WATCH: Do You Know San Francisco's Anti-LGBT Vandal?
The San Francisco Police Department released surveillance footage of a vandal setting fire to an LGBT Chicano mural in the city’s Mission district, in hopes that the public can identify the suspect.
Yezmin Villarreal
www.advocate.com/california/2015/07/20/watch-do-you-know-san-franciscos-anti-lgbt-vandal
Gay Priest Fired From Chaplain Job Asks Pope To Meet LGBT Catholics In U.S.
(RNS) In May, the Rev. Warren Hall was abruptly dismissed from his position as the popular campus chaplain at Seton Hall University in New Jersey because the Catholic archbishop of Newark said his advocacy against anti-gay bullying, and his identity as a gay man, undermined church teaching.
Now Hall has written to Pope Francis asking that when the pontiff visits the U.S. in September, he speak out against such actions because they are “alienating” gay Catholics and the many others who support them.
In the letter, which was dated July 14, Hall asked Francis to “find time to listen to the challenges faced by LGBT people, especially those who are Catholic and wish to remain a part of the Church they have grown up in, which they love, and yet which it seems is alienating them more and more.”
“Good teachers are being fired, pastoral and compassionate priests and religious women” -– referring to nuns — “are being silenced and accept it out of fear of being disciplined by their superiors, and good, faith-filled people are leaving the Church as they witness all of this happening,” he continued.
“As a gay priest, I am personally experiencing all of these things.”
Newark Archbishop John Myers called Hall in May to fire him, as Hall was giving a final exam to his students at the South Orange campus. Myers told Hall his decision stemmed from concerns over a picture the priest posted on Facebook last fall supporting the “NOH8” campaign.
“NOH8” stands for “no hate,” and it grew out of the battle over banning gay marriage in California.
Hall stressed that he was not advocating against any church teachings.
Later in May, Hall, 52, who said he remains committed to his vocation as a priest and his vow of celibacy, came out as gay. A spokesman for Myers responded by saying that “someone who labels himself or another in terms of sexual orientation or attraction contradicts what the Church teaches.”
Hall noted in his letter to Francis — which he posted on Facebook — that he has been given no other assignment by the archdiocese, and in a follow-up telephone interview he said his salary ceased on July 1. He has been living largely on savings and help from friends.
The priest said he had never intended to make his sexual orientation an issue or to advocate for gay Catholics. But he said he has decided to welcome the opportunity that the crisis presented him.
“I am not a theologian. I am not a politician. But I am gay. So I think I have something to say at this moment in time,” Hall said.
Many Catholic gays and lesbians who are school teachers and parish ministers have been fired in the wake of state, and now federal, rulings allowing them to wed their same-sex partners in a civil ceremony.
The most recent controversy came in Philadelphia, when a school run by an order of nuns fired a longtime staffer after a parent learned that the woman had married her partner and complained to the archdiocese. Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput backed the school, saying administrators “showed character and common sense.”
Chaput will be hosting Francis for the final two days of the Sept. 22-27 papal visit, which finishes with a huge outdoor Mass celebrating Catholic families.
Yet many Catholics see such firings as a sharp contrast with the more nonjudgmental approach to gays and lesbians espoused by Francis.
Hall said he was motivated by these stories to write the pope, with two goals in mind. The first was to show people upset with the church’s treatment of LGBT people that “this can be the church of welcome” that Francis has called for.
“Removing or firing LGBT people is doing more harm to the faithful than having a gay priest or teacher,” he said.
The second goal is to support other gay Catholics who are not leaving but who are being “mistreated” by the church and could eventually depart. “Think of all the wonderful people we would be turning away,” he said.
Hall said he has chosen not to be angry or depressed about his dismissal, and said his years as a recovering alcoholic have also helped him deal with the situation, he said.
“I am annoyed. I am frustrated. But I do see a great possibility here,” Hall said. He would love it if Myers let him start an LGBT ministry, as some other dioceses have done, though he doesn’t expect it.
The priest said he has had offers from non-Catholic churches, to work for them, but as much as he appreciates the support, he wouldn’t consider switching. “I’m Catholic, I’m not leaving!“ he said with a laugh.
He has no idea if he will receive a response to his letter; Francis has been known to write or even cold-call those who try to contact him. But he said during his U.S. trip, when so much focus will be on Catholic teachings and approaches on sexuality, Francis could begin to change what Hall said is a damaging dynamic in the church over gays and lesbians.
“He could more strongly offer the message that this is your church, too. You are welcome here,” Hall said.
“He could at least help to slow down the firings,” he said, “and help everyone sit back and take a breath. Perfection is our goal, but no one’s there. How can we move forward together for the kingdom?”
Also on HuffPost:
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Tom Daley was initially ‘freaked out’ over his attraction to boyfriend Dustin Lance Black
Tom Daley is opening up about how falling in love with Dustin Lance Black quickly and unexpectedly answered for him any questions about his sexuality.
The couple first met in March of 2013 in Los Angeles at a dinner party held by a mutual friend.
“I’d never had feelings for a person along those lines,’ Daley tells The Guardian. ‘I’d been in relationships with girls where I’d had sexual feelings, but it became so much more intense when I met Lance. I thought, “Whoa, this is weird. Why am I having these feelings for somebody?” It freaked me a little bit initially, but then it was like, “OK, this makes sense.” Lots of things started to make sense.’
Adds Daley: ‘I always knew that I had that attraction to guys, but I just thought that was a usual thing, being attracted to guys and girls. It was only when I met Lance I started having such strong feelings.’
The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist is 20 years younger than the Academy Award winning screenwriter. It’s Daley’s first relationship with a guy.
‘It makes it so much easier, being with someone who gets having to work really hard, and gets how we have other things in our life that we want to be successful at,’ he says. ‘And we’ve both worked really hard all our lives to get things we want. I want an Olympic gold medal; he wants a smash hit in the box office or a really good film.’
The post Tom Daley was initially ‘freaked out’ over his attraction to boyfriend Dustin Lance Black appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
Texas Man Beats His Teen Boyfriend To Death, Strangles His Dog
Canchola (left) and Sylvester (right)
A Texas man is charged with first-degree murder after beating his boyfriend to death.
Twenty-year-old Bryan Canchola and his boyfriend 18-year-old Stephen Sylvester got into a fight at their apartment in Austin after returning home from a night of drinking on Friday.
Their roommate told police that he awoke to hear the couple arguing in their bedroom shortly after 4 a.m. He described “banging and violent crashing” and the sound of a dog yelping in pain.
Related: Kisses From A Fist: Why Abuse In Queer Relationships Must End Now
“Why would you cheat on me?” Canchola allegedly screamed, to which Sylvester replied, “Let the dog go!”
The roommate pushed his way into the couple’s room where he witnessed Canchola, who he described as looking “extremely intoxicated,” punching Sylvester in the face and throwing a heavy glass and beer bottles at him. Blood was splattered all over the walls.
The roommate broke up the fight and drove Sylvester to the ER, but he returned home before being seen by a doctor.
At 5:15 a.m., Canchola called police to report his boyfriend was unconscious. When police arrived, Canchola had blood on his lips, hands and feet. Officers also noted that there was a “considerable lack of blood on Sylvester which suggested to him that the body may have been cleaned prior to his arrival.”
An autopsy found that Sylvester suffered signs of strangulation, a neck fracture and bleeding of the brain. The dog, too, showed indicative of strangulation.
Canchola is currently being held on a $500,000 bond.
Related: STUDY: Is Domestic Violence On The Rise Among LGBTs—Or Is Reporting Just Better?
h/t: GayStarNews
Graham Gremore
Gay Couple from Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Kickoff Video Tie the Knot in Chicago: WATCH
Nathan Johnson and Jared Milrad, the gay couple featured in Hillary Clinton’s first campaign ad back in April, tied the knot at Chicago’s Montrose Harbor on Sunday.
CBS Chicago reports Clinton declined the invitation to the wedding, but sent the couple a congratulatory note.
“She rightfully pointed out that if she came to the wedding, it might distract from our special day so we understand she supports us,” said Milrad.
Thanks for your beautiful note, @HillaryClinton! We can’t wait to get on the trail! #wedding #lovewins #Hillary2016 pic.twitter.com/XO9uGGOLFV
— Jared Milrad (@JaredMilrad) July 13, 2015
Watch a CBS Chicago report on the wedding below:
The post Gay Couple from Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Kickoff Video Tie the Knot in Chicago: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Kyler Geoffroy
Gay Couple from Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Kickoff Video Tie the Knot in Chicago: WATCH
Unveiling the Secret (Smutty) Queer Stories of Centuries Past
Over a hundred years later, the shade drawn over classic gay literature is finally being lifted so the work can get the spotlight it’s always deserved.
Matt Baume
www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2015/07/20/unveiling-secret-smutty-queer-stories-centuries-past
I am a Christian. You Are Something Else.
We both go to church. We both believe in Jesus. I am a Christian. You are something else.
Such is the message I often hear from organized religion, and as a gay man and ex-fundamentalist, I find it divisive and presumptuous. Just recently, I read the following post on Facebook:
“My family and I are Christians. My sister is a Jehovah’s Witness. We all gathered to pray over our food, but my JW sibling did not participate. Why not?”
I grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness, and questions of this sort definitely hit home. My reply to the person who posted this question was, “Funny that you refer to yourself as “Christian” and your sis as something else. Your sister would use that same language. In her mind, she is the Christian and you are something else. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t recognize any level of righteousness on the part of non-Witness religions. They don’t recognize your faith as being from God, so there is no point in participating in your prayer. Your prayer doesn’t mean anything to her, just as her prayer would not mean anything to you.”
Just as this self-proclaimed Christian has identified Jehovah’s Witnesses as being non-Christian, she would likely have the same view of me. Gay people can’t possibly be Christian, in the minds of many religious people today. There is a large, visible and vocal element of Christianity in this country that has this message for people like me: We are Christian. You are something else.
I no longer believe in God or religion. I am an atheist. But even if I were to belong to one of the Christian faiths who welcomes the LGBT population, many other religious denominations would deny my inclusion into their realm. I can’t ever be a Christian and be gay, they preach.
Several decades ago, I once had a telephone conversation with an ex-girlfriend about my homosexuality. The conversation was prompted by my mistaken belief that honesty was long overdue and would be appreciated. It was an excruciatingly long conversation, well over an hour, when I explained that recognition and acceptance of my homosexuality was the reason why I had ended our relationship a few years prior. We talked about my childhood as a Jehovah’s Witness and my countless years of praying to God, asking Him to cure me. We talked about her conviction in the superiority of the Baptist faith, and their inability to accept homosexuality as an acceptable way of life. I reminded her that I had spent most of my adolescence fervently praying to God, asking for help, a fact that she dismissed as irrelevant. I had not been praying properly, or to the correct form of God, she informed me. Praying to God as a Jehovah’s Witness didn’t count, she insisted. Only if I had been a Baptist, and in her words, “accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior” would my prayers have had any remote chance at validity. She also assured me that, should I follow her instructions, as given by her Baptist faith, God would help me refrain from what she referred to as the homosexual lifestyle. I only needed to join her faith in order to receive that help. The God of certain religions seems to be very selective that way.
Since then, I’ve had other conversations, similar in tone, with people of other religious preferences. Catholics, Mormons, Evangelicals. All declared my years of prayer as a Jehovah’s Witness to have been meaningless. I’ve even switched things up a bit in those conversations and claimed to have been a member of a faith I had never belonged to. Okay, sure, that means I lied a couple of times. For example, in a conversation with a Mormon, I claimed to have been Catholic when I prayed to God to cure me of what I viewed at the time to be sexual deviance. Those prayers were futile, I was informed by the Mormon, simply because they were given while I was Catholic. Mormons don’t really respect Catholics, I discovered. In conversations with the Evangelicals, I once claimed to have been a Mormon when I sent countless prayers to heaven. It didn’t take long to learn that the Evangelicals don’t care much for the Mormon faith. Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are both cults, as far as the Evangelicals are concerned, and once again I learned that my prayers, purportedly given while a Mormon, weren’t valid in the eyes of Evangelicals.
Today, the world is a more welcoming place for young people who are struggling to determine who they are. Thankfully, for those who wish to believe in God, there are religious denominations who embrace, rather than condemn, differences in sexuality, but that wasn’t true when I was growing up under the thumb of the Jehovah’s Witness ideology.
Sadly, many religions today still claim ownership of Christianity, and use such ownership to condemn people like me who don’t conform to their interpretation of biblical law. Those that fall into this lifestyle of delusional self-superiority have the most difficult time with people like me who have embraced our sexual identity and abandoned organized religion. Even more disconcerting to them is the recognition that some Christian faiths accept the LGBT population with open arms. Certain mainstream religions don’t know what to do with the gay and lesbian population, or the transgender or bisexual community, other than offer their proprietary religious dogma as a cure for what they think ails us. Delusions of self-superiority such as that can’t be reasoned with. It can’t be refuted by logic, or facts, or kindness or graciousness. Only a humble acceptance of diversity in the human existence can lead people to tolerance. Sadly, many religions have not yet found this sense of humility. I believe there are some biblical passages which could cure them of this problem, should they care to read them. Of course, I no longer remember specifically where those passages are in the Bible, given that I am now “something else” and no longer read it.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Caitlyn Jenner says it’s ‘a relief’ to have ESPYs speech behind her
Caitlyn Jenner has received a lot of praise for her speech at last week’s ESPYs during which she was presented with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
What the millions who watched did not know was the level of fear Jenner had about giving the speech despite decades as a sought-after motivational speaker.
‘As a dyslexic kid, my biggest fear in life was to go in front of the class and read because I just wasn’t very good at it — and that stays with you through your whole life,’ Jenner writes in her latest WhoSay column posted on Monday (20 July).
‘That’s why all of my speaking engagements through the years have been always off the cuff. I’m better off getting up there knowing what I’m going to say and doing it.’
But this could not be an off the cuff night.
‘I really had to stick to the prompter because I only had a certain number of minutes to make it right, to get my points across. I practiced, and practiced, and practiced, and practiced to make sure I’d nail it.’
She also had never given a speech wearing a dress.
Jenner (pictured below with her family) revealed that her dress was designed by Donatella Versace who asked for the assignment an it was made in Italy.
‘It was like every fantasy of my life come true,’ she writes. ‘Getting glamorous for the ESPYs was a big process to go through, but it was amazing and so much fun. I really wanted to feel real comfortable up there (although there was a corset under that dress, so I don’t know how comfortable I was!). I wanted to feel good. I wanted to feel pretty. I wanted to be myself.’
The post Caitlyn Jenner says it’s ‘a relief’ to have ESPYs speech behind her appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
www.gaystarnews.com/article/caitlyn-jenner-says-its-a-relief-to-have-espys-speech-behind-her/
Here’s A Lesson In Trans Terminology You AND Your Parents Will Enjoy
We admit even we sometimes slip up on pronouns and terminology when conversing with our transgender friends or discussing the trans issues of the day, but a respectful intention to “get it right” goes a long way.
Related: “Why Is It So Offensive To Just Say That Transgender Women Grew Up As Boys?”
For people with little to no exposure to trans people in real life, it’s a lot to get adjusted to. The fact that many are trying is a beautiful thing.
Below, get a hilarious (and informative) lesson in the trans lexicon from Funny or Die. This is a great one to forward to your parents back in Idaho:
Dan Tracer
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