The Millstone of the Nashville Statement

In Nashville in October of 2014, I joined about fifteen LGBTQ people who were invited to a closed-door, off-the-record conversation with the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. I was disappointed, this week, to recognize the names of many from that meeting on the list of anti-LGBTQ evangelical leaders who drafted the “Nashville Statement,” a comprehensive fundamentalist Christian manifesto on sexuality and gender.

That 2014 meeting went late into the night, and the discussion was intense. What I remember most clearly were the pleas and tears of some of these men in attendance (all of them were men) begging us to understand that they didn't hate LGBTQ people––saying how much it hurt them to have people call them “bigots” and “homophobes.”

We ended the evening having all promised more kindness, more listening, more respect, and more dialogue, and I, perhaps naively, hoped both sides were sincerely committed to those goals moving forward.

In the subsequent months and years that followed, and with growing intensity since the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling in 2015, they have abandoned all remaining pretense of tolerance for the LGBTQ community. Since then, they have demonized and pathologized transgender people, lobbied for bills that discriminate against LGBTQ people under the name of "religious freedom," and created a martyrdom complex for their own decreasing social relevance.

A year after the meeting in Nashville, I traveled to Louisville, for a biblical counselor's conference on what they billed as "Transgender Confusion." At the conference, one of the Nashville Statement's signees said during his presentation that any parent with a transgender child should sever ties with the child completely––that they should abandon their child for being transgender. When asked about their responsibility to LGBTQ lives––particularly the alarming numbers of LGBTQ youth lost to suicide––the panel denied culpability, smirked at the notion of their theology being toxic or harmful, and suggested that while such deaths are tragic, the reality of eternal separation from God (damnation) was far sadder.

Once again, there were tears because the issues of gender identity and sexuality supposedly represented a crisis at the very foundation of the Gospel and the social order itself (I've always believed that Jesus was the foundation of the Gospel, but I digress).

And so I'm here a couple of years later, seeing and hearing the same things from these men, all crying the same crocodile tears of "loving conviction" for people they have fought so passionately to demonize and blame for their own diminishing power and influence.

In the age and spirit of Trump, their bigotry is once again emboldened by their ties to political power. In fact, several of its prominent signatories make up the President’s faith advisory council. Much like white conservative evangelicals in the Reagan era, these desperate men feel like maybe, just maybe, they haven’t lost the culture war once and for all, and the Nashville Statement serves as proof that the old guard is still holding out.

Their 2014 and 2015 tears, confessions, and prayers have amounted to nothing more but a revived lust for dominance, subjugation, and the placing of an unbearable burden around the necks of LGBTQ Christians. There was no love in their words and tears then, nor is there any love in their words now; and without love, God cannot be present in anything they profess.

At the end of the day, I’m left to wonder what tears they’ll cry at the end of their time. Will they weep with remorse for lifetimes of cruelty when they find LGBTQ people in the Kingdom of Heaven? Or will they weep with disappointment and anger when they find that God is infinitely more loving and inclusive than they ever imagined?

Justin Davis
Queer Christian and LGBTQ Advocate

Dates: 

• “The Gospel, Homosexuality, and the Future of Marriage” Conference 10/28-29/2014 (Start date may have been 10/27) Nashville, Tennessee, Gaylord Opry Hotel
• “Transgender Confusion and Transformational Christianity” Pre-conference 10/5/2015, Louisville, Kentucky, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Homosexuality Conference: 

• https://www.hrc.org/blog/a-queer-baptist-reflection-southern-baptist-conventions-erlc-2014-conferenc
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/southern-baptists-gay-community-break-bread-at-conference-1414691923
• http://time.com/3544312/baptist-conference-gays-lesbians-bishops-pope-francis/

Transgender Conference:

• http://news.sbts.edu/2015/09/14/first-ever-evangelical-conference-on-transgender-issues-set-for-oct-5-in-louisville/
• https://www.hrc.org/blog/conservative-evangelicals-discuss-transgender-community
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/evangelical-transgender-conference-rejects-notion-that-gender-identity-can-change/2015/09/21/133aa41a-6089-11e5-8475-781cc9851652_story.html?utm_term=.59485f657901
• https://thinkprogress.org/southern-baptist-conference-struggling-lgbt-people-can-change-through-christ-7085b94dcd0e/

HEROs of Houston

S. Wayne Mathis and John Christian Bullit
LaRue, who both testified before the
Houston City Council in favor of the
HERO non-discrimination ordinance

This week the Houston City Council passed the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. That simple sentence cannot possibly express the emotions that are going through the hearts of so many of us. I was born in Houston and I expect that I will die here as well. In my day to day life, I am never more than an hour away from downtown Houston. The city is in my blood and this week I have never been more PROUD to say that I am from HOUSTON, TEXAS.

The victory over injustice was hard-fought and very emotional. The testimony before the City Council was both heart-rending and frightening. The LGBTQ community and our allies spoke over and over again about the discrimination and hate that occurs on a daily basis. Our folks were willing to bare their souls and risk everything for a chance at equality. Most notably, the transgender community bore the brunt of the opposition’s anger and fear. Most disturbing of the opposition testimony was the number of "Christians" (often ministers) who openly testified that discrimination is justified. They vilified our community with false accusations and lies and could not back up their arguments with facts. They simply preyed on public fear. Attempts were made to make this all about bathrooms and yet, at the end of the last day of testimony, eleven members of council voted YES to equality. The six council members who voted against equality seemed to be voting purely out of reelection fears.

With trembling hands and an unsteady voice, I took my one-minute turn standing up for what I feel is right. Unable to read my notes, I simply spoke from the heart and spoke about (1) God’s Love for ALL, (2)our duty to respect the dignity of every person and (3) Integrity’s mission to take God’s love out into the streets and community.

At the close of my minute, Mayor Anise Parker acknowledged and commended the work of Integrity and stated that Integrity is one of the oldest organizations fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community. Councilmember Mike Laster then acknowledged and thanked me for my work within the Diocese of Texas. This brought home the fact that none of this work has been done in isolation. My own testimony would not have been possible without the Grace of God and the Love and support that I have received from Integrity. My spiritual peace was found at the altar rail during a Houston Integrity Eucharist. My grand sense of community was formed at the Integrity Eucharist during General Convention and my sense of FAMILY was anchored by the love and acceptance of the TransEpiscopal Eucharist. My activism has been spurred on by my chapter's willingness to allow me the opportunity to lead and the space to take a public stand for justice and equality.

It is important to note that I was not the only Episcopalian testifying. Fellow Episcopalians (both clergy and laity) were in the trenches and were a visible reminder to everyone that we as a church body stand with the oppressed and will do the right thing.

In Texas, we have watched the progress around the country (especially Oregon) and we banked your victories as OUR victories. I know from a Facebook posting of Oregon's Diocesan Organizer Charlene McCreight that you were watching us as well. When she mentioned that she had watched me live, it made me smile and realize that I too was part of the bigger picture. The postings from around the country from my Integrity friends and associates let me know that despite our geographical differences the work of Integrity is universal.

I learned late in the day that some of our local Integrity folks were down on the street carrying signs of support. In light of the angry protesters, this was an act of courage and witness.

I would also like to pause and give thanks to the countless folks who made this moment possible but are no longer here to witness it. Without our trailblazing predecessors, we would not have EQUALITY.

Even with this tremendous VICTORY, we must keep our eyes on the dangers waiting on the horizon. In Houston, it is the threat of a referendum to overturn this hard earned victory. With this threat in mind, we MUST do two things, educate and mobilize.

There is a tremendous opportunity to educate those around us about what it is like to be a member of the LGBTQ community. We must show that LOVE can conquer FEAR. We must show the value of living authentically and we must SHOW the world that gender-neutral restrooms will not signal the end of everything.

We MUST MOBILIZE our efforts and show the LGBTQ community that God loves them and that the Christian faith can rise above bigotry and hate. Our brothers and sisters have been wounded by "the Church" and it is up to us to repair this damage.

Thank you for welcoming me into the fold and showing me that not only do I have a place in God’s kingdom, but that I have a place in the Episcopal Church. Please join me this Pride Season and let folks know that GOD LOVES EACH OF US!!!!!

S. Wayne Mathis is Integrity's Province VII Coordinator and Convener of the Houston chapter.

Living Honestly In All Of Lives

Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
   and oppress all your workers.
Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
   and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
   will not make your voice heard on high.
             

But this is the fast that I choose:
   to loose the bonds of injustice,
   to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
   and to break every yoke.
                                    -Isaiah 58: 3b-4, 6-7

I understand the concept of a professional persona. When I work for a company there are expectations about how I carry myself because when I am on the job I am a representative of the company. If my job is high profile then I might rarely get a chance to place aside this persona. The expectations can be beyond taxing for anyone.

In some cases, however, the professional persona is not simply a more professional rendition of the person’s self but a set of half-truths, misdirections, and outright lies. In such cases the professional persona is no longer at points taxing but inherently caustic. This caustic reality is the day to day on the job reality for many members of the LGBTQ community throughout the United States.

To be clear I do not want coffee break conversations to be about the sex lives of my coworkers… I simply want to have the same freedom to talk about friends and loved ones that every one else has. I do not want to be able to come to work in the most scandalous outfit ever… I simply want to be able to dress professionally as the gender my doctor references on my health forms. I do not want my personal life to be the center of all workplace concerns… I simply want my professional persona to be a truthful expression of my personal life.

The sad reality is that so often myself and many of the LGBTQ community do not have this ability to be truthful if we want to be employed. The base reason for this is that many people cannot respond professionally to a man saying “my husband took me out to a wonderful anniversary dinner last night” or a female coworker with a baritone vocal register and so they have decided that “professional” involves neither of those realities. The personal sacrifices individuals must make to become professional, the fasting we take up from our personal lives when we enter the workplace, are not equal and are, in fact, oppressive for many.

The Senate, in passing ENDA, has decided that they will no longer allow some to feast while others fast. There is understandable concern that it will not move in the House. The question now before the House is whether they will continue to fast in a way that makes them morally comfortable by perpetuating oppression on others or will they choose a true fast, a true professionalism, that requires all members of a company to respond to each other in a professional way. The vote of each Representative will, in the end, define how professional they truly are.

If you have not already, please contact your representative in Congress and ask her or him to support support ENDA. This is a useful tool to find their contact information: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

For all of us who seek for our professional personas to be a truthful expression of our personal lives it is still a time to rejoice. It is no longer just the oppressed crying for justice but those who arbitrate justice calling for an end to oppression. Now we must pray that our work together can truly make justice ring out across the land.

-Benjamin Garren, Integrity Contributor 

Coming Out In Maine

But even the hairs on your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. -Luke 12:7

At the Maine Diocesan Convention there were many points of discussion. One side conversation had nothing to do with diocesan business but concern over the Gubernatorial race. In the past few years Maine has fought two hard campaigns around marriage equality and finally has secured legal safety for all Maine families. For myself, and many others who put literal sweat and blood into that striving for justice, the pain caused by the vitriol brought against us by opponents to equality is still quite fresh. We talked about the upcoming Gubernatorial race and wondered if it would be another campaign year filled with vitriol against the LGBTQ community.

We worried because we knew that the front runner, Mike Michaud, is gay. We worried because we know that many in politics are not concerned with what a person does with who they are but instead on manipulating the fears people have of those who are different from them. We worried for the fragile members of the LGBTQ community throughout Maine who might have to endure another electoral season where an aspect of their personhood was verbally abused while key issues about the health and safety of the state were ignored. We worried about when and how this issue, which should not be an issue, would break.

Earlier today Mike Michaud breached the issue and dispelled the mounting worries. He also marked himself as a model for leadership in the LGBTQ community above and beyond partisanship. His words and actions mark a new space we are entering into as a community. Our politics are no longer about Gay Men, or other members of our community, becoming elected officials but about people up for election being members of our community. His campaign will continue this shift in the entire nature of our political conversation.

We needed Harvey Milk to be the first out Gay Man to be elected to a position. His call to come out of our closets and make people aware that members of the LGBTQ are our neighbors, our coworkers, our family members was pivotal. Our genders and sexualities are essential aspects of our being that can neither be repressed nor be objects of societal shame. Naming our created selves and recognizing we are beloved is an essential aspect of becoming a whole and healthy individual. Front runners like Harvey Milk called all of society into this naming. This is, however, only the first step.

The next step is integrating what we have named into our whole story and expect society to recognize us for the entirety of who we are, not just our gender and sexuality. Many of our elected officials have been calling us to this for decades. The leadership of Tammy Baldwin, US Senator from Wisconsin, has been an essential part of this narrative. Mike Michaud now brings this narrative to Maine.

Mike Michaud is many things. He is a Mainer, a Franko-American, a mill worker from a mill working family, a democrat, a gay man, a brother, a son. There are tons of stereotypes and societal projections around each of these things... but there is only one individual, Mike Michaud, who is all these things in the specific way that Mike Michaud is. He is calling the electorate of Maine to consider what he has done with all that he is and not limit him to one projected stereotype or another. In so doing he calls each of us, LGBTQ or not, to consider the same about ourselves and all those around us.

Jesus tells us that God has counted all the hairs on our head. Mainer hairs, mill worker hairs, gay hairs, Franko-American hairs, whatever our hairiness might be it is a God counted hairiness. It is a hairiness that is more valuable than many sparrows. It is a hairiness for which God entered into all the oppression, hate, brokenness, and pain that the world can give out so that we may all find wholeness and integration for ourselves and our neighbors.

Mike Michaud is a leader modeling this integration and wholeness of self in his campaign. Let us pray that all our leaders, regardless of political affiliation, will come to lead us likewise.

-Benjamin Garren, Integrity Contributor

An Autumn Request For Your Support

It is has been an incredible sixteen months for LGBTQ people since The Episcopal Church's last General Convention. We have a same-sexmarriage rite, canon law protecting the inclusion of transgender and non-binary people in the Church, and a strong position against bullying in our schools. In the secular world we have not only seen states like California and New Jersey get the freedom to marry; we have actually seen DOMA struck down and some of our brothers and sisters enjoy full federal marriage benefits. With all of these victories it can sometimes feel like our work is over.

The fact is, though, it isn't.

Nearly 70% of Americans still live in states without the freedom to marry, with more than half of states having constitutional amendments banning same gender marriage. LGBTQ people are still used by many politicians as a wedge issue, vilifying us to shore up their own political power. At the so-called Values Voter Summit, former Governor Mike Huckabee was perfectly happy to attack queer children simply to advance his political goals.

Gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender people still face poverty at significantly higher rates than heterosexual people. Violence against LGBTQ people is still a constant threat for many. In the New York area alone there have been five anti-gay and trans* murders in past few months.

Within the Church, despite the amazing steps forward that we have taken, there are still diocese and parishes where gay and trans* people do not feel fully understood or welcomed. There are still people within our Church who feel that they may not be allowed to follow God's call to ministry in their lives for the simply reason of who they love or their gender identity.

Outside the Church there are many people, both LGBTQ and straight allies, who can't imagine finding a home in Christianity because of their fear of homophobia and transphobia from the Church.

Integrity is continuing to do the work of the Gospel to stand up against that, to continue helping the Church move forward towards a Christ-like love and inclusion of all people. Through our Believe Out Loud workshops we are helping Episcopalians not only to love LGBTQ people and to welcome them into their congregational home, but to give Episcopalians the language to tell their own stories of celebrations and acceptance.

Our Believe Out Loud program gives parishes the opportunity to announce their love for LGBTQ people to the world, to invite the people in their neighborhoods to a loving, welcoming community

Our chapters are doing the work of addressing local challenges, working on freedom to marry campaigns, working on LGBTQ nondiscrimination campaigns, working to end anti-LGBTQ violence in their communities.

And national leaders continue to work to change Episcopal policy and practice to make the Episcopal Church a sanctuary for all the people of God.

We are in a time where we see incredible change. More than that, we see the potential for even greater change. It is up to us as followers of Christ to see how far towards the kingdom of God we can push our world. If you agree that we still have work to do, please consider supporting the Integrity as we open the Episcopal Church to all of God's beloved. You can simply visit our donation site at: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/integrityusa

We are deeply greatful for anything you can spare to further our work.

Thank you for your support,

Vivian Taylor
Executive Director, Integrity USA

City of Philadelphia Passes Sweeping LGBTQ Rights Extensions

-Jon Richardson,  Integrity VP of National Affairs

I was delighted to learn this week that the City of Philadelphia has passed new legislation extending rights and encouraging businesses to participate in extending equal rights to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* people. Some of the most significant aspects of the legislation relate to providing greater equality for trans* people in Philadelphia. Particularly, the city is providing tax benefits for businesses that provide trans*-friendly health insurance options for employees, and the city has committed to provide gender neutral restrooms in all new or newly remodeled city-owned buildings.

Philadelphia’s Mayor Michael Nutter said, “My goal is for Philadelphia to be one of, if not the most, LGBT-friendly cities in the world and a leader on equality issues.”

As a priest in Philadelphia and as a passionate advocate for LGBT equality, I am deeply grateful to Mayor Nutter and the other leaders of the City of Philadelphia who have worked to craft and have supported this legislation.

This Sunday, Episcopalians across the church will be celebrating All Saints’ Sunday, and many of us, as we are in my own parish, will be celebrating with baptisms in church. Many more churches will recite the Baptismal Covenant, even if there are no baptisms, as this is one of the Sundays that is set apart as particularly appropriate for remembering the covenant we share as Christians. In the Baptismal Covenant we will ask and answer those now-celebrated five questions about how we will live as baptized Christians in the church and in the world.

The last question (and I might argue, the culmination of the covenant) is, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?”

Of course the answer is always that we will with God’s help.

I rejoice that this Sunday, as we say these words at the Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd, we will be saying them in a city that is one step closer to living in a world that is defined by justice and peace among all people and respect for the dignity of every human being.

Pennsylvania is a state that has a long way to go on the struggle for true equality, but it is inspiring to live in one of the cities that is helping to lead the way. And, I am heartened to be serving as a priest in a church that supports this progress in the words of our liturgies and in our actions in the world.



The Rev. Jon M. Richardson is Integrity's Vice President for National Affairs and the Rector of Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd in Philadelphia, PA.  His blog (at www.JonMRichardson.com) features his sermons and theater reviews.

Around The Church In 15 Days

-Vivian Taylor
Executive Director, Integrity USA

Last week I was invited to speak at the National Press Club as a part of an event by the Not All Like That project. It was an amazing opportunity to meet other Christian leaders and believers and hear what folks had to say. It was a diverse group of people speaking to harm done to LGBTQ by folks claiming Christianity, and how as Christians we can now work to undo that harm.

Here's a video of my speech from that event:

Since then I have been on a wonderful journey across the country. My next stop was Atlanta. I was blessed to join Integrity Atlanta for Pride. The Pride Eucharist held at All Saints' featured an incredible homily from Bishop Mary Glasspool, I had the chance to meet some of the 250,000 Pride attendees at the Integrity booth and in the parade, over all it was an amazing.

Traveling west, I visited Integrity's hardworking administrator David Cupps in Kentucky for a day long meeting.

From them, I made my way to Texas where I visited several Church folks in Austin before heading to Houston. It was a great joy to join Integrity Houston for a Spirit Day reception.

Tonight I'll be speaking at Christ Church Cathedral here in Houston after the Integrity Eucharist. If you're in the area, why don't you come on out?

From here I'm headed out to Portland Oregon to attend a Believe Out Loud training and meet even more folks, and from there I'm headed to California.

This trip has been an incredible opportunity to make connections with so many people. It strong reminder that the real power and energy of Integrity is in the people. As I have gone from place to place, one thing is very clear: No one is more of an expert on the specific local situations than the folks living there. Speaking with people about their own lives and experiences is an absolute treasure trove.

To all the people I've met and will meet on this trip, let me thank you for your hospitality and friendship. To everyone else, I pray and hope that I have the chance to meet you soon!

WWJD for Queers Fleeing Terror, and Why Should Integrity Care?

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

-Matthew 25: 34-40

One day my friend and I were stopped by the police in a remote area.  I was tortured and raped by the policeman [because I was gay].  I can still hear the other policemen who were watching laughing and jeering. The pain was like none other I had ever experienced.   I went to the hospital.  I didn’t report to work for days.  When I did go back to work, I quit my job. I was too terrified to step out of my house.  I tried to report this attack, but the police officer who took the report laughed in my face.   The very next day, the policeman who had tortured me came to my house and shouted, “Open up!  We already know who you are and we are going to kill you.”  So I left my beautiful country.  I left my job, my home, my belongings, my studies.  Two friends helped me get out.  I came to California and stayed with some relatives, but soon, after realizing that I was gay, they kicked me out and I was homeless.

-“Juan,” a gay man from El Salvador

More of Juan’s story is available here

It is illegal to be openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender in approximately 80 countries throughout the world, including five that impose the death penalty.  Unchecked violence against LGBT people is rampant in many additional countries as well: violence like murder, torture, mutilation, and gang rape.

At least 4,000 people flee to the United States fleeing that terror every year, but until they are granted asylum by the U.S. Government many of them face months of friendlessness, fear, and desperation.  They are not allowed to hold jobs, or use most medical or social service programs. Often they find themselves without any money, living on the street or in detention facilities, doing whatever they need to do in order to survive from one day to the next, unable to communicate well in English, confronted with more anti-LGBT bias, facing culture shock, excluded by their ethnic communities, and struggling for their health after so many traumatic experiences. They are tremendously resilient people, but these challenges can be crushing.

But – yes – there is hope!

“Juan,” whose story appears above, is being helped by Hadwen Park Congregational Church and the LGBT Asylum Support Task Force in Worcester, Massachusetts.  A growing number of churches and LGBT community centers are taking asylum-seekers like him under their wing: Providing them with a sense of community, food, shelter, and a helping hand until their asylum applications are approved by the government and they are able to find work.

The Task Force is part of a national network called the LGBT Faith and Asylum Network (LGBT-FAN) that aims to encourage and help more churches and community centers reach out to people who have fled to America seeking safety.  We have established a website with stories and information about how groups are providing help, who “asylum-seekers” are, and how people can get involved.  Within the next year we plan to set up a charitable fund that will provide grants to churches and other groups that are supporting asylum-seekers’ living expenses. Integrity USA is part of this effort, as are the Episcopal Public Policy Network and leaders from dozens of other faith-based, policy, and human rights organizations.

While I served as Executive Director of Integrity USA, and now as a member of the New Orleans chapter, I have often heard the question raised: Now that we can have our relationships blessed by priests, there are a lot of friendly Episcopal churches, and openly LGBT people can even serve as bishops, what is Integrity for?  Is it time to declare victory and move on?

One answer to that question is that Integrity must continue to exist in order to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit those in prison.  One of Integrity’s special missions might be to follow these Christian commandments, with a special focus on people who have landed on our doorsteps after fleeing for their lives because of anti-LGBT bigotry and terror.

If you feel moved to consider that possibility, please visit LGBT-FAN’s website and send us a note through the contact page.  You can check out www.lgbt-fan.org and www.lgbtasylum.org for more information.

-Max Niedzwiecki, Ph.D.

Coordinator, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Faith & Asylum Network (LGBT-FAN)

Principal, Daylight Consulting Group

Former Executive Director, Integrity USA

(Photo Credit Jessica Rinaldi - Reuters)

Pilgrims and Witness: LGBTQ Lives in the Episcopal Church

Since the announcement that I was going to be the next executive director of Integrity, I've had a couple of folks come to me with the same question. There are variations, but the basic form is "Do we still really need Integrity? DOMA's been struck down, all over the country there are communities that are friendly to LGBT people, what else is there?"

Each time I'm asked that question, I'm reminded of the incredible blessing of community. Yes, there are some of us who are doing pretty well. There are some of us who are out and proud, who have families and friends and congregations that love us, who have gainful, meaningful employment that provides us with a livable wage, who are basically free from the specter of discrimination and bias. There are a few of us who have our slice of the pie, our shot at the American dream.

By taking a wider view, though, by taking everyone in our community into account, we can see that the situation is much more complex. Many of our Episcopal sisters, brothers, and siblings face issues of employment discrimination, health care insecurity, racism in and out of the LGBTQ community, transphobia, and other challenges besides. To understand what these challenges mean, we need to take the time to listen to those who face them. 

I'm pleased to announce our new project, Pilgrims and Witnesses: LGBTQ Lives in the Episcopal Church. Over the next few months we will be featuring a series of articles by new bloggers on Walking With Integrity. These writers come from a many places across our Church. They will have the chance to talk about their faith and explore their experiences as Episcopalians and LGBTQ people. In engaging with these incredible people's unique stories, in hearing a diversity of voices, we have the opportunity to come to a deeper understanding of our faith, our work towards equality, and all the possibilities opened to us by a life with Christ.

Look for these articles starting next week!

Justice Rolling Like A River: Hello From Vivian

One of my father's favorite Bible verses comes from the prophet Amos. “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” He had it hung over his desk at his law office. I grew up seeing that verse over and over, and have always loved it. Our work as followers of Christ is to love each other and to love the world, and in loving, to bring that justice and righteousness to the benefit of the whole world. I've thought of that verse often as I have prepared to meet the incredible blessing of becoming the executive director of Integrity USA.

Last night I took a walk through my neighborhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I happened to pass by a broken sprinkler head that was pouring out a strong, steady flow of water onto the sidewalk. The sidewalk was made up of old, uneven bricks and ran down a slight incline to the street. It seems simple, there's water, there's an incline, there should be a straight course from the broken sprinkler to the street.
What happened instead was more complex. The water pooled in some areas and branched out in others. The water was affected by the unevenness of the bricks, the texture of each brick, and the variations of sand and twigs and pebbles between the bricks.

Instead of flowing straight to the street the water meandered back and forth. Some areas in the middle of the flow of water were left dry, others out at the edges were inundated.

I see the work of Integrity and the situation of those of us who care about the rights and well being of LGBTQ people as a lot like that water flowing from that broken sprinkler. We have had great success in working towards justice for LGBTQ folks, and we have won incredible victories. Still, there is so much work left to do. While LGBTQ people are safe in some dioceses, welcomed and celebrated, there are still many areas of the Church and the nation where people are not confident in their security. There are people unsure if they will be able to follow their call to vocation because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, there are people still afraid of what their children might learn in their parishes, there are LGBTQ folks who do not feel welcome in the LGBTQ community. So long as trans women of color are still being murdered for being trans, so long as our community continues to disproportionally face poverty, so long as hatred and ignorance remain, we have work to do.

There is no one size fits all solution for the diversity of challenges that we face. Like that water had to pass through each crack and over each brick in a unique way, so we must face each challenge across the nation and Church in it's particular existence. That means that I intend to have a focus on the local level of our organization across the Church. What is effective in one place may not be effective in another, but we can always learn from one another.

As we go forward, I do want to maintain three focuses in all of our work. We need to be mindful to work for inclusion of LGBTQ people of color in our communities and our work, to support LGBTQ parent families, and to work toward education about and inclusion of transgender and non-binary people. In doing that work together, we follow Jesus' example of crossing all boundaries to show the perfect love of God. We do this work so that God's justice and righteousness will flow throughout the entire world.

I leave you with the video I made for the Not All Like That Project. This project is focused on giving pro-LGBTQ Christian the opportunity to speak out and speak up for our brother, sisters, and siblings. If you would like to speak out, I invited you submit a video as well.

Thank you,

Vivian Taylor

  

Resurrection Always Comes, but at a Cost

Dear Friends:

Everywhere we look there are signs of Easter hope - the positive signs coming from the Supreme Court discussions; polls showing that increasing numbers of people support gay marriage;  more and more Believe Out Loud parishes and Proud Parish Partners; two openly gay candidates in Bishop selection processes; and news of the ministry of LGBT Anglicans in San Salvador.

The Rev. Dr. Caro Hall

Jesus’ ministry was to preach and demonstrate the reign of God where prisoners are set free, the blind see, and the lame leap for joy. I am quite convinced that if his earthly ministry were taking place today he would include LGBTQ people coming out and finding their right relationship with God and humanity. Jesus would include us because the reign of God is about becoming who we are truly made to be – as Irenaeus said, “The glory of God is the human being fully alive.” I give thanks this Easter that all over the world LGBTQ people are becoming more fully alive.

Yet Jesus’ ministry resulted in his death in shame and agony. Resurrection comes at a cost. There are many people who bear the marks of the struggle in their bodies and their psyches – including in our movement. I give thanks for those people.

Holy Week serves as a reminder that resurrection is not cheaply won. Jesus did not sail through his last mortal days always confident that he would be able to respond to degradation without retaliating, or that he would be able to bear the betrayal and pain with equanimity. Even as we celebrate the signs of new life and resurrection, we remember that it is only part of the story. Many have died in the struggle.

Even now, only nine states allow us to marry. Forty-one do not. Most Episcopal dioceses allow some form of blessing for same-gender relationships. Many do not. Although our church canons may not allow for discrimination against LGBTQ people, subtle and insidious discrimination still exists. In our society it is often not so subtle and sometimes filled with hate. In ninety-three countries it is still illegal to be gay. In seven of these it is punishable by death.There is much to be done before God’s reign is experienced by LGBTQ people the world over. Our calling is to continue to do the work, despite discouragement and set-backs. Our calling is to follow Jesus in his quest to bring all people regardless of color or sexuality or bank balance or physical ability into the reign of God. Holy Week reminds us that the work is not always easy or fun.

Easter reminds us that resurrection is the gift of God which always comes, because God is faithful. I thank you for your faithful witness to the incredible and unconditional love of God, and wish you and your beloveds a peaceful and joy-filled Easter.

With love in God’s service,

The Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall