Lunch is open to anyone. Janet "wants the world to come"...and bring their friends.
Here is how we expect the day to unfold:
9:00 Trial --Great Hall at the Priory 614 Pressley St. North Side of Pittsburgh
Press Conference to follow
11:00 Cosmic Celebration of Love and Commitment (Pittsburgh Golf Club- 5280 Northumberland St.
Schenley Park)
12:30 Lunch (Pittsburgh Golf Club)
For those of you unfamiliar with church procedures, a religious institution has the authority to hold "trials" and make decisions based on its own internal policies. When we say "trial" we of course aren't referring to civil law, but church law. Janet's stance of courage in putting her career on the line to speak out on equality and her view of God's affirmation of all families is to be commended. (and feared....she's a powerhouse!) If you can't take the day for this, then at least come for the lunch.
"Feel free to invite anyone."....and if you have someone important living outside of Pittsburgh, invite them, too.
Completmentary travel to Pittsburgh is provided through All Directions Travel. Ask for Jo at 412-566-1710, aldir@eartylink.netTravel . A block of rooms have been reserved at the Hampton Inn on the Boulevard of the Allies in the Oakland neighborhood.
[Janet] said she is reminded of Mordecai's words to the biblical heroine Esther, who was chosen to be a queen of Persia at a time when Jews faced genocide.
"He said that perhaps it was for this very moment that you were brought to the position you are in. I very much feel that the circumstances of my life -- both my economic circumstances and the fact that my children are now grown -- have all configured to have me step forward at this moment," she said.
Bishop Duncan and his faithful bigots are taking their toys and going home. To heck with the national province of the Episcopal Church and its female president and her homorespective ways. To heck with them.
The vote which was anticipated confirms the rift between the conservative Pittsburgh diocese (minus a few forward thinking souls) and the American Episcopal Church. Duncan claims he wants to be in greater communion with the worldwide Anglican Church. Folks like Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria, who supports legislation making homosexuals illegal (not the activity, the person).
Duncan did not act hastily. First, he jerrymandered his own new province of which he is the big cahuna. Nice, huh? Rick Santorum has a nice career ahead of him in church politics if he plays his cards right.
Yesterday's vote, which followed this summer's approval of the resolution by the diocese's standing committee, does, as Bishop Duncan said yesterday, give the Pittsburgh diocese a new temporary home: the Anglican Communion Network.
In fact, a line item in the budget approved yesterday will send the estimated $2,000 in dues formerly earmarked for Province III to the network, an organization of about 200,000 Episcopalians unhappy with what they consider "innovations" in the denomination, particularly the ordination of openly gay clergy and same-sex blessings.
Bishop Duncan is moderator of the network.
Innovations! Say it isn't so. This is really sad. Duncan has no intentions of compromising on anything. He doesn't want to report to a woman and he ain't gonna support the Episcoqueerians. Now its going to become a custody battle.
Here's a rundown on previous PghLesbian coverage of this issue.
