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Attorney and Plaintiff in the First Same Sex Marriage Lawsuit of the Modern Gay Rights Movement

by Craig Dean Perhaps no topic stirs the imagination as the legalization of same-sex marriage. In this veritable minefield of tradition versus progress, twenty years ago attorney Craig Dean filed the first discrimination suit to legalize same-sex marriage in over forty years when his marriage license application to his partner was denied by the District…

Gay and Catholic – by Darren Theoret

by Darren Theoret Ottawa, Canada The following is the letter I emailed to my friends, family and Catholic Church officials advising that I have decided not to become ordained as a Deacon. It is dated 16 January, 2008. When I rededicated my life to the Lord, I was 19 years old and living a very…

The Sin of Sodom Was NOT Homosexuality! – Shortened Version

Nov 21, 2005 – This is a shortened version suitable for publication. If you wish to read the longer, original “letter to the editor”, please Click Here. For years people have accepted without question, that the sin of Sodom was homosexuality. A more careful examination of the story itself, combined with other passages in both…

The Rapture – Is It Scriptural?

by Rev John W Brown Note from Mary: Harold Camping of Family Radio Network of Christian Stations, predicted the end of the world would happen on May 21, 2011 (which happens to be today). He preached that homosexuality is such a shameful abomination that it normally is “in the closet,” but since God is about…

Ex-Gay Ministry Scandals

by Wayne Besen From the very beginning, the “ex-gay” ministries have been enmeshed in a series of high profile failures. In addition to the crestfallen Paulk, the following are the most well publicized defections and scandals in the colorful annals of “ex-gay” history: * In 1973, John Evans, co-founded the world’s first modern “ex-gay” ministry,…

My Salvation is Based on Christ Alone

by William Spangler I am 46 yrs. old. I grew up in VA. right on the Bible Belt. I attended a Pentecostal church. I was miserable. During all my young adult life I had to suppress my real self. I constantly felt condemned, I witnessed firsthand the shame my church brought upon others who dared…

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Ex-Gay and Exodus International Support

For Those Who Have Been Hurt By These Anti-Gay Ministries See also Ex-Gay Videos Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth The real story behind “ex-gay†ministries and reparative therapy! Nationally known activist Wayne Besen spent four years examining the phenomenon of “ex-gay†ministries and reparative therapies—interviewing leaders, attending conferences,…

Differences Between Men And Women’s Sexual Arousal

The article Men Know When They’re Aroused, Women May Not by Jeanna Bryner, highlights a very interesting phenomenon that deserves to be repeated in other studies to see how valid and reliable the findings of this study are. Here is an excerpt from this article: When it comes to sexual arousal, a woman’s mind and…

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Church Recognizes Gay Pastor’s Union

GLENN DALE – A church pastor and a Web page designer yesterday got as close to marriage as two same-sex Episcopalians can in Maryland. During a service led by the Right Rev. John Bryson Chane, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, the 12-year relationship between the Rev. Michael Warren Hopkins and John Clinton Bradley…

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The Benefits of Legal Marriage

by C. Ann Shepherd The typical married couple in America receives over 160 benefits and rights by virtue of their union. It seems ironic that a heterosexual couple married for one hour, has more rights and benefits than a same-sex couple that has been together for 30 years. The following is only a sample of…

HIV AIDS Resources – “Hope Is Vital”

Since the start of the AIDS epidemic, more than 78 million people have been infected with HIV and 39 million have died. Acquiring HIV no longer means certain death. A person on HIV treatment in a high-income setting now has nearly the same life expectancy as a person who does not have the virus. However,…

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Statement on Same-Sex Marriage

CALGARY – Yesterday the Liberal government introduced their much-awaited marriage legislation. The decision I have come to has been a difficult one. I have spoken to many hundreds in my riding of Calgary Centre-North. I have met with many community leaders including religious leaders from Calgary and representatives of the gay community. I have held…

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The State’s Role in Marriage (Part 1)

A possible Conservative victory in the upcoming federal election could mean social policies favouring a traditional “family” ideology: Where men are men and women are housewives and sexual and reproductive freedom is set back half a century. It’s an outcome too depressing to be worth discussion. Instead, I want to talk about one aspect of…

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The State’s Role in Marriage (Part 2)

Read Part 1 of this article. Today, as Canadians (or at least those of us who vote) are choosing our government for the next five years, I want to recall the words of a former national leader. On Dec. 22, 1967, defending the decriminalization of homosexual behaviour, Pierre Elliott Trudeau opined that “The state has…

Canadian Military Performs First Gay Wedding

HALIFAX, NS — The military has marked its first same-sex wedding, more than a decade after gays were allowed to join the Armed Forces. Two servicemen, who do not want to be named, exchanged vows May 3 at the chapel at CFB Greenwood, N.S., in front of 45 friends and a United Church minister. Lt.-Cmdr….

Gay Marriage About Taking Responsibility

The Liberal sponsorship scandal, the Enron affair and the Parmalat case seem to be symptoms of a failure in modern Western culture. We put too much emphasis on individual rights and not enough on individual responsibilities. The public clamours for the individuals responsible for corporate and government failures to face the same sort of criminal…

The Love that Proudly Speaks its Name

Lloyd Thornhill and his partner Bob Peacock were married last year in Canada and were involved in the court case for equal marriage in Canada. Below is a presentation they made to the government’s Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights back on April 1, 2003 before they won the right to marry. Vancouver, BC,…

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Could Your Teenager Be Gay?

Secretly, many parents hope not. But if the answer is yes, there’s a lot of support to help you and your child along the journey. A few weeks before writing this, I bumped into an acquaintance, a middle-aged woman with two teenage sons. I told her I was working on an article about parents of…

Celibacy – History and Doctrine

by Brother Lawrence Damien Note from Mary: This is taken from a letter by Brother Lawrence Damien (aka Rev John Brown) to the Social Group during a discussion on celibacy: I am Catholic (though not Roman – I am from the California Diocese of The American Catholic Church which is an Independent Catholic Church) and…

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Is Hell Exothermic Or Endothermic?

Note from Mary: There are many versions of this story on the internet with different names and schools mentioned. I suspect this is the correct version but have no way of verifying. Dr. Schambaugh, of the University of Oklahoma School of Chemical Engineering, Final Exam question for May of 1997. Dr. Schambaugh is known for…

“The Lord’s Prayer” Translation From Aramaic – NOT!

This beautiful poem is being presented on the internet as “A translation of ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, directly from the Aramaic into English – rather than from Aramaic to Greek to Latin to English”, but please read on after the poem for the truth. O Cosmic Birther of all radiance and vibration! Soften the ground of…

Bill Gaither Issues Press Release Regarding Marsha Stevens

ALEXANDRIA, IN (Press Release) – Apparently, a visit by Marsha Stevens to a Gaither Homecoming concert in 2002 is being misrepresented and misused by her and others. Marsha Stevens is an outspoken lesbian singer-songwriter who operates an organization called Born Again Lesbian Music (BALM Ministries). Her story is a sad one. In 1969, as the…

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Marriage, Loving and the Law

In June 1958, Virginia residents Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter traveled to Washington, D.C., got married and returned home. An unexceptional story but for one fact: Richard was white and Mildred black. Their marriage therefore violated Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act. The Lovings were convicted in Virginia court and sentenced to a year in jail, with…

Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart Threatens To Kill Gays

by Jan Prout 365Gay.com Newscenter Toronto Bureau Posted: September 20, 2004 12:02 am ET (Toronto, Ontario) A Canadian television station has apologized publicly to viewers for a telecast of American evangelist Jimmy Swaggart’s television program in which he threatened to kill gays. The program, aired last week on Omni 1, a Toronto multicultural station, and…

I Didn’t Catch Gay

I didn’t catch gay from a toilet seat, I caught it when for the first time a girl smiled at me and I knew why. I didn’t catch gay from playing with G.I. Joes, I caught it from the secret longing I got when I looked at the other girls around me. I didn’t catch…

The Bible Comes “OUT”

There is no book I love more nor one that has shaped my life more dramatically than the Bible. This is probably true for many of us. The stories in the Bible have filled many of my days and really, are part of my very soul. I have come to realize that the Bible can…

Letter to Betty Robison of Life Outreach International

Dear Betty, On May 5, 2001, Pope Paul II begged God’s forgiveness for sins committed by Roman Catholics against Jews, heretics and women. By doing so, he acknowledged that the “Church” has been wrong in the past. This morning, your husband, James, and your guest, Joyce Meyer, acknowledged that within the different denominations, we all…

Why I Wear A Red Ribbon

People often ask me why I wear a Red Ribbon. Some people ask the question simply to find out what the ribbon means, but other people are really asking a hidden question: they wonder what experiences in life has moved me so that I would want to wear a Red Ribbon, a visible reminder to…

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Unreasoned Ignorance Abounds

Everywhere I turned today, I read yet again another perversion of Holy Scriptures with a decidedly anti-gay twist. It is an epidemic of ignorance and misplaced righteousness. First, the Vatican is at it again, or should I say still at it. What I predicted last year has come to pass: The Pope has banned gay…

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The Self-Destruction of the Roman Catholic Church

I have once again finished reading an official document issued by the Vatican in Rome that deals with the complex issue of gays in ordained ministry. Not since the document “CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROPOSALS TO GIVE LEGAL RECOGNITION TO UNIONS BETWEEN HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS,” issued two summers ago by John Paul II, have I been so absolutely…

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Christianity and LGBT People: A Teaching Summary

~by Rev. Dr. Jerry S. Maneker Question: How do you define Christianity? Answer: The Gospel means: Good News! The good news is that we are God’s children by God’s grace alone (unmerited favor) and we appropriate that grace through our abiding faith (implacable trust) in God (i.e. trusting God over and above seen circumstances), love,…

A Priest’s Confession

“I knew at a very early age that I was different.” THE PRIEST’S heart was pounding in his chest. His hands were icy cold. He was nervous. More than usual. The pews were nearly full as they are most Sundays as he walked up the middle aisle of St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda to celebrate…

Using Theory to Understand Gay and Lesbian Identity Development

There are several theories that describe the sexual orientation development of gay and lesbian individuals. Because people are unique and everyone has his or her own story, no one theory describes all people. Some of the factors that influence development, and which are not yet accounted for by theory, include race, religion, culture, gender, and…

Attempts To Become Straight Leads To Heartbreak And Divorce

‘Ex-Gay Groups Love To Spotlight The Wedding Photos, But They Never Show The Divorce Papers,’ Says TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen TRUTH WINS OUT UNVEILS VALENTINE’S VIDEO SHOWING HOW ATTEMPTS TO BECOME STRAIGHT THROUGH MARRIAGE LEADS TO HEARTBREAK AND DIVORCE Miami Beach, FLA. – Truth Wins Out today unveiled a Valentine’s Day video that shows…

James Dobson – Science Strikes Back

University lecturers left their classrooms this week to lecture Focus on the Family‘s James Dobson to tell him he has no class. The tenured were teed off and staged a revolt because they were revolted by how Dobson had perverted their work in TIME magazine. In a Time magazine guest column criticizing Mary Cheney, Dobson…

60 Minutes: Science or Stereotypes?

Gay men are limp-wristed and may have a Queen Gene, according to a controversial segment on CBS’s 60 Minutes, “The Science of Sexual Orientation.” The show suggests that gay men are prissy and prance and wear lavender pants while they lisp and dance. Which can certainly be true, in some cases, but is this just…

What About Suicide? by Rev John Brown

In the last few weeks there have been a rash of young men who have committed suicide because of being bullied for being gay. So what has happened to them? Are they in hell because they took their own life? Is it possible they could be in heaven? Could it be God saw their hearts,…

The King That Was A Queen

Coretta Scott King was a wonderful soul of love and empathy who will be mourned by millions of people. She was the King who was a queen, because she understood her husband’s “dream” was much greater than achieving liberty for one narrow slice of the population. “For many years now, I have been an outspoken…

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Gay Pride – by Rick James

Every once in a while I have people ask me what my multicolored (rainbow) wristband means. My usual response is: it means that one is either gay, or gay friendly. I don’t usually tell them that “it’s a pride thing,” although it would be an accurate statement. My typical response is usually enough information for…

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The Bible and Same-Sex Marriage

“The church is not of one mind. I expect this issue to continue to be raised until society comes to terms with it.” ~ Bishop Elias Galvan of Seattle, March 21, 2004 (speaking after Methodist minister Rev. Karen Dammann was acquitted in a church trial over her sexual orientation.) As recently as March, a CBS…