Reverend Howard Bess, Baptist pastor from Alaska, has this to say in the Post-Gazette:

Churches are no longer leaders in broad moral and ethical discussions. Young people have grown weary of churches that cannot get past issues such as homosexuality and abortion.

Our new crop of church drop-outs is still very interested in alternatives to a selfish, hedonistic society. Justice is high on their agenda, and they are looking for opportunities for public service. Our young people want to be involved in solving environmental problems and in peacemaking.

By contrast, pizza parties and rock concerts -- techniques that have been used to make churches appear more relevant to the young -- are not high on the agenda of young people concerned about society's deep-seated problems.

In other words, too many churches are concerned about same-sex marriage when the preacher should be talking about the unacceptability of war.

How refreshing to see the context properly adjusted.  War is destroying marriages, families and humanity.  Same sex marriage is not.  I love that this retired Pastor gets it. 

I'm no longer young (40 this year), but I'm searching for similar things in a church.  I want the justice side of Jesus and a pastor who can talk with me without quoting long Scriptures or telling me what Paul experienced.  Just talk with me about my life in the larger context.  Don't force me into a box. Invite me into the fold. 

Hatboro, PA, passed an anti-discrimination ordinance which included sexual orientation and gender identity.

Then the Mayor vetoed it. 

Hatboro Mayor Norm Hawkes vetoed a measure Monday night that would have established a borough commission to review prejudice claims - a step advocates argued was necessary to extend protection to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people not currently shielded under state law.

Lower Merion commissioners are expected to approve a similar measure at a special meeting Wednesday night.

"I don't feel anyone should be discriminated against anyplace or anywhere," Hawkes said Tuesday. "But I think this is much better handled on a state vs. local level."

Across Pennsylvania, 17 municipalities - including Philadelphia, West Chester, State College, and Doylestown - have enacted ordinances prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity. At least 11 more, such as Radnor and Haverford, have measures pending before their governing bodies.

While the proposals protect all minority groups, pressure to pass them has come largely from the LGBT community, which says its members are left unprotected by state and federal statutes.

The Mayor of Hatboro thinks it is best left to the state rather than local volunteers (??).  Hatboro Council is mustering forces to overturn the veto.  To lend your supportive voice, contact them.Share your story.

But look at those numbers (and this is mainstream media).  17 municipalities + 11 more.  That's a lot of Pennsylvania and, clearly, a lot of activism on the part of gays on the ground. 

My sources tell me that national organizations have been on the ground in Eastern PA working on these initiatives.  I'm not sure if the same is true in Western PA.  I'm not saying it isn't, but we don't have the sort of news outlets necessary to get this information.  Note that my original story comes from the mainstream Philly Inquirer.  Yet here in Pittsburgh, we struggle to access mainstream resources because the Post-Gazette cannot get its technology sorted out.

It is amazing to see what gays are accomplishing and even better that mainstream media in Eastern Pennsylvania are producing informed, thoughtful pieces on these accompishments.  They don't even need the rabble rousing bloggers :-)

sdf

Well ... where to begin.  At last count, I have 600 email messages about DADT in my box and reading through them is dizzying. 

The Pentagon study endorsed the repeal of DADT, finding that 70 of enlisted mend women essentially see no negative impact.  70 percent.  The Pentagon recognizes that repeal decisions from the courts are inevitable and a legislative repeal is the best way to maintain control over the situation. 

OK.  Seems pretty straightforward. 

Nope.  Repeal got all caught up in the ensuing debate over tax repeal and did not pass. DADT was part of the defense reauthorization bill which as a spending bill was part of the larger debate on finances.  Some analyze the political bungling. Stand alone repeal bills have now been introduced.

So now we wait. 

BTW, West Virginia's Senator Manchin was the only D to abandon ship b/c he still thinks there needs to be more time to explore implementation.  Oh, and he needs to talk to West Virginians.  Manchin is just like the Western PA Republicans in Democrats clothing.  Only he has pretty hair.  Beware.