Category Archives: Family
We Must Stop Ignoring Black Gay and Bisexual Men!
Sadly, the unwillingness of clergy and others to denounce public statements of hatred toward gay members of our family and community continues to erode the interwoven cords of respect, love and well-being that cloaks us together as human beings.According to …
De`ja` Vu All Over Again
To my friends in Methodists in New Directions and all others who are distressed by the revelation that the National Organization for Marriage has a deliberate “game plan” to enlist blacks in their efforts to prevent marriage equality: The contradiction of …
It’s a Family Affair
Recently, in conversation with affirming and inclusive ministry colleagues, one raised the question of how to successfully present marriage equality to Black churches in Maryland. A year of such equality was just then being celebrated in Washington, DC—a predominantly African …
Gays are us
From the pen of Reverend Dr. Dennis W. Wiley, prior to the King Memorial Dedication As the nation prepares to celebrate the dedication of the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., this weekend, I am reminded that …
Sweet Tea: “We haven’t forgiven ourselves for being gay.”
On a recent Saturday night I went to see playwright E. Patrick Johnson in his one man performance, Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South. One point he brilliantly made during a monologue has haunted my thoughts, “We haven’t …
Are families of gays and lesbians free to talk in your church?
Welcoming and accepting congregations can provide support to families and friends of gay and lesbian people who have in the past felt unable to safely talk about their questions and concerns. For every gay person in North America, there are …
How inclusive hospitality can help your congregation grow
Congregations with inclusive attitudes and practices toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people make themselves much more attractive not only to LGBT people but to many others as well. Becoming a welcoming and accepting congregation can create an atmosphere …
On the minor perils of not hiding
A while back, I was Facebook-friended by someone with whom I’d gone to elementary school, a woman I hadn’t seen in 15 years. In that same week, I was friended by another schoolmate, a man I hadn’t seen in 25 years. I’ll call these two people, who are not facebook friends with each other, Leia and Mork.
“Get out! You’re a girl!”
The shout rang out from the men’s room in the Chicago airport, and I heard it all the way in the women’s room next door. My husband had taken our son, Sam, who is seven, to the bathroom between flights. It was not the first time I’d heard such a shout. I ran out with my daughter to find out what was happening to Sam.
My pink boy is not alone
My son Sam loves the color pink.
He wore a dress to preschool, spent years pretending he was a princess, and now, as a third-grader, he has long flowing hair and a fondness for all things sparkly. He is a pink boy. Like a tomboy, only different.