lullaby on a water taxi

Last week, water-taxi-ing from The Island to Hitlerville AKA Almirante, a little Ngobe boy, accompanied by a sibling and his parents, was basically moved out of his seat by someone I FELT was being child disrespectful. He was really squished by four adults and two of us with big asses. I asked his mom's permission for him to sit in my lap; he did. Now you remember I am the one who ADORES little girls, so this was an amazing feat on my part. The waves were big and bouncy; not stormy but rough. No one wants a child who lives on the water to experience fear so, with our life jackets on (it is required by the safety patrol or something), we are bouncing and the boat levitates for long seconds before BOOMING back into the water. I laugh and teach a new English word: "WHOOPEEE!" (too many years in TX I suppose). Not even a third of the way across, I feel this wee one's heaviness as I see his eyes grow heavy with sleep. (napping on this wild ride, what a great and amazing thing!). I cuddle him next to me in a more comfortable position in all our kapok orange safety devices and I decide that I'll lullaby. I don't know why; it just seemed the thing to do. I began by humming Beethoven's 9th, hoping this marvelous music, Maestro, forgive me, will go straight into this child's unconscious and if he never hears Beethoven played and sung as he should be played and sung, this darling one will have heard one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, even if it's by a poor voice musician, I, but I can hum and lah-lah-lah lullaby quite well. This darling sinks deeper and it seems time to move to something else like "Michael Row the Boat Ashore, " followed by Bach's "Sheep Gently Graze," a bit from Abbey Road, Puff the Magic Dragon, then "We Shall Overcome." By the second round of We Shall Overcome I realised people were SINGING along!! It was a moment of goosebumps and awe. We reached the Almirante dock safety and I relinquished this deeply sleeping boy to his parents. And the last time I saw him, he was sleeping in his daddy's arms and I'd been hugged and thanked by his mom.....Church doesn't happen for me in the buildings here; Church happens "on the way," on the streets, and out on the water. I'm the madre/priest (still a deacon of the NCIAR) of "along the way." Too bad the bish doesn't see it this way.

HOORAY, MEXICO

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv We need you, SOULFORCE!!! and we need you in Spanish!! http://www.soulforce.org/ vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv Today, I pray for the heart of Mexico, and I ask for the intervention of Our Lady of Guadalupe and especially for the intervention all our good gay saints: George, Paul the Apostle, Augustine, Saint Boris, (my Irish and beloved) Saints Brigid--made a bishop at her baptism by "mistake" and Darlughdach of Kildare- her "long time companion", Saints Serge and Bacchus, Saints Polyeuct and Nearchos, Basil I (whose hagiography reports his being married to two men--marriage took place in C/church), St. Aelred of Rievaulx, SS. Perpetua and Felicity, Anselm of Canterbury, Julian of Norwich, St. Theodora/Theodoros of Alexandria, St Thekla, St Edward II-King of England, Alcuin of Tours, Blessed St John of the Cross, Good St Joan (of Arc), Blessed John Henry Newman, Ruth and Naomi, St John the Evangelist, David the Prophet, and Nehemiah--among others. Gay popes/Papas: John XII, Benedict IX, Julius III, Paul II, good King James--the "author" of THE one true Bible. And in our time: Malcolm Boyd, Harvey Milk, the Stonewallers, James Baldwin, Billie Holliday, William Stringfellow, marvelous +Rusty Clyma, Louie Crew aka Queen Lutibelle, Henri Nouwen, Susan Russell, Louis Weil, Bill Countryman, Jay Johnson, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The San Francisco Empress Society, brave and vunerable +Gene Robinson (a bishop without a bodyguard is a REAL bishop. But then I grew up with Bishop Hines), and scores of others who live their lives of devotion and faith in SPITE of the Church, but who live their lives and love the Love of God, Lover/Creator-Jesus the Lover (who, if fully human HAD to have been bi-at least!), and the Holy Spirit, Love Ever Overflowing. (from numerous websites of the hagiography of gay saints) vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv A presentation in response to the Windsor/Eames Report outlines "how a person living in a same gender union may be considered eligible to lead the flock of Christ." A booklet titled "To Set Our Hope on Christ" was distributed as part of the presentation. [Link to the text: http://www.anglicanlistening.org ]. "We believe that God has been opening our eyes to acts of God that we had not known how to see before," the text states. During all the Windsor/Eames/Akinola (ASSinola) whoopla, during one well-publicized incident, a Nigerian bishop engaged in a shouting match with a white, gay English deacon, condemning the “lifestyle choice” of gays and lesbians. Barbara Harris, attending her first Lambeth Conference since becoming a bishop in 1989, announced to the press that she was relieved she’d never have to go to another one and that “the vitriolic, fundamentalist rhetoric of some African, Asian and other bishops of color, who were in the majority, was in my opinion reflective of the European and North American missionary influence propounded in the Southern Hemisphere nations during the 18th, l9th and early 20th centuries.” Coming from a prophetic black activist, this was harsh and unusually public criticism of fellow people of color, but Harris minced no words about her sense that many bishops from developing nations were suffering from a form of internalized oppression. Their theological arguments, she said, were based on a sense of truth “that not only had been handed to their forebears, but had been used to suppress them.” http://www.colorlines.com/ vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv Desmond Tutu: "Homophobia equals apartheid" The former head of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa made these statements at the launching of the book "Sex, Love & Homophobia", published last week by Amnesty International UK. Mr Tutu has written the foreword to the human rights group's book. - We struggled against apartheid in South Africa, supported by people the world over, because black people were being blamed and made to suffer for something we could do nothing about; our very skins, wrote the prominent Church leader. "It is the same with sexual orientation. It is a given," he added. Mr Tutu says he could not have fought against the discrimination of apartheid and not also fight against the discrimination which homosexuals endure. "And I am proud that in South Africa, when we won the chance to build our own new constitution, the human rights of all have been explicitly enshrined in our laws," he said, adding that he hoped this soon would also be the case in other countries. South Africa is so far the only country in the world where the constitution guarantees equal rights non-regarding sexual orientation. This is in stark contrast to most of South Africa's neighbour countries, where homosexulality often is punished by the penal code. Only recenty, a Botswana High Court ruling reaffirmed this legal practice. - Yet, all over the world, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are persecuted, writes Archbishop Tutu. "We treat them as pariahs and push them outside our communities. We make them doubt that they too are children of God - and this must be nearly the ultimate blasphemy. We blame them for what they are," he adds. He also regrets the dominant view among his church colleagues. "Churches say that the expression of love in a heterosexual monogamous relationship includes the physical, the touching, embracing, kissing, the genital act - the totality of our love makes each of us grow to become increasingly godlike and compassionate. If this is so for the heterosexual, what earthly reason have we to say that it is not the case with the homosexual?" Mr Tutu asks. Also within the Anglican Church, homosexuality is highly controversial and an ongoing conflict has threatened to split the global Anglican Communion. The current head of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa, Njongonkulu Ndungane, has been an outspoken supporter of including homosexuals in the Church community, putting himself in a strong-worded conflict with other African Church leaders. In its new book, Amnesty reports on the life stories of gay and lesbian people around the world. These include Poliyana Mangwiro who was a leading member of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe despite President Robert Mugabe's protestations that homosexuality is "against African traditions". The book also includes the story of Simon Nkoli, a South African ANC activist who after spending four years in prison under apartheid went on to be the face of the struggle for gay rights in the new South Africa. Further, stories of hate, fear and persecution are reported from Nigeria, Egypt and other countries, in addition to reports from the states where homosexuality punishable by death; including Sudan, Mauritania and some Northern Nigerian states. For Archishop Tutu, these "destructive forces" of "hatred and prejudice" are an evil. "A parent who brings up a child to be a racist damages that child, damages the community in which they live, damages our hopes for a better world. A parent who teaches a child that there is only one sexual orientation and that anything else is evil denies our humanity and their own too," Mr Tutu concludes. http://www.afrol.com/articles/13584 vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv If you are Episcopanglican and Bishop Harris and Archbishop Desmond Tutu can't change your mind AND ACTION about gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans-gender, queer, questioning, and kinky folk, then God probably can't either.------oonagh Ryan-King And the only thing "wrong" with the statements of Bishop Barbara and AB Desmond is that I didn't say it!! (to paraphrase Robert Warren Cromey+, one truly holy human!--oonie vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv Just over a decade ago in the US, during the George H.W. Bush (yes THAT Bush of Noriega and The Invasion of PC's poorest, etc) administration, it seemed as if the entire military junta were Episcopalian men: the president, Donald Rumsfeld, James Baker, George Schultz, Colin Powell, Norman Schwarzkopf, Oliver North, Dick Armey, and the list goes on. (The current alleged US president, George W. Bush, was baptized as an Episcopalian but had a “born-again” experience that led to him to convert to the United Methodist Church.) Isn't that enough to make you want to be a Starhawk Pagan activist or Quaker or Buddhist or UU or SOMETHING ELSE (even RC--they've got Romero and Dorothy Day and Louie Vitale and Ken Butigan and both Berrigans and John Dear and Ivonne Gebarra and Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez and Mike Casey and Kim Bobo and Henri Nouen and eons of good CST)????? And do we forget years ago the mighty Episcopalian Casper Weinberger was challenged ONLY by the ECUSA voice of The Rev'd. Robert Warren Cromey of Trinity Church, San Francisco, who called for Weinberger's excommunication because of his war position. Yes, RWC is my hero and the man I'd ask God to be my brother if I were ever offered that opportunity. With the Episcopal Church's urban landscape changing from white to black, the denomination has opted to pour its support, money, and energy not into these historic black churches but instead into developing urban Hispanic churches. The gentrification of the urban church by replacing one minority group with another sets up a paradigm of "divide and conquer" that makes neither group feel welcomed, but both expendable. (I also wish I'd said THAT! because it is very very true, I am sad to say.--oonie) "Those Hispanic churches are set up like a 'reservation system' within the Episcopal Church," said Juliana Gutierrez, a Mexican American. Comprised primarily of a migrant population from all over Latin America, these newcomers form missionary congregations set up by the Episcopal Church. Unlike parishes, missionary congregations are not free-standing: they cannot call their own rector, and cannot make their own decisions. According to Gutierrez, these missionary congregations have a paternalistic relationship with the Episcopal Church because they are not only dependent on the church for monetary support but also for a place to worship. Oftentimes Episcopal churches seek to remedy the tension by devising "separate but equal" worship hours between Spanish-speaking missionary congregations and English-speaking parishes that must share the same facilities. "The two groups come together only for special events and the Eucharist," Gutierrez said. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv I live in Bocas Province as many of you know and the heartbeat of Bocas is made up of the drums of Mama Africa and the drumming feet of our First Peoples. To me, we seem more an African diaspora than most of what is generally thought of as Latin America. So to call out African-Americans, people of colour who were gay seems important: (I am sorry to say that, as of yet, I do not know enough of the gay history of Latin America, but I can guarantee there IS one!) Without a Bayard Rustin there would have been no 1963 March on Washington for Civil Rights, but most history books rarely mention him and they almost never acknowledge that he was gay. The names of deceased singers Ma Rainey and Miss Billie Holliday, pro baseball player Glenn Burke and the late Rep. Barbara Jordan, Democrat-Texas, might be found in history books but not their sexual orientation--GAY. Ken Reeves, an openly gay African American and the former mayor of Cambridge, Mass., often calls attention to the lack of visibility of openly gay black men AND women, but it seems that, as with all persons I have known, it is the men who too often have the big burning issues with gayness.[In the US there is a saying about tedious entitled white men that could apply across many culture lines: if a straight man asks a woman out and she turns him down, he calls her "Lesbian." And most ALL (my darling husband excluded, Thanks Be To God) Anglo entitled white men are CONVINCED that EVERY gay man is "after him."] Telling the stories is a powerful way to educate others and inspire young African Americans who are coming to terms with their sexual orientation. ["Same-gender-loving" is a term that many African Americans who are not straight have adopted to describe themselves. Some saw the terms "gay" and "lesbian" as Eurocentric, and wanted to establish a separate identity.] The church has traditionally informed, influenced and guided the day-to-day lives of many African Americans. “The black church in the US is (WAS) not just a place of spirituality and enlightenment, but a place of empowerment for African Americans,” says David Neale, founder of Black Lavender Resources, a Wheaton, Md., consulting firm specializing in diversity within the GLBT community. Bishop Kwabena Rainey Cheeks, of Inner Light Ministries in Washington, D.C., agrees. “Spirituality is almost impossible to separate from Black life,” says Cheeks. “The church is a stabilizing force and a place to connect not just to God but to community, as well.” Yet some in those churches have been unwelcoming to people with a different sexual orientation or gender identity. “The black church, the oldest institution and pillar of the black community, has historically dictated the community’s stance on homosexuality — either you don’t talk about it, or you condemn it,” says Lynn d Johnson, online editor of Vibe magazine and adjunct professor at Metropolitan College of New York. It is daunting to come out only to face the fear and misunderstanding of US society in general. But many GLBT African Americans must face that same ignorance within the very institution that has for so many been the centerpiece of their community. Although most African-American denominations have not issued a public statement outlining their position on homosexuality, the stances of individual churches and ministers are revealed on Sundays. “The motto of the black church seems to be ‘don’t name it, don’t claim it,’” says Mandy Carter, a founder of the progressive organization Southerners on New Ground. This informal church dictum has led many GLBT African Americans to find and create other places to exercise their spirituality. As Bishop Cheeks put it, “I would rather sit in a tree and talk to God than go to a church that doesn’t affirm me as a gay man.” Bishop Cheeks has worked hard to ensure that his church, Inner Light Ministries, is a diverse and inclusive church for GLBT worshippers. Some gay-affirming churches, such as the United Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (NOW HERE IN PANAMA!!!! with a Black woman bishop and a Mexican-American pastor), are ethnically and racially inclusive. But over the past few decades, new churches also have been established specifically to welcome and affirm GLBT people of color. One is the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, founded in 1985 by Rev. Carl Bean and other gay and lesbian African Americans. That church now has 15 locations across the US. The New Church, Inclusive Episcopal Reform, the parish that ordained me deacon, IS open to all and all sorts of people show up--straight, gay, European, alcoholics, people with DSMIV diagnoses, Anglo, African-American, Buddhist, Jesuit, Unitarian, UCC, Episcopalian, women, men, children, youth, priests, Franciscans, atheists, pagans, Wiccans, transgendered folk, Quakers, Methodists, Roman Catholics, Asisan-Americans, First Peoples from all over the world; their sister churches outside of CA are booming with all of God's Rainbow People! This Church draws on Anglicanisms Celtic roots--after all, the original Celts, probably the Picts, WERE a dark-skinned people. As the Celts have and ARE marginalised and oppressed, even today--see the Irish. NCIAR feels that is a point of deep connection with Creation, The Cosmic Christ, and ALL of God's Rainbow Tribe. This Church can grow in Latin America because of the more "Roman style liturgy" and the ability and openness to syncretism--the openness and hospitality to blend and merge cultures and styles of worship to meet the needs of her members/parishioners. We welcome NCIAR's founders to Panama next year. They'll be speaking and teaching for AHMNP and UNAIDS-UNOSIDA. AND some long-established black churches also have made progress toward being more welcoming. In April 2000, the Union United Methodist Church in Boston voted to become the nation’s first black Methodist church to officially welcome and include gay and lesbian worshippers. Allen Temple, Oakland, and her charismatic, humble, marvelous Senior Pastor, friend and mentor, J Alfred Smith Sr, is one such example of a mega church on the cutting edge of everything! (I'd be an Allen Temple American Baptist preacher if I could preach that long!!! and memorise and extemporise sermons!! Alas, I am a word person of the twelve minute sermon unless someone really gets me going and then I can sing-song with the best of 'em. I even have a VOICE that rumbles!) That same year of 2000 the United Methodists of Color for a Fully Inclusive Church was founded. The chuch engages people in the subject of heterosexism and homophobia in Christianity and the United Methodist Church. “We are accomplices through our silence on these issues,” says Rev. Gil Caldwell, who sits on its advisory board. “We must connect the struggles, as different as they are.” Rev. Cecil Williams "moved" the mega and mega-amazing Church--Glide Memorial--in San Francisco to non-denominatioinal when the Methodists were all in an uproar about queerfolk. The Rev Robert Warren Cromey (autobiograhy "Sex Priest" available online at amazon.com. You may come to the house and read our copy. I can't let it walk out; it's a holy relic), retired, of Trinity San Francisco, has been a tireless advocate of civil/gay rights since the 1960's--long before it was sexy. He stood up against C/church, parish, vestry, diocese, and bishop to preach the Good News of ALL GOD's PEOPLE long before it was considered "sexy." Back when it was dangerous to preach such about Black folks AND queerfolk in the US in San Francisco. He brought the Good News to his mentor, the late and marvelous Bishop Jim Pike, that sainted human of Love and outrageousness. (Why don't we make them like this anymore? Why are we so tediously vanilla, regardless of our skin colour? Of what are we afraid?) Individual pastors also are making a difference. “I hope I’m doing some sharing of faith that recognizes all human beings as God’s creation,” says Rev. Timothy McDonald III, the founding pastor of the First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta. “The pastor sets the tone. If the pastor is scared, homophobic and sends out negative signals about gays and lesbians, it’s going to spread throughout the congregation.” Trinity SF has held BIble studies over the years, massage sessions, premarital counseling groups and individual sessions that are open and honest about sex and sexuality. One Lenten series was a Saturday of watching and processing well erotic and soft porn--hetero, gay, and Lesbian. Nudes filled the good priest's study as did books about sex and sexuality. If we as bishops, archbishops, priests, lay leaders, and missionaries can't talk about OUR OWN sexuality and struggles, then we all need to just shut the doors and turn our churches into restaurants and bookstores. For those of us considered "liberal," has anyone ever asked or told HOW we came to feel this way; did we just grow up "gay positive," or did something change us and how and why and when? And with what do we still struggle? I can tell you I am totally intolerant of intolerance and that I am a long time straight woman who loves to hang out with gay men and I've been like that since Jr High School and I was poor white trash from Mississippi. But I had unusual parents and I think I was reading before I could talk or walk. And those parents and my English literature teacher first cousin put BOOKS in my hands and I was reading James Baldwin in Jr High and I grew up listening to Miss Billie and James Meredith was born and grew up in the same town as I. As did Oprah Winfrey, so there MUST be something in that mean little red-hilled town of pursed-mouthed Calvinists! And I'd have to say that it was probably that we were too poor to have any Civil War battles fought in that county and the sacred ground still gives up relics of our First Peoples, the Choctaw. In 1998, the Human Rights Campaign hosted its first Gospel & Soul, an event designed to reach out and build coalitions with African-American churches and ministers who support gay civil rights. Since then, Gospel & Soul celebrations have occurred in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Raleigh and Detroit. “As leaders of this community, we must challenge ourselves to move …from this place of joyful celebration into our black churches and communities — boldly encouraging and engaging in discourse about sexuality,” Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas said at the 2000 HRC Gospel & Soul event in Atlanta. Brown is an associate professor of theology at Howard University’s School of Divinity AND an Episcopalian--I assume she still is. After all, Barbara Brown Taylor has left since I've been in Panama. God only knows who else is gone! And I can't blame them. (Dr Brown-Douglas has written on "The Black Christ" and sex and gender in African-American churches. She, Ivone Gebara of Brasil, and "Indecent Theology"'s Dr. Marcella Althaus-Reid are my favorite feminist theologians. Dr. Althaus-Reid writes: "Drawing on the experiences of queers, the poor and Latin American spirituality 'Indecent Theology' explores "sexuality, poverty and God... All theology is sexual theology. 'Indecent theology' is sexier than most... Heterosexuality informs ways of knowing, ways of relationship and even economic patterns and expectations. I want to explore different ways of love and knowing." In doing so indecent theology presents a stark challenge to the Church's dominant, if unrecognized, sexual theology. "My interest has been to consider how our theological understandings and church organisations depend on heterosexual thinking, from dualist conceptions to ideas about reproduction, property and hierarchy. Sexual ideologies combined with racial and class patterns produce oppression.") are my favorite women theologians these days. ---from a presentation of Dr. Marcella Althaus-Reid, quoting from her second book, "Indecent Theology." vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv As more churches open their doors (but do we open our MOUTHS?) to GLBT parishioners and more leaders publicly recognize those of different sexual orientations and gender identities, fewer GLBT African Americans will be forced to choose between their identities and their faiths. Does this also apply to us here in the grand color box of cultures here in Panama, at the crossroads of the world? And why not? vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv To find a welcome and affirming place of worship near you, contact the GLBT religious organizations listed at the end of this diatribe. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv Coming out to family is often one of the most difficult experiences for a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person. And for African Americans, it may be particularly challenging, says Sean Carmago, former senior adviser on diversity and communities of color at Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a national group based in Washington, D.C. “The black family unit is a very strong one,” says Carmago. “In a world where racism is still far too prevalent, the family is a haven, a stronghold of support.” For many, there is no place in this fortress of strength for a “weakness,” as homosexuality is often viewed. Parents sometimes think that having a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender child is detrimental and damaging to the black family and will negatively affect the whole African-American community. As the late African-American lesbian author Audre Lorde described it:“Within black communities where racism is a living reality, differences among us often seem dangerous and suspect. The need for unity is often misnamed as a need for homogeneity.” (Sister Outsider: Essays and Poems.Crossing Press, 1984.) For Those We Love is a program founded specifically to support African-American families of GLBT people. Founder William Beale of Washington, D.C., the father of a gay son, was involved in PFLAG but felt that others would feel more comfortable in an African American-only support group. “I’d see one other black person at the local PFLAG meeting, but they’d never return. My guess was that they didn’t feel comfortable ‘airing their dirty laundry’ in that setting,” says Beale. “Some feel homosexuality should only be shared or discussed with others like themselves.” PFLAG has also formed a Families of Color Network, which strives to keep good, strong, healthy families united by love, addresses issues of institutionalized racism and works to break down barriers of sexual orientation and gender identity within communities of color. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv To the people that we love, I think the greatest gift we can give is to be who we are, as we find out who we are. That is the greatest gift. --Alice Walker, author vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv Many people see the GLBT community as a microcosm of society in that it faces the same economic, racial, domestic and class issues as the rest of the American public. It is understandable, then, that similar challenges with social issues will exist. Some African Americans don’t feel comfortable or welcome in the broader GLBT community or movement that many view as historically white-focused. “Whether it’s intentional or not, when GLBT organizations are predominately white, it discourages people of color. They look at the faces, don’t see anyone like themselves and think, ‘I have no place here,’” says Mandy Carter, African-American lesbian activist. Carter points to the growth of Black Pride celebrations as evidence that African Americans need to see other people like themselves--in suits, tennis shoes, feathers, leather, rubber or gold lame'. “Some people think that having black prides is somehow divisive, but I see it as another way to affirm the still too frequent invisibility of same-gender-loving blacks.” Being honest about your sexual orientation or gender identity can be a matter of life and death — or, at a minimum, essential to getting effective care and treatment. Some of the people who may most need toknow the truth about your orientation or identity are your health care providers--doctors, nurses, dentists, acupuncturists, etc. Coming out to them can be hard, however, because inaccurate information exists across the medical community about the treatment of GLBT health care consumers. A number of health care providers still mistakenly presume all patients are heterosexual. As a result, it can be awkward and grossly insensitive (and just plain estupido) when a doctor or nurse asks whether you are sexually active and what kind of birth control you use. Their ignorance encourages many GLBT people to delay or avoid getting the care they need. And it keeps many from talking with their providers about promoting good health and preventing disease in an informed, open way. If you are not ready to come out to your own health care provider, perhaps you would feel more comfortable talking with a gay-friendly one. (email or call me and I'll give you a list of gay friendly and gay savvy folks. You may also contact AHMNP in Panama City.) Similarly, if you have a therapist, make sure he or she is knowledgeable about issues facing GLBT people. A number of providers remain ill-informed, particularly about transgender issues — and could give inaccurate or damaging advice. THIS IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY--TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THOSE WHO INTEND HEALTH BUT PROVIDE HARM. WE MUST INFORM OUR CONGREGATIONS AND BE PLACES OF SAFETY AND INFORMATION. www.gayhealth.com (able to help with finding health care providers) The presence of open GLBT African Americans in the church and within the family will be key to changing the homophobic atmosphere in those institutions. If we are going to change things, we have to become visible. You will find that coming out is not a one-time event, but rather a lifelong journey. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv RESOURCES OF RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS FOR GLBT/same gender-loving folk: If no one answers you because this is a US-based web revue, I suggest you contact the Society of Friends, the Quakers. I have never known them to let anyone down. And THAT'S A STATEMENT!!!!! Affirmation (Mormon) P.O. Box 46022 Los Angeles, CA 90046-0022 323/255-7251 www.affirmation.org Affirmation (United Methodist) P.O. Box 1021 Evanston, IL 60204 847/733-9590 www.umaffirm.org Al-Fatiha Foundation (Muslim) P.O. Box 33532 Washington, D.C. 20033 202/319-0898 www.al-fatiha.net Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists P.O. Box 2596 Attleboro Falls, MA 02763-0894 508/226-1945 www.wabaptists.org Brethren/Mennonite Council for Lesbian and Gay Concerns P.O. Box 6300 Minneapolis, MN 55406 612/722-6906 www.webcom.com/bmc/ welcome.html Dignity/USA (Roman Catholic--YES, there are open and out RC parishes and people!) 1500 Massachusetts Ave., Ste. 8, N.W. Washington, DC 20005-1894 800/877-8797 www.dignityusa.org Emergence International (Christian Scientist) P.O. Box 26237 Phoenix, AZ 85068 800/280-6653 www.emergence-international.org Evangelicals Concerned with Reconciliation P.O. Box 19734 Seattle, WA 98109-6734 206/621-8960 www.ecwr.org Gay Buddhist Fellowship 2215-R Market St., PMB 456 San Francisco, CA 94114 415/974-9878 www.gaybuddhist.org Integrity (Episcopalian) 1718 M St., N.W., PMB 148 Washington, DC 20036 202/462-9498 www.integrityusa.org Lutherans Concerned P.O. Box 10461 Chicago, IL 60610 www.lcna.org More Light Presbyterians 4737 County Rd., 101 Minnetonka, MN 55345-2634 www.mlp.org Office of GLBT Concerns for Unitarian Universalists Association 25 Beacon St. Boston, MA 02108 617/948-6475 www.uua.org/obgltc/ Rainbow Baptists P.O. Box 3183 Walnut Creek, CA 94598 www.rainbowbaptists.org Reconciling Pentecostals International 34522 N. Scottsdale Rd., D-8 Suite 238 Scottsdale, AZ 85262 480/595-5517 www.reconcilingpentecostals.com SDA Kinship International (Seventh-Day Adventist) P.O. Box 49375 Sarasota, FL 34250 866/732-5677 www.sdakinship.org United Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (I can give you the email information for their bishop and pastor) 8704 Santa Monica Blvd., 2nd Fl. West Hollywood, CA 90069 310/360-8640 www.ufmcc.com United Methodists of Color for a Fully Inclusive Church 3801 N. Keeler Avenue Chicago, IL 60641 773/736-5526 www.umoc.org Unity Fellowship Church Movement (African American) 5148 West Jefferson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016 323/938-8322 www.unityfellowshipchurch.org World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Jews P.O. Box 23379 Washington, DC 20026-3379 202/452-7424 www.glbtjews.org African Ancestral Lesbians United for Social Change, Inc. 154 Christopher St., #3-C New York, NY 10014 212/741-9110, ext. 18 www.aalusc.org Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice 116 East 16th St., 7th Fl., New York, NY 10003 212/529-8021 www.astraea.org Bisexual Resource Center P.O. Box 1026 Boston, MA 02117-1026 617/424-9595 www.biresource.org Gay and Lesbian Medical Association 459 Fulton St., Ste. 107 San Francisco, CA 94102 415/255-4547 www.glma.org Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network 121 W. 27th St., Ste. 804 New York, NY 10001 212/727-0135 www.glsen.org Gender Education and Advocacy P.O. Box 65 Kensington, MD 20895 301/949-3822 (#8) www.gender.org Human Rights Campaign 1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20036 202/628-4160 TTY 202/216-1572 www.hrc.org International Foundation for Gender Education P.O. Box 540229 Waltham, MA 02454-0229 781/899-2212 www.ifge.org Lambda Legal 120 Wall St., Ste. 1500 New York, NY 10005-3904 212/809-8585 www.lambdalegal.org Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force 350 W. 31st St., Suite 505 New York, NY 10001 212/714-2904 www.lgirtf.org National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Centers 12832 Garden Grove, Blvd. Ste. A Garden Grove, CA 92843 www.lgbtcenters.org National Black Justice Coalition P.O. Box 1229 New York, NY 10037 212/330-6599 www.nbjcoalition.org/ National Center for Lesbian Rights 870 Market St., Ste. 570 San Francisco, CA 94102 415/392-6257 www.nclrights.org National Gay and Lesbian Task Force 1325 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. Ste. 600 Washington, DC 20005 202/332-6483 TTY 202/332-6219 www.ngltf.org LLEGÓ — National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Organization 1420 K St., N.W., Ste. 400 Washington, DC 20005 888/633-8320 www.llego.org National Coming Out Project 1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20036 www.hrc.org/ncop National Minority AIDS Council 1931 13th St., N.W. Washington, DC 20009 202/483-6622 www.nmac.org National Youth Advocacy Coalition 1638 R St., N.W., Ste. 300 Washington, DC 20009 800/541-6922 www.nyacyouth.org Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays 1726 M St., N.W., Ste. 400 Washington, DC 20036 202/467-8180 www.pflag.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network P.O. Box 65301 Washington, DC 20035-5301 202/328-3244 www.sldn.org Youth Resource 200 M St., NW Washington, DC 20036 202/419-3420 www.youthresource.com Zuna Institute 4660 Natomas Blvd., 120–181 Sacramento, CA 95835 916/419-5075 www.zunainstitute.org vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv African American Lesbians United www.celebratesisterhood.org/index1.html Blacklight www.blacklightonline.com Blackstripe www.blackstripe.com Black Homie Pages www.blk.com Chocolate City www.chocolatecityusa.com GLAAD Black History Month Kit www.glaad.org/media/resource_kit_detail.php?id=3048 NGLTF Black Pride www.ngltf.org/pi/blackpride.htm Operation: Rebirth www.operationrebirth.com VenusMagazine www.venusmagazine.com Women in the Life www.womeninthelife.com PFLAG RELATED For Those We Love (Washington, D.C.) and African-American PFLAG chapters in Columbus, Ohio; Detroit; Seattle, Wash.; and Boston: contact www.pflag.org Families of Color Network (Listserv) at focn@pflag.org. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv A Whosoever Church: Welcoming Gays and Lesbians into African American Congregations. Gary David Comstock, Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. Black Gay Man: Essays. Robert F. Reid-Pharr and Samuel R. Delany,New York University Press, 2001. Black Like Us: A Century of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual African American Fiction. Devon W. Carbado. ed. et al, Cleis Press, 2002. Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men. Essex Hemphill and Joe Beam, ed., Alyson Publications, 1991. Coming Out While Staying in: Struggles and Celebrations of Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals in the Church. Leanne McCall Tigert, United Church Press, 1996. Does Your Momma Know: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Coming Out Stories. Lisa C. Moore, ed., Redbone Press, 1998. The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart. Peter J.Gomes, William Morrow & Co., 1996. The Greatest Taboo: Homosexuality in Black Communities. Delroy Constantine-Simms, Alyson Publications, 2001. In the Life: A Black Gay Anthology. Joseph Beam, Alyson Publications,1988. Love Awaits, African American Women Talk About Sex, Love, and Life: Dearest Brothers, Much Peace, Your Sisters. Courtney Long and Maria Jones, eds., Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishers, 1995. Love Lifted Me: In Spite Of The Church. K. Godfrey Easter, LLM Publishing Group, 2002. One More River to Cross: Black and Gay in America. Keith Boykin, Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1998. One of the Children: Gay Black Men in Harlem. William Hawkswood, University of California Press, 1996. Respecting the Soul: Daily Reflections for Black Lesbians and Gays. Keith Boykin, William Morrow & Co., 1999. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Audre Lorde, Crossing Press, 1984. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv FILM: All God’s Children. Dr. Dee Mosbacher, Frances Reid and Dr. Sylvia Rhue, 1996. Among Good Christian People. Catherine Gund and Jacqueline Woodson, 1980. B.D. Women. Inge Blackman, 1994. The Body of a Poet: A Tribute to Audre Lorde. Sonali Fernando, 1995. Black Nations/Queer Nations? Shari Frilot, 1995. Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin. Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, 2002. A Different Kind of BlackMan. Sheila J. Wise, 2001. The Edge of Each Other’s Battles: The Vision of Audre Lorde. Jennifer Abod, 2000. James Baldwin: The Price of a Ticket. Karen Thorson, 1990. He Left Me His Strength. DCTV, 1989. I Shall Not Be Removed: The Life of Marlon Riggs. Karen Everett, 1996. Living With Pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100. Yvonne Welbon, 1999. Our House: Lesbians and Gays in the Hood. Not Channel Zero, 1993. Tongues Untied. Marlon Riggs, 1989. Watermelon Woman. Cheryl Dunye, 1997. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv The Trevor Hotline 866/4UTREVOR 866/488-7386 Gay and Lesbian National Hotline 888/843-GLNH (4564) National AIDS Hotline 800/342-AIDS (2437) 800/344-7432 (Spanish) 800/243-7889 (TTY) vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv WHAT IS THE NATIONAL COMING OUT PROJECT? The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s National Coming Out Project is an ongoing effort to promote honesty and openness about being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender on campus, in the workplace and in the community. It is an extension of National Coming Out Day, which was established after the 1987 gay and lesbian march on Washington, D.C. Celebrated every Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day is designed to educate America about the lives of GLBT people and celebrate the com- munity’s achievements. The yearlong National Coming Out Project, led by Candace Gingrich, offers printed and web resources, facilitates public education and outreach programs that open a dialogue with GLBT and straight Americans and encourages GLBT Americans to come out and get involved. Visit theNational Coming Out Project at www.hrc.org/ncop. For more copies of the Resource Guide to Coming Out for African Americans or more information on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and its National Coming Out Project, please contact us at 800/866-NCOD, ncop@hrc.org or 1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20036. http://www.hrc.org/Content/ContentGroups/Publications1/AfricanAmericanResourceGuide.pdf. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv TWO-SPIRIT PEOPLE NATIVE AMERICAN BERDACHE Two-Spirit People, or one called a 'Berdanche', or even one of the 'third gender', are individuals not caterigorized as either gay or lesbian, transvestite or bisexual. Those who, in many Native American Cultures, who are respected and looked apon as people who are both male and female, making them more complete, more balanced than simply a man or a woman. Before those from Europe came from across the waters, and took over their land, these people were part of the 'norm', connected with the very heartbeat of the life force we are all part of. Even today, Berdaches are accepted in many American Indian societies and in other settings. http://www.coreymondello.com/Berdache.html vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv En la lucha oonie oonagh Ryan-King ECUSA Missionary in Panama In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends. [and those of our church siblings] --MLKJr