The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend: "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."
He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior."
(CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)
Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).
"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008
Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:
A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist." (Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)
"A nutty lesbian blogger." (MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)
Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush
who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
Yesterday I ran a couple of video open letters to Rick Warren -- from Faith in America's Mitchell Gold and Tracey Zoeller, author of "The Pastor's Daughter."
Tonight's open letter is from Rodney N. Powell, a member of Faith In America's board of directors and a former student activist in civil rights movement, and he has no patience for the smooth, media-friendly mega-pastor Rick Warren's attempt to spin his brand of evangelical conservatism as enlightened or in any way reaching out to the LGBT community. He believes that Warren's actions and attitude are no different from those of segregationists and racists. Here is the powerful smackdown:
A partial transcript of a meaty portion of this open letter:
"When you seek to force your views and intolerance on others, you are no different from racists, segregationists, sexists, anti-Semites and other bigots throughout America's history of religion-based bigotry. Dr. King vigorously and harshly challenged and rejected the acceptance of institutions and persons who advocated and advanced religion-based racial persecution and its resultant bigotry and hate.
It is astounding to me, and I'm certain to other former student leaders of non-violent protest during the civil rights movement such as Congressman John Lewis, that you will deliver the keynote address at the Martin Luther King Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Mr. Warren, I do not believe Dr. King would find your spiritual leadership unifying, and I'm certain he would not find it to be part of his vision for America of a beloved community."
Lane points us to a piece by LGBT ally Rev. Bennie Colclough, pastor of Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church in Kingstree. The South Carolina Pride site lists the many accomplishments of the pastor, a graduate of the Yale University Divinity School who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years in Vietnam, and is a member on the General Board of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Married for 35 years, he and his wife are deeply involved in the social justice movement, and believes that an injustice to one is an injustice to all.
Below is a snippet of his challenge to Barack Obama, who has sought to court black voters in SC, enticing them away from Hillary Clinton by, among other things, inviting "former homosexual" and gospel singer Donnie McClurkin to headline an infamous concert last fall that took many in the community aback (see my posts here). Reverend Colclough is a contributing writer for Faith in America.
The African-American faith community must defend the human dignity of all people as distinguished leaders in our community are calling us to this task.
Consider Coretta Scott King's remarks in a 1998 address in which she said that "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood."
...The African-American faith community must recognize the perpetrators and injustice, and bring about an end to the hurt that has been caused to so many.
Discrimination is morally wrong and un-Christian. Let me repeat this: Discrimination is morally wrong and un-Christian.
Sen. Barack Obama has said that he strongly disagrees with the views of people like gospel singer Donnie McKlurkin and others who use religion to attack members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Those of us who are missionaries for justice and equality are hopeful that Senator Barack Obama will be true to his platform for change, and speak out against religious bigotry coming from a select group of African-American evangelical leaders.
His appearance Monday night at a presidential debate in Myrtle Beach would be a good opportunity for him to do just that.
While Senator Obama's candidacy for president of the United States offers hope, let us not forget a facet of society that has had little hope for change the last 20 years. The purpose of our government, first and foremost, is equality under the law, respect for human rights, and protection of all our citizens, whether they are white, black, male, female, disabled, Christian, or gay. We must be about the business of building a beloved community with a foundation of compassion and justice for all.
Our friend Brent Childers, executive director of Faith in America, has a great post that I wanted to share, "A truth worth sharing this Christmas."
The harm experienced by two Florida and South Carolina families this Christmas because of religion-based bigotry against gay and lesbian individuals is very real.
Many evangelical Christians this year may have to admit to their children that they've been perpetrating an "untruth." Perhaps they are made just a smidgen more uncomfortable by the fact that they believe truth was embodied in Christ - who according to their religious teachings was a person born different than any other human being.
So at a time when many Christians are cautioned not to forget the "reason behind the season," they are confronted with the fact that they must close the door on a part of their son's or daughter's childhood by telling them that certain stories about the partially eaten cookies, the hand-scrawled note left behind and the soot smeared on the floor were really not true.
But the young lives of a future generation will go on albeit perhaps a bit more cynical and somewhat dejected from discovering such a truth. For the families of Pat and Lynn Mulder of Auburndale, Fla., and Elke Kennedy and Jim Parker of Greenville, S.C., the lives of their two children will not be going on. The day-to-day gifts of joy they gave their parents, siblings and friends ended with their deaths - and no amount of perception will make their future lives and their gifts to those around them a reality.
Duncan Hunter gave a wholly ridiculous answer the other night at the CNN/YouTube debate to Brigadier General Keith Kerr's question about the illegitimacy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
I'm a retired brigadier general with 43 years of service. And I'm a graduate of the Special Forces Officer Course, the Commanding General Staff Course and the Army War College. And I'm an openly gay man.
I want to know why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.
Hunter said that allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military is a "disservice" to American service personnel who may share Judeo-Christian values.
Faith In America, which fights religion-based bigotry against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in America, had this response to GOP presidential candidate. Faith In America's Executive Director Brent Childers
"Duncan Hunter's comments about the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy exposes how religion-based bigotry against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people is promoted by factions of the Republican Party and threatens the rights of all Americans. Congressman Hunter owes the country - especially those gay and lesbian service personnel who sacrifice their lives everyday to ensure our freedom and liberty - an apology for invoking hateful sentiments that marginalize and cause incredible harm to gay people and their families.
"It is absolutely deplorable that the other candidates failed to repudiated Hunter's comments, and astonishing that a person who aspires to service as Command in Chief would imply that gay and lesbian servicemen and women are less than honorable, admirable and distinguished. The other candidates' silence serves to sanction a real practice in our society that legally and socially discriminates against gay and lesbian individuals.
"We would have expected Mitt Romney to immediately disavow such comments because of the religion-based bigotry and discrimination suffered by Mormons and other religious minorities in this country. Former Governor Mike Huckabee, an ordained minister, should have quickly distanced himself from Hunter's remarks as they are clearly antithetical to the fundamental tenets of all authentic religious teachings: love, compassion, and respect for all human beings.
"We call on all presidential candidates to consider that military personnel - as in our society at large - may ascribe to a variety of religious principles. We ask them to join us in denouncing a viewpoint that supports discrimination against a minority group in deference to the religious tradition of the dominant or majority group as this clearly is against the principles of equality and fairness that we as Americans all share."
Mike Signorile had Brigadier General Keith Kerr on his Sirius OutQ radio show today to discuss the charges that he was a Clinton campaign plant, serving his country in silence for 43 years, and the insane attack on him by Pat Buchanan (who called Kerr a coward for not coming out sooner!).
Mike also spoke with Marine Captain and Iraq war vet Antonio Agnone, who was dismissed under DADT and is participating in this weekend's events on the National Mall organized by HRC, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and other LGBT groups honoring those who were booted from the service for being gay or lesbian.
Daimeon said he'll have pictures from the event to post on the Blend.
About 75 Greenville residents gathered for the Seven Straight Nights celebration in Greenville, S.C., on Oct. 8 in downtown.
One of the Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights gatherings was held on October 8 in Greenville, South Carolina, and Faith in America has passed on photos and coverage of what transpired there, as those at the vigil faced protestors from a local church.
When the voices of straight allies unite with those of their gay and lesbain friends, family and co-workers, the shrill voices of religion-based bigotry can't stand up against reason and heart-felt conviction. That's what happened last Monday in downtown Greenville, S.C.
It was a beautiful night for Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights in Greenville, S.C. on Oct. 8. But when a van full of anti-gay protesters from a Greenville community church showed up, the special event's celebratory mood was maligned by the anti-gay group's attitudes of intimidation and confrontation.
"We're honoring and celebrating something that just over 40 years ago some Americans said was immoral and wrong and could not happen. We're celebrating the wisdom that prejudice and bigotry was removed from the law books and Americans were given the right to marry the person they loved, regardless of race. -- Rev. Jimmy Creech, executive director of Faith in America, which is funding the ad campaign
"We want to draw some parallels and comparisons to show that oppression is oppression and intolerance is intolerance. Forty years ago, there were a lot of situations that weren't tolerated, and, as we have thankfully evolved around race and ethnicity, there's still intolerance." -- Herndon Davis of the National Black Justice Coalition on the campaign, noting that many Americans don't know that interracial marriages were against the law in many states only a few decades ago
Today an ad campaign begins that points out the parallel of Loving v. Virginia, which resulted in the lifting of the ban on interracial marriages and marriage equality for gays and lesbians. The six ads will run in the Capitol Hill publications Roll Call and Politico. (Miami Herald):
They feature photos of interracial couples like golfer Tiger Woods and his wife, Elin, and former U.S. Defense Secretary Bill Cohen and his wife, Janet Langhart, who have written a book about their marriage, Love in Black and White. Couples of different ethnicities, like Bush and Martinez, also are featured.
Others in the ad: Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, and Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., and his wife, Hong Le.
The ads note that 16 states still banned interracial marriages until the Supreme Court struck down a Virginia law in 1967, finding "the freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men."
Other sponsors include: Asian American Justice Center, Freedom to Marry, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Hispanic National Bar Association, Lambda Legal, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Black Justice Coalition and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
It's sad that that many who believe in and live racial diversity in their personal lives -- and have benefited from Loving v. Virginia -- can turn and wish to shut the legal door to same sex couples.
Faith in America (FIA) held a conference call today to discuss its five-city "Call to Courage" campaign. The initiative will consist of direct mail, paid advertisements, grassroots organizing, and Town Hall Meetings to educate the public on the parallels between historical precedents of religion-based bigotry and today's struggle for full and equal rights for LGBT citizens.
The initiative targets states that are early presidential primary states. Faith In America kicks off the campaign on May 6th in Ames, Iowa, and will move on to Reno, Nevada; Manchester, New Hampshire; Greenville, South Carolina; and Colorado Springs, Colorado-- all held between May and the end of November 2007. Colorado Springs, you may remember is the home of Focus of the Family.
The organization is working on the project with local and national organizations, including the Metropolitan Community Church Worldwide, Soulforce, Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
It didn't take long, huh? The 30-day "Would Jesus Discriminate" billboard and yardsign campaign by Jesus Metropolitan Community Church in Indianapolis and Faith in America riled up the homophobes.
Two billboards were defaced. One had "LIE LIE LIE" spraypainted on it, while the other had the word "gay" excised out of "The early church welcomed a gay man. Acts 8:26-40." The second sign has already been repaired. In both cases the vandals would have had to use extension ladders to reach the billboards. Both signs are located in very populated areas.
The church is also distributing thousands of yard signs with the campaign's URL on it as the message - WouldJesusDiscriminate.com. On at least four separate occasions, church members putting out the signs have been shadowed by individuals systematically removing the yard signs behind them in an effort to silence the church's question.
Bil Browning of Bilerico noted: "...not only would Jesus discriminate apparently, he'd also tag your ass with graffiti and probably steal your shoes too."
Anyone have a stopwatch to see how long will it take for the fundies to erupt over this? I received a press release from Faith in America, a national organization devoted to ending the injustice of religion-based bigotry against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, about the new billboard campaign it is supporting with a church in Indianapolis.
A Metropolitan Community Church in Indianapolis, Ind., this week began a new media campaign aimed at challenging Hoosiers to re-examine their assumptions about what the Bible says about homosexuality.
Organizers say the 30-day campaign, which utilizes a series of billboard messages that were posted this weekend, is meant to highlight Scriptures that affirm gay people and their relationships. One billboard message boldly declares Jesus affirmed a gay couple. Matthew 8 The campaign also is using yard signs, bumper stickers and T-shirts to get its message out.
In addition, each billboard and yard sign invites viewers to visit a web site that provides detailed support for the Scriptural claims - www.WouldJesusDiscriminate.com.
Last summer Jesus MCC, Faith In America, and MCC conducted a pilot project in Indianapolis, using billboards and yard signs to ask a simple question: "Would Jesus Discriminate?"
Organizers say this year's project will be bigger and bolder, moving beyond a gentle question to propose a bold answer that some may find unsettling. "In the past, many Christians misused the Bible to support slavery, oppose equal rights for women, and oppose interracial marriage," says Rev. Jimmy Creech, Executive Director of Faith In America. "They went so far as to accuse people on the other side of being unbiblical. The same thing is happening again with respect to same-gender relationships. It has to stop."
Another of the billboards that will appear in Indianapolis proclaims, "Ruth loved Naomi as Adam loved Eve. Genesis 2:24; Ruth 1:14." Rev. Jeff Miner, Senior Pastor of Jesus MCC, said, "I can already hear tires screeching across Indianapolis as folks see the billboards. Most people have no idea that the Bible contains passages that powerfully affirm gay people."
The purpose of the Indianapolis Campaign, Pastor Miner says, is to change the whole tenor of the debate over homosexuality. "Right now," Miner says, "most people think this is a debate between people who love the Bible - conservative Christians - and people who want to throw out the Bible - godless homosexuals. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our Church welcomes hundreds of devout gay Christians who love the Bible deeply. Our goal is to rescue the Bible from misinterpretations driven by cultural prejudice, so its true message of grace, hope, and peace can come through."
The web site supporting the campaign also addresses Scripture passages sometimes used against gay people. These passages, the web site suggests, are being lifted out of context and applied in ways the original authors never dreamed.
"We need to have an authentic dialogue about what the Bible says," Pastor Miner said. "I would be willing to discuss this subject in a public forum with any credible pastor who is willing to have a respectful dialogue. Let's shine a light on this subject, compare our different points of view, and let thoughtful people make up their own minds."
Says Creech, "In their hearts, people know that discriminating against gay and transgender people is terribly wrong. We want to encourage people to speak up when religious bullies misuse the Bible to berate gay people. Each of us has a responsibility to end the misuse of religion to justify discrimination."
The founder of Faith In America, Mitchell Gold, was named one of Persons of the Year by The Advocate, this year and landed on Out Magazine's recent 50 Most Powerful Gays in America list. Gold is a philanthropost and co-founder and chair of furniture powerhouse Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, based in Hickory, NC.
Brent Childers of Faith in America read my earlier post on my faith, This I believe, and he sent me a wonderful email that I would like to share with you. It's about his journey from homophobia to an open heart toward LGBT people.
As a person of faith, he wanted to share with us his views from a perspective of one who has learned to move past ingrained fear melded with bigotry. It takes strength -- and courage, I might add -- to discard long held views we are raised with.
Contrition - a fundamental act
Do you think fundamental religious leaders and their followers will ever acknowledge the harm to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people -like certain denominations have apologized for once condoning racism in America?
How close is the day when they realize bigotry disguised as religious truth not only harms others but themselves? How close is the day that they say they're sorry?
I can't answer how close that day is.
But I do know that I can no longer wait.
I carried the Religious Right's anti-gay banner for many years but am thrilled to say today that I'm no longer held captive by bigotry disguised as religious truth. It's tough admitting your words, thoughts and actions were once guided by bigotry. It's more difficult yet to realize the harm you caused.
Three years ago, I was in a conversation with a dear family member. As a 43-year-old fundamentalist-leaning Christian, I was railing about how homosexuals were out to destroy America. My mother stopped me mid-sentence with a question: "Was the attitude I held toward gay men and women truly a Christ-like attitude?"
I had so often stated how I "loved the sinner but not the sin" but I never stopped to consider if I really meant that. More importantly, what did the gay co-worker actually feel when I spoke those words. It seems consistent with God's message of love and forgiveness that I should treat everyone with love and compassion. But being reared in a fundamentalist Baptist church, I was taught that the Bible says homosexuals are engaged in sinful behavior and that they want to bring about moral decay within our society.
Yet, can any student of the Bible say that the overall message - from beginning to end - is not one of forgiveness, love and redemption? God calls upon Christians to love as Christ did. God forbids us from judging or condemning people based on what we consider sin. That, I believe the Bible says, is God's job. As I pondered these questions, God began to slowly open my heart and mind to what I know as truth today - gay men and lesbians are not wicked and evil individuals and their sexual orientation is simply how God created them. They have jobs, homes, families and many desire a meaningful relationship with God just as I do. While I'm no theologian, I believe deeply that God grants us the ability to discern spiritual truths. One truth that God allowed me to discern is that judging a group of people as wicked and evil because of their sexual orientation - and deeming them as unworthy of my association and unworthy of a relationship with God - was wrong.
It didn't reflect a Christ-like love toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Certain religious leaders who espouse attitudes of discrimination and condemnation when it comes to the issue of homosexuality are quick to say they love the homosexual - it's just their sexual orientation they have a problem with. We cannot have it both ways. Christ accepts us just as we are? Shouldn't we do the same?
Over time I have had the opportunity to speak with numerous of my gay and lesbian neighbors - some Christians, some of other faiths and some who profess no particular faith. They tell me how the harsh and condemning language coming from certain conservative Christian organizations causes them great psychological and emotional distress. When they hear Christians espousing a condemning and judgmental message, they feel no love, compassion or respect. Each time I hear this from a gay or lesbian person it reinforces what I came to realize about my past attitude toward homosexuals - condemning people as sinners because of their sexual orientation prevented me from showing the type love and compassion that Christ calls us to exhibit in all our relationships. Sometimes we accept certain biblical teachings as truth without placing those teachings up against God's overall message of love, forgiveness and redemption.
It often takes a step out in faith to question a long-held religious belief. Perhaps we're afraid that changing our belief on something we've accepted as truth will lead us to discard other truths found in God's Word. It reminds me of how Christ was perceived as a threat by religious leaders of his time because he challenged many of their long-standing religious beliefs and practices.
At the end of my days, this is what I will know in my heart: As I discarded my attitude of discrimination and condemnation toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, my faith was strengthened as I realized the difference between genuine love and insincere words.
It's ironic. After years of wanting to change what I perceived as the hardened hearts of homosexuals, God changed my heart instead.
There's one thing I still must do and thus the reason for this post.
To all the wonderful, decent and loving gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the world, I have to ask your forgiveness?
I unfortunately know that I can't undo the hurt that I caused with my condemning words and hateful thoughts, so it seems very insufficient to say I'm sorry.
The African-American faith community must defend the human dignity of all people as distinguished leaders in our community are calling us to this task.
Two billboards were defaced. One had "LIE LIE LIE" spraypainted on it, while the other had the word "gay" excised out of "The early church welcomed a gay man. Acts 8:26-40." The second sign has already been repaired. In both cases the vandals would have had to use extension ladders to reach the billboards. Both signs are located in very populated areas.
A Metropolitan Community Church in Indianapolis, Ind., this week began a new media campaign aimed at challenging Hoosiers to re-examine their assumptions about what the Bible says about homosexuality.
Another of the billboards that will appear in Indianapolis proclaims, "Ruth loved Naomi as Adam loved Eve. Genesis 2:24; Ruth 1:14." Rev. Jeff Miner, Senior Pastor of Jesus MCC, said, "I can already hear tires screeching across Indianapolis as folks see the billboards. Most people have no idea that the Bible contains passages that powerfully affirm gay people."
The web site supporting the campaign also addresses Scripture passages sometimes used against gay people. These passages, the web site suggests, are being lifted out of context and applied in ways the original authors never dreamed.
